Livestreaming

Lessons in Live Streaming Entrepreneurship, Knowing Your Why and Bringing Value

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In my latest podcast, I spoke with Chris Carson, founder and CEO of SteadiReadi, a video production and live streaming company based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

We hit on so many great topics as it pertains to streaming, video and running a production company, but one topic in particular that stands out is why Chris gives so much knowledge away for free.

We hear social media and entrepreneur stars like Gary Vaynerchuk preaching this all the time, but it’s easy to debate internally whether or not this concept actually works. If I give this away for free, will it really result in more business in the long run? Will it really open up the door for new professional relationships?

“It has…changed everything for my life and for my business by doing so,” says Chris. “I think that when we all win, we all win. Whatever that looks like.”

Check out the video below for more, and please check out the latest episode of the podcast for the full interview with Chris.

His passion for video and streaming is unparalleled, and I really think that comes across in our conversation.

Livestreaming

Successful Live Streaming Means Being Comfortable with Failure

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In this clip, I talk with CEO and founder of DMVStream.com, B.J. Koubaroulis on how failures paved the way for learning and eventual success for his sports live streaming business. From attempting to stream a lacrosse game using a laptop and Jetpack hotspot, to now running hundreds of feet of ethernet cable from a production truck, B.J. has come a long way in his productions.

In my experience streaming, you absolutely need to be comfortable with the “fail forward” concept. Inevitably, no matter how many times you’ve done it, every stream comes with its own unique setup, challenges and surprises.

But with experience comes learning how to be prepared and better respond to challenging situations, should they arise.

Watch my full interview with B.J. here.

Livestreaming

Starting a Video Production Company, COVID’s Impact on Sports Broadcasting

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In episode TWO of the podcast, I had a chat with entrepreneur live streamer B.J. Koubaroulis. B.J. is the CEO and Founder of DMVStream.com, a product of Synthesis Multimedia Productions.

With a client list that includes ESPN, Fox Sports, CBSsports.com, The Washington Post, among others, Synthesis Multimedia has emerged as the Mid-Atlantic’s top provider of sports multimedia.

In this interview, B.J. and I discuss how he started his production company back in 2007 and how it’s grown over the last 13 years. We talk about his early vision for streaming and how that’s evolved.

We also talk equipment, learning from failure and thoughts he has for anyone thinking of starting their own production company.

Lastly, we look into how COVID-19 has affected his business as well as his thoughts on whether COVID will have a more permanent effect on sports broadcasting.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think! Full video interview below.

Livestreaming

Producing Quality Live Streams From My Basement

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Since COVID-19 forced many businesses to implement telework policies in mid-March 2020, I’ve been producing live streams to Facebook and LinkedIn almost daily. Here’s a look at the short list of equipment I use to keep my streams online and running in high quality.

Of course, I have the standard laptop, mouse, power strip, but specific to streaming, I’ve added a few tools that have put my mind a bit more at ease producing at-home streams for worldwide audiences.

ipad pro on monopod

I’ll first mention that I mainly use Switcher Studio to produce my streams. If you haven’t checked them out, please do. I’ve been using the product for 3+ years, and it just keeps getting better. But Switcher only works with iOS devices, so I use an iPad Pro 2018 as my main production hub.

To help with strain on my neck, I decided to get something that would raise my iPad to eye level, so I bought a Koolehaoda monopod. I also know folks that buy light stands for this sort of thing, but the monopod saved a few bucks. This Ulanzi tripod mount keeps the iPad in place.

To better ensure I don’t lose connection while I’m live, I wanted to somehow get an ethernet connection in my basement. My main home WiFi modem/router is a floor above my office space. I was very close to drilling holes through my floor, but then I discovered the TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter.

This adapter uses the electrical wiring in your home to establish ethernet connections in different areas of the house where you may not be able to simply run ethernet cable. I highly recommend this piece of equipment for at-home streamers. I haven’t had a stream drop since purchasing in August 2020.

And since I use an iPad for my production hub, I need to get an ethernet connection to it. The Anker USB 3.0 Hub with ethernet converter paired with Apple’s USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter takes care of that. What’s great about this setup is I can also get power to my iPad using the Apple adapter. I could also bring in external audio sources to the Anker Hub if I wanted, as it has three USB ports.

I won’t go into camera setup, as a lot of the streams I produce involve remote guests and not me as an on-camera host, but maybe for another post.

But that’s it! I would consider those items to be my essentials in creating reliable, quality live streams from my basement.

Any questions? What does your home setup look like? Let me know in the comments!

Livestreaming

Video Storytelling After COVID-19

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Remote live video production saves on time and cost. It’s also effective. What will video production and live video look like after COVID-19?

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to present to my local Public Relations Society of America Chesapeake Chapter on remote video production and how you can easily and effectively work it into your content strategy.

I covered live streaming, tools to get started, and my opinion on the outlook of producing video whenever we come out of COVID-19.

As awful as the pandemic is, there have been some lessons learned and innovation in the video space along the way. I don’t see those lessons being forgotten.

Hope you enjoy!

Livestreaming

How to Be Better at Livestreaming

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I had the privilege of recently joining one of the top content marketers in the industry, Christoph Trappe, for a conversation on how to make live streaming easier and more effective. It was a great chat with Christoph as well as Marc Gawith of Switcher Studio.

We talked about live streaming best practices, getting comfortable with going on air, as well as how to re-purpose your streams. Check it out.

Christoph’s website: https://authenticstorytelling.net/

Switcher Studio: https://www.switcherstudio.com/

Livestreaming

Remote Guest Live Stream – Career Coaching

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Full live stream produced from Maryland with the subject matter expert located in North Carolina. Huge benefit of using a tool like Switcher Studio that offers a video chat option allowing the addition of remote guests.

We run a regular monthly series using this format.

Equipment used:

Livestreaming

Hosting a Facebook Live from Anywhere – What You Need

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Mobile rig for live streaming.

Check out a live stream I produced using the rig pictured here.

Sometimes, the best Facebook Live events are the simplest ones. No fancy graphics, no camera switching. Just good, authentic, informative content for the relevant audience.

To produce something like that, you really need three things: Power, connectivity and audio.

Power

If you don’t have power, you don’t have a broadcast. Make sure whatever camera or phone you’re using has a full charge or is plugged into power during your broadcast.

Connectivity

Notice how video quality isn’t on this list. That’s because with strong connectivity, you really won’t have to worry about video quality being an issue. I regularly go live using iOS devices using only cellular connectivity. If the signal is strong, the broadcast quality is great. The important thing here is to make sure you test, test and test again. Go to the location of your shoot well ahead of the day of your event to make sure the cell signal is enough if you’re going this route.

Obviously, if you can go with an ethernet or strong, secure Wi-Fi network, do that. But we’re talking simplicity here. All the options for connectivity are for another post.

Audio

If they can’t hear you, what’s the point? I absolutely recommend investing in a small microphone to attach to your camera or phone to use during your broadcasts. I love the Rode Videomicro.

I know this all seems pretty basic, but the point here is that going live is incredibly simple. And as a tactic that can really take your business to the next level, the simplicity is important to note.

Equipment in photo:

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