Professional livestreams - tips & tricks

When it comes to getting your content out into the world, livestreams are an ideal tool - and not just in times of Covid-19.

Whether it's an international management meeting, general assembly, media conference, product launch or concert: with a live stream you can reach a wide audience - anytime and anywhere. From consulting and conception to production, the Kilchenmann Event and Rental Service team is your professional, experienced and competent partner when it comes to broadcasting your content to the world. Walter Kunz, Event Project Manager, and Simon Anliker, Event Technician, answered a few questions for us:

What is a livestream?

In very simple terms, Walter Kunz and Simon Anliker explain a livestream as follows: "A livestream is the transmission of a video and audio signal from somewhere to many people who listen and watch live with a small time delay of a few seconds."

Small but subtle differences

What is the difference between a livestream and a video conference or an on-demand webcast? While a live audio/video transmission takes place without delay between the conferencing participants, a slight time delay is to be expected with a livestream - quite apart from the fact that the communication only takes place in one direction. On the other hand, the livestream scores in terms of image quality: the transmitted data is buffered on the viewer's computer for a short time during a livestream, which can compensate for minor fluctuations in image quality. The video quality is therefore correspondingly more stable and better than in a video conference, where the image quality is more strongly influenced by fluctuations in the internet and disturbances in the network can result in faulty or jerky images. An on-demand webcast, on the other hand, is not a live event, but a video stored on a server that viewers can watch when they have time. When watching the webcast, a large part of the data is downloaded to the computer and stored temporarily. In this way, the user is practically unaffected by network fluctuations and can benefit from the highest video quality.

What are livestreams particularly suitable for?

The answer from Walter Kunz and Simon Anliker is hardly surprising: "As live streaming is basically nothing more than television for a small and open or defined group of recipients with password access, you can basically stream anything." Specific examples include international management meetings, media conferences, product launches, concerts, employee information, forums and conferences.

What requirements must be met for a livestream to be successful?

Simon Anliker explains: "The most important requirement is reliable and correctly configured Internet access, ideally a dedicated Internet line. This is not always as obvious as it sounds." Walter Kunz adds: "The required performance of the internet connection depends on what is being streamed or how many streams are being uploaded at once. This is the case for multilingual conferences, for example." Another requirement is a room that offers enough space for the technical infrastructure, camera(s), lighting, background and microphone technology - ideally without natural backlighting such as a window.

Which budget items need to be considered for a livestream or have an impact on the budget?

Walter Kunz puts it in a nutshell: "The biggest budget item is usually the staff required for a livestream. Depending on the setting and size of the event to be streamed, we need more or less staff, for example for setting up and dismantling, the rehearsal runs and operating the cameras, lighting or sound system." "The entire technical equipment is another budget item," explains Simon Anliker. "This includes cameras, lighting, sound and the setting, such as backdrops or staging elements."

Read our FAQ on the subject of livestreams

Our Event and Rental Service team has compiled the most frequently asked questions about livestreams - including answers, of course - in a document for you.