Broadcasting

What is Broadcasting?

Broadcasting is the act of streaming live video content to viewers on a cam platform. On adult cam and live cam sites, broadcasting is what performers do when they go live—they broadcast their video and audio to an audience in real time.

How broadcasting works on cam sites: performers use a camera and streaming software (or a site's built-in broadcaster) to send their feed to the platform's servers, which then distribute it to viewers. Quality depends on the performer's setup—camera, lighting, internet upload speed—and on the platform's encoding and delivery. Many of the best cam sites support HD streaming and some offer 4K streaming for top-tier broadcasters. Performers may broadcast in free chat, then move to private shows or group shows for paying viewers; some also use multi-streaming to broadcast on several cam sites at once.

For viewers, "broadcasting" is the flip side of "watching": you're tuning into someone's live broadcast. Understanding broadcasting helps you appreciate why stream quality and bandwidth matter, and how cam sites differ from pre-recorded content. For more on the technical side, see our entries on stream quality, HD streaming, and multi-streaming.