Wirecast is live video production and streaming software from Telestream for Windows and macOS. It mixes cameras, media files, graphics, screen captures and remote guests into one program, then streams it to online platforms while recording it to disk. Telestream sells Wirecast as a subscription in two editions, Studio and Pro, and offers a trial version.
Shots, layers and the live switch
A Wirecast production is saved as a document. Inside it, the basic unit is the shot: one or more sources, such as a camera, a video file or a title, together with their settings. Shots sit on layers, and the order of the layers decides what is superimposed over what in the broadcast. A camera shot can therefore run under a logo placed on a higher layer.
The interface has two monitors. Preview shows the selected shot exactly as it would appear in the broadcast, without sending it out. Live shows what Wirecast is currently encoding. The operator readies the next shot and presses Go to take it live with the chosen transition, such as a cut or a smooth blend. The transition speed is adjustable. With AutoLive switched on, Wirecast sends any shot selected in a layer straight to Live. With it off, the operator can stage several changes and take them live together.
Playlists hold an ordered run of shots with playback controls and a set behaviour after the last item, for example looping or holding the final shot. USB control surfaces such as the Elgato Stream Deck, X-keys, Novation Launchpad and AKAI APC40 mkII can switch shots, trigger transitions and change audio levels.
Cameras, files and network sources
Wirecast sets no limit on video inputs. It works with webcams and other system capture devices, and with Blackmagic Design, Magewell and AJA hardware for HDMI and SDI signals. Wirecast can bring in NDI sources on the local network directly. It can also pull in IP cameras or other web streams over protocols such as RTMP, RTSP and HLS. Wirecast can capture desktop screens and PowerPoint slides locally or from another computer through the Desktop Presenter. The Wirecast Go iOS app turns an iOS device into a Wi-Fi camera.
Pan, tilt and zoom cameras can be steered from inside the program using VISCA over IP, a control that belongs to Wirecast Pro.
Remote guests through Rendezvous
Rendezvous is the built-in conferencing system. The operator sends each guest a link that opens in a desktop or mobile browser, so the guest installs nothing and creates no account. Besides their camera, guests can share a whole screen, one application window or a browser tab. Each feed appears in Wirecast as a separate source that can be placed in any shot. Studio accepts up to two guests at once and Pro up to seven.
Graphics, keying and virtual sets
Titles display text in banners, and animated titles include intro and outro motion. A GPU-based keyer removes a solid-colour background such as a green screen. This lets the operator place a presenter over an image or one of the 3D virtual studio sets. Both editions include a royalty-free stock library of music, images and b-roll.
Sports tools in Wirecast Pro
Pro adds customizable scoreboard templates for different sports, with team names, colours and logos, plus game clocks and countdown timers. Its instant replay keeps a rolling buffer of the camera feeds on local storage. The operator grabs the last few seconds with one click and plays the clip into the program, including in slow motion.
Audio mixing and routing
A mixer shows levels for every source and the final mix. The operator can apply VST3 plug-ins to individual sources for EQ, compression, limiting or noise reduction. On Windows, ASIO and WASAPI audio capture devices are supported. Wirecast Pro adds multi-track routing of up to eight stereo tracks. This can keep commentators, music or a translation apart in recordings, or carry them as selectable audio tracks in a stream.
Streaming, recording and outputs
Output settings combine a destination with an encoder preset that defines the codec, aspect ratio and frame rate. Wirecast connects natively to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, X and other services, and also sends to custom RTMP and SRT servers. Several streams and local recordings can run at once. Encoding can be offloaded to Intel Quick Sync, NVIDIA NVENC or Apple’s H.264 hardware.
Sending many streams from one computer needs more upload bandwidth. Wirecast Pro’s cloud multistreaming therefore sends a single feed to Wirecast’s cloud servers. The servers pass it on to the other destinations.
The record function saves the finished program to disk in both editions. ISO recording is limited to Pro. It also writes separate files for chosen sources, such as each camera, a Rendezvous guest or an audio-only feed, without graphics or transitions for later editing.
The program can also leave the computer as a virtual camera and microphone, on a second display, or through AJA or Blackmagic SDI output cards. In Pro, it can also leave the computer as an NDI output. A multiviewer shows several sources at once, with up to four slots in Studio and up to seventeen in Pro.
