Planning to do a pre-recorded stream for your online event? Excellent choice!
As we’ve already explained in another blog post, Online Events: Where to Start?, when planning an online event, you need to consider three things:
- The type of streaming you’ll use, which can be live, recorded, or videoconference
- The platform or tool where you’ll hold the event
- The equipment needed for a quality stream
Today, we’ll focus on the first topic: the type of streaming you can use for your event, more specifically the pre-recorded event streaming option.
You’ll understand how pre-recorded streaming works, which types of events it’s ideal for, plus its advantages and disadvantages.
And, of course, we’ll give you the best tips so you can successfully adopt it for your event! Let’s go?
Pre-recorded streaming for events
You’ve certainly seen a live stream on Instagram or attended a live event where, in the middle of the content, the internet dropped or the microphone stopped working. Frustrating, right?
It’s exactly to avoid inconveniences and scares like that, that many events choose to use pre-recorded streaming.
Pre-recorded video is widely used in events, especially by those with more than one activity or talk on the agenda.
It consists of recording an event’s talks ahead of time.
These talks can later be released on a specific day and time in the event’s schedule, as if they were being streamed live! This format is also known as a “simulive.”
However, since recording and streaming don’t happen simultaneously, the big advantage is that recorded video gives organizers and speakers more time to plan and edit content.
As a result, it’s natural that materials produced in the pre-recorded format tend to have higher quality and more developed audiovisual features than simultaneous streaming.
If your biggest worry is how interaction with attendees will work, relax! Further ahead, I’ll point out some solutions to keep speakers and organizers closer to the audience.
Pre-recorded streaming and videotape
Pre-recorded streaming is a feature widely used in journalism. In the field, it’s known as videotape, the famous VTs.
Videotape started being adopted by TV news programs around 1960 and marked a major milestone in the history of Brazilian broadcast journalism.
That’s because, without it, TV programming relied exclusively on live broadcasts. With VTs, it became possible to build a programming schedule, distributing previously recorded content across broadcast days and times.
When watching a news program, for example, we can see reporters’ VTs from the scene of an event combined with supporting images that back up what the reporter is saying.
These supporting images can be graphics, images that recall the event, or that show additional data about the topic being covered.
Often, we get the impression that content is being broadcast live, happening at that very moment, when in fact it was pre-recorded. All because of how the journalist chooses to communicate in the VT: saying good morning, speaking directly to the anchor, and using present-tense verbs.
Which events is it ideal for?
Pre-recorded online streaming is ideal for events that want to create more elaborate content and have more time for production.
It’s also strongly recommended for events with more than one talk on the schedule. Especially those with several online activities happening throughout the day.
The pre-recorded streaming format considerably reduces the chances of errors and streaming scares on the day of the event, since the organizer will have all the material recorded, edited, and checked before making it available to attendees.
So, there’s no risk of the internet dropping in the middle of a talk, hurting all the content and the event’s schedule, which has times to meet.
If your event is complex, with lots of activities, don’t think twice. The pre-recorded option is the best!
It’s also worth it for events with few talks, or just one, or for organizers who want to guarantee a safer, higher-quality stream for attendees.
8 advantages of pre-recorded streaming
If you’re unsure whether recorded streaming is the ideal type for your event, check out these 8 reasons and understand why it’s the best option.
Advance content planning
In the pre-recorded format, the talk’s content can be thought through more calmly and restructured if needed. All so it comes out as organized and well-produced as possible!
Easier editing
With pre-recorded streaming, you can edit the material produced by speakers before releasing it to the public.
This lets you add sound elements to make the audiovisual production more engaging and also include captions with speakers’ names and talk titles.
Fixing mistakes
Since you can edit the video, you can fix mistakes that happened during recording, whether text errors or technical issues, like background noise, image focus, blown-out light, and audio capture problems.
Stronger branding
Ever thought about ways to strengthen your event’s branding during talks?
With the pre-recorded format, that’s possible! For example, you can add opening and closing bumpers with the event’s brand. Or even fix the event’s logo in a corner of the video throughout the whole stream.
Quality
The image and audio quality of pre-recorded streams also tends to be much better than in live videos.
Live streams, since they depend on things like internet connection stability, tend to become heavier and end up with lower image quality to avoid videos being cut off entirely.
Room for sponsors
We know sponsorships are essential to making many events happen. And the pre-recorded streaming format can be very valuable for those looking for ways to include sponsors in the online event.
A good tip is to include sponsor videos before and after talks. Since the content is pre-recorded, you, as organizer, can do this editing before making the talks available to the public!
Better interaction between attendees
In the pre-recorded format, the speaker won’t interrupt the content to answer attendees’ questions. As a result, content will flow more smoothly with less chance of losing focus!
But interactions between attendees and speakers can still happen! On some platforms, like Even3, you can enable that interaction via chat, in real time!
This way, all questions can be answered without compromising the content stream.
Accessibility and reach
The pre-recorded format lets you add captions in different languages to talk videos. This way, your event’s content becomes accessible to people around the world and also to people with hearing impairments.
How to communicate with your audience
Effective communication makes pre-recorded streaming at events much more engaging.
Remember what I said about journalists’ videotapes? To give the impression the content is being delivered exactly at that moment to the audience, bringing the speaker-attendee relationship closer, a few precautions are essential.
So, we’ve listed some recommendations for speakers in pre-recorded streams:
Present-tense verbs
Use present-tense verbs when communicating. This gives the audience the idea that the speaker is, at that moment, on the event’s stage, that the talk is being recorded and streamed now. Even if it was actually recorded ahead of time =)
Look at the camera
Speaking while looking at the camera is a key tip for those who want to convey closeness and connection with the audience. Before you start recording, check your framing: does it cut off your head? Does it get in the way of communicating with your audience?
Welcome and farewell greetings
Wishing a good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, according to the time planned for your talk in the event’s schedule, is also an effective way to convey that the talk is happening at that moment.
If you don’t yet have your talk’s time set, avoid greeting based on a specific time, like “good morning.” How about using “Hey, everyone” or “Hi there”?
Also don’t forget to introduce yourself! Say your name, briefly share your background and what you do in the market. This creates closeness! At the end of the talk, don’t forget to say goodbye, okay?
Mention the event’s name
By mentioning the event’s name while presenting the content, the speaker confirms that material’s exclusivity. In other words, it guarantees the talk was made exclusively for the event.
Use examples and ask questions
Examples are an excellent way to bring the audience closer to the event’s content. Through them, attendees relate to situations and can absorb content more clearly.
Questions also help with that speaker-audience closeness, since they encourage interaction. You could ask the audience whether they’ve ever faced a certain situation related to or illustrating the topic, for example.
How does interaction work with pre-recorded streaming?
Organizers’ and speakers’ biggest concern is around interaction with attendees. There are some solutions so speakers can, for example, answer questions, gather feedback, and hear from their audience.
Real-time chat interaction
On Even3 and also on video platforms like YouTube, you can enable comments on pre-recorded streams.
A big advantage is that, unlike what happens in live streaming, the speaker can answer questions during the stream in chat. So, while everyone watches the material, the speaker stays on standby in case someone has a question.
This way, comments stay much more organized and the talk flows more smoothly and concisely, since there aren’t several interruptions like in a live to answer the audience, and everyone still gets answered!
Q&A posts
Does your event have a social media presence? Do you use Instagram, for example? How about dedicating a post specifically for “Questions and Answers” and speaker-audience interaction? This practice is already used by some events and online courses!
Live stream just for questions
Ever thought about doing a shorter live stream, just to answer questions and interact with attendees? You can announce, ahead of time, maybe at the end of your talk, the date and time of that get-together.
This way, attendees can already study the content, jot down questions, curiosities, and contributions they’d like to make on the topic, and save them for the live get-together!
Emails
Another option is to make your email or contact info available to attendees. Unlike the other three options, email is a “one-to-one” relationship, so there won’t be an exchange and sharing of experiences with other attendees, but it can still be a good alternative for one-on-one interaction between an attendee and the speaker.
What do you need for a pre-recorded stream?
If you plan to adopt pre-recorded streaming for your event, you need to pay attention to a few details, like:
The right recording equipment
Having equipment available, like a camera and microphone, is essential for a good recording. Keep in mind you don’t always need to buy expensive products! We’ve listed some great value-for-money options so you can record your talks:
→ Check out now: How to choose equipment for recording online talks
The right recording spot
Choose a quiet place to record. Recording late at night is a great way to avoid being interrupted by family, for example.
Think about your background, that is, what will appear behind you in the video. Try to keep it as organized as possible and with a professional look. Check the lighting before you start recording, as well as whether the audio is okay!
The right recording tool
Which tool should you use to record your talk? Zoom Meetings is the most famous, but you can use others for pre-recorded event streaming.
We’ve put together a list for you to check and decide which is best for your event.
The best platform to host my online event
And don’t forget, of course, to choose a good events platform to manage yours!
Even3 is a complete platform where you can manage your event’s entire cycle: create a website, sell registrations, manage payments and submissions, and stream your event online. Whether live or pre-recorded.
Don’t waste time, start organizing your online event now!
