How Is Webcasting Done

How Do You Create a Live Stream

Webcasting is the latest craze in broadcasting, or transmitting broadcasts to people over an online network. It has become very popular with streaming audio and television on the Internet. Webcasting is big business for radio stations and corporations who can go live and engage their audience wherever they are and whenever they want by using a laptop computer and a high speed Internet connection.

How Is Webcasting Done?

The first step in webcasting is to choose a broadcast quality audio and video player for your broadcast, such as Windows Media or Flash files that can handle live streaming media. You then need to choose an encoder that will convert your broadcast into the required file format, such as MPEG-2 for video and Windows Media Audio (WMA) for audio. Popular encoders include Xing Technology, Sorenson Video and RealNetworks Helix Streaming Engine.

Once you’ve chosen your encoder, the next step is to choose a streaming server that will be able to support your needs. Some companies offer servers bundled with their encoding software, such as Xing Technology with their XT Live servers, and others offer servers separately. The more complex the encoding software you’ve chosen, the more complex your streaming server needs to be.

After buying or setting up your equipment, you will need to get a broadcaster’s license from either ASCAP or BMI if you are an American station, because webcasting music copyrighted by these companies is illegal. Once you have a license, you need to decide how long you will allow your stream to be available and when it will expire. Also, you need to consider whether or not your company wants to sell banner ads in order to make money from your webcast.

Once all of the above decisions have been made, you need to decide what information and links about your webcast people will be able to access. You will also need to choose a method to track the hits on your page. Once that is set up, schedule when you want your broadcast to go live and then simply click the play button in your encoder software and watch as people around the world tune into your site.

Webcasting is a complex process that requires many different pieces of equipment from different companies, but it has become easier since the arrival of all-in-one encoders. If you’re interested in webcasting, it’s best to choose an experienced company to walk you through the process and make sure your broadcast runs as smoothly as possible.

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