macOS Livestream Bridge

Bridge Livestreams to RTMP & HLS

Back Channel turns livestreams from YouTube, Tiktok, Twitch and other video platforms into stable RTMP or HLS outputs on macOS. RTMP output uses Streamlink for source supervision and a single FFmpeg resync/transcode stage for cleaner downstream ingest.

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Back Channel

Back Channel is a macOS app for converting livestreams into RTMP or HLS.

Key Features

Converts livestreams (including YouTube Live, Twitch, TikTok, etc) into RTMP or HLS output.
Recommended RTMP path uses Streamlink supervision plus single-stage FFmpeg resync/transcode.
Optional command-line workflow for automation and headless operation.
Built for rebroadcasting, monitoring, archiving, and transcription.

Documentation

Everything you need to go from source URL to reliable output.

Before You Start

Confirm you are on macOS 13+ with Apple Silicon.
Get your output destination ready (RTMP URL/key or HLS path).
Make sure you're converting stream that is currently live—recorded videos will not work.

Quick Start

Input a livestream URL in Input Source.
Wait for source info to load.
Select RTMP or HLS output and set destination fields.
Choose Compatible mode for most production uses.
Click Start to begin the stream conversion.

CLI Guide

Use the CLI for repeatable runs, remote operation, and scripted diagnostics. It runs the same core pipeline as the app.

Install CLI Command

Run the installer included in the app bundle. By default it installs to ~/.local/bin.

"/Applications/Back Channel.app/Contents/Resources/bin/install-cli.sh"

Then verify installation:

backchannel --help

Start a Typical RTMP Session

backchannel \
  --source-url "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOUR_ID" \
  --format rtmp \
  --rtmp-url "rtmp://127.0.0.1/live" \
  --mode compatible \
  --auto-start

Capture Logs for Long Runs

backchannel ... --extended-logging true > ~/Downloads/backchannel-run.log 2>&1

CLI Workflow Recommendations

Use GUI once to validate source and destination, then move repeat runs to CLI.
Use Compatible mode for the most predictable ingest behavior.
For RTMP, Compatible uses Streamlink plus a single FFmpeg resync/transcode stage.

System Requirements

macOS 13 Ventura or later
Apple Silicon Mac

Early Development Warning

Back Channel is in very early development and has not been extensively tested.

Download

Downloads are served from GitHub Releases. The button above automatically targets the latest Back-Channel-<version>.zip asset.

Download for macOS