> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://start.hitorino.tv/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart: Start Streaming or Watching on Hitorino

> Create your Hitorino account, verify your email, and either explore content or broadcast your first live stream — all in under five minutes.

Getting up and running on Hitorino takes just a few steps. This guide walks you through creating an account, verifying your email, and choosing your first action on the platform — whether that's exploring content as a viewer or going live as a creator. By the end you will have a fully working Hitorino account and, if you want to stream, a stream key you can plug into your broadcasting software right away.

## Step 1 — Create Your Account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the sign-up page">
    Go to [hitorino.tv/signup](https://hitorino.tv/signup). You can register with an email address and password, or sign up instantly with your Google or Apple account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your username">
    Pick a username carefully — it becomes your channel address (`username.hitorino.tv`) and cannot be changed after account creation. Usernames must be 3–24 characters and may contain letters, numbers, and hyphens.

    <Tip>
      Choose a username that matches your brand or name across other platforms. Consistency makes it easier for your existing audience to find you.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a strong password">
    If you are registering with email and password (rather than Google or Apple), set a password that is at least 12 characters long. You will be prompted to enable two-factor authentication after your first login — doing so protects your channel and your earnings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Accept the terms and create your account">
    Review the [Terms of Service](https://hitorino.tv/legal/terms) and [Content Policy](https://hitorino.tv/legal/content-policy), check the box to confirm, and click **Create account**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2 — Verify Your Email

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check your inbox">
    Hitorino sends a verification email to the address you registered with immediately after account creation. The subject line is **"Confirm your Hitorino account"**.

    <Note>
      If you do not see the email within two minutes, check your spam or junk folder. Verification emails are sent from `noreply@hitorino.tv`.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the confirmation link">
    Open the email and click **Confirm email address**. The link expires after 24 hours. Clicking it takes you back to Hitorino and activates your account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Resend if needed">
    If the link has expired or you cannot find the email, log in to your account and go to **Settings → Account → Resend verification email** to request a fresh link.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Some features — including starting a live stream, uploading videos, and receiving payouts — are locked until your email address is verified. Complete verification before continuing.
</Warning>

## Step 3 — Choose Your Path

Now that your account is active, decide how you want to use Hitorino today.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="I want to watch content" icon="eye">
    Browse live channels and on-demand videos, follow creators, and set up a viewer subscription.
  </Card>

  <Card title="I want to stream or upload" icon="video">
    Set up your creator profile, grab your stream key, and go live — or upload your first video.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

### Path A — Explore Content as a Viewer

<Steps>
  <Step title="Browse the discovery feed">
    After logging in, the **Discover** tab shows live channels and trending videos across all categories. Use the category filter on the left to narrow by topic — Gaming, Music, Education, Talk Shows, and more.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Follow a creator">
    Open any channel and click **Follow**. Followed channels appear in your **Following** feed so you never miss a new upload or live broadcast.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Subscribe to a channel">
    On any channel page, click **Subscribe** to see the creator's subscription price and tier benefits (such as subscriber-only videos and chat badges). Enter your payment details and click **Confirm subscription**. You can cancel at any time from **Settings → Subscriptions**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send a tip during a live stream">
    While watching a live stream, open the **Tip** panel in the chat sidebar, enter an amount, add an optional message, and click **Send tip**. Your message appears highlighted in the live chat for all viewers to see.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

### Path B — Set Up Your First Stream

<Steps>
  <Step title="Complete your creator profile">
    Go to **Dashboard → Channel** and add a profile picture, banner image, and channel description. A complete profile builds trust with new viewers who discover you through search or the Discover feed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy your stream key">
    Go to **Dashboard → Stream → Stream settings**. You will see your unique **Stream key** — click the copy icon to copy it to your clipboard.

    <Warning>
      Treat your stream key like a password. Anyone who has it can broadcast to your channel. If you accidentally share it, click **Rotate stream key** to invalidate the old one and generate a new one immediately.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure your broadcasting software">
    Open your broadcasting software (OBS Studio, Streamlabs, or any RTMP-compatible encoder) and enter the following settings:

    ```
    Service:   Custom / RTMP
    Server:    rtmp://live.hitorino.tv/stream
    Stream key: <paste your stream key here>
    ```

    For OBS Studio specifically:

    1. Open **Settings → Stream**.
    2. Set **Service** to `Custom`.
    3. Paste `rtmp://live.hitorino.tv/stream` into the **Server** field.
    4. Paste your stream key into the **Stream Key** field.
    5. Click **Apply**, then **OK**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go live">
    In your broadcasting software, click **Start Streaming**. Return to your Hitorino dashboard — after a few seconds you will see your channel status change to **Live** and a preview of your stream will appear. Your channel page is now publicly accessible and viewers can join.

    <Tip>
      Set a stream title and category before going live. Go to **Dashboard → Stream → Stream info** and fill in the **Title** and **Category** fields. A clear title and the right category help new viewers find your stream through the Discover feed.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="End your stream">
    Stop broadcasting in your software (click **Stop Streaming** in OBS). Hitorino detects the disconnection and marks your channel as offline within 30 seconds. A VOD (video on demand) recording of your stream is automatically saved to your channel if you have VOD recording enabled under **Dashboard → Stream → Stream settings**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

### Upload Your First Video

If you prefer to publish pre-recorded content rather than broadcasting live, follow these steps instead.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the upload page">
    Go to **Dashboard → Videos → Upload video**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your file">
    Click **Choose file** and select a video from your computer. Hitorino accepts MP4, MOV, MKV, and WebM files up to 5 GB on the Starter plan. Upload progress is shown in real time.

    <Note>
      For best results, upload H.264-encoded video at 1080p or higher. Hitorino transcodes your upload to multiple resolutions automatically, so your viewers always get the best quality their connection can support.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add metadata">
    While the file uploads, fill in a **Title**, **Description**, and **Category**. You can also add a custom **Thumbnail** (recommended size: 1280 × 720 px, JPG or PNG).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set visibility">
    Choose one of three visibility options:

    * **Public** — visible to everyone on your channel and in search results.
    * **Subscriber only** — visible only to viewers with an active subscription to your channel.
    * **Unlisted** — accessible via direct link but not listed on your channel or in search results.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish">
    Click **Publish video**. Once processing completes (usually within a few minutes depending on file size), the video appears on your channel page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 4 — Get an API Key

If you want to automate uploads, query your analytics, or build custom integrations with the Hitorino API, you will need an API key.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open API settings">
    Go to **Settings → Developer → API keys** and click **Create new API key**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name your key">
    Give the key a descriptive name that identifies what it will be used for — for example, `upload-automation` or `analytics-dashboard`. This name is for your reference only and is not visible to viewers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy and store your key">
    Your API key is displayed once immediately after creation. Copy it and store it somewhere safe, such as a password manager or an environment variable in your application. Hitorino does not show the full key again after you close this dialog.

    <Warning>
      Never commit your API key to a public code repository or include it in client-side code. If a key is compromised, revoke it immediately from **Settings → Developer → API keys** and create a replacement.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make your first API request">
    Test that your key works by listing your streams:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.hitorino.tv/v1/streams \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    ```

    A successful response returns a JSON array of your live and scheduled streams:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "streams": [],
      "total": 0
    }
    ```

    An empty array is expected if you have not started a stream yet. Any `401 Unauthorized` response means the key was not copied correctly — return to **Settings → Developer → API keys** and try again.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's Next?

You have created your account, verified your email, and taken your first steps on the platform. Here are some useful next steps depending on where you want to take your channel.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Account Setup" icon="user-gear" href="/account-setup">
    Set up your full creator profile, connect social accounts, configure subscription pricing, and enable two-factor authentication.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/api/overview">
    Explore the full Hitorino REST API — upload videos, manage streams, retrieve analytics, and more.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>