diff --git a/nginx/Dockerfile b/nginx/Dockerfile
index 7830c79..0e2351f 100644
--- a/nginx/Dockerfile
+++ b/nginx/Dockerfile
@@ -3,5 +3,8 @@ FROM tiangolo/nginx-rtmp
 COPY nginx.conf /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
 EXPOSE 1935 8080
 
+RUN mkdir -p /stream_data/hls && \
+    chmod -R 777 /stream_data
+
 # Start the Nginx server
 CMD [ "nginx", "-g", "daemon off;" ]
diff --git a/nginx/nginx.conf b/nginx/nginx.conf
index 2e1b5ba..d621790 100644
--- a/nginx/nginx.conf
+++ b/nginx/nginx.conf
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ rtmp {
             hls_nested on;
             hls_fragment 5s;
             hls_playlist_length 60s;
+            hls_cleanup off;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/web_server/blueprints/streams.py b/web_server/blueprints/streams.py
index c54fa64..b65426d 100644
--- a/web_server/blueprints/streams.py
+++ b/web_server/blueprints/streams.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ from utils.user_utils import get_user_id
 from blueprints.middleware import login_required
 from database.database import Database
 from datetime import datetime
-from celery_tasks import update_thumbnail
+from celery_tasks import update_thumbnail, combine_ts_stream
+from dateutil import parser
 
 stream_bp = Blueprint("stream", __name__)
 
@@ -142,26 +143,40 @@ def vods(username):
 def publish_stream():
     """
     Authenticates stream from streamer and publishes it to the site
+
+    step-by-step:
+    fetch user info from stream key
+    insert stream into database
+    set user as streaming
+    periodically update thumbnail
     """
     stream_key = request.form.get("name")
+    print("Stream request received")
 
-    # Check if stream key is valid
-    db = Database()
-    user_info = db.fetchone("""SELECT user_id, username, current_stream_title, current_selected_category_id 
-                               FROM users 
-                               WHERE stream_key = ?""", (stream_key,))
+    # Open database connection
+    with Database() as db:
+        # Get user info from stream key
+        user_info = db.fetchone("""SELECT user_id, username, current_stream_title, current_selected_category_id, is_live
+                                FROM users 
+                                WHERE stream_key = ?""", (stream_key,))
 
-    if not user_info:
-        return "Unauthorized", 403
+        # If stream key is invalid, return unauthorized
+        if not user_info or user_info["is_live"]:
+            return "Unauthorized", 403
+        
+        # Insert stream into database
+        db.execute("""INSERT INTO streams (user_id, title, start_time, num_viewers, category_id)
+                    VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)""", (user_info["user_id"], 
+                                            user_info["current_stream_title"],
+                                            datetime.now(),
+                                            0,
+                                            1))
+        
+        # Set user as streaming
+        db.execute("""UPDATE users SET is_live = 1 WHERE user_id = ?""", (user_info["user_id"],))
     
-    # Insert stream into database
-    db.execute("""INSERT INTO streams (user_id, title, category_id, start_time, isLive)
-                  VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)""", (user_info["user_id"], 
-                                           user_info["current_stream_title"],
-                                           1,
-                                           datetime.now(),
-                                           1))
     
+    # Update thumbnail periodically
     update_thumbnail.delay(user_info["user_id"])
 
     return redirect(f"/{user_info['username']}")
@@ -170,17 +185,54 @@ def publish_stream():
 def end_stream():
     """
     Ends a stream
+
+    step-by-step:
+    remove stream from database
+    move stream to vod table
+    set user as not streaming
+    convert ts files to mp4
+    clean up old ts files
+    end thumbnail generation
     """
-    db = Database()
-
-    # get stream key
-    user_info = db.fetchone("""SELECT user_id FROM users WHERE stream_key = ?""", (request.form.get("name"),))
-    stream_info = db.fetchone("""SELECT stream_id FROM streams WHERE user_id = ?""", (user_info["user_id"],))
-
-    if not user_info:
-        return "Unauthorized", 403
     
-    # Remove stream from database
-    db.execute("""DELETE FROM streams WHERE user_id = ?""", (user_info["user_id"],))
+    stream_key = request.form.get("name")
+
+    # Open database connection
+    with Database() as db:
+        # Get user info from stream key
+        user_info = db.fetchone("""SELECT *
+                                FROM users 
+                                WHERE stream_key = ?""", (stream_key,))
+        
+        stream_info = db.fetchone("""SELECT *
+                                FROM streams
+                                WHERE user_id = ?""", (user_info["user_id"],))
+        
+
+        # If stream key is invalid, return unauthorized
+        if not user_info:
+            return "Unauthorized", 403
+        
+        # Remove stream from database
+        db.execute("""DELETE FROM streams 
+                   WHERE user_id = ?""", (user_info["user_id"],))
+
+        # Move stream to vod table
+        stream_length = int((datetime.now() - parser.parse(stream_info["start_time"])).total_seconds())
+
+        db.execute("""INSERT INTO vods (user_id, title, datetime, category_id, length, views)
+                    VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)""", (user_info["user_id"], 
+                                            user_info["current_stream_title"],
+                                            stream_info["start_time"],
+                                            user_info["current_selected_category_id"],
+                                            stream_length,
+                                            0))
+        
+        # Set user as not streaming
+        db.execute("""UPDATE users 
+                   SET is_live = 0 
+                   WHERE user_id = ?""", (user_info["user_id"],))
+    
+    combine_ts_stream.delay(user_info["username"])
 
     return "Stream ended", 200
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web_server/celery_tasks/__init__.py b/web_server/celery_tasks/__init__.py
index 284b71b..c23180d 100644
--- a/web_server/celery_tasks/__init__.py
+++ b/web_server/celery_tasks/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 from celery import Celery, shared_task, Task
 from utils.stream_utils import generate_thumbnail, get_streamer_live_status
 from time import sleep
+from os import listdir, remove
+from datetime import datetime
+import subprocess
 
 def celery_init_app(app) -> Celery:
     class FlaskTask(Task):
@@ -19,11 +22,43 @@ def update_thumbnail(user_id, sleep_time=180) -> None:
     """
     Updates the thumbnail of a stream periodically
     """
-    ffmpeg_wait_time = 5
+    generate_thumbnail(user_id)
+    sleep(sleep_time)
 
-    # check if user is streaming
-    while get_streamer_live_status(user_id)['isLive']:
-        sleep(ffmpeg_wait_time)
-        generate_thumbnail(user_id)
-        sleep(sleep_time - ffmpeg_wait_time)
-    return
\ No newline at end of file
+@shared_task
+def combine_ts_stream(username):
+    """
+    Combines all ts files into a single vod, and removes the ts files
+    """
+    path = f"stream_data/hls/{username}/"
+    ts_files = [f for f in listdir(path) if f.endswith(".ts")]
+    ts_files.sort()
+
+    # Create temp file listing all ts files
+    with open(f"{path}list.txt", "w") as f:
+        for ts_file in ts_files:
+            f.write(f"file '{ts_file}'\n")
+    
+    # Concatenate all ts files into a single vod
+    file_name = datetime.now().strftime("%d-%m-%Y-%H-%M-%S")
+    vod_path = f"stream_data/hls/{username}/{file_name}.mp4"
+    vod_command = [
+        "ffmpeg",
+        "-f",
+        "concat",
+        "-safe",
+        "0",
+        "-i",
+        f"{path}list.txt",
+        "-c",
+        "copy",
+        vod_path
+    ]
+
+    subprocess.run(vod_command)
+
+    # Remove ts files
+    for ts_file in ts_files:
+        remove(f"{path}{ts_file}")
+
+    return vod_path
diff --git a/web_server/database/app.db b/web_server/database/app.db
index 8970324..b848ec4 100644
Binary files a/web_server/database/app.db and b/web_server/database/app.db differ
diff --git a/web_server/database/testing_data.sql b/web_server/database/testing_data.sql
index 442fbd3..fdfa058 100644
--- a/web_server/database/testing_data.sql
+++ b/web_server/database/testing_data.sql
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- Sample Data for users
 INSERT INTO users (username, password, email, num_followers, stream_key, is_partnered, bio, is_live, current_stream_title, current_selected_category_id) VALUES 
-('GamerDude', 'password123', 'gamerdude@example.com', 500, '1234', 0, 'Streaming my gaming adventures!', 1, 'Epic Gaming Session', 1),
+('GamerDude', 'password123', 'gamerdude@example.com', 500, '1234', 0, 'Streaming my gaming adventures!', 0, 'Epic Gaming Session', 1),
 ('MusicLover', 'music4life', 'musiclover@example.com', 1200, '2345', 0, 'I share my favorite tunes.', 1, 'Live Music Jam', 2),
 ('ArtFan', 'artistic123', 'artfan@example.com', 300, '3456', 0, 'Exploring the world of art.', 1, 'Sketching Live', 3),
 ('EduGuru', 'learn123', 'eduguru@example.com', 800, '4567', 0, 'Teaching everything I know.', 1, 'Math Made Easy', 4),
@@ -135,3 +135,5 @@ SELECT * FROM stream_tags;
 
 -- To see all tables in the database
 SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table';
+
+UPDATE users SET is_live = 0 WHERE user_id = 1;
diff --git a/web_server/utils/stream_utils.py b/web_server/utils/stream_utils.py
index b5e309e..fea17fc 100644
--- a/web_server/utils/stream_utils.py
+++ b/web_server/utils/stream_utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from database.database import Database
 from typing import Optional
 import os, subprocess
 from typing import Optional, List
+from time import sleep
 
 def get_streamer_live_status(user_id: int):
     """
@@ -82,7 +83,6 @@ def get_user_vods(user_id: int):
         vods = db.fetchall("""SELECT * FROM vods WHERE user_id = ?;""", (user_id,))
     return vods
 
-
 def generate_thumbnail(user_id: int) -> None:
     """
     Generates the thumbnail of a stream
@@ -108,7 +108,20 @@ def generate_thumbnail(user_id: int) -> None:
         f"stream_data/thumbnails/{username['username']}.jpg"
     ]
 
-    subprocess.run(thumbnail_command)
+    attempts = 3
+
+    while attempts > 0:
+        try:
+            subprocess.run(thumbnail_command, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, check=True)
+            print(f"Thumbnail {username['username']} generated successfully")
+            break
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            attempts -= 1
+            print("FFmpeg failed with an error:")
+            print(e.stderr.decode())  # Print detailed error message
+            print("Retrying in 5 seconds...")
+            sleep(5)
+            continue
 
 def get_stream_tags(user_id: int) -> Optional[List[str]]:
     """
@@ -148,7 +161,7 @@ def transfer_stream_to_vod(user_id: int):
         """, (user_id,))
 
         if not stream:
-            return None
+            return False
         
         ## TODO: calculate length in seconds, currently using temp value