You’re in the big leagues now! More than 7.6 million high school students participated in athletics during the 2021-2022 school year. That means that thousands of high school sporting events take place every month.
Live streaming your high school sporting event can draw more attention to your school and help you raise money for your team. But blurry videos and screechy audio can drive your audience away. To make the most of your live stream, you need to answer a few questions.
How can you create a good internet connection for yourself? What hardware do you need to buy? What software should you download for good encoding and streaming?
Get the facts and you can turn technology tips into a gold mine for your high school team. Here is your quick guide.
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Get a Reliable Internet Connection
In order to have any type of video stream, you need to have a reliable internet connection. A cable modem, DSL, or fiber system is fine as long as it can operate at a high speed. Wired connections may work better than wireless ones as they do not experience radio interference.
Make sure you can encode your video in high definition. You should also have a good frame rate, as key plays can happen quickly. 60 frames per second can work well, especially for team youth sports.
Buy Hardware
You will need a computer with good processing speed and memory. It can be a desktop or a laptop, and you can use Windows, Mac, or Linux. Make sure you have access to it so you can check your stream as the event progresses.
You will also need a camera. Many high school events use webcams or built-in cameras, but they can be low-quality. You can purchase or rent a high-quality camera from professionals in live streaming for schools.
If you have an announcer, they should be connected to a microphone. To make the audio sound clear, you need an audio mixer that you can use to adjust the volume, pitch, and background noise. Wear a pair of headphones so you can listen to the mixed audio and make the adjustments you need.
Download Streaming Software
You can download encoding software once you have your hardware. Most forms of encoding software work on popular platforms like YouTube and Twitch. If you’re choosing a different platform, you should contact customer support to see what software the platform supports.
Read the manufacturer’s guide on how to stream so you do not make any mistakes. After you’ve connected your camera and microphone to the software, you should run a test to make sure everything works smoothly. Download a different software if you are encountering technical problems.
Broadcast Your Sporting Event
You need to put some effort into streaming your sporting event. You first need to get a reliable, high-speed, and high-quality internet connection. When in doubt, use a wired system that you connect to your school’s internet.
You then must purchase a good computer and camera. If you have an announcer, their microphone must be connected to your system. Download a streaming software and test all of your tools while they are connected so you know that everything works.
If these steps are confusing, you should go to the experts. Read more streaming guides by following our coverage.
