A few decades ago, broadcasting live meant that you need big broadcasting equipment such as a satellite truck, a camera crew, professional microphones, and a team of people working behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly. While there are still those high-stakes live broadcasts today, it’s possible to stream an event live, even when you have none of those. In this mobile and digital age, knowing how to stream on mobile will give you an advantage in terms of giving your reach a boost and offering interactive ways to engage with your audience.
The fact that most people rely on their smartphones these days puts them at an advantageous position to be able to do this. And with the access to mobile apps and social media platforms, you can live stream in an easy and cost-effective way.
How to Stream on Mobile
Today, you will find plenty of apps that are available for you to stream on mobile. These apps can come in handy by enabling you to record or stream events live through your smartphone. Here are the steps you need to take to be able to stream on mobile.
Step 1: Prepare for the Live Stream.
Even if you are recording from your mobile device, it is important to prepare for the stream to make sure you have a seamless coverage. First off, you have to make sure that your mobile device is fully charged, so you won’t unnecessarily cut off mid-live stream if you run out of battery.
It is also important to find a reliable internet connection, as this can also affect the quality of your live stream. Make sure to choose a reliable and tested app that ensures you can broadcast without any glitches. Choose an app that you’ve tried before (and can be relied on); now isn’t the time to try out a new app.
In terms of your internet connection, make sure you don’t cut your live stream halfway when you have poor internet connection by keeping your setup close to the router. The quality of your internet connection can drop the farther away you are from the router. It is also recommended that you limit the number of devices that are connected to the network during your live stream. When the network is too congested, you will end up with a slower internet connection.
If you want to make sure that you never encounter any internet connection issues, you can try to upgrade with your ISP. This will give you a higher and more reliable bandwidth to work with.
Step 2: Choose a Platform
The platform you use for live-streaming is also critical to a successful mobile live-streaming. The most common platform is social media, such as Facebook and Instagram. YouTube also now allows live-streaming events. You can also choose another live-streaming platform and then show it live on your website.
Make sure you work this out before you start streaming the event. And be sure to promote it so that your target audience will know where to tune in.
Step 3: Build a Detailed Plan
You need to have a detailed flow of events for your live stream – from start to finish. It is important to have a detailed strategy covering the content that you are about to feature so you can keep the engagement level high. It is also important to have a theme for your live-stream so that your audience will know exactly what type of content to expect from you. If you have any speakers or guests, let them be known to your audience as well.
Step 4: Testing
It is very important to test your setup. Depending on the type of mobile device you are live-streaming from, you want to run a few trial streams first to ensure that the audio quality is good. If there are some issues, you will be able to correct that before you hit live on your stream.
The audio is one aspect of a live stream that can significantly impact the quality of your live recording. Try to limit the background noise while you stream on mobile. If possible, stay as close to the device as possible, especially if you are not going to use any external mic during the live stream.
Step 5: Stream!
The final step is for you to start streaming the live video from your mobile device. Use the information you have gathered above and the adjustments you’ve made from your test runs to ensure that you can get the best quality live stream on mobile.
When recording, make sure to keep things on an eye-level; not too high nor too low.
Benefits of Mobile Live Streaming
There are two major benefits that you can gain when you learn how to stream on mobile: it is convenient and affordable.
Most people own a smartphone these days. Therefore, you do not have to invest in expensive recording equipment such as a camera and microphone to be able to stream live. It is practical that way since you can get started on covering an event without acquiring additional cost or equipment. Sure, there is no replacement for a professional videography team if you want to achieve high-quality and professional results. But if you don’t have access to any of that, then your smartphone is the next best thing.
In terms of convenience, mobile live-streaming offers you flexibility in being able to broadcast any event or activity without any other equipment setup needed. You simply have to take out your phone and press record to capture those moments and stream it live on your social media or website.
If you rely on live events for your business or organization, it is good to know the techniques and best practices on how to stream on your mobile. This will give you the best results and allow you to leverage the power of social media to get maximum reach for your event. There are plenty of mobile live-streaming apps that are available for you to use in order to achieve professional-like results in the quality of your streaming capabilities.