7 Tips and Tricks to Ace the Live Video Streaming

YouTube – Google’s video arm is the biggest video warehouse on the planet. It is a viewer’s paradise and an independent video creator’s nightmare. It is easy to get lost amidst its millions of hours of video getting uploaded every minute.

But, live stream has a zing to it that YouTube’s millions of videos do not always have. Also, YouTube Live is not open to all (Yay!). Only some handpicked media behemoths can stream live videos using YouTube.

So, there is enough room for you to make a mark for yourself to stream live video online channel. Even if you have been live streaming for some time, there are always some unexplored ways to improve your live streaming.

In this post, we are going to talk about all that. Some handpicked tips, tricks and hacks and everything else on how to improve live streaming so that it reaches the leaderboard.

1,2 & 3…Let’s get started.

Use a Wired Connection

Wireless charging and wireless live streaming. Trust me, these two things do not work the way we want them to work. They let us down when we least expect it. So don’t count on a wireless wifi or network for live streaming.

Imagine a grain screen taking over when your live stream is mid-way! That’s such a horror story! Save yourself from that tragedy by switching to a wired LAN. A wired LAN deliver a reliable connection which will keep buffering issues at bay. Be informed that a wired connection is not going to make Internet work faster, but it definitely is a better choice compared to fluctuating WiFi signals.

Use A Cable Organizer

Do you know why professional video artists appear to be cool and relaxed while on live stream? Partly because they don’t have the fear that they will not trip over cables that will bring the whole equipment down.

Use a cable organized to keep the cables from getting tangled up causing a confusion when you are supposed to be focussing on doing the live streaming. Use color coded tags to separate various cables like for camera, encoders, Internet, microphones and so on. This will help the unpacking before the live streaming vs video on demand begins as well final wrap up when the stream is over.

Noise Cancellation Microphones

During live streaming microphones tend to pick up background noise and lot of surrounding noise that can ruin your live streaming experience. The choice of your microphone has a great deal to do with it.

Cheap and low-quality microphones are totally unreliable. But, if you are streaming on a shoestring budget, we suggest trying some of these tips:

• 1. Set the microphone at a fair distance from you
• 2. Use a proper (& sturdy mike stand) to hold the mike
• 3. Switch off fans, if any, in the room.
• 4. Use a pop shield (it comes with a circular frame with a fine filter like material stretched over it)
• 5. If you can afford it, always rent a studio with voice chambers to do your live streaming

Plan & Test Lighting Beforehand

Lighting on your face and surroundings can make or break the live streaming experience. Too little light will make you appear dark or not properly visible. Excessive lighting can make the contrast appear out of balance, which again is a bad thing for your live streaming.

We recommend planning and testing your lighting before the live streaming goes live. Check for shadows and ensure the lighting is so setup that is equal balance across the screen. And, ample visibility of the subject too, that is you.

Use a CDN for glitch-free streaming

CDN or a Content Delivery Network is a content distribution network that helps distribute data including video data across vast geographical locations through proxy API servers and data centers. They take away the heavy-weight that servers have to life when viewership volumes pick for your video. Without CDNs, there is a fat chance that your live streaming might crash due to overload.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABS)

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming is digital steroids for online video streaming solutions across the Internet. ABS takes into account your memory capacity and ensures that the video quality is of the best quality that matches the viewer’s system capacity.

This makes a world of a difference, because, not all your viewers are going to have a high-speed Internet connection. Also, the device screen resolution also might be varying, often in the low-end. This will make your video appear hazy or slow to load. ABS avoids those issues by matching a perfect video quality that is apt to the user device.

Create On Demand Playback

Live streaming works best because it gives an in-the-moment feel which is exciting and engaging. However, conditions like differential time zones or viewers missing to watch the video can happen. An on demand playback of the live video will help engage such viewers too.

Similarly, if there is a particular section of the live video, like action highlights of a sports match or the most viewed section of a music video, etc. can be given as on demand playback.

Final Thoughts

If you are a live streaming professional, these tips will help you go to the next level. Combined with a sturdy live streaming solution, these tips will help you stay organized during the live stream and create an everlasting impression that will increase your followers.