Requirements
Server prerequisites for FCHub Stream. PHP 8.3+ is mandatory. WordPress media library's limitations are not my problem.
Before you install FCHub Stream, verify your environment meets these prerequisites. Most are standard. One isn't negotiable.
WordPress Core
Minimum: WordPress 6.7+
Tested on WordPress 6.7. Might work on earlier versions. Won't test. Life's too short. If you're still on WordPress 5.x in 2025, video uploads are the least of your concerns.
Running WordPress 6.5 or older? Update WordPress first. Then come back. This plugin isn't designed for legacy environments.
PHP Version (Non-Negotiable)
Required: PHP 8.3 or higher
Not PHP 7.4. Not PHP 8.0. Not PHP 8.2. PHP 8.3+.
Modern PHP features enable clean code. Typed properties. Enums. Match expressions. The kind of stuff that makes video upload security actually work instead of pretending to work.
PHP 8.3+ Required
If your WordPress is running PHP 7.x, it's time to upgrade anyway. FCHub Stream won't install on outdated PHP. This is a feature, not a bug. Security matters.
Why PHP 8.3?
- Better type safety (so your API credentials don't leak)
- Improved error handling (fewer cryptic failures)
- Performance improvements (faster API calls to streaming providers)
- Enum support (cleaner provider switching)
- Readonly properties (config values that can't get accidentally overwritten)
Your host stuck on PHP 7.4? Find a better host. It's 2025. Running outdated PHP is how sites get compromised.
FluentCommunity
Required: FluentCommunity plugin installed and active
FCHub Stream is built exclusively for FluentCommunity. Not BuddyPress. Not bbPress. Not generic WordPress forums. FluentCommunity only.
If FluentCommunity isn't installed, FCHub Stream won't activate. Plugin dependency checks exist for a reason.
Where to get it:
Install FluentCommunity first. Configure it. Get your community working. Then add video uploads.
Streaming Provider Account
Pick one streaming provider. Both work. Neither is perfect. Both cost money. Video streaming isn't free. Physics still applies.
Cloudflare Stream
What you need:
- Cloudflare account with billing enabled
- Stream product activated
- API token with Stream permissions
- Account ID (found in Cloudflare dashboard)
- Customer subdomain (assigned when you enable Stream)
Pricing (as of 2025):
- $5 per 1,000 minutes stored
- $1 per 1,000 minutes delivered
Good if:
- You're already using Cloudflare
- You value webhook reliability
- You want global CDN by default
Bunny.net Stream
What you need:
- Bunny.net account with billing configured
- Stream library created
- Account API key
- Library ID (numeric identifier for your stream library)
- Hostname (usually
video.bunnycdn.comor custom domain)
Pricing (as of 2025):
- $0.01 per GB stored ($10 per TB)
- $0.005 per GB delivered ($5 per TB for high-volume)
- Regional pricing varies: $0.01/GB (EU/NA) to $0.06/GB (Africa/ME)
Generally cheaper for most communities. Do your own math.
Good if:
- You want lower costs
- You're not already invested in Cloudflare
- You prefer simpler API setup
Can't decide? Start with Bunny.net. It's cheaper for most use cases. You can switch providers later if needed. The plugin stores configuration for both separately.
SSL/HTTPS (Mandatory)
Your WordPress site must use HTTPS. Webhooks require SSL. Secure uploads require SSL. It's 2025. HTTP-only sites shouldn't exist.
Check your site:
- Does your WordPress URL start with
https://? Good. - Does it start with
http://? Fix that before installing.
Most hosting provides free SSL via Let's Encrypt. If yours doesn't, that's a red flag about your host.
Webhooks won't work on HTTP-only sites. Status polling will work, but you'll wait longer for video processing updates. Just use HTTPS.
What You Don't Need
WordPress media library wasn't built for video in 2025. FCHub Stream bypasses it entirely. Here's what you don't need:
- Extra storage space — Videos live on streaming CDN, not your WordPress server
- Special PHP extensions — No FFmpeg, no GD Library video modules, no ImageMagick video codecs
- Server-side transcoding tools — Your streaming provider handles all video processing
- Video encoding knowledge — Users upload MP4/MOV/WebM/AVI, provider transcodes automatically
- Patience for manual video conversion — That's the provider's job now
- Tolerance for WordPress upload limits — Uploads bypass PHP entirely
Your WordPress server only stores:
- Plugin settings (encrypted in database)
- Video metadata (title, user, timestamp, provider reference)
- Processing status (ready/encoding/failed)
Total database footprint per video: approximately 1KB. Your hosting will survive.
Server Capabilities (Standard Stuff)
Nothing exotic. Standard WordPress hosting requirements apply.
Your server needs to:
- Make outbound HTTPS requests (to streaming provider APIs)
- Store plugin settings in MySQL database
- Serve WordPress admin interface (for FCHub Stream settings)
- Handle REST API endpoints (for portal integration)
Your server does NOT need to:
- Upload video files (uploads go directly from user browser to streaming CDN)
- Process video (transcoding happens on streaming provider infrastructure)
- Store video files (they live on CDN, not your server)
- Serve video streams (CDN handles delivery)
FCHub Stream is designed to minimize server load. Videos bypass WordPress entirely during upload. No temporary files. No PHP upload limits. No server storage concerns.
Pre-Installation Checklist
Before proceeding to installation, verify:
Common Environment Issues
"My host only supports PHP 7.4"
Find a new host. It's 2025. PHP 7.4 reached end-of-life in November 2022. Running unsupported PHP is a security risk. Good hosts offer PHP 8.3+ as standard.
"Do I need to upgrade FluentCommunity to Pro?"
No. FCHub Stream works with FluentCommunity free version. Streaming provider costs apply (Cloudflare or Bunny.net), but FluentCommunity Pro isn't required.
"Can I use my existing WordPress media library for some videos?"
You can still use WordPress media library for images and other files. FCHub Stream only handles video uploads. Everything else works normally.
"My site runs on shared hosting. Will this work?"
Yes, if your shared hosting meets PHP 8.3+ requirement and allows outbound HTTPS requests (most do). Videos upload directly to streaming CDN, so server load is minimal.
"Does this work with WordPress multisite?"
Not tested. Probably works. No guarantees. If you try it on multisite and it explodes, that's on you.