Stream the service to YouTube
Add the destination, pick sane encoding settings, prove it works with test mode, record at the same time, and pass the pre-flight check.
You will end with a YouTube destination that has received a test stream, a recording folder that splits files, and the pre-flight check passing. About 20 minutes, plus a rehearsal streamed unlisted.
Before you start
- A scene is built and can be taken to Program: Run your first Sunday, step 6
- Your YouTube channel is enabled for live streaming (YouTube asks for this once, and it can take a day)
- You know your upload speed at the time you stream. It should be about twice the video bitrate you choose
Get the stream key
In YouTube Studio, choose Go Live and copy the stream key from the stream settings. Treat it like a password: anyone holding it can broadcast to your channel.
Add the destination
In the Broadcast tab's Controls column, open Stream Settings, add a YouTube destination and paste the key. Switch it on. You can keep several destinations and send to all of them at once, or leave one configured but off.
Choose encoding settings
Start with 1080p at about 4500 kbps video and 128 kbps audio. On a limited connection, use 720p at about 2500 kbps. Streaming & Recording has the reasoning.
Prove it with test mode
Press Test, which puts a test card and a tone on Program, then press Go Live. In YouTube Studio confirm video and audio are arriving, then stop. Nobody sees your empty room.
Set up recording
Open Recording settings (the gear in the Recording section of the Controls column). Choose a save location with plenty of free space and turn Auto-split on, every 30 minutes is a good default. Start Recording then writes there. Recording and streaming run at the same time and independently: if the stream drops, the recording carries on.
Pass the pre-flight
Take a real scene to Program and press Go Live. RheoCast checks that a destination is on, a scene is on Program and hardware encoding is available, and names whatever fails. While live, watch dropped frames in the stat cards; if they climb, your upload cannot keep up, so lower the video bitrate.
Rehearse once, unlisted
Set the YouTube stream to Unlisted, run ten minutes of a real scene with music and a spoken verse, and watch it back on a phone. Then you know how it sounds and looks before anyone else does.
macOS 13.3 or later
Hardware H.264 encoding on a Mac needs macOS 13.3 or later. On an older version the pre-flight check will say so, and the encoder falls back to software, which uses far more of the CPU.
Where to next
- Streaming & Recording for what to do when something goes wrong mid-service.
- Overlays to add lower thirds and a scripture panel to the stream.
Put scripture on the projector
Get verses onto the room's screen as they are spoken, choose the display mode, and know what to press when detection misses one.
Design your own lower third
Build a name plate in your church's colours in the overlay designer, save it to the gallery, and put it on Program with a name filled in.