This guide shows you how to set up and conduct a live stream test with your speakers, moderators, and captioners — only one aspect of testing your Event App. Use a test stream to rehearse, put speakers and staff at ease before the event, and help evaluate a particular third-party caption provider.
If you plan to pre-record presentations and use the recordings as Simulive content, use this process to create a secret stream for recording. 🤫
For a video version of this guide, watch our Go Live And Test Your Stream video.
Before you begin...
Read our guide to using the Webex Events Production Studio.
Review our general Streaming Best Practices.
Refer to our Webex Events Production Studio FAQs article for some great pro tips.
Set up a test Live Stream feature
The Webex Events Production Studio lets you go live multiple times in a single Studio, so you can test with the same Studio you'll use on event day if you want to. 👍 This can simplify coordinating the test with speakers since you don't have to send an additional speaker link for the test. If you want to test in your main studio, skip this section of the article.
If you'd rather not use the actual live stream because attendees are already in your Event App, follow the instructions below to set up a test live stream.
In your Event navigation bar, click Event App.
Click Features.
Click the Add Features button.
In the modal that appears, search for the Live Stream feature, click Add, then close the modal.
Click the Settings (⚙️) icon on the feature and name it something with "Test" at the end. If attendees are already using your Event App, consider creating a hidden group that's only for speakers and staff so attendees can't find or join the stream. Simply select your hidden group in the 'Visible To' field, and attendees won't know it exists. 🤭
Next, click Edit on the test feature and select Production Studio as the stream provider. If you'll use chat for your stream, activate it so you can test that, too.
Click Save Changes to finalize the stream provider selection and generate the speaker link and 'Launch Studio' button.
💡 Keep in mind, if you're using Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations for one or more of your live streams, activate it for your test stream to preview how they work on the Mobile App and web version.
Invite testers
Edit the Live Stream feature or Session where you're conducting your test.
Click Copy next to the 'Invite Speakers' link. Distribute the link and our speaker instructions to anyone joining your test session.
Consider sharing this fun streaming best practices video we made to show some common best practices.
💡 Keep in mind, never share the link that opens when you click 'Launch Studio'. This link is unique per user and is replaced with a new link every 24 hours for security purposes.
Anyone who should have access to control transitions, banners, overlays, and layouts in the Studio must have access to the Webex Events platform so they can click the 'Launch Studio' button. Invite them to your Webex Events team, then have them click Launch Studio in the test session instead of using the speaker link.
Prepare assets
Before you start your test, click the Launch Studio button and upload any banners, logos, overlays, presentations, or videos the actual sessions will use. Read our guide to the Webex Events Production Studio for instructions on adding these assets.
💡 Keep in mind, when you upload assets to any Studio in your Event App, those assets are available in every other Studio! ✅
Running the test
When you and your speakers are ready for the test, click Launch Studio from the 'Edit Live Stream' or 'Edit Session' modal. Speakers will use the speaker link you sent them.
💡 Keep in mind, a maximum of 13 people can be in the Webex Events Production Studio at one time. If you have more than 12 speakers at your event, you'll need to set up multiple testing sessions so everyone has a chance to rehearse.
Explore the studio
Give everyone plenty of time to adjust their settings, learn keyboard shortcuts, and get comfortable with the Studio space. Demonstrate how transitions, chats, Q&A, polls, brands, media, banners, and studio chat work before you click 'Go live'.
If you make a mistake or want to try something different, don't worry! That's why you're testing. You can go live multiple times in the same Studio if needed. 👍
Go live!
When everyone is comfortable and ready, click Go live and start the rehearsal. Pay special attention to each presenter's audio and video for any echo, lagging, or glitches so they can resolve those before the real session.
Watch the stream
Open the Event App's web version in a different browser tab to experience the live stream as attendees do. Preview the stream in the Mobile App, too!
If you have Chat activated, add some chat messages so speakers understand how chats are highlighted in the stream. Webex Events Production Studio also lets you highlight Q&A questions and Poll results in the stream.
Download recordings
If you're using this process to pre-record a session for simulive streaming later, anything that happened in the stream after you clicked 'Go live' will be recorded and available for download. To access the video download, click the Recordings button next to the 'Go Live' button.
💡 Keep in mind, recordings from Webex Events Production Studio are automatically added to Video Center, and you can access them in the Recordings tab within 5 minutes of ending the stream. To learn more, read our article about Video Center.
Now you know how to run a test stream. Don't forget to test your Event App, too!
Questions? Chat with us or email support@socio.events.