Ninja Docs
  • What is VDO.Ninja?
    • How does it work
    • Use cases
    • Why use VDO.Ninja over other solutions?
    • Sponsor ❤
  • Getting started
    • VDO.Ninja basics
    • What are stream IDs?
    • The power of the URL parameter
    • Multi-Person Chat
    • Rooms
    • Even higher quality video
    • Mobile phone camera into webcam
    • Cheat sheet of basic parameters
  • Steve's helper apps & tools
    • Electron Capture
      • Documentation
    • Social Stream Ninja
      • Documentation reference
    • Meshcast.io
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    • Raspberry.Ninja
      • Documentation
    • Mixer App
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  • Guides
    • Cheat Sheets
    • Common questions re: Rooms
    • Video bitrate for push/view links
    • Video bitrate in rooms
    • How to get permanent links
    • Basic hotkeys
    • MIDI, API and WebHID support
    • Hardware-accelerated video encoding
    • Audio Filters & Bitrate
    • Options to record streams
    • External guides and how-tos
    • How to lock the resolution
    • How to use VDO.Ninja as a webcam for Google Hangouts, Zoom, and more
    • How to capture without browser sources
    • How to control bitrate/quality
    • How to selectively allow access
    • Stream Scheduling and Promotion
    • How to send the audio/video output of one OBS to another OBS using VDO.Ninja
    • How to mirror a video while Full-Screen - For iPads and Teleprompters
    • How to capture an application's audio
    • How to control VDO.Ninja with Touch Portal
    • How to publish from OBS into VDO.Ninja
    • How to screen share your iPhone/iPad
    • How to get iPhones to output 1080p Videos
    • How to stream into Zoom without OBS
    • How to connect a smartphone to computer via USB
    • How to edit an invite after sending it
    • How to get highest video quality (for an interview)
    • How to stream 4K video using VDO.Ninja
    • How to get lowest audio latency possible
    • How to share webcam from inside OBS
    • How to publish to Facebook Live
    • How to embed VDO.Ninja into a site with iFrames
      • Detecting User Joins / Disconnects
      • Create custom drawing app
      • Generic P2P Data Transmission Guide
      • IFRAME API for Directors
      • IFRAME API Basics
    • How to use the green screen just locally
    • How to connect a GoPro to VDO.Ninja
    • How to install RaspNinja on Jetson
    • How to transfer guests to other rooms
    • How to set up a simple chat room
    • How to screen share in 1080p
    • How to control PowerPoint remotely with VDO.Ninja
    • How to improve quality of the native app
    • How to stream transparent video
    • Recommended OBS WHIP settings
    • How to use VDO.Ninja on a website
    • Keep Mic Active in Background on Android Browser
    • PlayStation or Xbox to VDO.Ninja
    • Enabling WebRTC Sources in OBS
    • Picking the right microphone
    • Set Up Proper Lighting
    • System requirements for streaming
    • From OBS to VDO.Ninja using WHIP
    • Deploy your own Meshcast-like service
    • Windows TTS Audio Capture Methods for OBS
    • Syncing USB audio with VDO.Ninja -> OBS Virtual Camera
  • Advanced Options (URL Parameters)
    • Most common Parameters
      • &push
      • &quality
      • &videodevice
      • &audiodevice
      • &effects
      • &label
      • &meshcast
      • &view
      • &videobitrate
      • &audiobitrate
      • &codec
      • &novideo
      • &noaudio
      • &showlabels
      • &room
      • &director
      • &proaudio
      • &scene
      • &roombitrate
      • &password
      • &broadcast
    • Setup Parameters
      • &push
      • &room
      • &password
      • &hash
      • &e2ee
      • &label
      • &labelsuggestion
      • &permaid
      • &group
      • &groupview
      • &groupaudio
      • &datamode
      • &audiooutput
      • &sink
      • &audiodevice
      • &videodevice
      • &vdo
      • &device
      • &miconly
      • &miconlyoption
      • &safemode
      • &autostart
      • &easyexit
      • &webcam
      • &webcam2
      • &screenshare
      • &screenshare2
      • &website
      • &fileshare
      • &intro
      • &host
      • &tips
      • &welcome
      • &welcomeb64
      • &welcomeimage
      • &hangupmessage
      • &humb64
      • &groupmode
      • &audience
    • Camera Parameters
      • &whitebalance
      • &exposure
      • &saturation
      • &sharpness
      • &contrast
      • &brightness
    • Video Parameters
      • &blind
      • &quality
      • &width
      • &height
      • &aspectratio
      • &contenthint
      • &mediasettings
      • &noscale
      • &fps
      • &maxframerate
      • &effects
      • &effectvalue
      • &imagelist
      • &avatar
      • &fullscreen
      • &showpreview
      • &minipreview
      • &minipreviewoffset
      • &largepreview
      • &nopreview
      • &hideguest
      • &videomute
      • &ptz
      • &webp
      • &webpquality
      • &scale
      • &viewwidth
      • &viewheight
      • &dpi
      • &sharper
      • &codec
      • &h264profile
      • &buffer
      • &buffer2
      • &fadein
      • &broadcast
      • &directoronly
      • &showonly
      • &novideo
      • &nodirectorvideo
      • &slideshow
      • &zoom
    • Video Bitrate Parameters
      • &outboundvideobitrate
      • &maxvideobitrate
      • &limittotalbitrate
      • &controlroombitrate
      • &roombitrate
      • &maxbandwidth
      • &videobitrate
      • &totalscenebitrate
      • &totalroombitrate
      • &totalbitrate
      • &zoomedbitrate
      • &optimize
    • Audio Parameters
      • &proaudio
      • &stereo
      • &mutespeaker
      • &deafen
      • &noaudioprocessing
      • &audiodevice
      • &echocancellation
      • &audiogain
      • &autogain
      • &compressor
      • &denoise
      • &distort
      • &equalizer
      • &limiter
      • &lowcut
      • &noisegate
      • &noisegatesettings
      • &audiocontenthint
      • &audiolatency
      • &micdelay
      • &mute
      • &automute
      • &outboundaudiobitrate
      • &inputchannels
      • &monomic
      • &audiooutput
      • &sink
      • &volume
      • &volumecontrol
      • &audiobitrate
      • &vbr
      • &mono
      • &noaudio
      • &nodirectoraudio
      • &panning
      • &sync
      • &samplerate
      • &channels
      • &channeloffset
      • &playchannel
      • &ptime
      • &maxptime
      • &minptime
      • &audiocodec
      • &dtx
      • &nofec
    • Mixer/Scene Parameters
      • &solo
      • &view
      • &include
      • &exclude
      • &layout
      • &activespeaker
      • &activespeakerdelay
      • &order
      • &slots
      • &fakeguests
      • &randomize
      • &cover
      • &43
      • &portrait
      • &square
      • &forceviewerlandscape
      • &animated
      • &manual
      • &locked
      • &poster
      • &hideplaybutton
      • &motiondetection
      • &scene
      • &scenetype
      • &autoadd
      • &hiddenscenebitrate
      • &preloadbitrate
      • &waitimage
      • &waitmessage
      • &waittimeout
      • &viewslot
    • Settings Parameters
      • &language
      • &remote
      • &controlobs
      • &allowedscenes
      • &stats
      • &sticky
      • &clearstorage
      • &disablehotkeys
      • &showlist
      • &nopush
      • &hidehome
      • &hidetranslate
      • &clock
      • &clock24
      • &timer
      • &powerpoint
      • &widget
      • &token
      • &transcribe
      • &signalmeter
      • &batterymeter
      • &consent
      • &prompt
      • &hands
      • &notify
      • &r2d2
      • &directorchat
      • &maxconnections
      • &maxviewers
      • &chunked
      • &retransmit
      • &rampuptime
      • &sensor
      • &sensorfilter
      • &postimage
      • &postinterval
      • &slot
      • &closedcaptions
      • &nocaptionlabels
      • &enhance
      • &bitratecutoff
      • &cutscene
      • &statsinterval
      • &keyframerate
      • &maxpublishers
      • &showconnections
      • &obsfix
      • &streamlabs
      • &getfaces
      • &nochunked
    • Buttons and Control Bar Parameters
      • &autohide
      • &controlbarspace
      • &nosettings
      • &nomicbutton
      • &nospeakerbutton
      • &novideobutton
      • &nofileshare
      • &screensharebutton
      • &nohangupbutton
      • &chatbutton
      • &bigbutton
      • &fullscreenbutton
      • &nowebsite
      • &hands
      • &videocontrols
      • &nocontrols
      • &forcecontrols
    • Design Parameters
      • &label
      • &showlabels
      • &fontsize
      • &style
      • &bgimage
      • &showall
      • &meterstyle
      • &cleanoutput
      • &cleanish
      • &css
      • &base64css
      • &js
      • &base64js
      • &mirror
      • &nomirror
      • &flip
      • &rotatewindow
      • &structure
      • &color
      • &blur
      • &border
      • &bordercolor
      • &rounded
      • &margin
      • &darkmode
      • &lightmode
      • &background
      • &chroma
      • &transparent
      • &nocursor
      • &favicon
      • &headertitle
      • &rotate
      • &grid
      • &hideheader
      • &hidemenu
      • &tally
      • &tallyoff
      • &cleanviewer
      • &obsoff
      • &pip
      • &pipall
      • &pipme
      • &rows
    • Director Parameters
      • &director
      • &codirector
      • &blindall
      • &cleandirector
      • &hidesolo
      • &hidecodirectors
      • &minidirector
      • &orderby
      • &queue
      • &rooms
      • &broadcasttransfer
      • &showdirector
      • &slotmode
      • &previewmode
      • &novice
      • &layouts
      • &maindirectorpassword
      • &totalroombitrate
      • &limittotalbitrate
      • &notify
      • &mutespeaker=0
      • &showconnections
      • &widget
      • &pausepreview
    • Screen-share Parameters
      • &screensharestereo
      • &screenshare
      • &screenshare2
      • &screenshareaec
      • &screenshareautogain
      • &screensharecursor
      • &screensharedenoise
      • &screensharefps
      • &screensharehide
      • &screenshareid
      • &screensharelabel
      • &screensharequality
      • &screensharecontenthint
      • &screenshareaspectratio
      • &screensharetype
      • &smallshare
      • &screensharevideoonly
      • &suppresslocalaudio
      • &prefercurrenttab
      • &selfbrowsersurface
      • &systemaudio
      • &displaysurface
      • &screensharebutton
      • &screensharebitrate
      • &sharperscreen
      • &sspaused
    • Recording Parameters
      • &record
      • &autorecord
      • &autorecordlocal
      • &autorecordremote
      • &recordcodec
      • &pcm
      • &recordmotion
      • &chunked
    • Guest queuing Parameters
      • &queue
      • &screen
      • &hold
      • &holdwithvideo
      • &queuetransfer
    • Meshcast Parameters
      • &meshcast
      • &meshcastaudiobitrate
      • &meshcastbitrate
      • &meshcastcodec
      • &mcscreensharebitrate
      • &mcscreensharecodec
      • &meshcastscale
      • &meshcastcode
      • &nomeshcast
    • WHIP Parameters
      • &whipout
      • &whipview
      • &whipoutcodec
      • &whipoutaudiobitrate
      • &whipoutvideobitrate
      • &whipoutscale
      • &whipoutscreensharecodec
      • &whipoutscreensharebitrate
      • &cftoken
      • &svc
    • Mobile Parameters
      • &facing
      • &forcelandscape
      • &forceportrait
      • &forceios
      • &notios
      • &flagship
      • &mobile
      • &notmobile
      • &app
    • API & MIDI Parameters
      • &api
        • API reference
        • API reference - AI Generated
        • Client (node) event example
      • &pie
      • &midi
      • &midiin
      • &midiout
      • &midiremote
      • &midichannel
      • &mididevice
      • &midioffset
      • &mididelay
      • &datamode
      • &postapi
    • TURN & STUN Parameters
      • &turn
      • &stun
      • &addstun
      • &icefilter
      • &proxy
      • &relay
      • &secure
      • &tcp
      • &tz
    • Parameters added in Version 24
    • Complete List of Parameters in v26
    • Upcoming Parameters
    • Other Parameters
  • Releases
    • v24
    • v23 🌱
    • v22 👑
    • v21 ❤️
    • v20 🎁
    • v19 🚀🤯
      • v19.1 - 19.4
    • v18
      • v18.3
    • v17
    • v16
      • v16.3
      • v16.4
    • v15
    • v14
    • v13
      • v13.4
    • v12
    • v10
    • v8
  • Updates
    • Updates - VDO.Ninja
    • Updates - Social Stream & Chat Overlay
      • Updates - Social Stream Standalone App
    • Updates - Electron Capture App
    • Updates - Raspberry.Ninja
    • Updates - Versus.cam
    • Updates - Mixer App
    • Updates - WHIP/WHEP
    • Updates - Native mobile apps
    • Updates - Caption.Ninja
    • Updates - Meshcast.io
    • Updates - Speed Test
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  • Development Progress
  • Help!
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      • VDO.Ninja Terms of Service
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    • Where can I report a bug?
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    • What does VDO stand for?
  • Common errors and known issues
    • Can't screen capture certain games
    • ATEM not working with Firestick
    • Very old iPhone support
    • Can't select audio output on iOS
    • Screen-share is just a black video
    • Mic audio dropping out
    • Loss of audio when OBS minimized
    • Known issues
    • Echo or feedback issues
    • Works on WiFi but not on 4G
    • Can't capture an application's audio when screen-sharing
    • Can't load camera both in OBS and VDON
    • Can't select a camera lens on mobile
    • No video in OBS, just an "Add camera" button
    • Audio over VDO.Ninja isn't working
    • Loading circle shows in OBS or browser
    • Appearing then disappearing guest
    • Can't auto-start screen sharing
    • Audio Clicking / Popping / Distortion
    • Can't share my screen
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    • Already in use or claimed errors
    • Blue spinning window
    • Cursor shows trailing or artifacting
    • Packet Loss
    • Overheating
    • Audio is delayed in OBS
    • vMix High CPU
    • OBS Virtual Camera has low FPS
    • Virtual camera not working on Mac
    • Mic stops on MacOS when OBS opens
    • Video stream looks corrupted
    • Video freezes mid-stream
    • Webcam freezes after a time
    • Is the VDO.Ninja server down?
    • Hosted your own TURN server?
    • Can't screen-share from certain devices
    • Cursor shows when screen-sharing
    • Getting “Overconstrained" Camera Error
    • Autoplay doesn't work in Chrome or vMix v77
    • Low frame rates
    • Black borders around the video in OBS
    • Mic's volume keeps changing
    • Enable Camera / Microphone permissions
    • FPS drop if app not in focus
    • Surround sound error when screen sharing with USB headset
    • Relay candidate being selected
    • Camera works in Safari; not Chrome
    • Robotic Audio Distortion
    • Can't load camera from non-SSL host
    • Camera on macOS doesn't show?
    • Can't screen share Adobe Lightroom
    • Decklink support?
    • iOS audio stops during phone calls
    • Can't turn off echo-cancellation on macOS
    • Video lag grows over time
    • Can't connect unless via VPN
    • Improving vMix performance
    • Use a Virtual Camera more than Once
  • Platform specific issues
    • Android
    • macOS
    • iOS (iPhone/iPad)
    • Firefox
    • Opera GX
  • Useful Links
  • FAQ
  • Sponsor ❤
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  • "The stream ID you are publishing to is already in use"
  • "The room is already claimed by someone"

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  1. Common errors and known issues

Already in use or claimed errors

"The stream ID you are publishing to is already in use" and other such errors

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Last updated 3 months ago

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"The stream ID you are publishing to is already in use"

Understanding will help potentially avoid these errors in the future, but the basic notion is any media stream being published over VDO.Ninja needs to register itself with a stream ID. This is specified by using the URL parameter, such as &push=STREAMID.

The moment you connect to the system or start streaming, your stream ID gets registered to your connection, and so as long as you remain connected and online, you keep that stream ID. If you close the browser, hang up, or lose your Internet connection, then your stream ID unregisters automatically as well.

If a stream ID you are trying to claim is already in use by another stream, and that other connection is still actively online, then you'll get an error about it being already in use. In this case, you will need to wait for that other user to hang up or disconnect before you can attempt to register the stream ID yourself.

There are some subtleties to the above, such as if using passwords or self-hosted instances of VDO.Ninja, then stream IDs are isolated to their own unique realm, allowing you to use the same stream ID as someone else from a different realm. So if a stream ID is already in use, you can just change or add a password, and that will resolve the issue.

Of course, when you want to invite several people to a group room, you can't have different passwords, so you will want each guest to have their own unique stream ID still. By default with VDO.Ninja, if you do not use &push in the URL to specify a stream ID, then VDO.Ninja will auto generate a random stream ID for the guest. The system will also auto add the &push=STREAMID parameter to the guest's URL, so if the guest refreshes their page, they will keep the same stream ID.

The above is where there are sometimes issues, as if you join a room without a &push value specified, and then after connecting connecting you copy/share your URL with someone else, your URL might now contain your stream ID. When you then share it with someone else, they won't be able to connect as you are already using the stream ID that is specified.

In the above case, when distributing invite URLs to guests, either ensure each guest has a unique stream ID assigned to them, or ensure that there is no &push parameter added to the URL, allowing the system to generate a random stream ID for each guest. Manually creating a stream ID for each guest is recommended if you want each guest to appear in the same solo-view-link every time they re-join, as otherwise they may have a random new stream ID everytime they join. Many show producers will use a spreadsheet to keep track of who has what stream ID, their settings, and the corresponding invite link. Some of these spreadsheets are pretty sophisticated, with the ability to generate obfuscated invite links based on a few parameters.

If manually creating stream IDs, please just note that they need to be alphanumeric, with no special characters, are should be ideally less than roughly 30-characters long. If using a password, the uniqueness of the stream ID doesn't matter so much, but if not using a password, please ensure you create unique values that can't be easily guessed or accidentally duplicated by someone else.

Additional tools and options are available to create and assign stream IDs, such as , and other methods to store stream IDs via local user storage, but those options are out of the scope of this article.

"The room is already claimed by someone"

This error indicates that there is already someone in a group room that has joined the room in the role of a director. The first director to join a room claims the room as theirs, and it remains theirs until they go offline or close their browser, as the room is assigned to their active connection. Another director will then be able to claim the room then, once the main director disconnects.

Claiming a room doesn't inherently mean much, other than anyone who joins the room will only acknowledge them as the main director. Acknowledging someone as a director will simply mean that director has certain privileges when requesting actions of a guest or scene. A validated director can ask a guest to hang up, for example, while otherwise such a request will be rejected.

Since VDO.Ninja is built on the concept of peer to peer connections, claiming a room is the same concept as claiming a stream ID, and those claims are tied to your active connections. Everything beyond that is really a matter of peers agreeing to a certain set of rules amongst themselves. If someone does claim a room and forgets to close their browser, you'll need to close that browser, change rooms, or change room passwords if you wish to have someone else become the main director.

stream IDs
&push
&permaid