If the world of live streaming were a space you could actually enter it might look like the upside down in Stranger Things. There would be cables running every which way and racks of gear and cameras are strewn about – last year’s model laying against a tree stump and the newest camera or perhaps even a smartphone – mounted on a pedestal with light gleaming off of it.
Ok, perhaps that’s all hogwash, but the reality is the world of live streaming is complex and there a lot of different solutions and approaches to producing a live webcast.
So, what’s the right live streaming solution for your next project….the answer ultimately depends on the dynamic of your particular event. For example, are you producing a global townhall-style event? Is it a broadcast quality show that you’re producing for online distribution? Are you sharing a corporate event with internal or external audiences?
With that in mind, here are three areas to think about and discuss with your team as you seek to identify the right live streaming solution:
Areas to Think About For The Right Live Streaming Solution
- Audience? Is this a social media stream, a private corporate or internal communications event? Does this live stream production need to be available to a worldwide audience, or Is it regional? Does the content need to be password protected?
- Quality? Do you need a solution more geared for the web, or do you want a broadcast quality multi-camera solution? Again, not all live streaming solutions are created equally, with today’s technology you can have a live broadcast from a smartphone or you can orchestrate it with broadcast quality studio equipment.
- Think Beyond Tech: Of course, every live stream or webcast is conducted with a technical solution but thinking beyond the tech will lead to a successful event. Have you considered how the live stream is directed? Is it coordinated with the stage show? Will the social media team coordinate live promotion and response? Will the webcast integrate questions from the remote viewing audience?
Thinking along these lines and having an open dialogue about your expectations for the live webcast will go a long way to ensuring that you have the right live streaming solution in place and you plan and execute your event.
