I'm Gabe, the primary developer and maintainer of the Owncast project. And I'm super excited to finally share Owncast with Product Hunt! 🌟

Owncast empowers individuals, organizations and content creators with complete control over their live streaming experience. No more relying on only the big tech-powered platforms or being at the mercy of ever-changing policies. With Owncast, you truly own your stream and decide how it's presented to the world. 🌐✨

🤔 One thing to keep in mind, Owncast doesn't try to be an active competitor to platforms like Twitch or YouTube. If you love those platforms you should use them! They work for a lot of people! But if you're somebody who doesn't resonate with big tech, or find those options too limiting for whatever reason, now you have an alternative under your control.

Just because you're running your own independent stream doesn't mean you have to be alone, however. We heavily understand the importance of community and engagement. With built-in chat and Fediverse functionality, viewers can interact with you and fellow audience members in real-time, fostering a sense of connection and camaraderie both in chat and on Fediverse platforms such as Mastodon. 🗣️💬

One thing I've heard that people find impressive is Owncast's simplicity. Setting up your own streaming server is actually way easier than people expect. In just a minute or two you're ready to start broadcasting with a server you control. And if you don't already have a server, people are running Owncast on as low as $5 hosting plans.

Owncast is open source, meaning it's not just a piece of software—it's a vibrant community of developers and enthusiasts constantly working to enhance its features. 🙌🌈 You might find it interesting that Owncast is not a company, is funded only by donations, and all contributions are from volunteers from around the world. If this project interests you at all, we'd love to have you join us! We're particularly on the hunt for a UX designer and I know you Product Hunters are good at having opinions about product design 🥰.

Whether you're a creator, a business, or an organization, Owncast opens up a world of opportunities for you to build a unique live stream on your own terms. Say goodbye to restrictions and hello to true independence in live streaming! 🌍💪

Stream on!