How to live stream: A beginner’s survival guide
“Live streaming: where do I even begin?” Without having a basic understanding of how live streaming works, getting started can be intimidating.To get more news about
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Video and audio source(s) – These are cameras, computer screens, and other image sources to be shown, as well as microphones, mixer feeds, and other sounds to be played in the stream.
A video encoder – This is the computer software or standalone hardware device that packages real-time video and sends it to the Internet.
A streaming destination – The place your live video will become available online. Popular ones include YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook Live.
A stable Internet connection – So your stream doesn’t freeze, buffer, or drop off entirely.
1. Video and audio sources
A stream of video data (from a camera, for example) for your live stream is called a video source. Respectively, a stream of audio data is an audio source. A simple stream might consist of just one video and audio source, while a more complex one may have two or more audio and video sources involved. Different combinations of video and audio sources are referred to as “scenes” or “layouts” (think full screen, picture-in-picture, or side-by-side layouts).
Audio sources may come from a lapel, handheld, or USB microphone, or from an audio file. If you run your microphone signal through your camera, the audio will come embedded in your video source, which means they will arrive together through one cable. This is a very common way to capture audio.
Always be mindful of the background music in your live stream because online video platforms can monitor and flag copyrighted content. You may receive a copyright violation or even be banned from streaming.
In order to start streaming online, you will need to capture the signal from your audio and video sources. Most video sources today use HDMI™ or SDI outs for external connection. Both HDMI™ and SDI cables are able to carry embedded audio along with video. If you are using a computer with a software encoder to stream, then simply connecting a camera to a computer using an HDMI™ or a SDI cable will not work. You will need an intermediary device called a capture card. A capture card (like AV.io HD for example) connects to the camera on one side, and to the computer over USB on the other, capturing exactly what the camera “sees.” Most hardware encoders, on the other hand, come with internal capture cards, so you can connect video sources directly. We will talk more about streaming software and hardware below.
2. Video encoder
What is a video encoder and why do I need one?
An encoder “translates” the video signal for the Internet. An encoder is a piece of software that compresses and converts the incoming audio-video signal into a digital, web-friendly format. You need an encoder because most video sources don’t come ready for live streaming: video cameras are made for recording large and bulky video files, not intended for streaming in real time.
