The Live Stream Checklist to get you started!

Nowadays, under current circumstances, many musicians have either thought about or tried streaming their music and concerts online.

My first experience of performing online via live stream was for an online concert series in the summer of 2020 via Facebook Live. Like everything that is new, I was at a loss. I knew what the end result was supposed to look like but had no clear idea where to get started. I began reading articles and blogs to find out what was the best software, setup, lights, etc. In the end, the concert went fine. It was a very strange experience to play in the living room knowing that people from all over the world might be wathing and listening.

My second live streamed concert, which was on YouTube, didn't go so well, in fact it didn't even happen!! I was supposed to perform the Goldberg Variations by J. S. Bach in my first online concert for Groupmuse and after meeting and greeting the audience members I went to warm up for the concert. I was so nervous and anxious to make everything look professional and perfect that I started the streaming on OBS (the streaming software), but completely omitted to click on Go LIVE on YouTube...

So, after a 45-minutes performance, I realize, with a sense of horror creeping inside, that no one on the other end heard a single note of what I played! Many of the audience members, whom I knew personally, sent me messages and emails asking if everything was alright, but I didn't see them, because I wanted everything to be perfect and like in a real concert.

Lately, I have been helping out with the organization of the nexTus Festival with some other amazing members of the Be Your Own Manager community. Because of the current restrictions the festival will be held online and some of those concerts will be streamed. I have had a small tutoring session presenting everything I knew about streaming live (which is not much, but enough to get you started) and I decided to share here a checklist which I would have needed when I got started and which you can download below and use use freely for your live streams. There is another checklist on my Patreon channel with a bonus description on how to use your smartphone as a webcam for all level patrons.

By the way, if you haven't done so already, check out the link above to the nexTus Festival. It will feature over 60 artists from all over the world in concerts, talks and special events. You can book a festival, weekend and daily pass for all the events. The festival starts tomorrow, the 17th of April!

And if you would like to have a daily pass on the day of my concert on the 8th of May in addition to extra material, features and live talks/lessons with me, consider becoming a VIP level patron.

Thank you for your support!