Live Streaming – Beginner to Pro
Matt Rolfe
Live Streaming – Beginner to Pro
In this unprecedented time, companies, brands, religious gatherings and charities all suddenly have a need to live stream. We thought we’d share some recommendations on where to start.
What and Why?
The first step is work out what you’re communicating and why. Each different option will work for different budgets and knowledge, but will also depend on whether you’re a company or an individual. Decide best how you want yourself or the brand to come across, then move forward accordingly.
Platform:
Think about where your audience already is, or where is accessible, as this will be the best place for them.
Periscope
Twitch
YouTube Live
Facebook Live
Twitter Live
For those not sure, we’d recommend using YouTube, as it is very familiar to people. Once you have an account, you need to get it verified before you can LiveStream, and this can take up to 24 hours.
Simplest setup:
Requirements: Phone.
Knowledge Level: I watch cat videos daily.
You can LiveStream straight from your phone to one or many platforms. It’s best to use the native app to live stream, such as the YouTube app itself. Alternatively, there are third party services that are able to stream to many platforms at once.
Mobcam: Mobcam iOS Link
Make sure you have a speedy Wifi connection, or plenty of mobile data. Secondly, you probably want to plug in the power cable. Well, says the guy with a Rose Gold iPhone whose battery lasts 5 minutes.
Medium set-up
Requirements: Camera with HDMI output.
Knowledge Level: IcanfigureitoutwithGoogle.
HardWare: Elgato Link
Software: None
For this option, you’ll need a DSLR, mirrorless or another camera, which will help boost your production value. Make sure that the camera supports a clean HDMI output and unlimited runtime. You’ll also want to step-up your audio game. There are two ways of doing this
At this stage, you might also want to look at what you can do with lighting.
Pro set-up
Ok, now you’re talking.
Requirements: Multiple cameras with HDMI output, microphones, lighting.
Knowledge Level: Knows how to decode the matrix.
Hardware:
Software: VMix, OBS Studio
This set-up is going to be great if you’re needing to use several different inputs of cameras, and want to mix several sources for your livestream. OBS Studio is a great free option for mixing cameras, and VMix is great for running pre-recorded video, screen sharing and inputting from external sources such as Skype.
You’re going to need to think carefully as to what hardware you’ll need. If you’re happy to be switching the cameras and inputs using the software, and still want multiple cameras, you could use one or two Elgato HDMI sticks. For a more robust method of switching multiple cameras, you’ll need a hardware device capable of this, hence the BlackMagic Atem Mini and the Roland VR-1HD suggestions.
We hope that this has served as a starter for Live Streaming. Do let us know if you have any questions. As always with recommendations, please read the specification of each product to see if it is compatible with your requirements before purchasing.