I want to add real-time video broadcasting to my Telegram bot project. My goal is to send live video and audio content to users when they chat with the bot.
I know Telegram can handle regular media files like videos and audio messages, but I’m stuck on the live streaming part. Can’t seem to find good examples or clear guides about this.
What I need to know:
- Can Telegram Bot API handle live broadcasts at all?
- What’s the best way to code this in Python or another programming language?
- Do I need extra tools like WebRTC or RTMP streaming protocols?
- Are there any limits on stream quality or how long streams can run?
If anyone has working code samples or knows good resources about this topic, I’d really appreciate the help!
yeah, total bummer but they’re right - telegram’s bot api wasn’t built for live streaming. you could try nginx-rtmp for the actual streaming, then send video chunks or snapshots to fake that live feel. just don’t expect great quality.
Had this exact problem six months ago building a security monitoring bot. Spent weeks testing different approaches before finding a hybrid solution that actually worked well. I set up a separate streaming server with FFmpeg to handle video processing, then had the bot send screenshots or short clips every few seconds - creates a pseudo-live experience. Used Python with OpenCV to capture frames and FFmpeg to compress before sending through the bot API. Main issue was Telegram’s file size limits and upload speeds, so I had to crush the video quality pretty hard. If you need true live streaming, just host it elsewhere and have your bot send viewing links to users.
In my experience, the Telegram Bot API doesn’t support true live streaming. It primarily allows sending pre-recorded videos and audio. As a potential workaround, you can capture video frames at intervals and send them as photos or short clips to mimic live streaming. However, for genuine live broadcasts, consider using platforms like YouTube Live or Twitch, then provide your bot users with those links. Also, keep in mind that protocols like RTMP or WebRTC are not compatible with the Telegram API for this purpose. A separate web application for streaming could be a solution, while your bot manages notifications and links.