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Should I use the Live Stream feature or Sessions for my live stream?
Should I use the Live Stream feature or Sessions for my live stream?

Pros and cons to help you decide which feature to use for your live stream.

Daniel Murphey avatar
Written by Daniel Murphey
Updated over 2 months ago

Webex Events provides two ways to host a live stream in your Event App — the Live Stream feature and Agenda Sessions. Beyond deciding which live streaming provider to use, you may also wonder whether it makes more sense to use the Live Stream feature or Sessions to show your live streams.

This article outlines general guidelines and pros and cons for each option to help you decide which is best for your event. If you're still unsure after reading this article, start a chat with our amazing support team using the chat bubble in the lower right corner of this screen, or reach out to your Webex Events contact.

General guidelines

  • The Live Stream feature is best if your event is only a few hours long or has one or two live streams that don't overlap with each other. You can go live multiple times with Webex Events Production Studio, so there's no need to add one or two Sessions to the Agenda feature. When attendees click the Live Stream feature on the Event App, the stream opens immediately, removing the extra step attendees would take to join an Agenda Session live stream.

  • Live stream Sessions are ideal if your event contains multiple streaming sessions, or if your event has live stream sessions going on at the same time. The Live Stream feature is simply the streaming video and any Chat, Q&A, Polling, or Custom Tabs you add to it. Sessions include all of these, plus unique descriptions, speaker information, links, and more to help attendees learn about each session. If you want an information-rich live stream experience, Sessions are for you.

  • We generally don't recommend using a combination of both the Live Stream feature and Agenda Sessions because attendees may get confused about where to access each stream. If you want to highlight your keynote, this can be a great option, however.

Live Stream feature pros and cons

A Live Stream feature live stream on the Web App.

Pros

  • The Live Stream feature is simple:

    • Speakers all have the same link, which reduces the risk of using the wrong link to join the live stream.

    • Keeping track of only one link and one stream makes it easier for you to manage the stream.

    • Attendees won't have to juggle multiple links to different streams.

  • The Live Stream feature can use all the same engagement options as Sessions, including Chat, Q&A, and Polling.

  • You may need fewer moderators or admins for the live stream.

Cons

  • If you use a single Live Stream feature for multiple different talks and you use Chat, Q&A, and Polling, all of that engagement data appears together in Metrics and data exports. This makes it harder to analyze details about engagement for each session.

  • The Live Stream feature may not be a good option if you plan to have multiple live streams going at the same time. Clear naming helps, though attendees may still get confused.

  • If you're running a single stream with multiple sessions, you must commit to one streaming provider. Plan carefully to ensure the provider you choose has the functionality you need for each session. Remember that you can go live multiple times in the same studio with Webex Events Production Studio!

  • Agenda Sessions have built-in note-taking functionality for attendees to use during each session. If this is something you want while using the Live Stream feature, you'll need to add a Custom Tab to embed a third-party note-taking site.

Agenda Session pros and cons

A live stream in an Agenda Session on the Web App.

Pros

  • You can have different live stream providers for each Session, giving you lots of flexibility with how each stream is produced and structured.

  • Chat, Q&A, Polling, and attendance are much easier to track since each Session's data is separate from the others in metrics and data exports.

  • This is your best option for events with multiple live streams happening at the same time or spread over multiple days.

  • Attendees can add Sessions to their personal agenda and use the built-in note-taking tool.

  • Agenda Sessions offer a rich information experience and cross-linking to speakers, sponsors, map locations, and more!

Cons

  • Each Session has a different live stream link. This requires coordination and organization to ensure that speakers are in the correct Session at the right time.

  • With multiple individual Sessions to launch and manage, you may need more moderators or admins.

Now that you know more about how live streaming works in Agenda Sessions and the Live Stream feature, read our Live Streaming Best Practices for guidance on hosting an amazing live stream.

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

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