Larix Broadcaster’s free version lets you capture and stream live video or audio from an iOS or Android device, with camera controls, recording, screenshots and several streaming protocols. Its key restriction is duration: Softvelum says you get 30 minutes, then another 30 minutes with a mandatory overlay, after which the stream stops.
That makes the free tier useful for testing a phone-based broadcast or running a short live session, but not a hands-off 24/7 channel. Some capabilities also depend on the protocol, operating system, device and current subscription terms, so check Softvelum’s current subscription information before you plan around a particular feature.
What Larix Broadcaster does
Larix Broadcaster is a mobile broadcasting app from Softvelum for iOS and Android phones and tablets. It captures video and audio on the device and sends a live stream to a compatible destination. Softvelum lists services such as YouTube Live, Twitch and Facebook Live among its possible destinations. You will still need to configure the destination and provide its connection details in the app.
That phone-first approach is different from sending a finished video file out as a continuous channel. With Larix, the phone is the capture source: it has to be set up, connected and available for the broadcast. It suits a musician streaming a performance, a teacher delivering a live lesson, or a local organisation showing an event. It is not, by itself, a way to loop a pre-recorded programme around the clock.
The distinction matters if you are comparing tools for a devotional, study or ambience channel. For a live kirtan session, a phone can capture the performers as they play; if you also need to identify the current song on screen, see this guide to displaying a now-playing title on a 24/7 kirtan stream. A continuous playlist assembled from existing recordings has different needs from a live phone broadcast.
Softvelum describes most Larix Broadcaster features as available without charge, but that does not mean every protocol or advanced option is unrestricted. In particular, the free duration limit is consequential, and premium features are listed separately. Treat the app’s feature overview as a starting point, then confirm the exact combination of protocol and controls you intend to use against the subscription page.
Core functions in the free tier
At a practical level, the free app covers the basic job of getting a live camera and microphone feed from a mobile device to a streaming destination. Softvelum’s product overview lists portrait and landscape orientations, live rotation, switching between front and rear cameras, recording, screenshot saving, pausing and pre-stream standby. It also describes audio-only capture. Availability and behaviour can vary with device and platform, so test the actual phone you will use rather than assuming every handset exposes the same controls.
A camera switch can be useful when you need to show yourself and then turn the phone towards a subject. Orientation options help when the intended picture is vertical or horizontal, though changing orientation during a live broadcast should be tested before an event: the destination and viewers’ screens may not behave as you expect. A tripod mount is optional if you want hands-free framing; the app does not require one.
Recording and screenshots can help you keep a local copy or capture a still while working, but they are not substitutes for checking the destination. A local recording does not establish that YouTube received the stream correctly, and a saved screenshot does not verify sound. Make a short private or unlisted test, check the picture and audio at the destination, and confirm that the phone has enough storage if you plan to record locally as well.
A phone-based stream can be a simple way to go live, but it leaves the phone responsible for capture and connection. A weak mobile or Wi-Fi connection, a call interrupting the device, battery limitations or an accidental app exit can affect the session. For a recurring live class, for example, test the room’s network and keep the phone powered. For a prerecorded rain loop, a phone continuously pointed at a screen is a different and usually awkward workflow; this guide to making a rain-sounds stream from India considers a file-based approach instead.
Protocols and capture controls
Softvelum’s product overview names SRT, RTMP, NDI, WebRTC, RTSP, Zixi and RIST as supported protocols. A protocol is the way the app packages and sends the feed; it is not itself a destination or a guarantee that a particular YouTube workflow will work. For a typical YouTube Live setup, check the current YouTube instructions and the destination’s supported ingest settings, then enter the appropriate connection information in Larix.
The protocol list should not be read as a promise that every listed protocol has identical free access. Softvelum’s subscription information marks some capabilities as premium or limited. For example, its page states that Zixi is limited to five minutes without Premium and that streaming duration generally follows the free-duration rule. Confirm the current terms for the protocol you plan to use; do not choose one solely because it appears in the product overview.
Larix offers controls around how the phone captures the picture, including camera selection and orientation. Android-specific information also describes adaptive bitrate and external OTG USB video or audio sources, but those capabilities are subject to device and platform requirements. Softvelum notes that multi-camera selection and concurrent front/rear capture depend on Android versions and hardware. A feature listed for Android is not automatically available on iOS, nor will every compatible operating system make every device feature work.
If you are moving from a desktop encoder, it may help to separate the encoder’s job from the destination’s setup. The app captures and sends; YouTube Live Control Room is where you prepare and monitor the YouTube event. If you need a destination-side checklist, use the guide to connecting a stream with a YouTube stream key, and follow YouTube’s current live streaming help for its own setup requirements. Keep your stream key private, since anyone who obtains it may be able to send a broadcast to that event.
Recording, screenshots and standby
Recording and screenshot saving are useful supporting functions, but clarify what they save before relying on them. A recording may give you a local copy of the camera feed, while a screenshot captures a still image; neither should be assumed to include every element that viewers see at the destination. If a logo, title or other overlay is important, verify whether it is part of the source image or added elsewhere in your workflow.
Pause and pre-stream standby help when you need a controlled start rather than an immediate live picture. You can prepare the framing, settle the phone and check the scene before presenting the feed. For a class or devotional session, that can be more orderly than pointing the camera at people while you arrange the room. Still, a standby state is not the same as a scheduled or automatically restarting broadcast: check what viewers see and what happens if the app loses its connection.
Audio-only capture is relevant when the picture adds little, such as a spoken update or a music performance where the phone is positioned for sound. The quality will depend on the microphone and environment as well as app controls. Listen to a test on another device, because monitoring on the same phone can make it difficult to hear noise, clipping or a poor balance. A quiet room and stable microphone position may matter more than adding complexity to the setup.
For any event with a fixed start time, make a brief rehearsal using the same phone, network, destination and capture settings. Check that local recording works if you need it, but also verify the stream from a viewer’s perspective. If the event must continue after the person holding the phone leaves, consider whether a live mobile app is the right operating model at all.
The free streaming time limit and overlay
The duration rule is the most important licence detail for anyone asking what the free version includes. Softvelum’s subscription page says that, without Premium, Larix allows 30 minutes free, followed by another 30 minutes with a mandatory overlay; after that, the stream is stopped. In the same subscription information, Softvelum describes the overlay as part of that additional period. These are product terms, not a broad promise of unlimited free broadcasting.
The practical sequence is therefore: a free period, a second period during which the overlay is imposed, then a stop. You should not plan a longer service, lesson, event or continuous channel on the assumption that the stream will keep running after the second period. Nor should you assume that restarting the app creates a dependable workaround; the product page states the limit and stop behaviour, and Softvelum can change its terms.
Softvelum also distinguishes watermark behaviour by protocol. Its subscription page says SRT and RTMP watermarks are removed with Premium, while WebRTC, Zixi, RTSP and RIST do not have watermarks but are subject to time limits. This makes it especially important to assess both the visual result and duration. A clean-looking feed is not evidence that it can run indefinitely.
If you need a genuinely continuous YouTube channel, ask a different operational question: is the source live capture from a phone, or a prepared file that should keep playing while your computer is off? StreamNeo can remove the need to leave a phone or computer running for that file-based workflow: you upload a video and use your YouTube stream key to run it as a 24/7 stream. It is YouTube-only, and it does not turn Larix into an unlimited free app or replace Larix when you need to capture a live scene.
Check the current subscription details
The subscription page is the place to confirm what is included now, rather than treating a general feature list as a complete licence table. Softvelum’s Larix Premium information describes the time limit and lists functions associated with Premium. Because product plans and app-store terms can change, check that page close to the time you publish or subscribe, and verify the final details shown in the app store for your country.
Among the Premium items Softvelum lists are removal of the streaming time limit, HEVC encoding, SEI NTP metadata insertion, GPS features, Advanced Connectivity settings, three or more simultaneous connections and Larix Talkback; Dolby HDR support is noted for iOS. These are not all requirements for a straightforward phone-to-YouTube broadcast. If your use depends on one, verify its platform availability and whether it is included in the licence you are considering.
Pay particular attention to simultaneous connections. If you intend to send one phone feed to more than one destination or endpoint, check what the current plan permits and what your network can sustain. A single-destination test does not establish that multi-destination operation is available in the free tier. YouTube’s own live encoder settings guidance can help you check destination-side requirements, but it does not define Larix’s licence terms.
Also check operating-system and hardware requirements. Softvelum’s product overview states iOS 16.0 and Android 7.0 compatibility, while its Android page gives additional requirements for particular capabilities. Those statements can change, and a phone’s camera hardware may impose further limits. Before an event, verify the current app listing and try the exact controls on your device.
Do not conflate the Broadcaster subscription with other Softvelum products or services. The subscription page discusses Larix Tuner and separate app offerings; names that sound related may have distinct features and billing. Read the current description and checkout details for the exact app or service you mean, and avoid relying on an old screenshot, forum post or article for a price or entitlement.
Is the free version enough for your use?
The free version may be enough if your broadcast is short, you are testing a mobile workflow, and the overlay during the second period is acceptable. It can also help you learn whether your phone, camera position, microphone and network produce a useful live feed before you commit to a longer arrangement. Use a rehearsal to observe the complete viewer experience rather than judging only the app’s preview.
It is less suitable if you need a stream to run beyond the stated duration, cannot show the required overlay, or require a premium-only function. A 24/7 devotional playlist, overnight ambience channel or continuous local-news loop needs a source and operating plan that can remain active for the intended period. Larix’s mobile capture model is designed around streaming from a device, not around unattended repetition of an uploaded programme.
| Your use | What to check | Likely fit |
|---|---|---|
| A short live talk or performance | Duration, overlay, audio, network and destination setup | Free tier may be adequate for a test or brief session |
| A longer event | The full duration rule and current Premium terms | Do not rely on free operation continuing past the stated stop |
| A phone camera feed to YouTube | Destination settings, protocol, stream key and device support | The core capture workflow may suit, subject to testing |
| A feed needing advanced metadata or multiple connections | Current Premium feature list and platform support | Confirm the exact entitlement before planning around it |
| A 24/7 file-based channel | Whether the source is a prepared video and how it will keep running | Compare with a workflow built for continuous file playback |
If your purpose is to stream lessons or live demonstrations, the phone may be a good capture device even when Larix is only one part of the setup. For a prerecorded course playing on a schedule, compare that with YouTube Live for online education and decide whether the session is truly live or simply a repeatable programme. That distinction affects preparation, continuity and what you need to monitor.
A sensible decision is to list the session length, whether an overlay is acceptable, the required protocol, number of destinations, phone model and whether a person will remain responsible for the device. Then check those requirements against Softvelum’s current subscription page and run a test. Do not buy or build around a feature name alone; confirm the exact behaviour on the device and destination you will use.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Can I stream on Larix Broadcaster for free?
Yes, Softvelum makes the app’s core mobile broadcasting features available without Premium. The free stream is limited to 30 minutes, followed by another 30 minutes with a mandatory overlay, and then it stops, according to Softvelum’s subscription information as listed in September 2026. Check the current page before relying on those terms.
Does the free version support YouTube Live?
Larix can send a mobile stream to services including YouTube Live, but you need to configure a compatible connection and check YouTube’s current setup guidance. Confirm the protocol and destination settings on the phone before the real broadcast, and keep the stream key private.
Does free Larix include every protocol without limits?
No. Softvelum lists several protocols in the product overview, but its subscription details place limits on some functions and durations. The page also specifies a shorter Zixi limit without Premium, so check the current terms for the protocol you intend to use.
Can I use the free version for a 24/7 stream?
No, not as a continuous stream under the documented free-duration rule: it stops after the initial period and the additional overlay period. For a 24/7 channel, choose a workflow designed for continuous operation and verify its current terms rather than assuming a mobile app’s free session will remain live.