Deploy Wowza Streaming Engine On-Premises, On Your Network
Own Your Streaming Infrastructure, End-to-End
Wowza Streaming Engine is the media server you install on your own hardware, on your terms. Deploy it on physical servers or virtual machines behind your firewall, manage it through a full REST API, and scale it across server pools and edges on your own network. Wowza Streaming Engine runs on Linux and Windows and integrates with the systems you already operate, so you keep control of your data, your architecture, and your security.
Architects choose Wowza Streaming Engine to run video inside the infrastructure they already control, not to hand their workflow and their data to an outside platform.
Your Hardware, Your Data, Your Rules
Wowza Streaming Engine runs on the hardware you choose, installed directly on a physical server, a virtual machine, or a container, with no dependency on an outside platform. Each path meets your infrastructure where it already runs, whether that is a single on-premises server, a private data center, an edge site, or a fully disconnected network.
- Install directly on Linux or Windows servers you own
- Scale horizontally across server pools and edges on your own network
- Secure and control every instance behind your firewall
- Integrate with the on-premises systems you already operate
- Run behind a firewall or fully offline in an air-gapped environment
Keep your data on your premises, meet strict security requirements, and build streaming on infrastructure you fully control.
Launch and Configure in Minutes
The Wowza Streaming Engine installer sets up a complete media server on your own hardware in minutes. Guided installers for Linux and Windows install the required Java runtime automatically, so a server comes online ready for configuration without manual dependency setup.
- Configure and manage every instance programmatically with the Wowza Streaming Engine REST API.
- Create live applications, manage sources and stream targets, and monitor the server over HTTPS.
- Control access through SSL/TLS, SecureToken, and per-application authentication.
- Standardize environments with Docker and spin up a Wowza Streaming Engine instance in seconds.
- Run in container orchestration services like Kubernetes, on AMD64 and ARM64 hardware.
Scale Across Your Own Network
Wowza Streaming Engine makes your streams available to larger audiences without depending on cloud elasticity. Arrange two or more servers into a server pool, then use the Live Stream Repeater to distribute a live stream from an origin server to multiple edge servers across your network. Dynamic Load Balancing routes each viewer to a less-loaded server, and Media Cache scales on-demand delivery by pulling content from central storage, Network-Attached Storage, or an NFS share.
Add origin and edge servers as your audience grows, and place capacity wherever your network reaches.
Build Architecture You Can Control
Wowza Streaming Engine is flexible, extensible, and infrastructure-agnostic. Run it on bare-metal servers, virtual machines, or containers, in a single data center or across multiple sites, and change that decision later without rebuilding your streaming workflow. Integrate with the systems you already run, including your VMS, analytics, storage, identity, and observability tools, all inside your own environment.
The same freedom connects Wowza Streaming Engine to the rest of your on-premises infrastructure. Ingest from IP cameras and encoders over RTSP, RTMP, SRT, and MPEG-TS, deliver to any screen over HLS, LL-HLS, MPEG-DASH, and WebRTC, and pair the server with any CDN or player you choose.
Own Your Infrastructure and Your Costs
On-premises deployments give you full ownership of your hardware and predictable, long-term costs. A bring-your-own-license model, available as a perpetual or subscription license, applies to any server you install, so licensing stays independent of any provider.
Running on your own hardware also delivers more of what you pay for. On a bare-metal server, workflows can use up to 80% of total network bandwidth and even higher percentages of CPU, compared with roughly 50% networking and 65%CPU in comparable virtualized deployments. Put your budget into infrastructure you own and reuse.
Why deploy Wowza Streaming Engine on-premises?
A Wowza Streaming Engine on-premises deployment helps teams keep data on their own networks, meet strict security requirements, and control every layer of the streaming workflow. How you deploy comes down to how much control you need, how sensitive your environment is, and how you plan to scale across servers and sites.
When To Do A Bare-Metal Install
To run Wowza Streaming Engine directly on a physical server you own for maximum performance and full control of the hardware.
When To Deploy On Virtual Machines
To run Wowza Streaming Engine on virtual machines in your own data center and consolidate streaming onto existing virtualized infrastructure.
When To Use Docker Containers
To standardize Wowza Streaming Engine in a repeatable container that spins up in seconds across on-premises environments.
When To Deploy Air-Gapped
To run Wowza Streaming Engine on an isolated network with no internet access, using an offline license key for secure workflows.
Infrastructure you own, not rent
Complete Control
Wowza Streaming Engine runs entirely on your hardware, behind your firewall, so you keep full control of your data, your architecture, and your security posture.
Predictable Ownership
A bring-your-own-license model on hardware you own gives you predictable long-term costs and more usable capacity from every server.
Secure By Design
SSL/TLS, SecureToken, per-application authentication, and DRM protect every stream, with support for fully offline, air-gapped deployments in defense and aerospace.
Help When You Want It
Engage the Wowza Design Center team to architect, build, and maintain your on-premises deployment when you want expert hands on the workflow or help with fine tuning.
Wowza Streaming Engine On-Premises Deployment FAQs
Can I deploy Wowza Streaming Engine on-premises?
Yes. Wowza Streaming Engine media server software installs directly on physical servers or virtual machines you own and operate, running entirely within your own environment. An on-premises deployment keeps your video and your data on your premises, meets strict security and compliance requirements, and gives you full control of the hardware, the network, and the streaming configuration. You can install the software on a bare-metal server, install it on a virtual machine, or run it in a Docker container.
What operating systems can I install Wowza Streaming Engine on?
Wowza Streaming Engine installs on 64-bit Linux and Windows operating systems, and the guided installers include the required Java runtime so the server comes online ready for configuration. On macOS, Wowza Streaming Engine runs inside a Linux Docker container rather than as a native install. Installers support both x86 and ARM64 hardware, so the software runs on a wide range of on-premises servers.
Can Wowza Streaming Engine run completely offline or air-gapped?
Yes. Wowza Streaming Engine can run on an isolated network with no internet access using an offline license key, which removes the need for the server to contact the Wowza licensing servers. Air-gapped deployments suit defense, aerospace, and government workflows that require full network isolation. A standard license validates over an outbound HTTP connection at startup, so confirm offline license options with a Wowza streaming expert before deploying to a disconnected environment.
How do I scale Wowza Streaming Engine on-premises?
You scale Wowza Streaming Engine on-premises by arranging two or more servers into a server pool, or cluster, that serves larger audiences. The Live Stream Repeater distributes a live stream from an origin server to multiple edge servers, the Dynamic Load Balancing AddOn routes viewers to less-loaded servers, and Media Cache scales on-demand delivery from central storage, a NAS, or an NFS share. You add origin and edge servers to your own network as demand grows.
How do I secure an on-premises Wowza Streaming Engine instance?
You secure an on-premises Wowza Streaming Engine instance using its built-in security options. SSL/TLS encrypts connections to the server and to Wowza Streaming Engine Manager, SecureToken protects stream requests, and per-application authentication controls who can publish and play. You can restrict access by IP address, manage the REST API over secure HTTPS connections, and integrate DRM and external authentication so access control aligns with the identity systems you already run.
What licensing options are available for an on-premises deployment?
Wowza Streaming Engine requires a valid license to run in any environment, including on-premises. Licenses are available as perpetual or subscription bring-your-own-license options that apply to any server you install and configure yourself. For fully offline or air-gapped environments, an offline license key removes the requirement to contact the Wowza licensing servers. Because licensing terms vary, confirm the current options with a Wowza streaming expert before you deploy.
Can I manage Wowza Streaming Engine programmatically?
Yes. You configure and manage Wowza Streaming Engine through the Wowza Streaming Engine Manager web interface, a full REST API, a Java API, and XML and JSON configuration files. The REST API lets you create live applications, manage sources and stream targets, and monitor the server over HTTPS. The Java API supports custom modules and event handling, so teams extend the server to fit their workflow.
Can I run Wowza Streaming Engine in Docker or Kubernetes on my own infrastructure?
Yes. Wowza Streaming Engine provides container images that run on your own infrastructure, with support for AMD64 and ARM64 hardware. Docker and Docker Compose standardize the environment and spin up an instance in seconds, and Kubernetes orchestrates containers with health checks and GPU passthrough for transcoding. Container deployments keep your setup consistent from one on-premises environment to another.