Imagine hosting an exclusive online event where only you can decide who can watch and access your live content. No crowded streaming or unwanted participants – only you and your guest audience in a secure, controlled, and intimate digital space, sharing ideas risk-free.
All of it is possible, thanks to private live streaming. Businesses and creators often seek ways to hold corporate meetings and training sessions to connect and engage with close-knit groups and internal teams.
Intrigued to learn how to host a successful private live stream event? Learn more about private live streaming, its security features, and steps to host live events.
What is Private Live Streaming?
Private live streaming is for select groups in a secure, controlled, and customizable way. The live video broadcast uses secure user authentication methods to access video content.
Unlike public live streams accessible to anyone, private live streaming focuses on invite-only access through password protection and encryption technologies.
This ensures that only selected individuals can view the content, making it a perfect way to hold meetings, online classes, training sessions, or an exclusive meet and greet.
Security Features to Consider for Private Live Streaming
Intentional or unintentional spread of sensitive data threatens businesses from using public live streaming options. That is why they prefer private live streaming. Without the necessary security features, a private live stream is as good as a normal stream.
So, here are some of the most important security features for hassle-free and safe ways to host live events:
Password Protection
Password protection serves as the first line of defense for private live streaming. Security features allow you to set passwords to validate the users accessing the stream.
Give the password to the select group to allow them to access the stream. This method is suitable for small online events for people you can trust with the password details.
Multi-DRM Security
Multi-DRM stands for digital rights management that encrypts and licenses live streams. This protection method ensures security and prevents any unauthorized manipulation from unexpected users.
With the help of a common encryption scheme (CENC), the stream gets encrypted once and delivers relevant DRM licenses. These licenses get delivered to different devices through multiple servers, making it difficult to hack and download illegally.
Geo and Referrer Restrictions
Geo-location restriction helps control access based on IP (internet protocol) addresses. It ensures only viewers from a specific region can watch your private live stream.
On the other hand, referrer restrictions give access to the visitors arriving from specific pages.
Payment Security
Private live streams offer great opportunities to host paid events, so prioritizing payment security is non-negotiable.
With increasing cyber threats, ensure using security features to safeguard attendees’ payment details. Protect the details of your end-users via SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption for accepting payments.
Keep a Check on Viewership
Live streaming platforms offer different tracking and analytic tools to keep a check on viewership when hosting streams.
Monitor and record details of the live stream viewers, such as:
- Viewer’s username, email addresses
- IP addresses
- Access time and duration
- Activities during live stream like comments, downloads, etc.
Steps to Host a Private Live Stream Event
Setting up a private live stream event follows the same procedure as the normal live stream. However, extra measures are required to limit access.
Other than this, ensure you create a plan as there is no room for mistakes when you live stream. You can’t edit out certain parts or make it look better post-production.
Here are some steps to efficiently host a private live stream:
Determine Your Goals
A private live stream is ideal for all buyer’s journey stages. Identify the goal of your live streams based on the stages of the buyer’s journey you want to target. Do you wish to retain an existing customer or want to capture more leads?
The end goal of your live stream will help you understand in which direction the stream should go. For example, you would want to share knowledge and educate the selected audience to build awareness around your brand.
Target the Ideal Audience
The next step is to identify the target audience of your live stream based on their age, location, gender, pain points, or any other parameter.
For exclusive paid events, you can create detailed customer profiles to resonate with their expectations from the live stream. Learning about the target audience helps decide the optimum length, graphics use, and interactivity.
Plan Your Event Content
Whether private or public live stream, poorly planned content can reflect badly on your business or brand name. With less room for mistakes, live streaming demands a strategic plan to prepare the content, visuals, and transition for the video.
Create a detailed script or video outline to engage the audience through the entire stream. Use overlays, or different video clips to maintain the interest. Use encoding software like OBS Studio to include different graphic elements.
Ensure you have a structure, including a clear start and agenda for the event.
Set Up Equipment and Software
While having the best equipment is not necessary for hosting private live stream events online, you would want to improve the production quality. Investing in quality equipment and software will help get the most out of your live streams.
Here is some essential equipment you will require as a live stream host:
- A webcam or an external video camera
- High-speed internet connection
- Lighting equipment
- External microphone
- Computer encoding software or standalone streaming hardware
- A live streaming platform
Employ Security Features
Being one of the most crucial aspects of private live streams, choose platforms with the best security features.
Implement login protection with domain restrictions using membership login options. You can use Squarespace, Ghost, or WordPress for a hosted video website. Restrict access using your live streaming platform features to make sure the stream plays exclusively on your site.
Spread the Word
Use registration software or segment your existing email list first and promote the event with a dedicated landing page with login protection for security.
If you want to promote a top-of-the-funnel private live stream to gather leads and inform potential customers, use different marketing channels like social media, paid ads, etc.
Here are some other ways to promote your event.
- Create teaser videos
- Post social media content
- Publish blog posts
- Host podcasts
- Launch email campaigns
- Collaborate with influencers and speakers
For internal events, inform employees via team communication tools and email reminders. Send event reminders 24 hours before and on the day of the event to encourage participation.
Run a Test Stream
Testing your live setup to identify potential issues is crucial. Use the same equipment, software, and security measures planned for the actual event.
Ask your colleagues or friends to join the test run and check every aspect, including security, access points, pre-recorded videos, subtitles, and presentation slides.
Record and review the playback to check audio and visual quality, transitions, and on-camera positioning. Testing ensures everything goes smoothly during the live stream and verifies that all components function correctly on the day of the event.
Set to Go Live
Before going live, set up your encoding software and create a test live stream to ensure everything functions correctly. Embed this test stream on your website and schedule email campaigns in advance.
Switch cameras, adjust audio levels, or modify settings to keep the stream quality up for the live event.
Engage with your audience during the stream to make them feel valued and welcome. Stick to your planned schedule and follow the structure to avoid dull moments. However, be ready to adapt if the situation demands. Use different tactics like prompt questions to keep the energy up and the content engaging.
Hosting Private Live Stream – Final Thoughts
Privacy and security are two crucial reasons why businesses, creators, or any other individuals choose private live streams. This security-focused streaming can be a game-changer for organizations looking to strengthen their internal communications.
You can launch your exclusive products and services for select groups and create a controlled environment to engage with the audience.
However, compare different private live streaming platforms, prioritizing security features to ensure the best outcomes of your live stream. Use the above live-streaming tips to set up your private communication channel to create an intimate and engaging experience.