How to Use the ngx_http_flv Module in Nginx

Why Do We Need the ngx_http_flv Module?

The ngx_http_flv module is used to support streaming FLV videos in Nginx. FLV is a video format that is widely used for online video streaming. By using this module, you can easily and efficiently stream videos from your server and provide a better user experience.

This module provides excellent capabilities for bandwidth management and prevents excessive load on your server. Proper configuration of this module can help increase productivity and reduce the time spent on video serving. In fact, if you have a site or a media platform that requires video streaming, the ngx_http_flv module can assist you in performing this task correctly.

Using Nginx as a web server for streaming FLV videos is due to its high performance and the support it provides for a large number of users at high speed. This module also provides the ability to cache videos, which helps in faster delivery of content.

In this article, we will teach you how to install and configure this module so you can benefit from its capabilities. Additionally, we will provide the necessary codes for configuration and the required explanations for each section.

How to Configure the ngx_http_flv Module

# Nginx configuration for using the ngx_http_flv_module
http {
    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name yourdomain.com;

        location /videos/ {
            flv_pass on;
            add_header Cache-Control no-cache;
            root /path/to/your/videos/;
        }
    }
}

Code Configuration Explanations

Code: http {
This section starts the http block in Nginx configuration, which is used for settings related to the HTTP protocol.


Code: server {
This block defines settings related to a specific server.


Code: listen 80;
With this line, we bind the server to port 80, which is used for standard HTTP requests.


Code: server_name yourdomain.com;
Here, we define the domain of our server. This domain should match the actual domain where it is hosted.


Code: location /videos/ {
This section specifies that whenever a user accesses the URL related to videos, specific actions should be taken.


Code: flv_pass on;
This line activates the streaming of FLV content.


Code: add_header Cache-Control no-cache;
This line tells the clients not to cache the content, ensuring that the latest videos are always served.


Code: root /path/to/your/videos/;
Here, the actual file path for the videos is specified, which should point to your video directory.