For many broadcasters, the aim is easy: attain as many viewers as attainable. Reaching this, nonetheless, is a little more advanced. Not solely is there extra content material than ever earlier than, but additionally extra platforms competing to your viewers’s consideration. Enter simulcasting.

Additionally referred to as multistreaming, simulcasting is a technical phrase for an easy idea. It describes the power to broadcast a stay or recorded stream to a number of locations directly. These locations can embody web sites or social media platforms like Fb Dwell and YouTube.

On this article, we’ll have a look at why you’d need to do that, completely different choices for simulcasting, and tips on how to get began.

What Is Simulcasting?

To alliterate, simulcasting is concurrently broadcasting to a number of websites — and thus, it describes any instance of transmitting audio and video content material to a number of places directly.

With streaming, these ‘places’ take the type of digital properties, similar to Fb, YouTube, or a good-old web site. However that hasn’t at all times been the case. Initially, simulcasting described the act of distributing the identical program on radio and tv. What’s stayed constant, although, is the top aim: reaching extra customers.

Right here’s a have a look at the textbook definition of simulcasting and the way its which means has developed.

Simulcast Outlined

• Simulcast (noun): An audio/video transmission that concurrently performs on two or extra channels.

• Simulcast, simulcasting (verb): To distribute the identical audio/video transmission throughout two or extra channels on the similar time.

Different Meanings of Simulcast

Simulcasting Utilization Over the Previous 100 Years

1. Early utilization — simultaneous broadcasting on radio and tv: Simulcasting was first coined within the Nineteen Forties to explain the act of broadcasting the identical program on radio and tv. This was accomplished to succeed in finish customers on each mediums, in addition to to complement TV broadcasts with stereo-quality audio.
2. Radio communications — transmitting the identical sign from a number of towers: The radio communications trade has additionally adopted the phrase simulcast to explain the method of transmitting the identical sign from completely different towers for elevated protection. That is utilized in emergencies to make sure that responders keep knowledgeable about crucial conditions throughout a large geographical space.
3. In the present day — distributing the identical content material throughout a number of channels: For the aim of this text and on a regular basis use, simulcasting refers to syndicating audio and video content material to a number of channels, such because the Tremendous Bowl’s stay broadcast to a mixture of tv and digital properties (together with CBS, ESPN, and NFL). In the case of streaming, simulcasting typically describes the act of stay broadcasting on digital channels like web sites and social platforms. That is additionally referred to as multistreaming, a time period rising in reputation.

Multistreaming Utilization Over the Previous 100 Years

Advantages of Simulcasting

Simulcasting is to video distribution what brunch is to daytime eating. Each mix two ideas right into a single phrase (simultaneous + broadcasting = simulcasting ; breakfast + lunch = brunch). And in so doing, each kill two birds with one stone. With brunch, you profit from cramming two meals into one. With simulcasting, you profit from reaching a number of channels (e.g., Fb Dwell and LinkedIn) with a single stay broadcast.

The flexibility to broadcast media to numerous viewers throughout completely different channels was once reserved for main media firms. However fortunately, simulcasting makes it anyone’s for the taking. This interprets to:

• Expanded attain: Dwell streaming social platforms are all over the place, with wide-ranging and area of interest functions. Broadcasting to extra channels equals extra viewers, which is what it’s all about for many content material distributors.
• Elevated model consciousness: With simulcasting, broadcasters can simply entice net-new viewers and get their model’s identify on the market. This helps to diversify your viewers by reaching those that eschew Fb on Twitch, and vice versa.
• Improved engagement: Past simply tapping into a big viewers, a part of the great thing about broadcasting to social media platforms is the chance to foster extra engagement through feedback, likes, and shares. Dwell content material additionally creates a way of immediacy, prompting viewers to cease what they’re doing and tune in from wherever.
• Simplified workflow: Whereas multi-destination streaming will be accomplished with out simulcast know-how, it requires huge quantities of bandwidth and is vulnerable to errors. That’s why it’s essential to begin with the proper instruments. Simulcasting with a streaming platform like Wowza enables you to management the printed from one interface — getting the identical broadcast in your web site and social media platforms directly with much less work than individually streaming to every. What’s extra, stay simulcasting means you don’t must edit and encode every video earlier than sharing it on social.

How Does Simulcast Streaming Work

There are a number of completely different choices for distributing your streams throughout a number of digital channels. Right here’s how they weigh up:

1. Share codes: Using share codes, as supplied by distributors like DaCast, includes sharing a hyperlink to your stream on Fb, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Though a easy solution to do it, this methodology just isn’t technically simulcasting. Reasonably, customers should click on the URL and open the video in a brand new tab. This requires viewers to take extra motion and navigate out of the platform they’re in — leading to a poor consumer expertise and excessive abandonment fee.
2. Third-party software program integration: Suppliers like Restream specialise in multicasting options. With this route, you’ll nonetheless want a video processing resolution like Wowza for transcoding, adaptive bitrate streaming, and the like. Completely different platforms require completely different resolutions (e.g., 720p for Fb vs. 4K for YouTube Dwell), which is why many stay occasion broadcasters mix Wowza’s video platform with a simulcasting-specific resolution like Restream for multi-destination broadcasting.
3. Utilizing Wowza as your simulcasting platform: Simulcasting can be arrange utilizing simply Wowza’s know-how. Our Stream Targets characteristic permits content material distributors to pick out a number of locations for distribution, as demonstrated within the video beneath. This one-in-many-out strategy ensures scalability with out over-complicating your workflow.

The way to Simulcast With Wowza

By way of strategic partnerships with a number of third-party distributors like Fb, we’ve created particular stream targets that guarantee dependable and handy connections. Wowza additionally affords the pliability to succeed in extra locations that aren’t established stream targets utilizing the customized goal possibility.
Try the step-by-step course of for simulcasting to Fb and YouTube by watching the video beneath.

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Simulcasting Greatest Practices

Preparation is vital to any stay streaming occasion. The one distinction with multistreaming is that your viewer rely might be triple what it will be (or extra) — making it much more essential to make sure you’re streaming-ready.

1. Promote in Advance

Give your viewers a heads up by advertising the printed prematurely. Fb adverts are a good way to create hype, and you may as well notify customers by updating your standing or posting a narrative on most social platforms.  

2. Optimize Stream Configurations

It’s a good suggestion to optimize your encoding settings to your particular broadcast. The correct settings will assist enhance the end-user expertise and cut back bandwidth necessities the place attainable. We usually advocate the encoding finest practices detailed in our documentation. You’ll additionally need to test all of your gear earlier than the occasion.

3. Check, Check, Check

The primary solution to keep away from disaster is testing out your situation prematurely. Along with working by way of the complete workflow 24 hours prior, you’ll need to test audio and video proper earlier than going stay.

4. Monitor the Broadcast and Well being Metrics

Ideally, you’d have sufficient in-house workers to watch the printed on every platform otherwise you’d enlist our assist supporting the stay occasion. Wowa’s Skilled Providers staff can maintain every little thing however tip one above, to not point out real-time communication and speedy mitigation throughout your stay broadcast. We additionally present sources to watch well being metrics by yourself accord. Merely take a look at this text for a rundown on the way it works.

Conclusion

There you may have it — every little thing wanted to multiply your viewers by simulcasting with Wowza. What are you ready for? Get began right now by contacting us immediately or signing up for a free trial.

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Further Sources:

• The way to Stream Dwell Occasions:  The Final Information
• Simulcast to Fb and YouTube With Wowza Streaming Engine
• Schedule a Prerecorded Video as Dwell on Fb and YouTube

About Traci Ruether

As a Colorado-based B2B tech author, Traci Ruether serves as Wowza’s content material advertising supervisor. Her background is in streaming and community infrastructure. Apart from writing, Traci enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending high quality time along with her kith and kin. Observe her… View extra