How to live stream a church service
A good stream of a service needs clear sound, a steady picture and a plan for when the internet misbehaves. None of it needs a broadcast truck.
1. Sound first
People forgive a plain picture, never bad sound. Take a clean feed from your mixing desk into the computer with an audio interface or a USB mixer instead of using a microphone in the room. Check levels with the microphone test before the service.
2. One camera or three
Start with one wide camera on a tripod at the back, at eye height. Add a second for close-ups of the speaker, and a third on the choir or the room. Phones work well as extra cameras: see phone as a webcam. A volunteer can cut between them from a phone or tablet with a director role.
3. Song words and notices
Add text layers for song words, readings and the welcome, and a name bar for the speaker. Prepare them as scenes before the service so switching is one press. Starting soon and Ending screens fill the time before and after.
4. A connection that does not give out
Use a cable, not Wi-Fi, for the streaming computer. Then add protection: the Record first keeps viewers a few seconds behind so a short drop never shows, and a second connection (for example a phone on a cable) can take over if the main one fails. See two connections.
5. Record and share
Record the service in full quality while you stream, so you can post it later or cut a short clip for the week. Stream to your website’s page, YouTube or Facebook, or several at once with multistream.
Music permissions
Songs in a service are usually covered by licences that treat streaming separately from singing in the building. Check what your licence includes for online services, and whether the platform you use has its own music rules.
Questions
Do we need a capture card?
Not for webcams, phones or USB cameras. A camera with only an HDMI output needs a cheap HDMI capture device.
Can volunteers run it?
Yes. A simple scene list and a phone remote let someone with no training switch views.
Want all of this in one app?
Streamdzy is a free streaming and recording app for Windows: several cameras, your phone as a camera, going live to many places at once, and recording first so a bad connection never costs you the show.