How do I set up a live stream?
Cinema8’s live streaming lets you create live streams directly from your browser. Start by creating an event, setting when it will take place, choosing where you want to broadcast, and reviewing your setup.
Creating an event does not start your live stream. You can prepare your broadcast in the Studio before you go live.
Step 1: Create a new event
From your Cinema8 dashboard:
- Select Live. This opens the Live Events page.
- Click + New Event.
Step 2: Add your event details
Under Details, enter the information for your live stream:
- Title: Give your event a name.
- Schedule: Set the date, time, and time zone for your event.
- Description: Optionally add a short description of your event.
You do not need to set an end time. The event ends when you stop the live stream.
You can also configure the following options:
Greenroom
Turn on Greenroom and choose how many minutes before the scheduled start time guests can join.
Recording enabled
Turn on Recording enabled if you want Cinema8 to record your broadcast to the Cinema8 cloud.
Recording is available on Live Scale and Live Enterprise plans. When recording is enabled, the completed broadcast is processed after the stream ends and becomes available as a replay and as an editable Cinema8 video.
Click Continue when you’re ready.
Step 3: Add your destinations
Under Distribution, choose where you want your live stream to be broadcast.
Click + Add a destination and select a destination. Cinema8 supports:
- Cinema8 player (Scale plan and above)
- YouTube
- Twitch
- Kick
- Custom RTMP (Basic plan and above)
The destinations available to you depend on your Live plan. You can add multiple destinations if your plan supports multistreaming.
You must add at least one destination to continue unless Recording enabled is turned on. With recording enabled, you can create a record-only event without broadcasting it to a destination.
Step 4: Invite guests
You can optionally invite guests to your live stream during the Distribution step.
Click + Add invite to send a magic-link invitation. Guests can use the link to join from their browser without creating a Cinema8 account or installing software.
Guest invitation links expire after seven days.
You can skip this step and invite guests later from the People tab.
Step 5: Review your event
Once you have configured your destinations and any guest invitations, click Continue to open Review.
Check your event details and distribution settings before continuing.
When you’re ready, click Enter Studio.
Entering the Studio does not start your broadcast. Nothing goes live until you select Go live from the Studio.
What happens next?
Before starting your broadcast, you’ll complete a pre-flight check and prepare your live stream in the Cinema8 Studio.