How to livestream an event on Youtube

Livestreaming an event is a HUGE new ballgame facing many businesses in the post-Covid world where everyone’s remote.

Perhaps your company wants to broadcast updates to its customer base, stream to popular platforms like Youtube, or broadcast a hybrid event: mixing an in-person audience with an online audience.

Today I’m going to show you how to get started with livestreaming.

The tips in this post helped me produce 50 live events with 680 hours of audience watch time (and 1,100 hours if you count the event recordings).

I’ve bundled together my years of experience in producing high-quality live shows to give you a quick introduction.

What we’ll cover:

Quick recap: Livestreaming vs Webinars
Quick recap: The Four Benefits of Livestreaming
1 - Internet speed
2 - Sound
3 - Cameras
4 - Plug everything in
5 - Livestreaming software
6 - Managing your speakers
7 - What could go wrong?
8 - Hire a professional to help
Summary: It’s all worth It

So let’s dive right in.

Quick recap - Livestreaming vs Webinars

We’ve all been there.

You’ve downloaded and logged into a Zoom webinar, waited as the speakers mumble “can everyone hear me ok?” and sighed as someone loses connection.

A livestream is a fully-produced show at your own venue, and you’re in control of everything.

You can even combine your online audience with an in-person audience to create a ‘hybrid event’.

Think of it like a TV broadcast - as soon as the audience sees the speaker, the show has begun and you’ll start with “Hello!” instead of “Are we live?”

I’ve written 29 differences between livestreams and webinars, in case you need a quick catch-up.

Quick recap - The four benefits of livestreaming

An unlimited audience - There’s no limit to your audience size, and it doesn’t cost more to scale up. You can even combine your online audience with your in-person audience at your venue.
Higher quality - In a webinar, you’re receiving low-quality webcam streams from speakers at home. With a livestream at your venue, you’ll stream an HD multi-angle video of your speakers as they talk directly with each other.
Target those working from home - As more professionals work from home or are instructed by management to stay clear of large events due to Covid, you can target them where they are.
You’re in control - You can stream to Youtube, Twitter or Facebook etc. You can embed one of these players on your website so your audience are already on your site when the stream ends. These players even record the event as its happening, so a replay can appear in its place soon after the event ends for latecomers.

“As soon as the audience sees the speaker, the show has begun.”

1 - Internet speed

Before you begin, check if your venue can handle a livestream.

You need to check upload speed is at least 4mbps / 4,000kbps (Youtube recommends 1.5mbps - 4mbps, Facebook recommends 4mbps), and that it holds that speed reliably.

If you’re at the venue, you can use a speed test website to check this, like Ookla.

2 - Sound

Ask any videographer and you’ll learn sound is the most important element of any video.

If your pixel-perfect HD video is inaudible, the audience will click away in frustration.

You need reliable microphones, because the last thing you want is for a microphone to stop working half-way through your event.

My personal recommendation would be anything by Rode. (I’m not paid to suggest that).

Find yourself an audio mixer to adjust all mic volumes and record them all separately for editing later.

Know how many speakers you’ll have in advance so you have enough mics, and if you won’t know until the last minute, get a handheld microphone that they can pass between them.

Post-Covid-19 note: Think about passing a wireless handheld mic between people. Perhaps walk a mic over to an audience member and hold it yourself instead of passing it down a row. Cover the end with a small plastic bag and clean it thoroughly after the event.

“The last thing you want is for a microphone to stop working half-way through your event.”

3 - Cameras

Use cameras with an HDMI-out (most DSLRs), and set them up on tripods.

A good basic setup would include one static camera for a wide shot of the entire stage, and another for a close-up of the speaker which would be manned to follow them if they like to walk and talk.

In an interview setup, I’ve had a wide shot of all the speakers, a mid-shot for an interviewer, and a manned mid-shot camera for the interviewees.

Find yourself a video mixer too, which lets you cut between the cameras.

A video mixer will receive all video streams simultaneously so you can switch between cameras.

4 - Plug everything in

With your cameras and mics plugged in, you’ll want to connect everything to your computer to stream it all.

To keep it simple, connect your audio mixer to your video mixer so everything is now running through one box.

Now run your HDMI-out into something like the BlackMagic UltraStudio Mini Recorder, and run this into your computer.

It’s a lot of cables, but cables are far more reliable than wireless options when it comes to livestreaming.

“Cables are far more reliable than wireless options when it comes to livestreaming.”

5 - Livestreaming software

OBS is a free open-source livestreaming software for Windows and Mac.

You’ll be able to input your sound mixer and video mixer in a ‘scene’.

You connect OBS to your Youtube or Facebook stream in the settings, and click ‘Start Streaming’ to start the stream.

There’s a lot to it, so check out the many how-to videos on Youtube to setup your project.

6 - Managing your speakers

Be super clear about what is happening and when.

Run through the event with them beforehand, count them in when they’re about to go live and announce when their microphones are switched off.

They’ll thank you for it.

Shout out things like “We’re running the recorded video now. No-one can see or hear you for the next four minutes”, followed by “Sam, coming back to you in 5, 4, 3…” - it really makes a difference.

7 - What could go wrong?

No really, make a list.

This is an important question to ask yourself before you start your event.

When you’re live, something always goes wrong - be prepared so you can react quickly.

What if a microphone or camera cuts out? What if a speaker sits on their microphone? What if there’s a power cut? I’ve faced all of this, so don’t shrug it off.

“Be prepared so you can react quickly.”

8 - Hire a professional to help

All this said, the most reliable way to ensure your event runs without a hitch is to hire a freelancer for the day who can provide the kit and expertise to make your livestream run without a hitch.

I’m a professional videographer who’s worked with M&S, Barclays and Škoda, and produced livestreams for countless small UK companies.

Take a look at my work and get in touch.

Summary - It's all worth it

As you can see, there’s a lot to creating and running a livestream, but it’s all worth it for your audience.

Want to know the difference between livestreams and webinars? Here’s the ULTIMATE comparison.

8 steps to livestream an event