When you create a live event on Vimeo, you have the option to use an external encoder via RTMP or Vimeo’s web-based production tool suite, which allows you to use your webcam, invite other guest speakers into the stream, playback videos from your account within your stream, and manage other various production elements from a single browser window.
This article will walk through the web-based production tool page.
When creating the event, you will see a Production mode section under Live broadcast settings. Select Stream through your browser, then complete the event setup steps to enter the web-based production tool page.
In this article:
- The event player
- Layouts
- Scenes
- Production elements
- Speakers
- Videos
- Images
- Slides
- Brand
- Lower thirds
- Auto closed captions
- Polls
- Q&A
- Speaker chat
- Audience chat
- Stream output
- Stream health
- Select your production mode and go live
The event player
In the middle of the page is a player that shows the currently selected scene. Upon creating a new event, the player will be empty. All scenes added to the event are located under the player. Before your event is live, you can select and edit scenes within the player. Once you Go live, selecting a scene under the player will send it live immediately.
On the left of the page, you can see your webcam preview within the Speakers tab.
At the bottom of the page, you will find microphone and camera settings. Select the microphone icon to turn on or off your mic. Select the camera icon to enable or disable your camera. Select the ^ icon on each button to open settings.
Additional information on microphone and camera settings
- If you have any other connected inputs, such as USB microphones and webcams, these should show up under the Camera and audio settings.
- Within camera settings, Chrome users can use Effects to customize their background.
- Some more advanced inputs may require an external encoder to work on Vimeo.
- You can find the option to share your screen here as well.
Layouts
Above is the event player, select Layouts to choose a scene’s layout from a set of predefined layout templates. We support 18 different templates.
By default, the selected layout type is “auto-layout.” This layout automates the live event to continue setting the layout on the broadcaster’s behalf.
Each layout has numbered “drop zones” where you can drop a piece of content. You can drag and drop guest speakers, images, videos, and slides from the content panel into a drop zone. If another piece of content already exists in the target drop zone, the live event will “swap” the pieces of content between the two drop zones.
⚠️Note: Screen-sharing is not yet supported in layouts. These content types will continue taking over the entire layout.
Scenes
You can add and manage your event’s scenes below the main player. This is where you will determine what will be shown in your event.
We recommend building all of your scenes ahead of time in the order in which they will appear, like a visual agenda, so by the time you are live, you can proceed through each scene and show each element in the order you've planned.
⚠️Note: Once your event is live, selecting a scene automatically makes it visible to the audience.
Production elements
The left sidebar of the web-based production tool page includes all of your production elements such as guest speakers, videos, and graphics.
When all of the production elements you plan to use for your event are added and configured here, you then add them to scenes so that users can see the content and/or the graphics overlays associated with it.
Speakers
You can invite guest speakers to your event who can join via their webcam. They’ll also have the ability to share their screen.
Including the main broadcaster, your event can include up to 12 total speakers if you have a Premium or Advanced plan, or an Enterprise account with the Events feature added.
When Backstage is toggled off, all of the speakers are visible in one tab. All speakers, including the broadcaster, can be heard by the audience (unless they are muted).
When Backstage is toggled on, you can see which speakers are in the stream by switching between the Backstage and Stream tabs. Only speakers that are in the stream can be heard by the audience.
Videos
The Videos tab within the Media panel allows you to queue up videos from your Vimeo account and play them back live as part of your event.
This is helpful if you prerecord your event, upload it as a video, and want to play it live to your audience.
Select the Media button to Upload a video.
Images
The Images tab allows you to upload an image to fill the background of the player. Select the Media button to Upload an image.
This is helpful for different purposes:
- Images can be in the background of a scene with multiple speakers, filling the blank space between sources.
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Images can be in a scene by themselves serving as a full-screen graphic. You have the option to add up to two lines of text if you wish (e.g. “The event will start soon. Stay tuned.”)
Slides
The Slides tab within the Media panel allows you to upload slides in .pdf and .pptx format and present them during a presentation. You can upload slides files of up to 100MB and only static images are allowed.
- Once a slide is added to a scene, both the broadcaster and any guest added to the scene have the ability to navigate back and forth through the slide deck.
- Any users added to the scene will appear in a picture-in-picture alongside the slide deck, which can be hidden by turning off their video feed.
Brand
The Brand panel lets you customize the graphic overlay colors and logos that appear in your stream.
Here you can:
- Upload your organization’s logo, which can stay displayed throughout your event.
- Set a primary and secondary color for all lower-third graphics.
Lower thirds
All speakers will have a lower third identifying their names and titles by default when you add them.
In addition to these, you can add other lower thirds for individual scenes, such as pre-determined questions asked to a guest, or identifying the name and location of your event. Note that additional lower thirds will also need to be added to the desired scene in order to display it.
Auto closed captions
You can enable automatic closed captions for your event in this tab.
Polls
You can open a poll for your audience to participate in. Note that this option is not available if your production mode is set to recording only.
The poll itself will be in the chat module, but you can add graphics for the poll questions, options, and results to your stream by adding them to a scene.
Q&A
If your event will include a Q&A session, allowing your viewers to ask and vote on questions, you can open that here. Note that this option is not available if your production mode is set to recording only.
You can also choose whether you'd like to moderate questions or if you'd like to allow anonymous questions.
Similar to polls, viewers can participate within the chat window. However, if you want to display the question graphics, you should add the Q&A to a scene.
Speaker chat
The right area of the web-based production tool page is where you can find the chat modules. By default, the Speaker chat will be open. This is an internal chat for your team and guest speakers to communicate before and during your event. Your audience will not see the messages here.
Audience chat
To enable and moderate the audience chat, click the Audience tab on the right side of the web-based production tool page. This will switch from the internal speakers chat to the public-facing audience chat, which is disabled by default.
Note that this option is not available if your production mode is set to recording only.
When you enable audience chat, all messages your viewers' posts or emojis will appear here. You can also click Export chat to export all messages from your event.
Stream output
In the upper right area of the web-based production tool page is the stream output, which will display what your audience is actively seeing in the stream after you go live. Select the gear icon in the upper right corner of the output window to copy a link to your public-facing event page.
You can also check the total number of live viewers during an event.
Stream health
You can monitor whether your stream is stable or unstable by checking the indicator bars at the top right corner above the stream output window, next to the stream timer. The network indicator will turn yellow or red, if the connection gets worse. It will be hidden if the connection quality is good.
Select your production mode and go live
When your scenes are set and you’re ready, you can open the dropdown next to Go live to choose your production mode:
- Live production: Will immediately broadcast a live stream to your event page and embedded live player and requires you to actively manage the scenes for your event. This mode is selected by default.
- Prerecorded event: You can schedule a time for prerecorded segments to go live to your event page and embedded player automatically.
- Recording only: You can use the tools on this page to record your event without going live to an audience.
- RTMP stream: If you decide to stream your event using an external encoder instead of your browser, choose this to switch your production mode.
When you’re ready to go live, schedule your event, or start recording, select the corresponding button in the upper right corner to begin. Select it again to stop the stream or recording (note that a scheduled event with only prerecorded segments will end automatically).