Owncast Newsletter, January 2024
In This Issue
- A Note From The Editor
- Technical Updates
- Features
- Closing Remarks
A Note From The Editor
I'm writing the initial draft of this letter on a rare day off reflecting on the sparks of vibrancy I'm seeing throughout the community of streamers using Owncast and the Fediverse. New Year's Day was an opportunity for me to perform under my DJ persona, MXKS, to an audience 5 times larger than I'd usually see. Developers in Owncast's ecosystem are creating novel and creative content, technology to improve the streaming and viewing experience, and the social fabric to give us all something to be excited about. If the past month has been any reflection of what the rest of the year has in store, then I'm sincerely looking forward to the rest of 2024.
Technical Updates
Owncasts For iOS And tvOS Released
One of the more persistent challenges facing Owncast enthusiasts has been getting their favorite streams on the biggest screen in the house...the TV. It's certainly possible to do, especially with a TV that supports IPTV or an app like VLC, but the process is manual, it certainly isn't for everyone, and can be pretty hard to just flop down on the couch and "see what's on in Owncast land". Similarly, people who prefer a simple "tap to view" experience on their phone when a stream goes live have had to rely on web notifications from all their various streamers, and a simple, easy to follow mobile experience has been a struggle.
For users in the Apple ecosystem of products, things just got a lot easier. Owncast developer Gabe Kangas has recently released an Owncast Directory companion application for iOS and tvOS. The app, called Owncasts, greatly simplifies the ability for iOS and tvOS users to browse the directory, watch streams in the directory, and receive notifications when their favorite streams go live.
Despite his central role with Owncast, Gabe has made it clear in a recent blog post that Owncasts is an adjunct project and not part of the Owncast roadmap. Much like the Owncast Directory, Owncasts is the outgrowth of something made for personal use that others could also benefit from. Regardless of the intent, easier viewing experience are of a benefit to the community as a whole.
Call For Localization Help
Owncast can now support localization, and the project is actively seeking people to translate it into new languages. This is a valuable way to contribute to the project and does not require a particular set of technical skills. Would you like to help translate Owncast's UI into a language you speak? You can find instructions on how to get started here.
Features
Radio Free Fedi's New Year's Day Parade
Over the past year, Radio Free Fedi (RFF) has gone from a dream of community-driven media into a major fixture of the Owncast and Fediverse landscape. The project has delivered an ongoing 24/7 broadcast in the spirit of community, discovery and direct artist support.
To kick off 2024 with a bang, and in celebration of their first year of broadcasting, RFF organized a 24-hour "parade" of Owncast and Peertube streams. The concept was a delightfully lo-fi one– streamers would sign up for time slots within a 24-hour block, RFF would offer a main chatroom and direct viewers to streams according to the schedule, and everyone would promote it under the #NYD24Parade hashtag on the Fediverse.
What resulted from these efforts could only be described as an overwhelming success. The parade of streams offered the diverse and intensely personal content that the Fediverse and independent streaming is known for. Over the parade's length, viewers were treated to everything from blind gaming to live DJs to a public domain B-movie watch-along. Streamers were treated to enthusiastic audiences. Everyone got to enjoy a celebration of community and the possibilities that lie in wait when the Fediverse comes together on something bigger than any individual's solitary efforts. From the coordinators to the streamers to the cheerleading squad in chat, RFF's parade of streams gave a reason to kick off 2024 in a spirit of celebration and optimism.
And, if you'd like to help make efforts like this thrive, RFF would benefit greatly from your support. Whether that's the gift of your resources, your labor, your creativity, or your attention, RFF has a need for what you've got. You can find ideas for how to contribute on their website.
Catch the #FediWave
Live performance streams must always come to an end, and it can really suck when the party's over. Of course, there's always the Owncast Directory to browse for a new stream when one ends, but platforms like Twitch have features that let one streamer direct their audience to another streamer when they're shutting down. This practice, called "raiding", helps streamers find new audiences and gives a fun and lower-effort way for viewers to find new streams.
Meljoann, member of the streaming collective Gravitons, was recently exploring ways to implement a more voluntary form of raiding for Owncast music streamers. The new practice, which in community discussion came to be called "gliding", is something any streamer group can adopt;
- All members of the group adopt a common and distinct hashtag.
- All members of the group include the hashtag in their Owncast Directory listings and Fedi posts.
- Viewers can subscribe to this hashtag on the Fediverse to stay informed about streams and events from the group.
- When a streamer in the group is signing off, they browse the Owncast Directory and/or Fediverse for an active stream using the hashtag, and they post a link to the stream in their chat.
As a proof of concept, they organized a Fedi poll for a gliding hashtag dedicated to "the stranger side of electronic music". The votes are in, and the winner is... #FediWave! If you're a fan or creator of experimental or electronic music, subscribe via your preferred Fediverse clients, keep an eye on the directory, and ride the #FediWave tag this year.
Big thanks to Meljoann for the concept. This simple-to-implement idea can really help distributed groups, collectives, and ideas keep rolling.
Closing Remarks
This newsletter is the product of, and a service to, the community of Owncast developers, streamers, viewers, and enthusiasts later. We cannot be a sounding board for the community without your support. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with interesting project news, events, or other news of note, and if you'd like to help build the social fabric of the Owncast community, please consider checking out the #owncast-community channel on rocket.chat.