Hook: Do you want to make sure your stage broadcast runs smoothly? It's a good idea to let your speakers familiarise themselves with the broadcasting studio before your event. This video will provide you with some great tips on setting up a successful tech-run with the Streamyard backstage.

To start, Choose your Stage and click Edit.

The ‘View StreamYard Backstage’ button will direct you and your speakers to the backstage where you will be required to allow access to your mic and camera by choosing the correct devices.

If you are using a green screen, set up a well lit green screen to make sure your virtual background will show evenly.

Next, select your display name and Enter the Studio, which will look like this:

You can choose one of the video layouts here and use the options for turning on/off your mic/cam, sharing your screen or a pre-recorded video file on your computer, as well as copying the broadcast studio link or returning to the main event dashboard. You can also invite more guests to the backstage studio with this button. Simply copy and share this link with your speakers.

Add your stream by clicking on the required content. If you have several speakers, they will be shown here. Only organisers will be able to add or remove content to the stream by clicking on it.

On the tab at the right side, you can then customise your broadcast by adding a banner and further defining the look of your stream in the Brand area. Here you can choose your brand colour, style of banner, add a logo and video clips, such as a 30sec countdown, and also upload a background that will be shown whenever you share your camera or your screen.

Uploading video clips is particularly useful if you’re planning on smoothly switching between sharing your camera and videos.

The Comments and Private Chat sections allow you to share viewer comments on StreamYard or to chat with your guests. All chats from the broadcast studio are automatically transferred to the main stage of the event.

Practise as much as you need. You can always Leave the Studio and come back  later. Don’t click Go Live unless you’re ready to start your broadcast or are using a test event. Once you do go live, note that there will be a 10-15second delay to the stage. To stop the broadcast, simply click the Stop Broadcast button.

Note that speakers have a slightly different view from organisers. When entering the backstage studio your speakers will be able to use the private chat on the right side panel and of course set up their camera, audio and screen share, but only an organiser can add a speaker’s video feed to the stream or upload any video clips and branding material, as well as click the Go Live button.

Hopefully this quick video provided you with an idea of how easy it is to create a professional stage experience for your event with the Hopin backstage powered by StreamYard. It gives you and your speakers plenty of options to set up and practice your broadcast before you go live. You can run as many dry-runs as you need to make sure you and your speakers are comfortable using the StreamYard backstage.