Start with the venue and its connection
The first item on any streaming checklist is the least exciting one: how will the signal leave the building? A stream is only as dependable as the upload behind it, and venues are often vaguer about this than their brochures suggest. Ask for the actual upload speed, not the headline figure, and ask whether other users on site share the line during your event.
Walk the route in your head from the stage to the router. Where will our encoder sit, and how far is that from the nearest network socket? A cable run across a public area needs matting and a steward, and a long run needs planning in advance rather than improvising on the afternoon.
If the venue cannot give you firm answers, say so early. We can arrange a dedicated line or a bonded connection, but that takes time to order, and it affects the quotation. It is far easier to settle before the event than during setup.
- Measured upload speed, ideally tested at the same hour as the event
- Whether the line is shared with ticketing, tills or guest wifi
- A wired network socket close to where the encoder will sit
- Who at the venue can reset the router if it stalls
Decide what viewers should actually see
Streams that feel tedious usually suffer from an undecided picture. Before booking, settle whether you want one fixed wide shot, a few cameras cut live, or a mix with presentation slides. Each choice changes the crew, the kit and the price, so it helps to describe the audience rather than the equipment: who is watching, on what screen, and for how long.
A conference talk can run well on two cameras and a slide feed. A concert wants more angles and a person following the music. If you are unsure, tell us the running order and we will suggest the lightest set-up that still holds a viewer's attention.
Think about the opening and closing too. A short holding slide before the start and a clear end card save viewers wondering whether the stream has failed, and they cost very little to prepare.
Check the sound before the picture
Viewers forgive a soft image far more readily than poor audio. Ask where the sound will come from: the house mixing desk, a separate feed for the stream, or microphones we place ourselves. A clean feed taken from the desk is usually best, but the sound engineer needs to know in advance that someone is taking it.
Room sound and stream sound are different things. What suits a hall of people can sound muddy in headphones, so a monitored mix for the stream is worth asking for. If speakers will move around, discuss radio microphone frequencies with the venue so nothing clashes on the day.
Plan a sound check that includes the stream, not only the room. Ten minutes of listening on headphones at the encoder position often reveals hum, delay or a missing channel while there is still time to fix it.
- A feed from the house desk, agreed with the sound engineer
- Headphone monitoring at the stream position
- A short check of levels with the real speakers or performers
Graphics, captions and the details viewers notice
Lower thirds, event titles and sponsor slides all need text that is correct before the show begins. Gather names, job titles and spellings in one document and send it ahead. Last-minute corrections made live are where typing errors creep in, and a misspelt name stays on screen for everyone to read.
Decide who approves the graphics and who is reachable during the event. If a speaker changes, someone must be able to confirm the new name quickly. Tell us your brand colours and any logo files in a format we can place cleanly over video.
If captions or a signed interpretation are needed, raise it at the start. They affect camera framing and screen layout, and they cannot sensibly be added as an afterthought once the programme is built.
Monitoring, backup and who is in charge
A stream that is only sent and never watched is a gamble. Ask who will monitor the outgoing picture on a separate device, as a viewer would see it, and what happens if the platform reports a problem. We keep someone watching the live output throughout, with a second route ready to take over if the first fails.
Agree in advance what you want done if the connection drops: switch to a backup line, show a holding slide, or pause and resume. Choosing calmly beforehand avoids a rushed decision with an audience waiting.
Finally, name one person on your side with authority to make calls. When the organiser, the venue and the crew each assume someone else is deciding, small faults grow. One contact on each side keeps communication short and clear.
- A separate monitor showing the live platform output
- A backup connection or fallback plan, agreed in writing
- One named decision-maker for the organiser and one for us
Timings, rehearsal and what to send us
Work backwards from the start time. Setup, cabling, encoder tests, a platform test stream and a short rehearsal all need space in the schedule, and rushed testing is the usual cause of a late or unstable start. Ask the venue for access times that match, not just the doors-open time.
Send us the running order, the venue's contact details, any rights or privacy limits on filming, and the platform you plan to use. If children, private guests or licensed music are involved, say so early so the right permissions are in place before the cameras are.
With those answers on paper, a quotation can describe the work accurately. It also gives you a clear document to check against once the event is over.
None of these questions is hard on its own, but together they separate a stream that is planned from one that is hoped for. Work through them with your venue and your own team, note the gaps, and bring them to us. If you would like a second pair of eyes before deciding, send us the details through the contact page and we will reply with a written view.