Real-Time Messaging Protocol

Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is a <a href="/facts/Communication_protocol/5uady7cB">communication protocol</a> for <a href="/facts/Streaming_media/4rPhSq0Y">streaming</a> audio, video, and data over the Internet. Originally developed as a <a href="/facts/Proprietary_protocol/o902Cmmh">proprietary protocol</a> by <a href="/facts/Macromedia/MDTnKa0k">Macromedia</a> for streaming between <a href="/facts/Flash_Player/IvnaoU7v">Flash Player</a> and the Flash Communication Server, <a href="/facts/Adobe_Systems/Bj1d5XvJ">Adobe</a> (which acquired Macromedia) has released an incomplete version of the specification of the protocol for public use.
The RTMP protocol has multiple variations:

<ol><li>RTMP proper, the "plain" protocol which works on top of <a href="/facts/Transmission_Control_Protocol/WW4sPrt9">Transmission Control Protocol</a> (TCP) and uses port number 1935 by default.</li>
<li>RTMPS, which is RTMP over a <a href="/facts/Transport_Layer_Security/pGy16TnA">Transport Layer Security</a> (TLS/SSL) connection.</li>
<li>RTMPE, which is RTMP encrypted using Adobe's own security mechanism. While the details of the implementation are proprietary, the mechanism uses industry standard cryptographic primitives.</li>
<li>RTMPT, which is <a href="/facts/Encapsulation_(networking)/xttAQnu0">encapsulated</a> within <a href="/facts/HTTP/TWtvf7JD">HTTP</a> requests to traverse <a href="/facts/Firewall_(computing)/Et2RkJaU">firewalls</a>. RTMPT is frequently found utilizing cleartext requests on TCP <a href="/facts/Port_(computer_networking)/ygoHVKNC">ports</a> 80 and 443 to bypass most corporate traffic filtering. The encapsulated session may carry plain RTMP, RTMPS, or RTMPE packets within.</li>
<li>RTMFP, which is RTMP over <a href="/facts/User_Datagram_Protocol/dxLU0D6q">User Datagram Protocol</a> (UDP) instead of TCP, replacing RTMP Chunk Stream. The Secure <a href="/facts/Real-Time_Media_Flow_Protocol/fwryQ9Sd">Real-Time Media Flow Protocol</a> suite has been developed by Adobe Systems and enables end‐users to connect and communicate directly with each other (P2P).</li>
<li>E-RTMP, or Enhanced RTMP, is an enhancement to the RTMP and FLV specifications designed to improve streaming capabilities while maintaining compatibility with existing RTMP infrastructure. E-RTMP enhances RTMP by adding features such as advanced timestamp precision, multitrack capabilities, expanded codec support, FourCC signaling, and a reconnect request feature.</li></ol>
While the primary motivation for RTMP was to be a protocol for playing <a href="/facts/Flash_video/rbbPoE7H">Flash video</a>, it is also used in some other applications, such as the <a href="/facts/Adobe_LiveCycle_Data_Services_ES/DzjRN0HM">Adobe LiveCycle Data Services ES</a>.

Real-Time Messaging Protocol open-in-new

Real-Time Messaging Protocol