How to use Studio as the host

Below is a step by step guide of how you can set-up and broadcast a live stream using Studio, with invited speakers, shared onscreen content, and engagement options for your participants.

Before you can use Studio, you'll first need to create your live session (virtual or hybrid) and select SpotMe Studio as the provider. When doing so, remember to add the desired engagement features that you wish to use in your stream: Clapping, Q&A, Polls, and live interpretation.

Tip: To ensure that your system and setup will provide the best possible experience to you and to your audience, please check the SpotMe platform user technical requirements.

1. Open a room
   After creating your live stream, the studio is displayed. At this point, the studio is empty.
   You can join a room by clicking on Open room:
   
   

   Once you have clicked Open room, you will have 3 hours to go live and start broadcasting your session to your audience.
   
   IMPORTANT: Rooms will automatically close if, for more than one hour, our system does not detect any streamed content. If this is the case, Backstage will prompt you about automatically closing the room. The room will be closed and you will have to open the room again.
   
   

2. Check your camera and mic & enter Studio
   When entering the studio, you will need to select your camera and microphone, and enter your name as it will be seen in the live stream (by the speakers and the audience).
   Names can only display up to 15 characters. If your name exceeds 15 characters, the name will not be fully displayed in the studio, so you may wish to abbreviate your first name or surname (for example "Jeremy L. or "J. Lotheringham").
   Once this is done, click on Enter studio:
   
   The system will perform a connectivity test to determine whether your system is suitable for streaming. More information
   
   
3. Add Q&A and poll questions
   You can now start to prepare for the session, by adding any desired Q&A questions for the speakers, or adding the polls that will be asked to the audience.
   
   More detailed instructions are available on how to set-up and run live polls, and how to set-up and run a live stream Q&A.
   
   
4. Invite speakers/panelists
   Next, if you haven't done so already, it's time to invite your speakers/panelists to join the studio. You can generate invitation links to your speakers prior to opening the room, or invite them once the room is open.
   To do so, click on the invite 🔗  button, copy the link and share it directly with the speakers so they can join the studio:
   
   Speakers will just need to click on the link to join the studio via their browser.
   We recommend that you share the how to join a live stream as a speaker article to help your speakers feel more comfortable when joining the studio.
   As your speakers join you in the studio, you will see them appear in the Speakers section.
   
   Note: Studio supports up to 10 speakers/moderators in the green room simultaneously, with one host and two screenshares, and up to 10 people live on stage simultaneously, host included. Please note that while screensharing, up to 6 people (host/speakers/moderators) can be live on stage live at a given time.
   
   
5. Add pre-recorded videos to be played in the live stream
   If you wish to play prerecorded videos to your audience during the live session (either as pre-roll at the start, post-roll, or simply during the live session), you can import the video(s) so they are ready to be played at the appropriate moment. More information
   
   
6. Add presentations or content ready to be shared
   While you are waiting for your speakers, you may wish to prepare any slides or content you are planning on screen sharing during the session.
   The recommended way to share your presentation is to use the built-in slide sharing functionality. This feature will allow you to upload your PDF versions of your presentations, directly into Studio, manage who among your speakers can control them, and easily share and navigate through the slides from Studio. More information
   If you are planning on screen sharing a PowerPoint presentation, you can click on the  button and select the screen (displayed content) you want to add to the studio:
   
   Shared screen content will appear as a separate item in the Speakers section.
   Above, in the Speakers section, from left to right we have the host, the screen shared content by the host, and two speakers, all present in the studio.
   Please note that up to 2 screenshares can be added to the green room at a given time. While screensharing live, up to 6 people (host/speakers/moderators) can be live on stage live at a given time. More information on screen-sharing is available in the How to share my screen article.
   
   
7. Prepare stream preview
   Now that everything is ready in the studio, you can now add the host, speakers, and screen-shared content to the stream viewer window (or stream preview).
   To do so, in the Speakers section, click on + for each element to add them to the preview:
   
   Once the elements are added, the screen-shared content will take up the most part of the screen, with the host and speakers visible to the left.
   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.
   
   Actions on speakers in the room:
   Clicking on the ... button for speakers will open a dropdown with actions you can perform on speakers in the room. Here you can kick out the speaker from the live stream, add the speaker to the live stream but with audio only (no video), or change the speaker's name as displayed in the thumbnail and the live broadcast.
   More information on Speaker and moderator/host controls in Studio
   
   
8. Start broadcasting live
   When you are ready to start broadcasting the stream to your audience, check that everyone is ready to start the discussion, and then click on Go live.
   Please note that from the moment you open the room (step 1 above) it can take up to 1 minute for the Go live button to become clickable.
   You'll see the below prompt, with a reminder that you are about to start using your live stream time. Once you click on Go live, you will immediately begin broadcasting to your audience.
   
   
   
9. Manage the live stream broadcast
   Once you have started broadcasting, an End stream button appears on the top right corner.
   You'll also start to see how your participants are engaging with the stream in real-time, through the number of viewers, the number of claps, and any Q&A questions received from your audience via the Q&A tab:
   
   Remember that during your live stream you can use the Q&A questions received from your audience, or use polls to keep you audience engaged. More information on how to use these engagement tools is available in the how to set-up and run live polls, as well as the how to set-up and run a live stream Q&A.
   
   
10. End the live stream broadcast
    Once you have finished the discussion and wish to end the stream broadcast, click on End stream. This will stop the broadcast to your audience instantaneously.
    
    The stream will take a few moments to close, and will prepare an on-demand version of the stream recording. Once the recording is ready, the platform will ask you whether you wish to publish it now, or keep it for later.
    
    More information is available on how to publish an on demand replay of a stream.
    More information is also available on how to download a live stream replay video.
    More information on Speaker and moderator/host controls in Studio is also available.