Broadcasting live through YouTube can be very simple. However, if we are thinking of working on how to broadcast so that, even if we do not do it professionally, our content is more careful , we must take into account the equipment to be used and other factors in the configuration of the broadcasts.
The evolution of content on the Internet is clear. From text and images we go to video as the king of content. Now, live broadcasts through streaming platforms are the type of content that takes the cake.
To broadcast live from the Google platform there are some small limitations depending on the system you use, from the computer, mobile devices … Even the broadcasts themselves have a configuration that we must take into account to get the most out of it. When we talk about the recommended equipment to broadcast (computer, camera, microphone, etc.) the range is very wide and there are all kinds of possibilities for all kinds of pockets.
Live broadcast requirements and limitations
To be able to broadcast live from your YouTube channel, you have to meet certain requirements that, in principle, do not pose any problem.
Requirements
These are the requirements that we must meet in order to broadcast live:
- Previous Restrictions: We must not have had any restrictions related to live broadcasts in the 90 days prior to broadcast.
- The channel must be verified: You just have to log in with your channel and go to the verification link . Through your phone number you will receive an SMS or a call that will indicate the verification code.
- If you broadcast from a smartphone or tablet: in the case of mobile devices, it is an essential requirement to have 1,000 subscribers or more.
- Mobile operating system: in the case of Android, the device with which we will broadcast must have Android 5.0 or later, if it is an iPhone or iPad it must integrate iOS 8.0 or later.
- In case of including advertising content paid for by a commercial brand, the rules included in the Ads Policies must be followed .
- The supported web browsers are Google Chrome (from version 60) and Mozilla Firefox (version 53 and higher).
Limitations and restrictions
As with the publication of videos, in broadcasts we must comply with restrictions or limitations in terms of quality and quantity of content.
Restrictions
There are several circumstances that can cause the disabling of our channel to broadcast live and that we must take into account:
- If we have fouls for breach of the rules of the community of the Google streaming platform.
- If the live broadcast is blocked for reasons related to intellectual property or copyright, you will not be able to broadcast until the incident is resolved.
- If we have reached the number of daily broadcasts we will have to wait 24 hours to broadcast again.
- The conditions on the type of content and the advertisers are the same as in the published videos, the use of inappropriate language, transmission of violent or adult scenes, controversial or degrading topics, inciting hatred, etc. is not well seen.
Children’s channels
In the case of having a channel aimed at children , live broadcasts will be limited in some aspects:
- Live Chat – Will not be available on these broadcasts.
- Comments: comments may not be included in children’s broadcasts.
- Reminders: notices of upcoming transmissions cannot be activated.
- Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult on screen.
Pre-configuration
Before starting to broadcast we must configure our channel correctly, it is important to be aware of the maximum period of 24 hours to enable this function , so that the first time we will not be able to make improvised retransmissions.
Enable live broadcasts
The first thing we have to do to enable the direct broadcast of our channel is to log into YouTube from the computer or from the mobile application and click on the Create button in the upper right and then on Broadcast live . In the mobile application, the Create “+” button is located in the lower central part (remember that you will not be able to broadcast live with less than 1,000 subscribers).
If it is the first time that we do this step, the channel of our profile will be created and we will be able to choose a photo and name of the channel. Click again on Create and Broadcast Live to enable live broadcasting. The YouTube Studio tool will open and we will click on Enable. We verify the channel with our phone number and we will automatically go to the next step in the previous tab that will allow us to activate the transmission or schedule it.
If we have scheduled the broadcast live, we can generate more expectation by publishing a trailer about our broadcast. For this we have to upload the video to our channel like any other. In YouTube Studio we go to the Broadcast live section and click on Manage. We go to the scheduled transmission and click on Edit and then in the Trailer section we click Add. So we can publish a preview of what our audience will see.
Monetization
Once we have enabled the monetization of content in our channel, you can also show ads in the live streams and activate the Super Chat option or the Premium membership . The configuration of the activation of ads is in the Monetization section within the Edit menu of the transmission in YouTube Studio. It does not guarantee that ads can be shown in live broadcasts, although if they do, they can only be of three types:
Pre-roll ads: they are the ones that are shown before the broadcast, they are seen on both computers and mobile devices.
Mid-roll ads: shown during broadcast and can be inserted manually into computer broadcasts.
Overlay and Display Ads: Only seen on computers and appear next to or on top of content.
How to broadcast live
Activating a live broadcast can be very simple and take very few steps, in any case, it is possible that our first broadcast takes up to 24 hours to be enabled, once the option is enabled we can broadcast at any time.
From the computer
Once we have created the channel and we have enabled the broadcast in real time, we can activate the live broadcasts when we want to broadcast, or schedule them for a later time. If we have decided to broadcast live from our computer with webcam at that precise moment, these are the steps to follow:
- Click on the Create button .
- We click on Broadcast live .
- We choose Webcam in the left side menu.
- We indicate the title and description.
- We choose the privacy settings .
- We select the option to broadcast now or schedule the broadcast for a later time.
- For other configuration options we will go to More options / Advanced configuration .
- We click on the Next button .
- The camera will capture a thumbnail, it is time to verify that the chosen camera and microphone are correct.
- Click on Broadcast live .
- To activate or deactivate the chat and the monetization settings you can do it through the Edit button at any time.
- To end the broadcast, click on End broadcast .
Retransmissions of less than 12 hours are directly archived , for transmissions of longer duration we will have to choose it manually. In the Live tab we will see the current, archived and scheduled broadcasts.
On mobile devices
The process to broadcast live from the mobile application is the same in both cases for Android (5.0 or higher) and iOS (8.0 or higher) , these are the steps to follow:
- We open the YouTube application and click on the Create “+” button at the bottom.
- We choose Broadcast live (remember that if it is the first time we may have to wait up to 24 hours for this option to be active since we have enabled it).
- If it is our first time we will grant access to the camera, the microphone and the multimedia file gallery of our device.
- We fill in the information such as title, description, location, audience, children’s broadcast etc.
- Click on Next and the device will take a Selfie.
- We just have to touch the button Broadcast live to start.
With decoders
The decoders can be of two types: streaming software or hardware encoder . In any case, the decoders allow more advanced options in live transmission: screen sharing, editing the structure of the images on the screen, broadcasting other videos in the broadcast in real time, adding special effects to the image, using external hardware ( several cameras and microphones simultaneously…).
Each decoder, whether software or hardware, has different characteristics and its configuration may vary. In the end, it is nothing more than a system that acts as an intermediary between the content of your transmission and YouTube, so the possibilities are many. Within the capacity that a decoder offers us, we should check that our computer is compatible.
To activate retransmissions with a decoder we will do this:
- Install the encoders and install the hardware you are going to use.
- Enter the server URL and broadcast key into the encoder.
- We go to YouTube Studio and click on Broadcast live (upper right).
- Click on the Issue tab .
- If we have already broadcast before, the configuration of the last transmission will appear, if it is the first time we will configure the transmission and click on Create broadcast.
- We select the option to broadcast in the encoder, if it does not appear we will copy the broadcast URL directly to the server (it is usually a section named “RTMP Server” or something similar).
- We paste the YouTube broadcast key in the encoder.
- We will start broadcasting from the encoder directly.
Recommended equipment to issue
The catalog of components and devices to broadcast on YouTube is immense , you can add all kinds of devices and accessories that will improve the quality of your content and give it a more professional touch. This is why the available budget will determine the quality and quantity of devices that it will be advisable to include in our team.
Computer
It is essential to be able to carry out transmissions with quality and to be able to control all the parameters of the recording, especially if we broadcast with a decoder. Recommended i5 or greater than 64 bits anyway.
A RAM of 8 GB may be enough but if we work with 12 GB or 16 GB, the better. Including an Nvidia graphics card will improve the quality of our broadcast.
Camera
The camera of many current mobile devices records in 4K but the quality and size of the lenses have nothing to do with those of a specific camera for streaming, so whenever possible it is better to broadcast from a computer with a specific camera for streaming. streaming .
We will need a camera that records in 4K or at least in Full HD . In case of broadcasting in 4K it is important that we have sufficient bandwidth in our Internet connection with at least 50 Mbps upload .
Microphone
Many youtubers use headphones that include some high-end devices from brands such as Apple or Samsung in the beginning, until they achieve a minimum audience in their broadcasts. And it is that neglecting the sound quality is a fairly common mistake that causes the fall of viewers easily.
The next option is to buy a specific digital microphone for podcasts and real-time broadcasts , although those used by the best-known youtubers have very high prices exceeding € 300, in Amazon and other online stores we will find them from € 60.
illumination
Once we have a quality camera, it will be of no use if the lighting is not adequate. It is important to incorporate a lighting kit to our team to offer a well-lit and shadow-free plane . We can complement it with one or more LED packs, which allow you to regulate the amount and type of light, as well as with a ring of LED light.
The ambient lighting is also important. Taking care of the type of lighting in the studio, of the secondary plane that we are going to offer, improves the quality of the image. We will take care that it is a dim and subtle lighting so that it does not “steal” our prominence. There are fully configurable ambient lighting led panels.
Possible problems (and solutions)
Most of the problems that we can solve revolve around the use of third-party devices , all our equipment, or decoders can throw errors in the broadcast. The Internet connection or Google’s own servers can also give errors, but few solutions can we give you other than waiting for the company to solve it.
Error starting encoder
It may be that if we use a decoder an error appears at the beginning of the transmission that does not allow us to work, the best solution for this type of problem is usually to get a new broadcast key in this way:
- We open YouTube Studio .
- In the upper right corner click on Create.
- We click on Broadcast live .
- We create a new broadcast .
- We copy the new issuance key (in the lower right corner).
- We paste the key in the encoder.
- We start the encoder to broadcast again, the initial error should have disappeared.
Error emitting with an encoder
If several users report errors in the reproduction of your channel and they connect from different Internet accesses, we will have to think that the problem may be in the encoder that we are using.
For this we have two possible solutions, we restart the transmission or acquire a new YouTube key as we have indicated in the previous section.
Viewers experience errors
In this case in which the error is only experienced by the viewer, or viewers, the most likely thing is that the root of the problem is in the viewer’s computer or connection . Therefore, it is recommended that you make checks on your computer and your connection trying to access from other devices.
If you continue to experience problems we would need to review the steps you have taken to connect to our transmission.
Multiple viewers cannot access
In the event that several viewers connected to the same private network experience problems with your channel, it is most likely that it is an error with the viewers’ connection.
There is no limitation regarding direct access from the same private network, but it is true that the necessary bandwidth is multiplied . If there are 5 devices connected to 5 live broadcasts, different or not, the bandwidth needed to access the platform is multiplied by 5 in this case …