Sometimes livestreaming doesn’t always have to be live. Here’s how you can host a livestream with pre-recorded video and make it shoppable with GhostRetail.
Going live with pre-recorded video gives you the flexibility to get added use out of your content while still creating opportunities for interaction and live engagement with your audience. It also gives you the added benefit of removing pressure from the host of a live show where “anything can happen,” allowing them to focus solely on show moderation.
Tip:
While pre-recorded content allows you to create a live show with added editing and polish, it is important that the audience still feels like this is a live event to get excited about. Don’t sacrifice authenticity by overpolishing your content.
You can also seed questions into the pre-recorded content that can in turn be seeded into the chat during the live broadcast. This helps give the appearance that the event is indeed live to audience tuning in.
Setting Up Your Pre-Recorded Content
1. To upload your videos navigate to the Video Cloud within your GhostTV Console.
The Video Cloud is accessed by selecting “Stream A Video File” under the Go Live section of the menu.
Alternatively, you can do this by selecting the Film icon from the Broadcaster view.
2. Select the video file on your computer to upload your video to the library. Everything uploaded is played in 16:9 aspect ratio.
3. Select where you want your video to be played. Do you want this pre-recorded video playing:
In the lobby before your live event?
At the end of your live event?
To be streamed live to your audiences?
4. If you selected “Stream It Live,” your video will be queued up and can be played at any starting point using the video controls.
5. To begin the video broadcast, press the red button. Congratulations, your video is now live!
How to delete videos from your video library
To delete videos that you have uploaded to your video library, navigate to the film icon and select the trash can icon to the far left of the video that you wish to delete.
Requirements
See the below specifications for uploading a pre-recorded video to stream on GhostRetail.
In a 16:9 format.
Resolution of 1280x720 or higher.
Video upload must be in MP4-format.
Important Notes
The larger the file you’re trying to upload, the longer the upload will take. Internet connection is required during the entire upload process and if you are disconnected while uploading, it will stop and you will need to refresh the page and start over again.
You can play and broadcast the video from any point.
The broadcast can be stopped at any time.
We always recommend conducting a few test shows with the same video file prior to your scheduled event. This is recommended to ensure that you are uploading the correct video format and that the video runs smoothly prior to being presented to your audience.