Live-streaming on a Budget

There’s an abundance of articles about live-streaming for churches. But information is much harder to find when you need to live-stream church on a budget – as in from home, without an A/V team. This collection of tips will help you start live-streaming with minimal equipment and experience, using Facebook Live or YouTube Live Streaming.

What you Need

• internet connection with WiFi
• phone, tablet, web cam or digital camera
• tripod and phone/tablet holder
• microphone and stand (optional)

Using Facebook Live

• requires Facebook account
• use Facebook app on phone/tablet/laptop/computer
• 2+ Mbps upload speed (any less will glitch or drop)
• set video to 720p at 30 frames/sec
• to broadcast in landscape, start Live in portrait, then rotate (icons should rotate, too)
• set Audience to “Only me” to practice

Using Youtube Live Streaming

• requires YouTube, Google or GMail account (24-hr wait to enable streaming)
• use YouTube Studio app on computer with webcam (phone/tablet requires 1000+ subscribers)
• Set Audience to “No, it’s not made for kids” (not the primary audience)
• includes advanced options (e.g. encoding, video switching) when you’re ready
• set Webcam to “Private” for testing

All-purpose tips

• minimize number of people sharing your internet connection
• use tripod (large or small) and phone/tablet holder
• phones and tablets use variable frame rate (audio drift)
• check that phone/tablet/laptop is fully charged or plugged in
• use front-facing camera so your screen can act as a monitor

Trouble-shooting

• Speedtest by Ookla – free ($5 for ad free), test your upload speed
• Fast by Netflix – free, click “more” to see upload speed
• DownDetector – shows any current problems with popular sites (e.g. Zoom)

If you have any additional tips, let us know and we’ll add them to this list.

Be safe!

The eAdventist team