An event (such as a meetup) can be live streamed using the YouTube Live (YTL) service. This was originally called Google Hangouts On Air (GHOA) and was rebranded in 2016. The service is free and works very well.
YTL is very useful for live streaming because it makes the stream available via YT and automatically records and saves on YT.
Another advantage is that the event creator can select what will appear in the stream. This can be the presenter camera, desktop, window or if the presenter joins the YTL event they can stream from their desktop or a slide window. The event creator can then select the presenter stream to go in the output stream. It can be useful for the event creator to switch between the presenter slide stream and the camera view just to make it more interesting for the viewers.
- external USB camera or similar, the Logitech 4k web cam (aka Brio) works well but so will probably any other web cam
- youtube account with live streaming enabled (this involves accepting their terms)
- go to youtube.com
- select
my channel - select
video manager(on the top) - select
live streaming(in the left panel) - select
events(on the left) - select
new live event(on the right) - enter a title
- enter the date, time and 2 hour duration
- enter the description
- select
public(on the right) - select a type of
quick (using Google Hangouts On Air)(on the right) - select
create event(on the bottom right)
The event is now scheduled.
- when the meeting is about to begin plugin the desired camera
- go to youtube
- go to
my channel - go to
video manager - go to
live streaming - go to
events - select
upcoming - you should see your named event, select
start hangout on air - a window will pop up
- the default camera view should be in the window
- select the settings gear icon (next to telephone icon)
- your camera should be in the first pull down
- select the camera microphone in the second pulldown
- mute your laptop microphone
- select
saveto save the settings - the selected camera view should be in the hangout window now
- select
start broadcastat the bottom - confirm with
ok - select the invite people icon to invite the presenter
- enter presenter email address and send
- the presenter should get an invite email and be able to join the hangout (after accepting the terms)
- the presenter then uses the second icon called
screenshareon the left to select what to screenshare - the event creator then can use the same icon to select whether to stream the camera view or presenter stream
- the volume level will appear next to the
stop broadcasticon and should show how well the audio is streaming - when the event is over the event creator selects
stop broadcastto end the stream - the event creator ends the hangout by selecting the
leave call(telephone) icon - the video will shortly automatically appear on youtube