Axis: RTSP URL and website streaming
Axis cameras have a single RTSP address; you set the stream's codec, resolution and frame rate either in the camera or right in the URL. Here are both approaches, the user setup and the right Zipstream settings.
The RTSP URL format
Axis has no separate main and sub-stream paths. The base address is /axis-media/media.amp, which serves the camera's default stream. A lighter stream is the same address at a lower resolution, chosen with URL parameters or a stream profile.
rtsp://user:password@203.0.113.10:554/axis-media/media.amp
rtsp://user:password@203.0.113.10:554/axis-media/media.amp?videocodec=h264&resolution=1920x1080&fps=25
rtsp://user:password@203.0.113.10:554/axis-media/media.amp?videocodec=h264&resolution=1280x720&fps=15| Parameter | What it does |
|---|---|
videocodec=h264 | forces H.264 even if the camera also supports H.265 |
resolution=1280x720 | resolution; must be one the camera lists |
fps=25 | frame rate |
videokeyframeinterval=50 | I-frame interval in frames |
streamprofile=Web | a stream profile saved in the camera, by name |
camera=2 | second sensor or second encoder channel |
The RTSP port
RTSP is on out of the box on Axis, on port 554. To check or change it, look in Plain config → Network → RTSP (on AXIS OS: System → Plain config; on older firmware: Setup → System Options → Advanced → Plain Config). Forward only the RTSP port on the router — see port forwarding. The web interface (80, 443) must not be open to the internet.
A view-only user
- On AXIS OS: System → Accounts → Add account (older firmware: Setup → System Options → Security → Users → Add).
- Privileges / User group: Viewer. This group can only watch video.
- Set a strong password and use this account in our form.
- Make sure anonymous viewer access is off — otherwise the video is visible without a password.
Encoder settings for the web
On AXIS OS the settings are under Video → Stream (older firmware: Setup → Video → Video Stream). Best practice is a separate stream profile, e.g. "Web" (Video → Stream → Stream profiles), so you don't change what your recorder or VMS uses.
| Setting | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Video format / codec | H.264 |
| H.264 profile | Main (or Baseline) |
| Resolution | 1280×720 or 1920×1080 |
| Frame rate | 15–25 fps |
| Zipstream strength | Off |
| Dynamic GOP / Dynamic FPS | Off |
| GOP length | frame rate × 1–2 (25–50 at 25 fps) |
| Bitrate control | CBR if offered, otherwise Maximum bitrate (MBR): 2–4 Mbit/s for 1080p, 1–2 Mbit/s for 720p |
More detail: camera settings for streaming.
Common pitfalls
- Zipstream. Axis's bitrate-saving technology, with Dynamic GOP on, stretches the gap between I-frames a lot. In a browser that means slow start-up and broken frames. Turn it off on the streaming profile.
- H.265. Newer Axis cameras support H.265. We detect it and convert to H.264 while someone watches, but it's better if the camera sends H.264 — via the profile or
videocodec=h264. See H.265 in the browser. - Resolution from the list. The
resolutionparameter must match a size the camera supports; otherwise the camera rejects the request and the test reports a wrong path. - Multiple sensors. On multi-sensor cameras and video encoders,
camera=1,camera=2and so on select each channel — add each one as a separate camera with us. - Password characters. The password has its own field in our form, and the server encodes
@,:or#correctly. - Firmware. Keep AXIS OS updated — Axis ships security updates regularly.
Adding the camera to VIDEOCAMERA LIVE
- Create an account or log in and click Add camera.
- Fill in a name, an optional location, RTSP host, port, the Viewer username, password and the path
/axis-media/media.amp. - Click Test connection — our server connects to the camera itself and reports success, auth error, unreachable, wrong path, unsupported codec or timeout.
- Once it succeeds, activate the camera and copy the embed code — see embedding a camera on a website.
What is the Axis RTSP URL?
rtsp://user:password@IP:554/axis-media/media.amp, optionally with parameters such as ?videocodec=h264&resolution=1280x720.
Does Axis have a sub stream?
Not as a separate path. The same address serves a lighter stream with a lower resolution or a separate stream profile.
Which user should I use?
A dedicated account in the Viewer group. Administrator or Operator is not needed for streaming.
Do I have to turn Zipstream off?
On the streamed feed, yes — or at least Dynamic GOP. Recording can keep it on in a separate profile.