Frequently asked questions about Studio

General

What are the bandwidth requirements for Studio?

We recommend 10 mbps for both upload and download speed. You can use fast.com to check your internet connection.

Can I stream from an RTMPS endpoint into Studio?

Only webcams are supported as a video input for Studio. To add advanced graphics we recommend using RTMPS streaming and tools such as OBS.

How much does Studio cost?

Studio is available to all SpotMe Anywhere customers at no additional cost.

Using Studio

How many speakers can be in Studio at a given time?

In the green room:
Up to 10 people are supported simultaneously. This includes one host + moderators + speakers, and up to two screenshares can also be added.

Live on screen without scrensharing:
Up to 10 people are supported simultaneously. This includes one host + moderators + speakers simultaneously.

Live on screen while screensharing is live on screen:
Up to 6 people are supported live on stage simultaneously while screensharing is live on screen. This includes one host + moderators + speakers simultaneously. To add more people, the screensharing will need to be removed from the live.

What happens when an 11th person joins the Studio green room?
If there are already 10 people in the green room, and they are all speakers, and the person who is trying to join is a moderator or a host, then the host/moderator will be allowed to join the green room.

If there are already 10 people in the green room, including at least one host or moderator, then the person joining (whether host, moderator or speaker) will not be able to join the green room.

In any case, if an 11th person tries to join the green room as a speaker, they will not be able to join.

To note, a host or a moderator is permitted to join a green room that is made up fully of 10 speakers in order to ensure that the speakers are never left alone in a green room, and so that there will always be at least one host or moderator that can join and manage the green room.

Example: If I have 1 host, and 3 moderators in the room, how many speakers can join?
Greenroom:
10 people max - 1 host - 3 moderators = 6 speakers
Live on stage without screensharing:
10 people max - 1 host - 3 moderators = 6 speakers
Live on stage with screensharing:
6 people max - 1 host - 3 moderators = 2 speakers

How can I mute or unmute a speaker?

As a host, you cannot directly unmute speakers to due technical and privacy limitations. You can however use the speaker thumbnail buttons to mute them, ask them to unmute themselves or start their camera. More information is available on all the available Studio controls.

After performing these actions, the speaker will see a full-screen popup asking them to toggle their settings, or a notification informing them of the performed action.

Can I play pre-recorded videos or run simu-live sessions?

You can play pre-recorded videos using SpotMe Studio or RTMPS streaming. More information

I need to host a session with more than 10 speakers on stage, what can I do?

If you expect more than 10 speakers to be simultaneously in your session, there are several alternatives:

Using Studio

You can create an additional Studio room to host your "green room" with 10 additional speakers that are not currently presenting. As speakers need to present, you can direct them from green room to the main Studio room by pasting its invite link in the green room's chat.

Once a speaker finishes their presentation they can leave the main Studio room to free up a seat for next speaker.

Using 3rd party products

If using a Studio green room is not a viable alternative, you may instead consider using 3rd party video conferencing or live video broadcasting products. Using SpotMe Streaming you can then easily stream a video conference to SpotMe, such as Zoom or Webex.

I can't share my webcam or microphone

If your webcam or microphone are not showing up in Studio, you can try following steps:

1. Ensure Studio has permissions to access your webcam and microphone. If you see a camera icon with a red cross, it means Studio does not have permissions to access your webcam. Click on the icon, allow access and reload the page.
   
2. Make sure no other apps are using your webcam: If you are on Windows, your webcam can be used by only one app at a time. Stop sharing your webcam in another conferencing tool before joining studio.
3. Plug-in in your webcam: If are using an external USB camera, make sure it's plugged in. Reload your web browser after plugging it in.

I can't share my screen

If you are a Mac OS user, check out our guide on how to enable screensharing on Mac OS.

Is it possible to use a background image in SpotMe Studio?

Yes, you can personalize the live stream design by adding a custom background. More information

How can I make the live stream available for the participants to replay?

Once the live session stream has finished, you can publish it and it will be available in all the places where the live session was linked. You can also download the video and publish it outside of SpotMe. More information on publishing or downloading your live session stream.
Please note that to make your event recorded live streams accessible on demand, you will need to make sure that you have extended the end date of your workspace to accommodate that on-demand availability.

How can participants access the live stream?

You can link the live session as a quick link to your home page, add a dedicated app menu item, or link it to a session, content page, etc. Another option for web app only would be to autostart the live session from Live session > Preferences > Live session autostart.

Can a speaker or moderator join SpotMe Studio using a mobile phone or a tablet?

Mobile phones cannot be used for accessing SpotMe Studio.

If the moderator or speaker is accessing an in-person live session, or a hybrid live session using an in-person tailored permalink, then they can use a tablet in Studio, but only in order to see or manage interactivity such as moderate Q&A questions and run polls.

If the moderator or speaker is accessing an virtual live session, or a hybrid live session using a virtual tailored permalink, then they cannot use a tablet in Studio, and instead can only use a laptop or desktop computer. More information on joining Studio as a speaker.

I'm unable to connect to Studio

If for example you are getting the message “Studio couldn't connect at all with your device. This is likely caused by firewall settings, which might require additional network configuration by your IT admin.”, we recommend that you refer the following information on our knowledge base to help you resolve the issue.

Can we share the speaker link prior to the live session, or they will be changed/expire?

You can share the Speaker link at your convenience after creating the live session, the link will remain working unless you delete the live session.

Can we extend the Studio preview duration time?

By default the Studio preview time (time before a stream is automatically closed) is 3 hours, and can be extended up to 10 hours (maximum).

Security

How secure are Studio links?

Studio links for speakers contain a unique 32 character random token that identifies a specific room.

Unlike Zoom or other meeting software where tokens are 9-digit numeric codes, Studio links are not subject to Zoombombing.

How secure is Studio's video conferencing?

Check out our article on security of RTMPS streaming and Studio.