What do you need to live stream?
Due to the recent efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our communities, many people are asking what it takes to live stream church services or other gatherings. Here’s an overview of the necessary components to help make that happen.
First, think through how you want your audience to engage with a live stream. Is this a short-term goal with a short lifespan that lends itself to Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram streaming? Or do you already have an established website or mobile app where you’d like to embed live streams and archived recordings? Thinking through these things ahead of time will help you choose a streaming platform.
Now let’s take a look at a common signal chain.
- Audio Source
- Video Source
- Digital Capture Device
- Streaming Software
- Streaming Provider
- Viewer
Audio Source
Your audio source is important for a good viewer experience. Ideally, supply your live stream with direct audio from an auxiliary output on a sound system or audio mixer. Nobody wants to listen to an on-camera mic picking up a room full of noise.
If you have the infrastructure to split a copy of your audio and remix it specifically for a stream, it’s even better!
Video Source
Your video source could be a simple as a single video camera with an HDMI output, or it could be a produced program output from video mixing system, combining multiple camera views, slide presentation feeds, and pre-produced media assets.
If your video source is simple, you could connect your previous audio source to your camera’s mic- or line-in jack. If you’re using a video mixer or production platform, you may merge your audio and video here.
Digital Capture Device
Once you have a combined source, you’ll need to digitize the feed and bring it into a computer for streaming. There are various video capture cards to do this for you. See the resource links at the end for suggestions.
Streaming Software
Once your video feed is available to your computer, you’ll need streaming software to encode the feed into an RTSP stream to send to one of many streaming providers. Some common live stream encoding applications are Wirecast, Livestream Producer, or OBS.
Streaming Provider
Now that you have a stream encoded and ready to go, you need a streaming platform to which you can push your stream. At the simplest, you could push your stream directly to YouTube or Facebook. Or you could push your stream to a streaming platform like churchstreaming.tv or livestream.com for more flexibility to transcode the stream into other resolutions or redistribute the stream to other channels simultaneously and archive the stream for future playback or embedding on your website or other digital platforms.
Answers to Other Questions
Should I use Mac or PC?
Most people find it easier to get started streaming with a Mac and Mac-compatible hardware and software. Windows users can still stream but there may be more involvement getting devices, drivers, and settings optimized for reliable streaming.
We recommend iMac, MacBook Pro, or Mac Pro models that meet the following minimum specifications.
- Processor: Quad-core Intel Core i7 2.4 GHz or higher
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512 GB SSD (storage is more important if you plan to record your streams locally)
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon, 1GB+ video memory
Do I Need a Full Video Signal Chain?
In short, no. Many churches already have audio and video system that are easy to hook into. But you can also use mobile app-based platforms for totally mobile streaming setups like Switcher Studio.
What Network Requirements do I Need?
Live stream upload requirements vary depending on your stream resolution, frame rate, and audio and video bitrate. A good baseline is to estimate 3 Mbps of upload bandwidth per stream. If you stream multiple resolutions to multiple destinations, the requirements can double or triple. A connection with 10 Mbps of upload speed would support one unique stream, possibly two, depending on the amount of upload bandwidth needed for other normal network operation.
How Much Does it Cost?
It depends on what core components you may need to acquire or how you want to stream.
Simple — encoder and software — <$600
Intermediate — adapters, encoder, software, streaming platform — $600 - $1,000
Advanced — adapters, camera, encoder, software, Mac, streaming platform — $3,000 - $5,000
Resources
Video Capture Devices
Elgato Cam Link 4K
Elgato Game Capture Card HD60
AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus
Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Mini Recorder
Blackmagic Design UltraStudio HD Mini
Blackmagic Design Web Presenter
Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini HDMI Live Stream Switcher
Streaming Software Applications:
Wirecast — https://www.telestream.net/wirecast
Livestream Producer — https://livestream.com/producer
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) — https://obsproject.com
Streaming Platforms
Church Streaming — https://www.churchstreaming.tv
Livestream — https://www.livestream.com
castr — https://castr.io
YouTube — https://bit.ly/2TOUtzs
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/help/587160588142067
Mobile Streaming
Switcher Studio — https://www.switcherstudio.com
IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo I/O
IK Multimedia iRig Pre
