//Mochicast//

**Official download:** [https://mochicast.net]

Mochicast is a lightweight Windows app for desktop capture and audio streaming to your own private HLS watch link.

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## Quick Start

If you just want to get live as fast as possible:

1. Extract the full Mochicast folder
2. Make sure all included files stay together
3. Launch `MochicastClient.exe`
4. Enter your stream key or use the randomly generated one 
5. Select the monitor you want to capture
6. Choose your audio mode
7. Press **Start**
8. Copy the watch link using the "copy link" button
9. Open the watch link in your HLS-compatible player

If you want to use **Route app to secondary output while streaming**, make sure you have a second audio output device or install a virtual audio device such as **VB-CABLE** first.

If anything breaks:
- stop the stream
- close the app
- reopen it
- and yes, turn everything off and on again before assuming the universe is falling apart

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## What Mochicast does

Mochicast captures your desktop and audio on Windows, sends it to mochi server through RTMP, and gives you a watch link for playback.

Typical flow:

- Mochicast captures your monitor
- Mochicast captures audio
- FFmpeg encodes the stream
- The stream is sent to Mochicast server
- Server provides an HLS watch link

Example watch link:

`https://watch.mochicast.net/YOUR_STREAM_KEY/index.m3u8`

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## Main features

- Desktop monitor capture
- Multiple monitor support
- Audio capture modes
- App-only audio capture
- Optional app rerouting to a secondary audio device
- Stream scaling and FPS controls
- Simple watch link output
- Designed for VRChat-style private streaming use

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## System requirements

- Windows 10 or Windows 11
- A working internet connection
- FFmpeg (included in the app package)
- Optional: a virtual audio device such as VB-CABLE for secondary-output routing

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## Important beta notice


Mochicast is currently a beta app.
Please expect some rough edges.
Important things to know:

- The app may be unsigned
- Windows SmartScreen may show a warning before launch
- Some antivirus tools may be extra suspicious of apps that capture screen/audio or launch FFmpeg
- Certain features may require extra setup
- If something behaves weirdly, restart the app first
- If it is still acting stupid, contact the developer   https://discord.gg/5A4zDYAy


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## Stream key

Your stream key is the private key used to publish your stream.

Treat it like a password.

Do not share your stream key with other people.

Your watch link is based on that stream key:

`https://watch.mochicast.net/YOUR_STREAM_KEY/index.m3u8`

Anyone with the full watch link may be able to view the stream while it is live.


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## Audio modes

Mochicast can support different audio modes depending on your build.

Examples include:

- Desktop audio / system audio
- App-only capture
- Selected app capture

### App-only mode

App-only mode captures audio from the selected application instead of your full desktop mix.

This is useful if you want to stream only one app, such as:

- Chrome
- a media player
- a game
- a browser-based source

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## Optional feature: route app audio to a secondary output while streaming

Mochicast will include an option:

**Route app to secondary output while streaming**

When enabled, Mochicast can try to:

- move the selected app's audio to a secondary playback device
- mute that secondary device locally
- still capture the app audio for the stream
- restore things when streaming stops

This is useful if you want the stream to hear the app audio without hearing it twice on your own PC.

### Important

This feature usually requires a usable secondary playback device.

If you do not have one, the rerouting feature may not work and Mochicast should fall back to normal audio behavior.


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## VB-CABLE / virtual audio device

Some users may want to install a virtual audio device such as **VB-CABLE** to use the secondary-output routing feature.

### What VB-CABLE is

VB-CABLE is a virtual audio device that can appear in Windows like an extra playback/output device.

This can help if:

- you do not already have a spare physical output device
- you want a dedicated secondary route for app audio
- you want cleaner control over local playback vs stream playback

### Important notes about VB-CABLE

- VB-CABLE is optional
- Mochicast can still be used without it
- Installing virtual audio devices may require administrator rights
- A restart may sometimes be needed after installation
- Use the official VB-Audio installer and instructions

### Recommended setup idea

If you want to use the rerouting feature but do not have a secondary output device:

1. Install VB-CABLE or another virtual playback device
2. Restart Windows if needed
3. Launch Mochicast
4. Enable **Route app to secondary output while streaming**
5. Select the virtual device as the secondary output
6. Start streaming


If no valid secondary device is available:

- streaming should still work normally
- app rerouting may be disabled or skipped
- Mochicast should continue without that feature

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## Monitor capture

Mochicast captures the monitor you select in the app.

If you have multiple displays:

- make sure the correct monitor is selected
- check the preview if available

If the wrong screen is being captured, stop the stream, select the correct monitor, and start again.

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## Performance notes

Streaming performance depends on:

- your CPU or GPU
- your selected encoder
- resolution
- FPS
- internet upload speed

## Encoder support

Mochicast can support **NVIDIA NVENC** hardware encoding on compatible NVIDIA GPUs.

Hardware encoding can help reduce CPU usage and improve overall streaming performance compared to software-only encoding, depending on your system and settings.

### Planned improvements

Support for **AMD GPU hardware encoding** may be added in a future update.

Future encoder support will depend on implementation progress, compatibility testing, and stability, with the goal of expanding hardware acceleration options while keeping Mochicast simple and reliable.

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## FFmpeg

Mochicast relies on FFmpeg for encoding and streaming.

Do not delete FFmpeg files that came with the app package.

If FFmpeg is missing, blocked, or quarantined by antivirus, streaming may fail.

Typical symptoms:

- stream starts then instantly stops
- no video appears
- error messages mention FFmpeg
- the app says FFmpeg exited

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## Networking

Mochicast streams to the configured ingest server and provides a watch link from the watch domain.

For example:

- Ingest: `rtmp://ingest.mochicast.net:1935/STREAM_KEY`
- Watch: `https://watch.mochicast.net/STREAM_KEY/index.m3u8`

Streaming requires a stable upload connection.

If your stream keeps freezing or failing:

- check your internet upload
- check firewall/antivirus
- check whether FFmpeg is blocked
- check whether the server is reachable

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## VRChat / HLS playback note

Mochicast is designed around HLS-style viewing.

Depending on player behavior, network conditions, or server config:

- latency may not be instant
- latency may drift over time
- some players are pickier than others
- refreshing the stream may help if playback gets stuck

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## Troubleshooting

### 1. The app does not open

Try this first:

- close everything
- restart your PC
- try again

Then check:

- Windows blocked the app
- antivirus quarantined a file
- FFmpeg is missing
- the app was run from inside a zip instead of an extracted folder

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### 2. Windows shows a warning

MochiCast is self-signed (publisher name - dawidcsx), Windows may show SmartScreen warnings.

That does not automatically mean the app is malicious, but you should only run builds from a source you trust.

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### 3. Stream starts but nothing plays

Check:

- the stream key is correct
- the watch link is correct
- FFmpeg is present
- the monitor is selected correctly
- the ingest server is reachable 
- your internet upload is stable

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### 8. Checking server reachability

If streaming is failing, freezing, or never appears on the watch link, you can test basic connectivity from Windows Command Prompt.

#### Test the main domains

```bat
nslookup ingest.mochicast.net
nslookup watch.mochicast.net

And yes, the caveman fix still matters:
turn everything off and on again

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### 4. App-only audio does not work

Check:

- the correct app/window is selected
- the app is actually producing sound
- Windows audio is not muted
- your chosen audio mode matches what you want
- antivirus or permissions are not interfering

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### 5. Secondary output routing does not work

Check:

- a secondary output device actually exists
- the correct device is selected
- the device is enabled in Windows
- VB-CABLE or other virtual device is installed properly
- the selected app supports rerouting correctly

If no secondary device exists, Mochicast should continue without rerouting.

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### 6. Stream is laggy or unstable

Try:

- lower resolution
- lower FPS
- lower bitrate
- close other heavy apps
- check CPU/GPU usage
- check internet upload quality
- restart the stream

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### 7. Audio routing gets stuck after stopping

If the target app stays on the wrong device after streaming:

- stop the stream fully
- close Mochicast
- reopen the app
- if needed, change the app audio device manually in Windows
- restart the target app

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## Good practice

- Keep your stream key private
- Test privately before sharing
- Do not assume every player behaves the same
- Keep the full Mochicast folder together
- Do not delete bundled files
- Restart the app after major config changes
- Restart Windows after installing new audio devices or drivers

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## Contact / support

Official site: [https://mochicast.net]

If you run into bugs, setup issues, or weird behavior, contact the Mochicast developer/support channel if provided with your build.

When reporting a problem, include:

- what you were trying to do
- your audio mode
- whether rerouting was enabled
- whether VB-CABLE was installed
- what monitor/resolution you used
- the log output, if available

Bug reports/support - https://discord.gg/5A4zDYAy

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## Credits

Mochicast  
Created by dawidcsx

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## Legal / Disclaimer

Mochicast is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind, express or implied.

By using this software, you accept that:

- you are responsible for how you use it
- you are responsible for protecting your stream key and links
- streaming performance may vary depending on hardware, Windows configuration, drivers, network conditions, server availability, and third-party software
- the author is not liable for data loss, service interruption, device issues, missed streams, audio routing problems, or other damages resulting from use of the software

Use Mochicast only in ways that comply with:
- local laws
- platform rules
- copyright rules
- privacy and consent requirements

Do not use Mochicast to capture or distribute content you do not have the right to use or share.

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## Third-party software

Mochicast may rely on or interact with third-party software, tools, and services, including but not limited to:

- **FFmpeg**
- **VB-CABLE / VB-Audio software**
- Windows system audio and media components

All trademarks, software names, and product names belong to their respective owners.

Please review the licenses and terms for any third-party software you install or use alongside Mochicast.

If Mochicast is distributed with third-party binaries, those components remain subject to their own licenses and terms.

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## Summary

Mochicast is a lightweight private streaming tool for desktop + audio capture with optional app-audio routing features.

For the smoothest setup:

- keep the app files together
- make sure FFmpeg is present
- use a valid stream key
- optionally install VB-CABLE if you want secondary-output routing
- restart things before assuming the universe is broken