Band for corporate event – what’s it actually like?
14 March 2024
Today there is a post from the category: Favorite customers and a little look behind
Since we, like all other musicians, are currently deprived of the opportunity to play live in front of real people, we started giving livestream concerts a few weeks ago. We are currently streaming live every Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. on our YouTube channel and Facebook. You can watch the last livestream from March 31st view here.
We had no previous experience with live streaming or online concerts and learned everything I'm going to describe in this article from the internet. Therefore, the following information is to be understood as a testimonial, not a guide with a guarantee. Also, a quick warning: there's a lot of tech talk ahead. Since this is intended to be an overview, I won't be able to cover every topic in sufficient depth. I'll try to provide as many links as possible so that you can read more information yourself. If you still have questions after this just contact me by email.
Before Corona, live streams with editorially designed content, a potential audience of more than 500 people and sophisticated technical implementation (multiple camera perspectives, for example) required a broadcasting license. The corresponding law has actually been outdated for a long time and that is why the media authorities have recently relaxed the regulations. A stream with the technical implementation described below still has to be reported, but there are no conditions, licenses or other obligations attached to it. This exception applies until April 19th. You can find more information on the topic HERE.
To record and mix the sound for our live stream, we use the same equipment as for our live performances. Two Sennheiser wireless microphones (ew100 G4 with 865 capsules) and a digital mixer (Behringer X-Air 18). The whole thing is controlled via an iPad by our sound engineer David Ropertz mixed (by the way, the only person we have seen in real life for weeks…) The stereo sum then goes via XLR cable into a USB audio interface (Steinberg UR824) which is connected to the computer.
For monitoring we use two Sennheiser ew300 in-ear wireless systems with our Rhines Custom Monitoring Headphones. This way, each of us can shape the sound according to our own preferences and we can hear everything that comes from the Loopstation (Boss RC-30) comes.
We actually “only” use iPhones as cameras. An iPhone 11 as a frontal shot, an iPhone Xr (thanks David!) from the side and an iPhone 8 as a close-up. All phones are Lightning-USB cable at one USB 3.0 hub which in turn is connected to the computer. The iPhones are equipped with these brackets mounted on normal camera tripods.
TIP: We found that the USB hub was overloaded with 3 camera signals. In our case, the audio interface HAD to be plugged into a different USB port on the computer.
If you are not using high quality cameras, you have to pay even more attention to ensuring that the image is well lit. For this purpose, we have three softboxes positioned around us. Two are shining from the front and one is positioned diagonally behind us (mostly seen in the streams).
The various video and audio signals have to be “mixed” together for the stream. There are various streaming software for this purpose. The most popular and probably most widely used is OBS Studio, an open source broadcasting software. OBS only contains the most necessary features to manage a live stream and is therefore not too CPU-intensive. There is also the corresponding iOS app OBS Camera, which makes it very easy to use iPhones as cameras. To do this, you need to install the iOS Camera Plugin for OBS to install.
With this software you can switch camera perspectives, display text and mix the sound. TIP: In OBS we have set up a limiter and a gain control as a filter on the audio output so that the sound is loud enough in the end.
The most important thing first: The computer with the broadcasting software should be LAN cable connected to the router. A WLAN connection may also work, but is much more susceptible to interference or failures.
Since we currently want to stream on YouTube and Facebook simultaneously, we need a simulcasting provider. We have chosen Castr.io because the interface is very easy to use and the range of functions we need is offered for a small monthly fee. Each recipient of your stream provides a so-called "stream key" and a server address. You have to enter both in the streaming software so that the stream comes out at the right end. In our case, OBS to Castr.io. On Castr.io you can then repeat the same process and enter the addresses and stream keys from YouTube and Facebook. (Instructions Facebook / Instructions Youtube)
The easiest way to accept donations today is PayPal. All you need is a PayPal account. The easiest way to offer your viewers an interface that makes paying as easy as possible is to have a PayPal.me linkThis will create a page where a viewer only has to enter the amount and their PayPal address. You should then place the link as clearly as possible in your live stream. You can do this using OBS, for example, by adding text to the relevant scene, or you can write the link on a letterboard or a lightbox that is visible in the image.
To make your stream even more interesting, there are tools like Streamlabs. You can use it to collect donations, generate alerts, integrate a chatbot (moderator) into the live chat and much more. our TRASHPOP livestream (This is the first one where everything worked smoothly), then you might have already seen some of the elements in action. For example, we have a visible hat in the stream into which money falls every time someone donates something. You can also send messages via the donations, which are then displayed in the image. To integrate such elements into the stream, you have to log in to Streamlabs.com (in our case with our YouTube account) and configure the corresponding functions for your own stream. Then you can add widgets such as the alert box or the Donation jar/hat Integrate into the stream via browser link via OBS.
Not everyone has the time, the desire, the energy, the know-how or the resources to conduct a live stream on this scale. With all the tech talk in this article, I have completely left out the design of the live stream. But that is of course the main element of your stream and largely determines whether viewers stay tuned or switch off at some point. A setlist with a nice arc of suspense, entertaining moderation between songs and a high entertainment factor will ultimately have a significant influence on the success of your online concert. We also personally believe that sad songs and too many too slow songs are currently OK. In times of such great uncertainty, the added value of positive songs, encouraging stories and good vibes should not be underestimated.
With this in mind: We wish you lots of success in bringing love, joy, courage and confidence to your viewers with your live streams, even in these strange times!
P.S.: If you use our Youtube channel subscribe, you will never miss a livestream again!
P.S.: If all the information I have gathered for you helps, I would appreciate support via PayPal (PayPal.me/tobiaskeilmusic). If you have any questions, please contact me by mail. Your Tobias
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