Live Video and Streaming
Getting Started
Here are the bare bones of getting started with live streaming:
The Equipment: If you have a smartphone and a decent WiFi connection, you can live-stream. It won’t be the best quality, but it can work. Of course, specialized gear will give you a much better quality in your live-stream, but smartphones are very capable tools to get the job done. A high-speed internet connection is essential to the quality of the service. A high-speed router, especially in the space where the live streams are filmed, is a benefit to parishioners. An iPad/iPhone is needed for basic streaming. Having a dedicated device used to stream is best so that nothing interrupts the livestream. A desktop computer to upload the videos for later viewing is necessary.
The Person: Designating one person as the camera person is good to have so the priest can stay focused on preaching and can stay consistent with the tone of the live streams.
The Sources: We’re all keeping a careful watch of our church’s finances. Streaming hardware and software are discussed further below.
There are many questions to consider:
What type of service? Morning Prayer? Bible Study? Holy Eucharist?
Do you want to stream your entire service or just part of your service?
What devices (smartphone, DSLR camera, video camera) and what streaming platform will you use?
Do you need to think about copyright licensing?
How do you capture audio from a long distance from your video device (line out from your soundboard or a wireless lavalier mic with a line in to your recording device)?
If you stream your entire service, how do you make the online worship experience more interactive than simply observation?
Doing a live-stream is sometimes more complicated than a posted recording on YouTube or Facebook, but it allows for a real-time experience alongside and with an in-person gathering.
There are a number of ways to get the job done depending on your answers to the questions above. Here are some resources for ensuring the best quality for your live-streaming or webcasting videos:
Streaming Hardware
Hardware and Software Video Tutorials
Watch the following videos for suggestions on simple live streaming setups for churches that are quick to assemble and easy to use:
Live streaming setup for small churches video tutorial | accompanying article
Getting audio from your mixer to your mobile device or tablet
Using your phone
The $139 Church Video Camera Setup
Using a DSLR camera with HDMI or USB output
Purchase a Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Mini Recorder. Use a Mini HDMI to HDMI cable and a Thunderbolt cable, and after you install the drivers, it will work. Use Wirecast or OBS. Watch a video tutorial on using Facebook Live.
Using an all-in-one solution
The Mevo is a great solution for churches. With the additional accessory of the Boost, you can connect to a hard-line plug-in ethernet, have a line in from your sound board or an external microphone, and have additional battery power. Watch the Mevo to Facebook Live Tutorial.
Streaming Software
BoxCast sends video to the cloud and optimizes it so that viewers anywhere can watch the stream live. You can also add graphic overlays to your live-stream with logo placement, watermarks, lower thirds, full screen graphics and more.
Church Streaming TV: assists churches with livestreaming to popular platforms.
OneStream Live: schedule and stream pre-recorded videos.
Streaming Platforms
Facebook Live
If you have a church Facebook page and a majority of your church members are followers, this may be your best platform to consider. Your followers can easily engage with the video through comments, reactions, and shares. Sharing also greatly extends your reach — ensuring your service reaches more people — and allows your church members to share your content, worship, and ministry with their own friends and family.
YouTube
YouTube is another excellent platform for churches that are considering live-streaming. You can embed your live videos on your very own website. Because of the embedding functionality, it is a great choice for churches who want their worship services accessible on their websites.
Vimeo
Vimeo is an end-to-end live-streaming solution. Simultaneously stream your live events via social media, embed your videos on your site, and also share wherever else your audience is tuned in – Facebook Live, YouTube, Twitch, and more. A great feature is the ability to add lower third graphics, fullscreen graphics, and logos to your live broadcast right from the Vimeo live preview page.
Deciding between YouTube and Vimeo?
Twitch
Usually used by gamers, Twitch is another platform to stream. Some churches do Bible studies through Twitch, which utilizes Twitch’s top-notch chatting features.
Instagram Live
Utilizing Instagram with services broadens your audience, and since Instagram is used by a younger audience, it can broaden your mission to younger viewers.
Streaming Training Webinar
This live-streaming webinar from the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon covers a lot of the basics (re: fast, cheap, and easy) of live-streaming as well as great discussion on the practicalities of caring for our community and some of the theological questions of how to do worship when we can’t gather in person. Courtesy Heidi Pitts, Director of Communications, the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. Resource Sheet, Notes