[GUIDE] How to Stream IRL from iPhone

During December 2021, Speedify Live engaged in a series of IRL live streams from the Philadelphia area. We hope we managed to bring a bit of the holiday spirit directly into your home via Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and the other platforms we stream Speedify Live.

We needed a simple setup that could serve as an example for anybody who wants to IRL stream. That’s why we centered our setup around the iPhone, as many rave about its video quality for a smartphone. But there are a few other things we tossed into the mix, just make sure we broadcast the best possible video and avoid any types of issues. Read more below about live streaming IRL from your iPhone.

As you can see from the image above, the setup uses two iPhones - one that is used as the live streaming phone, for its camera. The other one is used as a Wi-Fi hotspot. Additionally, for better sound quality, we connected a couple of Rode Wireless Go II microphones via Bluetooth to the live streaming iPhone. It is also nicely cradled by a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Gimbal, for awesome video stabilization.

In terms of software, the live streaming iPhone is connected to the Internet using two cellular sources from different network carriers: its own and an additional one, through a Wi-Fi hotspot, from another iPhone. Speedify bonds the two together at once for faster, more reliable connectivity.

We use Larix Broadcaster to upload a RTMP live camera feed into Restream Studio. Then, we output the live stream to our social platforms, including Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

We also have an external wireless-charging battery pack, just in case. But it does not fit into the gimbal so it is best to conserve battery as much as possible.

Hardware

• 1 x iPhone 12 Pro or newer with cellular data connectivity
• 1 x iPhone, another smartphone or a MiFi device with cellular connectivity from a different network carrier
• 1 x Rode Wireless Go II Bluetooth microphone set
• 1 x DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Gimbal
• 1 x external battery pack, min. 10,000 mAh

Software

• Speedify - to combine the two Internet sources
• Larix Broadcaster - to live stream through an RTMP link to your live streaming software or your native social app
• DJI MIMO app - to control the gimbal
• Live streaming software that accepts RTMP feeds - e.g. Restream Studio

Check out the Speedify Live video below for more details on the setup, plus some bonus Q&As on Speedify.

Here are the steps you need to do in order to get started:

1. Prepare the iPhone: Make sure Larix Broadcaster, DJI MIMO, and Speedify are installed on the iPhone you’re going to use for live streaming and mount it in the gimbal.
2. Connect the Rode microphones to your live streaming iPhone via Lightning-to-USB-C adapter.
3. Setup Larix Broadcaster with the RTMP link from Restream Studio or the live streaming platform you’re using.
4. Turn on the Wi-Fi hotspot functionality on the second iPhone / smartphone.
5. Turn on both Wi-Fi and cellular on the live streaming iPhone and connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot from the secondary phone. 
6. Open Speedify and make sure it detects both connections and bonds them. We recommend you choose your dedicated server or the fastest server.
7. Turn your iPhone brightness down to conserve battery and enable Do Not Disturb mode so your stream isn’t interrupted by notifications.
8. Start Larix Broadcaster and go live.