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Use Pre-recorded Video in Your Streams
Use Pre-recorded Video in Your Streams

Use Webex Events Production Studio or other platforms to show your content

Daniel Murphey avatar
Written by Daniel Murphey
Updated over 3 months ago

Whether you're hosting a video for people to watch at their leisure, showing a video as if it were live, or incorporating pre-recorded content into a live stream with real-time presenters, this article explains options and general steps for each scenario. Use the included links to other articles to learn more about each step if you need more context.

💡 Keep in mind, we also have instructions on how to add live stream recordings to your Event App if you simply want to know how to do that.

Pre-recorded video playing in an Agenda session.

How you create and record content is entirely up to you. If you're doing a combination of pre-recorded and fully live streams, 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 broadcast. Read our article about running a test stream to learn how to practice and pre-record content.

💡 Keep in mind, if you use Webex Events Production Studio 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.

🌟 Webex Events Simulive and Video on Demand

If you've pre-recorded your entire stream and simply want to host the video online and then add it to a Session or Live Stream feature, this is 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 more information, read our Video Center guide.

Externally hosted Video

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 the following providers:

  • YouTube

  • Vimeo

  • Twitch

  • Wistia

    💡 Keep in mind, Wistia is great for secure video hosting since attendees can't copy and share the link outside the Event App.

  • DailyMotion

  • Facebook

  • Streamable

  • SoundCloud

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

Add the video link to a Session or Live Stream feature

If you're using the Live Stream feature:

  1. Add or edit the Live Stream feature.

  2. Click the Stream provider drop-down.

  3. Select the correct provider.

  4. Paste in the URL. In the screenshot example below, we're using YouTube to host the video.

    The Edit Live Stream modal. YouTube is selected.

If you're adding a video to a Session:

  1. Add or edit the Session,

  2. Click the Stream provider drop-down.

  3. Select the correct provider.

  4. Then paste in the URL.

  5. Paste the same link in the Video Recording field so it remains available after the Session ends.

    💡 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 in the 'Video Recording' field. Some hosting sites support simulated streaming like Simulive, so consult your chosen provider's documentation for details.

  6. Whichever option you use, make sure the 'Open in external browser' box isn't checked.

Full or partial pre-recorded streams with the Webex Events Production Studio

This use case is useful when:

  • You want your live stream to be fully or partially pre-recorded, and you also want to take advantage of the Webex Events Production Studio's features, such as banners and backgrounds.

  • You want to play more than one video during a stream and don't want to splice the video files together.

    💡 Keep in mind, uploading videos to the Studio the day before the live stream guarantees they're ready when it's time to go live.

Uploading videos to the Webex Events Production Studio

To use pre-recorded video in the Webex Events Production Studio, open the Studio and upload videos to the 'Media' tab. For complete instructions to accessing the Studio and uploading videos, read our guide to using the Webex Events Production Studio.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

  • Videos must be 16:9 ratio and no less than 720p.

    • The recommended size for videos is 1920 x 1080 px.

  • Videos must be MP4, AVI, MPG, MPEG, or MOV files and no larger than 8 GB.

  • Processing and upload time will vary depending on internet connection. Uploads can take up to 2x the video duration. For example, a 1-hour video may take up to 2 hours to upload and process.

Simply click the video when you're ready to play it in your live stream.

The Video section of the Media tab in the Webex Events Production Studio.

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

Partially pre-recorded streams

This use case is for when you have live speakers who 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 as described in the preceding section, the Webex Events RTMP player, or meeting software.

Webex, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Zoom

If you're using meeting software for your live streams, be aware that meeting links always open externally, not embedded in the Event App. Our top recommendations are Webex, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. 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 can't integrate Webex Events Chat, Q&A, or Polling features into the live stream and will need to use another solution.

Add the Meeting Link to Webex Events

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

If you're using a Session, add or edit the Session, select the correct provider from the Stream provider drop-down, then paste in the meeting URL.

The Edit Live Stream modal and the Live Stream section of the Agenda session creation modal. A Webex link is filled in.

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

Webex Events RTMP Player + Streaming or meeting software

Many software tools can stream via RTMP to display video within Webex Events, such as OBS and vMix. Your professional AV 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?

Questions? Chat with us or email support@socio.events.

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