Live stream your in-person event so anyone in the ...

ajmaradiaga

In this blog post, I will share some things to consider if you would like to live stream your in-person event so that community members who aren't able to join the in-person event can still join virtually. What I'm sharing here is what we used to live stream SIT Madrid 2025.

Live streaming the day of the event

First of all, why would you want to live stream your event? Unfortunately, not everyone who is interested in your event will be able to make it in person. Also, space limitations might be an issue. It is not possible to accommodate everyone who is interested in attending. Some might only be interested in a session or two. Well, in those cases, a live stream might help increase the reach of your event. The event can have virtual attendees, and what's great about live streaming is that you can "attend" the sessions any time, as they will be automatically recorded and available on the streaming platform later, e.g. YouTube.

Platforms

YouTube account: You can easily create a YouTube account for your event, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/@SIT-Madrid. This will be a new channel, and you will need verify it in order to request access to be able to live stream - https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2474026?hl=en&ref_topic=9257984&sjid=18308706078969327092-.... It takes 24 hours before they grant the account access. In the case of SIT Madrid, we have a domain (https://sitmadrid.com) and an email address associated with it, so it was simple to create an account.
- YouTube chat: Some virtual attendees might want to interact via YouTube chat, so keep an eye on it while you stream.

In the SIT Madrid channel, you'll notice that there are three separate sessions. This is because of a limitation in YouTube that only allows you to livestream for a maximum of two hours. Hence why we create three separate sessions.

LinkedIn: Ideally, you will create a page for your event, e.g. https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap-inside-track-madrid/?viewAsMember=true. If you have a LinkedIn page you can live stream on LinkedIn. You can find all details on how to live stream on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a564446/.

Software

OBS Studio is a free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. If you are not familiar with it, it is crucial to learn the basics. Many tutorials are available on YouTube explaining how to set it up, create scenes, add sources, etc. In the case of SIT Madrid, we used it to customise what we streamed, e.g., adding sponsor logos, showing a background before the start of a session, etc.

Multiple RTMP outputs plugin: You are feeling a bit adventurous and would like to stream to multiple platforms, e.g. YouTube and LinkedIn? You can use this plugin to configure multiple RTMPs and stream to all of them simultaneously. See more details here: https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/multiple-rtmp-outputs-plugin.964/

Zoom: In order to properly stream the screen of the presenter, every presenter joined a Zoom call. In OBS, we added Zoom as a source, and it was included in the scene. Thanks to @AAncos for sharing his Zoom account :-).

Hardware

Laptop: You will need a dedicated computer to run OBS Studio and plug different devices that you will configure in your live stream, e.g. microphone, camera.
Microphone: A microphone is needed to properly capture the speaker's voice and include it in the stream. In the case of SIT Madrid, we used the RODE Wireless Go (Gen 2) microphones. The receiver was plugged into the laptop via USB, and we handed the transmitter to the speaker. In our case, we had two transmitters, meaning we could have two speakers presenting and talking simultaneously without having to share the microphone. The transmitters are battery powered so we have to keep charging when not in use.

Speaker with microphone

Camera: An external camera focusing on the presenter. This can be as simple as using a mobile phone and connecting it to your computer as a camera. For SIT Madrid, we had a DSLR - Canon EOS R, plugged into a power supply and via USB to the laptop. Most cameras nowadays have accompanying software that lets you use them as webcams.
Tripod: That camera has to be fixed to something, right? Either that or someone will need to hold it for quite some time hehe.
External battery (optional): If your microphones run out of battery, you can easily charge them while the speaker is using them.

Test your setup

Practice live streaming a few times. I'll say it again... practice before the event a few times. Ideally, you will be using the exact same equipment you are planning to use, and you will test the live stream in the location where the event will take place using the internet connection you plan on using (WiFi/Ethernet). There are many moving pieces and lots of things can go wrong.

Can you do a live stream that isn't accessible publicly? It is possible to do a private or unlisted live stream on YouTube. Not possible on LinkedIn.

Testing live stream the day before the event

In the case of SIT Madrid, we test the entire set-up, including the presenter mic'd up and joining the Zoom call, a few days before the event at the event location.

And that's it... Simple, isn't it? I hope this blog post gives you an idea of what's required to provide a live stream to those in your area who can't make it to the event but can end up watching the recording.