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Manar Labs

LiveDeck: getting started

Manar Labs, Australia. Last updated 17 September 2026.

LiveDeck turns an iPad, iPhone or Android device into a multi-camera vision mixer. This page covers the basics: getting sources on screen, cueing a show, and getting the output where it needs to go.

1. Install

iPad & iPhoneiOS 16.4 or later
AndroidAndroid 8.0 or later

Get LiveDeck from the App Store or Google Play. No account or sign-in is required — purchases are tied to your Apple ID or Google account instead.

2. Add sources

Open the source grid and add what you want to mix:

  • NDI — cameras and other NDI senders on the same Wi-Fi are discovered automatically, or can be added by address.
  • Device cameras — the front or back camera of the device LiveDeck is running on, plus screen share, stills, video loops, text cards and a test pattern.
  • Satellites — install LiveDeck on a second phone or tablet and put it in satellite mode; it sends its camera to your main device over Wi-Fi or, for a remote satellite, over the internet.
  • Guests — send a link to invite a remote guest. They wait in a green room, hearing the show, until you put them on air.

3. Cue and take

Layouts are tap-to-cue: full screen, picture-in-picture, splits and quad, each with per-slot audio and PTZ control. Tap a layout to cue it, and take it to put it on Program. The Program monitor always shows what is actually on air, not what is cued.

4. Skins

A clock, countdown, ticker, lower thirds or a message can sit over Program without leaving the mixer. Skins toggle independently of the underlying layout, so they can come and go mid-show.

5. Outputs

  • NDI output to any receiver on the network.
  • RTMP streaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch or your own server.
  • Recording to the device or a network drive (SMB).
  • HLS and RTMP pull servers for other apps to connect to.
  • 720p or 1080p, landscape or portrait.

Free-tier outputs carry a small watermark and stop after five minutes. LiveDeck Pro removes both.

6. Web remote & control API

Turn on the web remote (Output → Web remote) to control LiveDeck from any browser on the same network — the address and PIN are shown on that card. The same screen has a Control API token, with a live docs page describing every endpoint, for building your own integrations.

7. Stream Deck

The free LiveDeck module for Bitfocus Companion puts cueing, taking, transitions, record / stream / NDI, audio, Run a Show and talkback on physical buttons, with live feedback from the Studio. Download the build that matches your Companion version:

Install it:

  1. In Companion open Modules → Import module package and pick the .tgz.
  2. Go to Connections → Add, search for LiveDeck and add it.
  3. On the Studio turn on Output → Web remote, then copy the token from Output → Control API.
  4. In the connection settings pick the Studio from the network list (or type its address — port 8088 on iOS, 8090 on Android) and paste the API token.

Source and releases are on GitHub.

8. Free vs Pro

Receiving, mixing and monitoring are free with no limit. LiveDeck Pro removes the output watermark and the five-minute limit, and is offered monthly, yearly (both with a 3-day free trial) or as a one-time lifetime purchase — billed through the App Store or Google Play.

Troubleshooting

  • A source shows OFFLINE: the Studio waits a few seconds for frames before switching away; turn on Auto bandwidth (Output → NDI options) for weak links.
  • Web remote will not open: keep LiveDeck in the foreground and check Output → Web remote is on; the address and PIN are on that card.
  • Stream Deck / Companion: Companion 5 needs livedeck-studio-0.1.0.tgz, Companion 4.1 – 4.3 needs livedeck-studio-c4-0.1.0.tgz (links in section 7); the API token is under Output → Control API.
  • Restore a purchase: open the Pro screen and tap Restore purchases.

Still stuck? Contact support — a person reads every message.