How to add a custom background to your live session stream

How does a custom background work?

When using Studio, once you've created your virtual or hybrid live session, you can personalize the live stream by adding a custom background.

This can allow you to display your organization or event's identity, your sponsor's logos, or any other visuals you wish to show to your audience during the live session.

Custom background image hidden behind speakers (1) and shared slides (2)

The background image will cover the full screen, but will be hidden by any speakers that are live on stage, any lower thirds used, and any shared content such as a presentation or pre-recorded video.

If only a shared content is displayed on the stream, with no speakers, then the background image won’t be visible at all, as the shared content will take up the entire space.

Please note that virtual camera backgrounds are not possible in SpotMe Studio.

How to add a custom background?

When you choose your background image, remember that it will cover the full screen, but will also be hidden by any speakers that are live on stage, any lower thirds used, and any shared content such as a presentation or pre-recorded video. Please refer to the Background image recommendations below.

Also, if only a shared content is displayed on the stream (presentation or video for example), with no speakers, then the background image won’t be visible at all, as the shared content will take up the entire space.

1. Open your Studio stream in Backstage, and open the settings using the ⚙️  button in the top left corner.
   
   
2. Select Design in the menu to the left. Here you can drag and drop or upload the image you want to use as your stream background.
   Make sure you check the image recommendations below:
   
   
   
3. Click on Save.

The background is visible immediately after you add it in the stream.

Note: You can preview how your live session will look to attendees in the app, using the Preview button located in the top left corner in Studio. This preview button is accessible to anyone present in the studio/green room, whatever their role.

Background image recommendations and safe areas

Make sure you follow the below recommendations for your background image:

• Recommended resolution is 1920 x1080 px, with a maximum file size of 5MB.
• The middle area of the image is not safe to add content, as it will be covered by the speakers on the stage or any shared content/prerecorded videos. For more details regarding the exact areas used by speakers (depending on the number of speakers on the screen) and shared content (if used), please refer to the How are speakers and shared content displayed in Studio section below.
• The safe areas on the image for branding/logos are the full strip at the very top of the image of 80px in height, for the full width, as well as the same strip at the very bottom of the image (also of 80px in height) but only the two thirds of it to the right (in order to leave space should you wish to use lower thirds during the live session).
  
  Please refer to the the background .psd  template for more guidance.

Note: If only a shared content is displayed on the stream, with no speakers, then the background image won’t be visible at all, as the shared content will take up the entire space.

Background template file

You can use the background .psd image template to see the two safe areas, and re-use it to create your own background images.

How are speakers and shared content displayed in Studio

The below dimensions are expressed as a percentage of the width or height of the screen.
When converting this to an actual dimension to be applied to a background image, you will need to apply the percentage to the width or height of the background image used that can vary depending on its resolution (i.e. 1920 x 1080 px or 1280 x 720 px).

In the images below, the numbers represent each speaker displayed on the screen, and "Screen" indicated the screen share.

1 to 4 speakers with screen share:

• Wl (width of left margin): 3.125%
• Wc (width of cameras): 13.75%
• Wg (width of the gap between cameras and screen share): 1.875%
• Ws (width of screen share): 78.75%
• Wr (width of right margin): 2.5%
• Hm (height of top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hs (height of screen share): 77.5%

5 speakers with screen share:

• Wl (width of left margin): 3.125%
• Wc (width of cameras): 12.5%
• Wg (width of the gap between cameras and screen share): 3.125%
• Ws (width of screen share): 78.75%
• Wr (width of right margin): 2.5%
• Hm (height of top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hs (height of screen share): 77.5%

6 speakers with screen share:

• Wl (width of left margin): 3.125%
• Wc (width of cameras): 10%
• Wg (width of the gap between cameras and screen share): 5.625%
• Ws (width of screen share): 78.75%
• Wr (width of right margin): 2.5%
• Hm (height of top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hs (height of screen share): 77.5%

1 and 4 speakers without screen share:

• Wm (width of the left and right margins): 11.25%
• Wc (width of the area where the speakers are located): 77.5%
• Hm (height of the top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hc (height of the area where the speakers are located): 77.5%

2 speakers without screen share:

• Wm (width of the left and right margins): 5%
• Wc (width of the area where the speakers are located): 90%
• Hm (height of the top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hc (height of the area where the speakers are located): 77.5%

3, 5, and 6 speakers without screen share:

• Wm (width of the left and right margins): 1.25%
• Wc (width of the area where speakers are located): 97.5%
• Hm (height of the top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hc (height of the area where speakers are located): 77.5%

7, 8, and 9 speakers without screen share:

• Wm (width of the left and right margins): 11.875%
• Wc (width of the area where speakers are located): 76.25%
• Hm (height of the top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hc (height of the area where speakers are located): 77.5%

10 speakers without screen share

• Wm (width of the left and right margins): 3.0625%
• Wc (width of the area where speakers are located): 93.875%
• Hm (height of the top and bottom margins): 11.25%
• Hc (height of the area where speakers are located): 77.5%