Whistlr Studio Stream Information: Title, Category, and Discovery
Title and category are required before Whistlr Live Studio will take you live. They are the only distribution copy you write, and they travel with the same broadcast into Flow, Highlights, Following, Discover, your profile, whistlr.network, and the iOS app. This guide covers the Stream Information sheet end to end: how to open it, the 100-character title rule, every category choice, how discovery cards use those fields, and what you can (and cannot) change after you are on air.
What Stream Information Is For
Stream Information is the sheet you complete right before distribution. It is not encoder setup and it is not a Gem store step. Your streaming app (OBS, Streamlabs, XSplit, Wirecast, vMix, or any custom RTMP encoder) must already be publishing so Studio’s private preview is healthy. Then you open Stream Information, set a scannable title and an honest category, and confirm Go Live. Until that confirmation, only you can see the encode. After it, strangers in Discover and passersby on Highlights read the same card you just wrote.
How to Open Stream Information
Wait until the center preview is receiving so you know the encoder is healthy. Open the sheet from the white Go Live button on the preview overlay, or by clicking the title line under the player while you are offline — it reads Add a title until you set one. The sheet header is Stream Information. Fill Title and Category, review both fields, then tap Go Live to distribute or Cancel to keep editing without going live. Escape or Cancel backs out without changing your live status.
- Preview first: Confirm Preview is receiving before you open the sheet so you are not distributing a dead encode.
- Go Live on overlay: The white control on the idle or ready preview opens Stream Information.
- Title click (offline): Clicking Add a title under the player also opens the same sheet.
- Cancel: Leaves you offline; you can reopen and edit again before the next Go Live.
- Confirm Go Live: Distributes the broadcast platform-wide with the title and category you just set.
Title Rules: Required, 100 Characters, Discovery-First
Title is required. Type up to 100 characters. A live counter shows 0/100 through 100/100. The purple Go Live control in the sheet stays disabled until the title is more than whitespace — at least one non-space character. Lead with the topic a stranger would search: game plus mode, song plus artist, or the lesson in one clause. Category is a filter, not a substitute for a specific title. A vague title wastes Highlights and Discover cards even when the encode looks perfect.
Write for the feed card, not for yourself. People scanning Flow, Highlights, Following, and Discover see the title before they hear your voice. Keep it honest for the hour you are in. If the show changes later — Just Chatting in the afternoon, Gaming at night — update Stream Information before the next Go Live so every feed stays accurate. You can reopen Stream Information from the title while you are still offline. After you are live, the title line under the player is display-only for this session; you do not retitle from that click mid-broadcast.
Title and category are the only distribution copy you write. Change them in Stream Information before you go live so every feed shows the same honest card.
Category Picker and Default
Open the category picker, search if you want, and choose one row. Studio defaults to Just Chatting. Pick the category that matches what is actually on camera for this hour — not the category you wish you were known for. Discover groups rooms by category: Gaming sits with Gaming, Cooking & Food with Cooking & Food, Podcast & Talk Show with talk. An honest category is how a stranger decides to tap in before they know your name.
- Just Chatting: Talk shows, hanging out, default when you are not sure.
- Music & Performance: Sets, covers, DJ, live performance.
- Gaming: Gameplay, tournaments, watch parties.
- Art & Creative: Drawing, design, making.
- Beauty & Fashion: Looks, styling, fashion talk.
- Fitness & Sports: Workouts, training, sports watch.
- Cooking & Food: Recipes, tasting, kitchen streams.
- Educational: Lessons, tutorials, breakdowns.
- IRL: Out in the world, on-location.
- Tech & Dev: Coding, hardware, shipping in public.
- Business & Finance: Markets, startups, ops.
- Comedy & Entertainment: Bits, sketches, variety.
- Podcast & Talk Show: Long-form conversation.
- DIY & Lifestyle: Builds, home, daily life.
- Animals & Pets: Pets on camera.
- Travel & Adventure: On the road, places.
- Spiritual & Mindfulness: Practice, reflection.
- Other: Anything that does not fit above.
How Title and Category Show Up Across Whistlr
One Go Live fills every live surface with the same picture, title, and category. You do not configure Flow, Highlights, Following, Discover, profile, whistlr.network, or iOS separately. Flow viewers who came to watch live video lean on a title that names the session. Highlights passersby need a category they recognize at a glance. Following is your circle finding the session they expected. Discover strangers grab category first, then scan the title. Your profile shows the live while you are on air for anyone with your link. The public live page Visit Stream opens carries the same title and category so you can verify the viewer-facing card.
whistlr.studio is where you produce: preview, Stream Information, chat, and Go Live. whistlr.network is where the audience already browses and watches. Studio is how you start the broadcast; the network is where people meet the card. Share your whistlr.network profile when you want a link that still makes sense tomorrow. Share Visit Stream’s public live page when you want someone in this session right now. Both resolve to the same creator — the live page is the session; the profile is you.
If Go Live Stays Disabled
The purple Go Live control in Stream Information stays dimmed until the title has at least one non-space character. Add a real title, not only spaces. If Studio says there is no active studio key, stay on Credentials, wait for the Ready pill, or tap Try Again on the preview, then open the sheet again. Encoder on and studio offline is expected until you confirm Go Live — starting the encoder only feeds the private preview. Keep the encoder running the whole time you want to be live after you distribute.
- Dimmed Go Live: Title is empty or whitespace only — type a scannable title under 100 characters.
- No studio key: Credentials not Ready — wait, Try Again on preview, then reopen Stream Information.
- Preview still idle: Start Streaming in the encoder first; do not distribute a dark room.
- Wrong category worry: Cancel, pick the honest row, then confirm — category is chosen before distribution.
- After you are live: Title under the player is display-only for this session; plan the next card before the next Go Live.
Lead with the topic a stranger would search. Category is a filter, not a substitute for a specific title.
Stream Information Checklist Before You Confirm
Confirm the studio preview is receiving. Open Stream Information from Go Live or the offline title line. Write a title people can scan in a feed (required, up to 100 characters). Pick the category that matches what is on camera. Review both fields. Tap Go Live once — do not hunt for per-feed settings. When the LIVE badge is on and the session is surfaced, use Visit Stream to open the public live page and confirm title, category, and chat match Studio. After you end the stream, live cards leave the feeds; go live again whenever you are ready with a fresh Stream Information pass — there is no cooldown and no follower minimum.
Publishing a Gem in WTC is a different path from Stream Information. Gems change what supporters can send after Business+ verification. Stream Information is how the room itself appears on Whistlr. Streaming stays free on personal and business accounts; monetization is optional and separate. Keep Stream Information honest every session so Discover, Highlights, Flow, Following, profile, network, and iOS all show the same clear card for the hour you are hosting.
