---
name: "CURLOPT_RTSP_REQUEST"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "curl"
version: "8.23.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/CURLOPT_RTSP_REQUEST"
---

# CURLOPT\_RTSP\_REQUEST(3)

RTSP request

## NAME

CURLOPT\_RTSP\_REQUEST - RTSP request

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_RTSP_REQUEST, long request);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Tell libcurl what kind of RTSP request to make. Pass one of the following RTSP enum values as a long in the *request* argument. Unless noted otherwise, commands require the Session ID to be initialized.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_OPTIONS

  Used to retrieve the available methods of the server. The application is responsible for parsing and obeying the response. The session ID is not needed for this method.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_DESCRIBE

  Used to get the low level description of a stream. The application should note what formats it understands in the \*'Accept:'\* header. Unless set manually, libcurl automatically adds in \*'Accept: application/sdp'\*. Time-condition headers are added to Describe requests if the *[CURLOPT\_TIMECONDITION(3)](/CURLOPT_TIMECONDITION/3.md)* option is used. (The session ID is not needed for this method)

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_ANNOUNCE

  When sent by a client, this method changes the description of the session. For example, if a client is using the server to record a meeting, the client can use Announce to inform the server of all the meta-information about the session. ANNOUNCE acts like an HTTP PUT or POST like *CURL\_RTSPREQ\_SET\_PARAMETER*

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_SETUP

  Setup is used to initialize the transport layer for the session. The application must set the desired Transport options for a session by using the *[CURLOPT\_RTSP\_TRANSPORT(3)](/CURLOPT_RTSP_TRANSPORT/3.md)* option prior to calling setup. If no session ID is currently set with *[CURLOPT\_RTSP\_SESSION\_ID(3)](/CURLOPT_RTSP_SESSION_ID/3.md)*, libcurl extracts and uses the session ID in the response to this request. The session ID is not needed for this method.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_PLAY

  Send a Play command to the server. Use the *[CURLOPT\_RANGE(3)](/CURLOPT_RANGE/3.md)* option to modify the playback time (e.g. *npt=10-15*).

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_PAUSE

  Send a Pause command to the server. Use the *[CURLOPT\_RANGE(3)](/CURLOPT_RANGE/3.md)* option with a single value to indicate when the stream should be halted. (e.g. *npt=25*)

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_TEARDOWN

  This command terminates an RTSP session. Closing a connection does not terminate the RTSP session since it is valid to control an RTSP session over different connections.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_GET\_PARAMETER

  Retrieve a parameter from the server. By default, libcurl adds a *Content-Type: text/parameters* header on all non-empty requests unless a custom one is set. GET\_PARAMETER acts like an HTTP PUT or POST (see *CURL\_RTSPREQ\_SET\_PARAMETER*). Applications wishing to send a heartbeat message (e.g. in the presence of a server-specified timeout) should send use an empty GET\_PARAMETER request.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_SET\_PARAMETER

  Set a parameter on the server. By default, libcurl uses a \*Content-Type: text/parameters\* header unless a custom one is set. The interaction with SET\_PARAMETER is much like an HTTP PUT or POST. An application may either use *[CURLOPT\_UPLOAD(3)](/CURLOPT_UPLOAD/3.md)* with *[CURLOPT\_READDATA(3)](/CURLOPT_READDATA/3.md)* like an HTTP PUT, or it may use *[CURLOPT\_POSTFIELDS(3)](/CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS/3.md)* like an HTTP POST. No chunked transfers are allowed, so the application must set the *[CURLOPT\_INFILESIZE(3)](/CURLOPT_INFILESIZE/3.md)* in the former and *[CURLOPT\_POSTFIELDSIZE(3)](/CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE/3.md)* in the latter. Also, there is no use of multi-part POSTs within RTSP.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_RECORD

  Used to tell the server to record a session. Use the *[CURLOPT\_RANGE(3)](/CURLOPT_RANGE/3.md)* option to modify the record time.

- CURL\_RTSPREQ\_RECEIVE

  This is a special request because it does not send any data to the server. The application may call this function in order to receive interleaved RTP data. It returns after processing one read buffer of data in order to give the application a chance to run.

## DEFAULT

## PROTOCOLS

This functionality affects rtsp only

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode result;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "rtsp://example.com/");
    /* ask for options */
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_RTSP_REQUEST, CURL_RTSPREQ_OPTIONS);
    result = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## HISTORY

**CURL\_RTSPREQ\_**\* enums became *long* types in 8.13.0, prior to this version a *long* cast was necessary when passed to *[curl\_easy\_setopt(3)](/curl_easy_setopt/3.md)*.

## AVAILABILITY

Added in curl 7.20.0

## RETURN VALUE

*[curl\_easy\_setopt(3)](/curl_easy_setopt/3.md)* returns a CURLcode indicating success or error.

CURLE\_OK (0) means everything was OK, non-zero means an error occurred, see *[libcurl-errors(3)](/libcurl-errors/3.md)*.

## SEE ALSO

[**CURLOPT\_RTSP\_SESSION\_ID**(3)](/CURLOPT_RTSP_SESSION_ID/3.md), [**CURLOPT\_RTSP\_STREAM\_URI**(3)](/CURLOPT_RTSP_STREAM_URI/3.md)