Help with streaming for a Church

[Dracicida]

Howdy all!
I help run the streaming services at my church. Everything is working wonderfully! There is an issue however, most of my congregation is rather elderly, and a few of the folks who help me run the stream are having a hard time starting the streaming services we broadcast on. I was wondering if there was anyone who happens to know if there is a way to script certain actions such that we do not need to have folks struggling with getting Facebook or YouTube going. Any advice or tips?
Many thanks and blessings!

 

[KUCTech]

Hello Dracicida: Without knowing your particular setup and workflow, I wouldn't know exactly what functions need to be automated. However, I also run a church live stream, and as a general approach, here is what I would look into:

• ". . . getting Facebook or YouTube going.". In our case I stream to Restream (using a free account), which then directs the live stream to wherever you specify. So I would predefine the YouTube and Facebook events ahead of time, and add them to the Restream destinations.
• Then, if your streaming start time is predictable, I would then look into the OBS Plugin Advanced Scene Switcher to trigger Start Streaming at the scheduled time.

I have not used Advanced Scene Switcher, so my suggestion is a bit thin on details, but I believe it to be at least worth looking into. And, in case it helps, here is what AI (Perplexity) has to say about this functionality:

Yes, the OBS Plugin Advanced Scene Switcher can be used to issue the Start Streaming command. Here's how you can set this up:

1. Open the Advanced Scene Switcher settings in OBS by going to Tools -> Advanced Scene Switcher.
2. Navigate to the "Macro" tab.
3. Create a new macro by clicking the "+" button under the Macros list.
4. In the "Edit macro" panel, add a condition that will trigger the start of your stream. This could be based on various factors like time, hotkey, or another event
5. In the actions section of the macro, add a new action by clicking the "+" button.
6. From the action types, select "Streaming" as the action.
7. Configure the action to "Start streaming"

• This setup will allow you to automatically start streaming based on the condition you've set. For example, you could create a macro that starts streaming at a specific time or when a certain scene becomes active.
• It's worth noting that the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin is highly versatile and can automate many aspects of your streaming workflow. In addition to starting the stream, you can use it to switch scenes, play media, adjust audio, and perform many other actions based on various conditions.
• Remember to test your setup thoroughly before using it in a live situation to ensure everything works as expected.

I hope this helps. . .

Tony N.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

I'm another Advanced Scene Switcher(AdvSS) user for House of Worship
I set up Timing automation to change Scenes, start Recording/Streaming, and more
I use a specific start up sequence so we more frequently get the right video thumbnail, and have content for 5 minutes before the start of regular service (to give people time to connect)... most of that automated. That includes a 3-minute 'welcome/walk-up' video, copyright slide with livestream licenses info, etc

Personally, I prefer the security of NOT using Persistent Stream Keys, so we use Operating System Browser (inPrivate mode) to connect to stream preview before every service to get stream key... that Preview window is then effectively the 'Digital usher'
- but I get that not all scenarios have volunteers up to that level of sophistication (and many balls in the air at same time)

 

[Joshua Phillips]

Absolutely understand what you're going through — I help out with church streaming too, and getting volunteers (especially older folks) comfortable with platforms like YouTube or Facebook can be a bit tricky.

What worked for us was simplifying everything as much as possible. Here are a few things you might want to try:

• Use streaming software like OBS and set up a hotkey or desktop shortcut to start everything with one click. You can also use a stream deck or something like AutoHotkey to script the start/stop actions so volunteers don’t need to fiddle with buttons.
• Pre-schedule your streams on YouTube or Facebook — this way, all someone needs to do is open the software and hit “Start Streaming.” It connects automatically.
• If you're streaming to multiple platforms, consider using tools like Restream — it simplifies the process by sending your stream to multiple places at once from a single dashboard.

And if you ever outgrow the public platforms or want a more centralized and distraction-free place for your congregation to watch (no ads, no comments, no login fuss), we started exploring options like VPlayed — it’s a customizable streaming solution that can be hosted on your own site. It’s definitely not plug-and-play like YouTube, but once set up, it’s really smooth and easy for your team to manage without the constant tech hassle.

For More informations checkout: https://www.vplayed.com/religious-streaming-solution.php