How Live is Your Live Stream? (And Why?)
With the majority of our live streaming customers, at least some portion of their live streamed presentations are pre-recorded. In fact, some have been entirely produced ahead of time. However, pre-recording isn’t best for every event. In planning your next live streamed event, it’s important to consider why you’re choosing truly live live streaming, or pre-recorded live streaming. There are benefits to each, and knowing your options is the first step towards making the best decision.
Pre-Recording vs. Live Streaming
Pre-producing content for a livestream provides opportunity for better content in two ways: lowering risks and expanding possibilities.
On one hand, there are less potential factors to go wrong, from a human and tech standpoint. The speaker (or speakers) have the opportunity to review their completed presentation ahead of time, and re-record any misspeaks. There is also less risk of internet connectivity issues (often beyond the presenters’ control) interfering with an individual’s presentation.
The other value of pre-recording content is the opportunity to get snazzy. While some software and streaming platforms allow the addition of graphics and other elements in real time, there is always some level of limitation. While we’ve used a Tricaster during real-time presentations to overlay lower 3rds (and it is a great solution for live events with lots of moving parts), the opportunity for graphic integration and polish is far more sophisticated in a pre-produced video. With a pre-recorded video, music, b-roll, and motion graphics (or even animation) can be seamlessly integrated at a much more comprehensive level. And there is time to watch, refine, rework and craft the final piece. This all opens doors of opportunity for making a non-interactive presentation far more interesting and engaging to watch.
When Live Streaming in Real Time is Better
However, there is always a place for real-time live streaming. Question and answer sessions are a great example. After a presentation, giving an audience the opportunity to type questions in a live chat box for an on-camera response is perhaps the next best thing to being there in-person. If real-time audience interaction is at the heart of your live stream content, that’s great!
Another place for live-live streaming is an event where in-person and virtual guests are mixed, such as a graduation with limited attendance space. In the graduation scenario, being able to watch and cheer from afar as a loved one grabs their diploma is a big deal for family and friends. While these events always have the option of being recorded and edited before streaming or distribution, watching live can be a high priority for the audience.
Go Live or Semi-Live
In conclusion, there are great options available to fit virtually every livestreaming need. Whether you decide to pre-record your next event, stream in real time, or even use a pre-recorded/realtime mix, consider the bigger picture of your goals and audience preference when making those choices. Whatever route you take, we’d be honored to partner with you to bring it to life. Drop us a line, or give us a call. We’d love to hear from you!
About the Author
