How to stream IRL: a complete beginner's guide

1. Minimum gear

A recent phone is enough to start: the main camera records 1080p60 with stabilization. Add a power bank (phone encoding drains the battery fast), a gimbal or selfie stick and a wireless lavalier mic — bad audio loses viewers faster than a soft picture.

• Phone with 1080p60 and stabilization
• Power bank of 20,000 mAh or more
• Wireless microphone
• SIMs from different carriers or an extra 4G/5G router

2. Internet: the most critical part

On the street, the network fluctuates constantly. The professional answer is bonding: the phone splits the stream across Wi‑Fi, 4G, 5G and even a USB cable at the same time. If one network fails, the others hold the picture. That's what SRTLA does — see the SRTLA bonding guide for the details.

3. The streaming app

Use Stratu Cam (Android and iPhone): it streams over SRT, which handles packet loss far better than RTMP, and it is set up with your account. Use 1080p at 30 or 60 fps with adaptive bitrate, so the app lowers quality by itself when the signal degrades instead of freezing.

4. Production: a home PC or the cloud

The old way is leaving a PC with OBS running at home to receive the signal — if your home power or internet fails, the stream fails too. In the cloud, scenes, text, widgets and delivery to the platforms run on an always-on server. With Stratu, the main stream stays on air even when the phone loses signal: autopilot shows your BRB scene and comes back on its own.

5. Checklist before you head out

Run a short test stream and check the audio. Prepare your BRB scene, alerts and on-screen chat. Agree with your moderators how you'll talk during the stream — on Stratu, the producer can send messages that appear only on your phone. And respect the privacy of people on camera and the rules of the places you visit.