Going Live: Desktop Versus Mobile

How should you go 'live'?

We have a lot of options these days when it comes to going live, so this week on The Video and Livestreaming Show Sam Proof and I wanted to unpack some of the many options you have and offer some things to consider when making those choices.

Should you go live via your desktop computer or your mobile phone?

Purpose of your stream

Ask yourself: What is the purpose of your stream?

If you just need to get time sensitive information out in real time, picking up your phone and pressing a button might be all you need.

If you're going live purely for social reasons, the phone might be a good way to go.

More elaborate productions —featuring pre-recorded video, sound and music, screen sharing— may work better via a desktop computer though.

Gear considerations

There are three basic requirements for going live:

1. An Internet Connection: A reliable Internet connection will make a huge difference to your ability to go live and connect (both literally and figuratively) with your audience. I generally recommend having a desktop computer be physically connected via an Ethernet cable or via a Powerline adaptor, however this won't be an option for your smart phone. Here you'll need to rely on your data connection or the WiFi. It's probably a good idea to test your connection speed ahead of time with a tool like Google's Speed Test.
2. A camera: It will help if your audience can see you. Your camera can be as simple as a USB webcam or your phone camera or as elaborate as a Digital SLR camera.
3. A microphone: Your audience will also need to hear you. The clearer you sound, the better. I don't personally love the quality of the built in microphone in my smart phone, but then I have been known to be a bit of a an audio snob. If you're interested in adding an external microphone (to either your computer or phone) you have a number of great options. We'll explore some of these during the show.

It's worthwhile thinking about your lighting too, whether you're utilising natural light or artificial light (or a combination of the two).

There are, of course, a number of other tools that might be useful too, but these are the starting points.

I'm personally a big fan of building some sort of video rig. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.

For my desktop computer I have two Elgato Key Lights, one of which holds both my Sony ZV-E10 via a teleprompter and a display for the teleprompter (via two Elgato Strong Arm mounts).

I've been building a mobile rig with a cage and an Elgato Key Light Mini, Rode VideoMic NTG and some cold shoe mounts.

I haven't actually used it yet but I also have a ring light with two phone holders.

Destinations and methods

Where will you stream to?

What destination or destinations will you go out live to?

Where does your audience naturally hang out?

Will you stream to a single destination or use tools to multicast?

If you're streaming to a single destination, you can often use that platform's streaming options or smart phone app. (Though it's worth noting that LinkedIn does not have this option, you have to use a third party tool like StreamYard or Restream to use LinkedIn Live. Some eligibility criteria exists too.)

If you want to multicast to multiple destinations, you'll likely need a special tool or piece of software to do this.

Vertical or horizontal

Video has traditionally been horizontal, but YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Reels have created demand for vertical content. Both TikTok and Instagram allow for vertical streaming.

TikTok does have specific requirements to meet before you're eligible to use their service.

Instagram lets you go live from either your phone or via third party video tools via Instagram Live Producer.

Vertical streaming is a constantly evolving area and, if I'm being completely honest, some of the current solutions are less than ideal. There are some trade offs to consider, and especially if you want to stream horizontally and vertically at the same time, some tools will support you better than others.

Instagram Live Producer rolled out to users with an Instagram Business account recently (which is a pretty simple setting to change to), however the experience is less than desirable. It appears to be prone to some pretty serious lag. There is currently no way to work with comments. If your audience primarily hangs out on Instagram I'd mostly recommend still using their phone app over the Live Producer. Hopefully it improves in the future.

Join us!

Check out the event invites for the date and time in your local time zone.

• Going Live: Desktop Versus Mobile (Watch on YouTube).
• Going Live: Desktop Versus Mobile (Watch on LinkedIn).

I hope you'll join us.

How to use OBS Studio on The Huddle With Walter Strong III

Sam Proof and I will be on The Huddle with Walter Strong III later in the week to talk all things OBS Studio.

OBS Studio is free and open source software for local video recording, livestreaming and changing how you appear on camera.

I note that this is a Beginner Tutorial, so I will try to stop Sam from getting too nerdy too quickly, but I can only do so much. ??

How to use OBS Studio - 2024 Beginner Tutorial

Go subscribe to The Huddle and ring the bell to be notified.

Have a great week!

I hope you have a great week. Thanks for the birthday wishes!

Remember, if you're interested in video, livestreaming and connection creation:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn;
• Subscribe to the Learn Livestreaming channel on YouTube;
• Check out my other LinkedIn newsletters: Build A Presentation Muscle and Learn OBS Studio.

BONUS: OBS Studio Sources: The building blocks of your livestream

Watch on YouTube

Last week on the show, we spoke about OBS Studio Sources on The Video and Livestreaming Show.