What Not to When You Live Stream an Event

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What Not to When You Live Stream an Event

A great opportunity to reach a broader audience is to live stream an event, as your local event can become global. But there are a few things you should not do when streaming a live event, that we see happen too often. To make sure you level-up your streaming and avoid classic mistakes, follow these practical tips.

When you Live stream an Event, thou shalt not:

#1 Forget to check the internet speed at the venue

If you ask the venue how fast the internet will be available at the event, you need to confirm they are telling you the upload speed. But even so, you have to consider there will be other people using it during the event. Best practice is to have a dedicated router that is used only for the live stream, you should have a second router for all the other needs you require during the event. The team at Top Speed Media make it their practice to bring three routers. One for live stream, one for all the other needs and one as a backup.

Before you live stream an event, you should visit the venue and run a few tests. Also, have a Plan B if the Wi-Fi connection is unstable. For example, the venue staff might be able to get you a cable connection. The Top Speed Media team can proudly say that they have never had a dropout during a live stream event.

#2 Trust that everything will work without testing

There are many variables when you live stream an event. In other words, many things can go wrong. But, if you test everything, thoroughly, the odds will in your favor. It’s best to have a checklist in hand to ensure you remember anything.

Even more important than testing equipment, is to do a dry run before the event. Facebook live for example, like many other platforms, allows you to go live privately. You can go live, monitor the stream, check the equipment and watch the recording to make sure everything works together.

#3 Overlook the backup equipment

The key to a successfully stream your live event is be prepared. Having the right equipment is great but not good enough. On top of that, it’s important to have backup equipment standing by in case of an emergency. Don’t forget to test those too.

Besides equipment, you might also consider getting a backup broadcaster. Just in case something comes up, having someone else to present your live stream can be helpful.

#4 – Fail to promote and share your live video

One of the main advantages to live stream an event, is to reach a bigger audience. But, more often than not, people don’t promote their event enough. To promote your live stream, make sure you create visual assets, share on social media and send your email list a heads up.

Spend some time promoting your live stream to make your efforts worth your while. Another idea is to reach out to partners and influencers and get them to share your event too.

#5 – Neglect the online audience

There is the spokesperson, giving their talk about some interesting statistics and referring back to their graphs on a slide deck. The presentation is going great for the live participants of the event. But the online audience only sees the presenter on stage, talking – have you ever seen this? They still wonder why sometimes the online views drops so much.

Don’t make that mistake and always keep your online audience in mind when you live stream an event. Along with the proper camera points of view, consider the quality of the audio. Make sure they can hear everything.

Find a way to entertain your online audience during the breaks. Keeping them engaged will help you keep your viewers till the end. They will appreciate the effort and see that you care.

Your online audience is of utmost importance when you live stream an event. After all, you are live streaming for them, right? So, keep them in mind and you will deliver an incredible experience.

What tips do you have for fellow live streamers? Let us know in the comment section below!