Sometimes it simply makes more sense to show audiences pre-recorded content. Whether you're hosting a video for people to watch at their leisure, showing a video as live content, or inserting pre-recorded content into a live stream with real presenters, this article shows what your options are for each scenario.

This article provides general steps for each option. Use the included links to other articles to learn more about each step if you're not already familiar. If you simply want to know how to add session recordings to your Event App, read our Add Session Recordings to your Event App article to learn how.

How you create and record content is entirely up to you. If you're doing a combination of pre-recorded and fully-live streams, you might consider using the Webex Events Production Studio to record your content and then download the stream recording so that it matches nicely with the live sessions. Read our article about running a test stream to learn how to practice and pre-record.

⭐️ Keep in mind, if you use Webex Events Production Studio, Webex Events Streaming by Restream, or the RTMP player for fully or partially pre-recorded video, you still get the benefit of using Webex Events Chat, Q&A, Polling, Custom Tab, and Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations.

If you've pre-recorded your entire stream and simply want to host video online and then add it to a session or Live Stream feature, this is the method for you! Whether you want the content to play as Simulive or as Video on Demand, the Webex Events Video Center has you covered. For information on how to use Video Center, refer to our Video Center guide.

If for some reason you don't want to use Video Center, you can still show a video in your Event App by hosting it on an external site. Keep reading to learn more about this method.

For external video hosting, we recommend one of these providers:

Once you've uploaded your video to your chosen hosting site, copy the public URL.

If you're using the Live Stream feature, add or edit the feature, and select the correct provider from the 'Live Stream' drop-down, then paste in the URL. In the example below, we're using YouTube to host the video.

If you're adding video to a session, add or edit the session, and select the correct provider from the 'Live Stream' drop-down, then paste in the URL. Paste the same link into the Video Recording field so it remains available after the session ends.

Whichever option you're using, make sure 'Open in external browser' isn't checked.

⭐️ Keep in mind, if you want to make sure the video seems like a live broadcast, wait until after the session’s end time to put the link into the 'Video Recording' field. Some hosting sites support simulive-like streaming, so refer to your chosen provider's documentation for details.

This use case is for when you want your live stream to be fully pre-recorded or partially pre-recorded, and you also want to take advantage of the features that come with Webex Events Production Studio or Webex Events Streaming by Restream, such as banners and backgrounds. This is also useful if you want to play more than one video during a stream, and you don't want to splice the video files together.

Pro tip! 😎 We recommend uploading videos to the studio the day before the live stream so they're ready when it's time to go live.

Get familiar with Webex Events Production Studio and upload the videos you'll use in the Studio's 'Media' tab. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind about videos in Webex Events Production Studio:

When you're ready to show the video, simply click the video you'd like to play, and it starts playing in your live stream.

⭐️ Keep in mind, live streams reach audiences on a 10-15 second delay. When Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations is enabled, this delay is about 40-45 seconds.

For full instructions, read our guide to using the Webex Events Production Studio.

Familiarize yourself with the Restream studio and upload any Video Clips you'll use for your stream.

When you're ready to show the video, simply click the video clip you'd like to play, and it starts playing in your live stream immediately.

If you want to use Captions, Logos, and Overlays in the stream while a Video Clip is playing, click the Settings (⚙️) icon and turn on the 'Show graphics and captions on top of video clips' setting.

For full instructions, refer to our guide on using Webex Events Streaming by Restream.

If you want a fully pre-recorded stream and you'd like to highlight chat messages or use banners and overlays, Webex Events Streaming's Video storage or Local video features could be the way to go.

⭐️ Keep in mind, when sharing Local video, your internet speed may affect the quality of the video in the stream. We recommend using Video storage or Video clips for the best results. Follow Restream's video and audio guidelines for the best recording and encoding settings.

To use either of these options, simply click the Add Source (+) button. In the modal that appears, click either Video storage or Local video.

Use Overlays and Captions and even highlight Chat questions like you would in a normal live stream. 🎉

⭐️ Keep in mind, video controls at the bottom of the studio may briefly appear in your live stream when you add a local video file, which could break the illusion that the content is really happening live. Practice adding the video file before going live to make sure everything goes smoothly.

For full instructions, refer to our guide on using Webex Events Streaming by Restream.

This use case is for when you have live speakers that will be presenting to your attendees, and you also have some recorded content to show along the way. For this, use Webex Events Production Studio, Webex Events Streaming by Restream, the Webex Events RTMP player, or other meeting software.

Meeting software is a good option if you don't want to use the Webex Events Production Studio or Webex Events Streaming by Restream. Our top recommendations are Webex, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. Refer to these services’ respective guides for best practices on sharing a video during a live stream:

⭐️ Keep in mind, if you use one of these services, you won't have the benefit of integrating Webex Events Chat, Q&A, or Polling features into the live stream and will need to use another solution.

If you're using the Live Stream feature, add or edit the feature, select the correct provider from the 'Live Stream' drop-down, then paste in the meeting URL. In this example, we're using Webex as the meeting provider.

If you're using an Agenda session, add or edit the session, select the correct Provider from the list, then paste in the meeting URL. In this example, we've selected Other as the provider and pasted in a Microsoft Teams link.

⭐️ Keep in mind, none of these meeting providers are embeddable in Webex Events via a link, so always make sure the 'Open in external browser box' is checked.

When attendees click the 'Join Live Stream' button, they'll be prompted to open the meeting platform outside the Webex Events Platform.

Many software tools can stream via RTMP to display video within Webex Events, such as OBS and vMix. Your professional A/V team of choice can mix live and pre-recorded elements as well. RTMP can get a little technical, and the possibilities for streaming with it are too many to list here. Read our Introduction to Webex Events RTMP Player article for a complete overview.

If you use the RTMP player, you still get the benefit of using Webex Events Chat, Q&A, and Polling.

Now you know all about using pre-recorded video in your live streams! Why not learn about how to add video to Sponsor profiles, too?