Our guide outlines how to host multi-user live streaming using a streaming studio and Skype, including the steps to set up each easily and quickly.
Since the COVID-19 hit, a lot of businesses that required mass communication activities and events have adapted to the online environment which includes live stream events and video conferencing based on their nature of work. Hence, many have started to set up an infrastructure to assist these efforts with the help of a streaming studio and Skype, so that they can do live streaming and record, to make these activities or events available for anyone who cannot follow them live.
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In addition to that, a lot of gamers and live streamers count on broadcasting apps to make their activities available to their followers. When you want to have several users online in the same live stream, the most suitable combination is a streaming studio with Skype. You can also increase productivity with services like DaaS which you can avail from Desktop as a Service providers.
How to host multi-user live streaming
As the name suggests, live streaming is one thing above all else: Live. Not all users are involved in the direct broadcast right from the start; many users only join in during the broadcast. An information deficit almost automatically arises from this – what is still planned in the stream? Where exactly does it all take place? Who else can be seen in the stream besides me?
The interaction with the audience is everything. Compared to classic direct broadcast, for example on television, live streaming offers unbeatable advantages. One of these great benefits is the ability to directly involve users via comments. Do you have any questions for the moderator or one of your interview guests? No problem! The questions or comments of your audience can be answered directly, for example with the help of a tablet in front of you or a few cards that have been put together by an assistant.
Such approaches have of course always existed in the classic transmission media, i.e. radio and television. The difference now: Even without a “test of courage”, such as a phone call directly to the studio, really every viewer can be included – live streaming democratizes topics “live” and makes them accessible to everyone. The users’ questions are compiled in the comment function, and the theoretically unlimited length of the program guarantees that all relevant topics are actually addressed.
At best – if possible – a third person should act as a “side kick” and take care of the continuous editing. So the live stream can be interesting and smooth. So… how do you host multi-user live streaming more easily.
Establishing the structure
A streaming studio is one of the most successful broadcasting apps, used by the majority of streamers globally. You can use it to convert your computer to a streaming studio. You can set up several scenes and each of them can include diverse content from your videos, pictures webcam feed, screen sharing, etc. You can switch from one scene to another during the streaming if you need to have various layouts based on the situation.
Skype is one of the topmost common communication software in the business. The most vital benefit of Skype is that it assists a technology named NDI, which enables managing every user linked to the call as an individual feed.
Skype Set Up
- Once you have Skype downloaded for desktop, start it and login with your Microsoft Account. Then select the Settings option.
- Go to the Calling section and select Advanced.
- Locate a section named “Content Creators”, with the choice to switch on the NDI support.
- Now you will require to initiate a video call with people you want to add to your streaming. They would just need to switch on NDI support in Skype. Just the computer which will be utilized for streaming must run Skype with enabled NDI support.
Studio Set Up
- Once the call has started, you can open the studio app. If you have correctly installed the plugin and rebooted the computer. You click on the + symbol in the Sources section and find a new item called NDI source.
- After you have designed a new source, there will be a panel to configure all the alternatives.
- The most crucial one is the Source name, a dropdown that will list all the NDI sources that are recognized from Skype. Every source will be prefixed by a default name of your computer, accompanied by the (Skype) keyword.
- Once you have decided the source you require, press OK to get started with your live stream.
