> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.livepeer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Stream

A Stream represents a livestream object that can be identified, recorded, and
processed within Livepeer. A livestream is a video feed that is broadcast in
real-time. Livepeer is responsible for the lifecycle management (CRUD) of a
livestream. A livestream is uniquely identified by its Stream ID, and associated
with a defined metadata describing its characteristics.

A livestream can be created with the
[Create livestream](/api-reference/stream/create) API endpoint. Once a
livestream is created, there are set of webhook events to notify its state
transitions, including `stream.started`, `stream.idle`.

<Info>
  You can learn more about webhooks
  [here](/developers/core-concepts/studio/webhooks).
</Info>

### Sessions

A livestream is composed of one or more sessions. A session is a period of time
during which a livestream is active. A livestream can have multiple sessions,
but only one session can be active at a time. A session is uniquely identified
by its Session ID and is associated with defined metadata. You can use the
[sessions API](/api-reference/session/get-all) to get a list of sessions for a
given stream.

#### Recording

If recording is enabled, there is a set of webhook events which can notify your
backend of a recording’s state transitions, including: `recording.ready`,
`recording.started`, and `recording.waiting`. The recording is stored as an
[asset](/developers/core-concepts/core-api/asset#recording).

#### Multistream

A livestream can be directed to multiple livestream targets, such as YouTube or
Twitter, using [multistream](/developers/core-concepts/core-api/multistream).

#### Ingest

RTMP is the default ingest protocol for streaming. WebRTC and SRT ingest are
also supported. See the
[in-browser broadcasting](/developers/guides/livestream-from-browser) guide on
how to use WebRTC ingest.

When a livestream is live,
[livestream health](/developers/core-concepts/studio/stream-health) provides a
set of metrics about its performance and ingest health. This provides tangible
feedback for creators who want better livestream performance.

Also, Livepeer provides
[viewership metrics](/developers/guides/get-engagement-analytics-via-api), which
allow a more comprehensive look into viewer behavior using the
[livepeer viewership API](/api-reference/viewership/get-viewership-metrics).
Reporting is enabled by default in the Livepeer Player, and can be integrated
into any third-party player.

#### Playback

A livestream can be easily viewed by passing a `playbackId` to the
[Livepeer Player](/developers/core-concepts/player/overview). If using a third
party player, the full playback url is required. This can be fetched from the
[Playback Info](/api-reference/playback/get) API endpoint.

The Livepeer Player will default to WebRTC playback. WebRTC ensures low latency
that is sub-second on source and around 2-5 seconds on transcoded renditions.
This means that (depending on livestream settings) users will often have a
sub-second viewing experience.

The Livepeer Player will fall back to HLS playback using HLS.js if b-frames are
detected in the livestream or there is a transient network error with WebRTC
initiation.

<Warning>
  A B-frame is short for bi-directional frame, and they [commonly occur with
  default OBS settings](/developers/guides/stream-via-obs). Ensure you instruct
  any OBS users to turn off b-frames for the best livestream experience.
</Warning>