How we run a live stream from first encoder test to final cut

Over the past months more of the enquiries reaching us have been for streamed programmes rather than studio broadcasts: talks, panel evenings, trade events and regular online shows. Live streaming production is already one of our services, but the way we run it has settled into a clear routine, and I would rather clients read it here than discover it on the day.

I am Daniel, and I spend most of my time on the vision mixer, which means I see the stream from the gallery side. What follows is how the work looks from there: who does what, what we ask of you beforehand, and what you can expect to see on your screen while the show is going out.

None of this is complicated, but all of it is easy to skip when time is short. Each step exists because a stream that fails live cannot be repeated for the audience that was watching.

Every stream starts with the camera feeds arriving in the gallery. They are cut together on the switcher, and the programme output then goes to an encoder, a device or program that compresses the picture and sound into a form the platform can receive. Callum, our streaming technician, sets this up and owns it for the whole broadcast.

We agree the picture size and frame rate with you in advance, based on the platform you have chosen and the connection at the venue. A steady, modest setting that holds all evening is better than an ambitious one that stutters. Callum also prepares a second route for the signal, so that a fault on one link does not take the show off the air.

Sound travels with the picture and is monitored separately. A viewer will forgive a soft image far sooner than a dropout in the audio.

• Programme output from the switcher feeds the main encoder
• A second delivery route is prepared where the venue allows
• Audio is monitored on its own, with a person listening throughout

Names, titles, event branding and any on-screen questions from the audience are handled by the graphics operator, working alongside the gallery. We ask for your logo files, speaker names and running order a few days before, so that every caption is typed, checked and loaded in advance rather than written during the show.

Keeping the graphics simple helps the stream as much as the viewer. A clean lower third, shown at the right moment and for long enough to be read, does more than a busy design. We rehearse the cues with the director so that the operator knows which speaker is next and when to bring the caption in.

Anything that changes on the day, such as a speaker swapped at the last minute, can be corrected quickly because the template is already built.

We arrive early on the day, and the first hour is spent testing rather than building. Callum runs the encoder to the platform privately, usually as an unlisted test, so that we see exactly what a viewer would see. We check the picture, the sound, the delay between what happens in the room and what appears online, and the stability of the connection over a sustained period.

A short test is not enough, because many faults only appear after twenty or thirty minutes. For that reason we leave the test running while the crew finishes setting up, and watch it for drops or rising delay.

Only when that test has been steady do we agree a start time with you. If the venue connection is weak, we say so at this stage, while there is still time to change the plan.

• Private test stream to the chosen platform
• Check of sound levels, picture and delay
• Extended soak test while the gallery is finished

Once the show is live, the work is mostly watching. I cut between cameras following the director, the graphics operator brings in captions, and Callum keeps an eye on the encoder and the platform's own view of the stream. We talk to each other on the intercom in short, plain phrases, so that everyone knows what is happening without raising their voice.

If something does go wrong, the routine is the same every time: Callum tells the director what he sees, the director decides whether to continue, and we move to the backup route if needed. Most problems are small and never reach the viewer.

You are welcome to sit in the gallery or to watch from the room. Many clients prefer a second screen showing the public stream, so they see what the audience sees.

A little preparation on your side makes the day calmer for everyone. We need to know which platform you intend to stream to and whether you already hold an account with the details required to publish there. We need the running order, the names and titles to be shown, and any logos or slides you want used.

It also helps to tell us who at the venue can answer questions about the network and the room. A single contact on the day saves a good deal of time.

Prices for streamed productions depend on the number of cameras, the length of the show and the travel involved, and are set out on our prices page. Quotations are written and confirmed before any work begins.

• Platform choice and account access
• Running order, speaker names, logos and slides
• One named contact at the venue