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It’s amazing how tech-focused we are as a society, and yet businesses still don’t know how to live-stream properly. Whether you’re hosting a virtual conference to launch your next product or inviting journalists from all over the world to ask questions via a virtual panel, you rely on streaming video footage live to people who are sitting in front of a computer screen.
Live-streamed events have become popular because they’re easier to host than true in-person events, but they also allow your corporate event to be seen by more people. Businesses also like to combine the in-person and virtual events – you maybe invite 100 or so people to the proper event, but can stream it to thousands online.
The only problem with live streaming is that 99% of businesses make the same mistakes again and again, and here’s what they get wrong:
Terrible Video Feeds
You can’t just point a camera at your event, hook it up to the internet, and expect to proceed with a faultless live stream. It’s far more complicated than that, especially if you want to deliver clear video feeds to everyone watching. You need proper live video solutions that improve the way your conference is filmed and uploaded straight away to a live audience. It’s the type of thing that requires professional involvement from a proper production crew, so stop setting it up with a handheld camera – or even worse, a 260p webcam.
Awful Audio Quality
You can nail the camera quality and the smoothness of a live stream from a visual standpoint, but don’t forget about the audio! Camera equipment and live video tech will not handle the audio side of things, so be sure you get good microphones for people to use. You can either opt for handheld microphones if there aren’t many people – or if they don’t need to use their hands – or get some quality clip-on microphones, which are popular with the YouTube content creators these days.
Alternatively, look into boom mics, though this will require extra staff to hold and position them above the people who are speaking, which may involve hiring a bigger production crew. Either way, if your audio sounds good, you’re already doing better than 99% of other corporate events.
General Tech Problems
It’s funny, you always want your business to succeed, and this means you test your products/services before releasing them to your customers. You’d never launch a new product without testing the various features and making sure it works properly, so why do businesses do this with live streams all the time? Basic tech problems can disrupt the stream, ranging from microphones not working to internet connections dropping, and everything else you can think of.
All of this can be ironed out and avoided if you test things ahead of time. Run multiple dress rehearsals so you can identify issues and sort them out before the live stream happens. This also improves the general quality of the stream because presenters and other people who are on video have a chance to practice what they’re going to say and get used to being on camera.
As we said, 99% of corporate live stream events get these things wrong, and they usually result in terrible experiences for everyone. Modern people expect a seamless streaming experience these days, so you can no longer get away with laggy streams, poor audio/visual quality, and constant tech delays.
