This article lists the broadcast providers available for your virtual event and highlights their advantages and disadvantages to help you choose the best solution for your needs.
Broadcasting Virtual Events
Among other things, this solution allows you to put your passes up for sale before you have the URL link from your supplier.
When a buyer purchases virtual access through Thepointofsale.com, they receive a unique link to access the event after their purchase is confirmed.
Once clicked, this link redirects the attendee to the event waiting page on Thepointofsale.com, where a counter displays the time remaining before your event starts.
Once you have started broadcasting, attendees will be automatically redirected to your event.
Integrated Broadcast Providers
By using a provider integrated into our viewing page, such as the virtual event broadcasting platform at Thepointofsale.com, Vimeo, or YouTube, the buyer can only open the unique link on one device at a time.
This security measure means that a malicious person cannot share the link with several attendees for simultaneous viewing on several devices.
It guarantees that each attendee has paid to access the event.
Non-Integrated Broadcast Providers
If you use a provider that is not integrated with our viewing page (such as Zoom, Facebook, Twitch, or Google Meet), your buyers will also receive a unique link. This link will take them to a waiting page, which will redirect them to your chosen provider when the event starts.
However, once they have arrived at their destination, a malicious user could share the address of the broadcast page with other people, who could then bypass the purchase process to access the event.
Thepointofsale.com's virtual event broadcasting platform is the only solution with no limit on the number of attendees, and we can guarantee total security (no sharing of broadcast links).
IMPORTANT!
Remember to add your supplier's unique link to the Information tab of your event, in the Location section. Without this essential link, your customers will be unable to access your broadcast.
Providers Pros and Cons
Vimeo
👍 Pros
Vimeo has several security measures in place, including preventing your event from being streamed on another website;
Vimeo is known for offering some of the best video quality available;
The audio tracks on Vimeo provide better sound quality because they can be up to 320 Kbps.
👎 Cons
Vimeo Premium is the only type of account that allows you to make live videos. This account is a paid membership, which can be expensive.
This option becomes more attractive if you are organizing multiple virtual events or have thousands of viewers, as Vimeo Premium is a fixed-price solution, as opposed to charging per attendee.
👍 Pros
Free;
Possibility of staying live for hours (8 hours on computer/API and 4 hours on mobile);
Integrated chat;
Direct access to your fans already following you on this media;
Integrated screen sharing tool;
Integrated survey tool;
Donation button if you're a charity. This process can take time, so make sure Facebook authorizes you before your event starts;
If you're tech-savvy, Facebook Live offers an API.
👎 Cons
Facebook cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your video. You only have these audience options: public (accessible to everyone), your friends, just me, or by personalized list;
You run the risk of making your buyers unhappy if they pay for content that is accessible for free on your Facebook page;
Technological problems have been reported by many users, who have noticed a shifted or blurred image and poor sound quality;
No monetization is possible if you are not a charity or a merchandising organization;
Limited statistics are available about attendees after your event.
Note that with a business page, you can see the total number of viewers, the number of unique viewers, and their average viewing time.
If you broadcast with a personal page, you will only see the total number of viewers.
Google Meet
👍Pros
Free for events of up to 60 minutes and 100 attendees;
Works well for group meetings and conferences;
Secure: Even if an attendee shares your broadcast link, the host must accept each conference attendee.
Integrated chat;
Option of participants or view-only (reduced access);
Integrated screen sharing.
👎 Cons
Usually paid service according to your Gsuite plan with a time limit of 60 minutes;
No monetization: No possibility of donation or sales of merchandise products;
No security against sharing links, so people who did not pay for your event could still attend if they obtain the link;
Limit of attendees determined according to your Gsuite package (from 100 to 250), the spectator limit (view-only) is 100,000;
The host needs a Gsuite account;
If you choose the view-only option (without participation), attendees cannot access the live chat;
No reports or statistics are available on attendees after your event.
Further information
For the live stream to work on Google Meet, you must first authorize it on your account.
If you don't want to see your attendees, you'll need to create a view-only event. The link created will be the one you need to add to the event manager.
To learn more, visit theGoogle Meet Help Center.
Twitch
👍 Pros
Free;
Platform created especially for broadcasting live content;
Several monetization options;
Chat with monetization options;
48-hour time limit;
No attendee limit;
Analytics section for statistics;
Integrated survey tool.
👎 Cons
Twitch doesn't create paid-for or private content, so you run the risk of attracting the displeasure of your buyers if they pay for your content to be broadcast for free on the platform;
Twitch's audience is young, video game- and technology-oriented. If this isn't your audience or niche, it may not be the right platform to broadcast on;
If you become a Twitch Partner, you are limited to doing only live streaming that is exclusive to this platform;
To access the live chat, your attendees need to create a Twitch account.
YouTube
👍Pros
Free;
Integrated chat with monetization options;
12-hour time limit;
No attendee limit;
Analytics section for statistics;
Integrated survey tool.
👎 Cons
No security against sharing links if the video is not integrated into our viewing page;
For your event not to appear in the search engine linked to Google, you must either change its status to unlisted or private, or you will have to invite your attendees individually using their email (must be a Gmail);
Few monetization options are available. Many content creators have decided to move away from the platform for this reason;
Inappropriate content flagging problem;
Copyright issues are complex to resolve;
To broadcast from a mobile device and the YouTube app, you will need at least 1,000 subscribers.
Other
Make sure you have enabled livestreaming on your account before your event. Authorization can take up to 24 hours.
Zoom
👍 Pros
Works well for groups and conferences;
Integrated live chat;
Integrated screen sharing;
Integrated survey tool.
👎 Cons
You must pay for a package if :
You have more than 100 participants. The Business package, which is the most expensive, allows a maximum of 1,000 attendees;
Your event lasts more than 40 minutes;
No monetization: you can't collect donations or sell merchandise;
No security against link sharing, so people who haven’t paid for your event can still attend;
Zoom has been mentioned in the media in the past due to security concerns, such as people joining private conversations without permission. The expression "zoombombing" was born out of this and has been laughed at by many.
Thepointofsale.com
No option suits your needs?
Thepointofsale.com also offers you its virtual event broadcasting service:
Protection against link sharing: the unique link can only be used on one device at a time;
Integrated chat with attendee information pre-populated using the information entered at the time of purchase;
Live chat moderator;
Dedicated event page that also serves as a waiting room before the event starts, where ticket buyers can chat and share their excitement while waiting for your event to start;
No attendee limit;
No time limit;
Event monetization: make your event profitable with the ticketing services that put Thepointofsale.com on the map;
Integrated donation campaign: a perfect option for fundraisers, charities, or any philanthropic event;
Chat transcript available upon request;
Easy screen sharing through the use of OBS Studio software;
Event monitoring: Our team is available to you and your buyers, half an hour before and half an hour after the start of your event, via email, chat, and Facebook.
Competitive pricing.