Install and configure

Updated on 07/24/2026 11:05 am PDT

Learn how to download and install Wowza Streaming Engine™ media server software, confirm the installation was successful, and test playback of a video-on-demand (VOD) clip in Wowza Streaming Engine Manager.

Note: To update from a previous version of Wowza Streaming Engine or to perform a silent installation, see the following articles instead:
Note: Wowza Streaming Engine 4.9.5 added support for ARM-based executables on Linux.

Prerequisites

Before installing WSE, you must complete the following tasks:

  • Confirm that your system meets the minimum requirements for running WSE. We recommend installing on 64-bit operating systems.
  • Ensure that the necessary streaming ports are open on your firewall. This step may vary based on your streaming environment:
    • Enterprise environments: You may need the approval and the assistance of a network admin.
    • SOHO environments: You may need to set up port forwarding to direct traffic coming to one port on your router to a different port on your server's IP address.

Best practices

For best performance and stability, note the following best practices.

  • Use the Java version that installs by default with WSE.
  • Install and run only one version and instance of WSE on a single system.
  • Some OS platforms may require the installation of the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio appropriate to your operating system.

Video tutorial: Install and configure Wowza Streaming Engine on Windows

Download and install Wowza Streaming Engine

When you install WSE, the required version of Java will automatically be installed. After downloading WSE, the installation wizard will guide you through the installation process.

  1. Go to the WSE downloads page and follow the download instructions.
  2. Start the installation wizard:
    • Windows: Double-click the file WowzaStreamingEngine-4.11.2+6-windows-installer.exe.
    • Linux: Navigate to your downloads folder then execute the following commands: 
       sudo chmod +x WowzaStreamingEngine-4.11.2+6-linux-x64-installer.run

 sudo ./WowzaStreamingEngine-4.11.2+6-linux-x64-installer.run
    • ARM-based Linux : Navigate to your downloads folder then execute the following commands:
       sudo chmod +x WowzaStreamingEngine-4.11.2+6-linux-arm64-installer.run

 sudo ./WowzaStreamingEngine-4.11.2+6-linux-arm64-installer.run
  1. Accept the terms of the license agreement.
  2. Enter a valid WSE license key. If you acquired a new license key, you'll find it in the email that you received from Wowza Sales. If you have a previous WSE version installed, look for the license key in the [install-dir]/conf/Server.license file.
  3. Create a username and password for an admin account. These credentials will be used to log into WSE Manager. (Both the username and password are case-sensitive.)
  4. Confirm or change the install location. By default, WSE installs files in the following locations:
  • Windows: /Program Files/Wowza Media Systems/Wowza Streaming Engine 4.11.2+6/
  • Linux: /usr/local/WowzaStreamingEngine-4.11.2+6/ (as the root user)
  1. Confirm or change the Startup Configuration option to use. Wowza Streaming Engine can run as a system service or in standalone mode from a command shell. By default, the Start Wowza Streaming Engine automatically check box is selected, instructing the server software and Wowza Streaming Engine Manager to start automatically as system services.
  • Running as a system service is often used for server deployments where the server must continue to run after you log off the computer or must be automatically started when the computer is rebooted.
  • Running in standalone mode is best for developing custom applications because the server can be started and stopped quickly, and server log messages can be viewed immediately in the console window. For information about running Wowza Streaming Engine in standalone mode and manually starting and stopping the server software, see Start and stop Wowza Streaming Engine.
  1. Click Finish.

Confirm WSE is running

Confirm that WSE is running by opening a web browser and entering the URL:

http://[wowza-ip-address]:1935/ServerVersion

where [wowza-ip-address] is the IP address or domain of the Wowza Streaming Engine server. For example:

http://localhost:1935/ServerVersion

If installed correctly, the browser will display the WSE version number. If it doesn't, check to see if the server software installed correctly and that TCP port 1935 is open on your router, firewall, and in your iptables.

Sign in to WSE Manager

Now that you know WSE is installed correctly, sign in to WSE Manager. For best results, we recommend using WSE with the latest version of any modern browser. (By default, WSE accepts connections from WSE Manager on localhost. For help connecting to WSE from a remote system, see Connect to remote Wowza Streaming Engine instances.)

  1. Open a web browser and enter the URL:
http://[wowza-ip-address]:8088/enginemanager

where [wowza-ip-address] is the IP address or domain of the WSE server that you want to test. For example:

http://localhost:8088/enginemanager

  1. Enter the User Name and Password you specified when you installed Wowza Streaming Engine.
  1. Click Sign In.

Play a video-on-demand test stream

Wowza Streaming Engine installs a sample VOD file that you can use to test whether the software is running properly and can serve content.

  1. In Wowza Streaming Engine Manager, create a new VOD application.
    1. Click the Applications tab and then click Add Application in the contents panel.
    2. On the Add Application page, click the VOD Single server button to select that application type.
    3. In the New Application dialog box, enter a name and then click Add.
    4. Click Save. 
  2. From your application's page, click Test Playback. The Test Playback window is configured to use the sample.mp4 video file that installs with Wowza Streaming Engine.
  3. Copy one of the playback URLs.

When you can successfully play sample.mp4, then Wowza Streaming Engine is running properly.

Next steps

If you experienced a problem installing Wowza Streaming Engine, see Troubleshoot Wowza Streaming Engine installation.

After successfully installing Wowza Streaming Engine, see any of the following articles, depending on what you want to do or learn next.

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