There are a lot of terms hurling around lately. As it turns out, one such term is ‘Webcasting”. A webcast surely sounds interesting. But what is webcasting? And how can you start one?

In this blog, we will delve deeper into what is a webcast, what is its purpose, its technicalities, examples, and how it is different from contemporary broadcasting formats.

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So, let’s begin!

What is webcasting?

Derived from two terms, namely “web” and “broadcasting”, webcasting is a one-to-many video broadcast. It delivers live or on-demand videos across multiple locations and devices.

You can think of webcasting this way. Like TV channels broadcast from a TV station and deliver videos to their viewers via a cable or DTH network, webcasts are broadcasted from an internet-connected device. They’re then delivered to viewers on their smartphones, tabs, laptops, and smart TVs using an OTT solution. Like TV channels, these broadcasts could be live or pre-recorded shows and series.

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Webcasts are becoming popular these days because they’ve democratized the entire video streaming market. While video production, editing, and dissemination was limited to a handful of people a decade ago, anyone with the access to the internet and relevant tools (such as editing software, video CMS, webcasting or live streaming solution, etc.) can now make a dent in the video universe.

It’s an exciting development as, on one hand, it makes video production and distribution easy (even using a smartphone), on the other hand, it gives rise to rich and unique content to content consumers which was previously not possible.

Now that we've understand what is webcasting, let's understand its purpose and different use cases.

What is the purpose of a webcast?

The core objective of a webcast is similar to that of any broadcasting event, i.e. to ensure maximum reach and availability. Their other purposes can vary depending on the unique use case that a webcast is used for.

What are different types of webcasts? Webcasting examples 

Some of the popular use cases for webcasts include:

1. Public Events:

Public events such as carnivals, parades, trade fairs, political rallies, conventions, fundraising events, and so on are webcasted for maximum exposure. Similarly, corporate events such as Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and press releases can also be live streamed to increase viewership.

2. Entertainment:

As the reach of digital media increases, entertainment industry is emerging in its all-new avatar. For instance, we are observing the rise of regional content creators who are gripping audiences with their compelling narratives. One such example is “La Casa de Papel”, or “Money Heist”, as we popularly know it now. The TV series was on verge of being discontinued before its Netflix acquisition. Without any special promotion, it was uploaded on the platform started trending. The rest is history. Today, it has become a part of the global pop culture.

Similarly, creators can launch their dedicated channels and build series with leading OTT solutions providers, and monetize them to earn superior revenues. In short, webcasting has opened up opportunities for the entire value chain.

3. Education:

Education is another segment that has received a major boost with webcasting. Educational institutes – including schools and universities – are today developing online courses. While these courses can be taken by students irrespective of their time and location, the recorded lectures and live classes can also be backed with quizzes, reference materials, live questions, and graded assignments to ensure superior engagement and maximum knowledge retention. This way, students can also acquire the relevant certifications and degrees at a comparatively lower cost while their schools and colleges can accommodate more students simultaneously.

Webcasting has further empowered teachers, domain specialists, edupreneurs, and mentors to tap online audiences for specialized courses and programs.

4. ‍Health & Wellness:

Have you ever been to a Zumba class? There, a Zumba trainer keeps performing a set of moves that the entire class then emulates. The same holds for yoga, pilates, HIIT workouts, meditation, and other use cases. So, webcasting is the next logical step that many health & wellness studios are now taking. It gives them greater exposure without maintaining a physical location and being limited to its vicinity.

5. Corporate Communications:

Today, it has become integral for every business to keep its customers engaged and informed, especially around its products and services. And, in the digital world, there are no store managers to look after the customers, explaining the tiniest of details if a customer needs an explaination or demonstration. This is the flipside of going digital.

Thankfully, there’s also a solution. Video plays a vital role here. Videos – including explainers, how-to guides, promotional materials, and so forth – are used by businesses to address such need-gaps. These marketing materials make a sizable difference when it comes to customer experience and customer satisfaction.

6. Ceremonial Functions:

It is now commonplace for ceremonial functions – such as marriages, church services, anniversaries, birthdays, etc. – to live stream. The live streaming links are shared with friends and family to join in on the action, even if they are thousand miles apart! People can also attend church services and other events despite a busy schedule. It equips them with more flexibility and convenience.

7. Private OTT Channels:

While owning a TV channel can be expensive (and somewhat redundant as TV channels take away flexibility from the viewers), people can launch their private OTT channels without breaking their bank.

Some OTT solution providers like Teyuto take everything a notch above. They make it easier for people to do so with drag-and-drop channel builders while introducing unparalleled customizations. They also help you build white-label apps for smartphones, smart TVs, etc., and provide support for Chromecast and AirPlay. With third-party integrations, you can even keep a lean team and automate several operations.

What is the difference between webcasting, live streaming, web conferencing, and webinars?

Although webcasting is interchangeably used with live streaming, there’s a key difference between the two broadcasting formats. Live streaming implies the distribution of a live video, wherein video streams are not available after they’re broadcasted unless recorded in advance. This can also be the case with a webcast, however, webcasts also include on-demand videos (such as coding tutorials, web series, etc.), which typically is not the case with live streams.

It’s also easy to confuse webcasting with webinars and web conferencing. A webinar is a sub-segment of webcasting that involves web-based seminars, whereas, web conferencing is a many-to-many interaction and a webcast is a one-to-many interaction.

In short, any one-way video stream that you watch online is a webcast. It’s not a two- or multi-way video communication.

How does a webcast work?

All webcasts involve the following step, give or take some. The final flow chart depends on the unique use case a webcast is used for. These steps include:

1. Video Development:

Video development for a webcast can either be in real-time or as a part of the video production. The process consists of the following steps.

Storyboarding:

Well-produced videos generally follow a storyline, even if it may not appear so. For instance, live streaming videos are generally scripted, especially when the streamer delves into a highly complex issue.

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So, nearly all webcasts begin with storyboarding. It also helps the content creator set the tone and tempo of the webcast while keeping everything easy to digest. The storyboarding process also helps creators determine the content that they will need to develop or curate.

Video recording:

Leaving animated or illustration-based videos, all webcasts involve a video recording device. This device can be a professional camera (such as a DSLR), a web camera, an action camera (GoPro), a smartphone, or any other digital video recording device.

Animations, Illustrations, and Special Effects:

The video can also be based on animated content and/or illustrations. Special effects can also add more depth to a webcast. Special effects can also be used in live streams.

Voice overs:

Based on the narrative and the storyline, the voiceovers are created.

Video Editing:

This is generally the last piece of the video development puzzle. Videos, animations, voiceovers, and soundtracks are blended together and edited to create a production-level video. In live streams, camera angles can be altered to offer a more immersive video-viewing experience.

2. Webcasting:

Now that the video is ready, it is webcasted using a server. This server could be an internet-connected device or a dedicated Content Delivery Network (CDN) hosting relevant files. Here are the steps involved:

Video Storage:

The video is stored on an internet-connected device. Its constant connectivity ensures that the video is readily available for transmission whenever needed.

Video Transmission:

Video is transmitted to the end-user via public or private internet. The best webcasting practices involve transmission through a data center closest to the end-user. Doing so minimizes latency or the delay in video transmission.

Reporting:

Behind the scenes, relevant statistics are gathered to measure the performance of the video. These statistics can range from total reach, viewing time, and interactions of a user to the landing views, registered users, and total income.

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It is advised to use a leading Video CMS solution that is compliant with GDPR for your webcasting. It ensures quick delivery to any device anywhere across your target geographies while adhering to all relevant compliances.

How do I make a webcast? How to make money webcasting?

To begin webcasting, you will first need to zero in on what webcasting platform you want to build. Some of the points to consider include:

• Do you want an on-demand or a live streaming solution?
• Do you want an in-app solution or a web platform solution?
• Do you want to monetize your webcast? If so, do you want it to be a subscription-based monetization or video-ad-based monetization?
• Do you want to webcast for educational or training purposes? If so, do you need to grade your students or employees as per the information disseminated in the video?

Once you've figured these things out, you need a webcasting distribution platform. Follow these steps to start webcasting with Teyuto.

Step 1: Create a Teyuto account

1. Log on to https://teyuto.com and click on the “Start Now” button on the top right corner of the screen.
2. Enter your name, email address, and desired password. Make sure to use a strong password.
3. Read and accept the T&C and press “Continue”.
4. Enter the name of your organization, your channel name, category, and phone number. If you’re a solo content creator, enter your name in place of “Company Name”. Press “Continue”.
5. You can now select any one of the Teyuto plans as per your needs. Check out Teyuto’s pricing model here. Select your preferred plan and continue. On the next page, enter your payment details to proceed.
6. Now, you will have access to your dashboard.

Step 2: Prepare Your Webcasts

For Uploaded Videos

1. Log on to your dashboard. On the left menu, click "Videos".
2. Click on “Manage Video” button and select “Upload”. Select the video that you wish to upload.
3. Once the video uploads, click on the “Edit” option.
4. Here, you can add the video title, description, tags, and privacy. You can also make your uploaded video a part of an existing “Series” or select a date to make the video live on a specific time. Similarly, you can take it off-air on a predetermined date. Teyuto also empowers you to send email notifications to your registered users. These details can be added or edited later if you wish.

Now, you’re ready to rock and roll. Well, almost. Just jump to the “Customize Your Channel and Generate Coupons” section.

For Live Streaming Videos

1. Log on to your dashboard. On the left menu, click "Videos".
2. Click on “Manage Video” button and select “Live Streaming”.
3. Add the video title, description, tags, and privacy. You can also make your live stream a part of an existing “Series” or make it live on a specific date and time. You can take it off-air on a predetermined date as well. Select “Send a notification to your users (Email)” option and send a personalized message to your users. Click on “Go Live”.
4. Your video will now be visible in your videos section. Here, you can “Edit”, “Duplicate”, “Add Attachments”, or “Subtitles” to the video. These elements have their worth in gold to quickly manage videos and provide necessary information to your viewers (for church service, product demonstration, etc.)
5. Once it’s done, click on the “Go live” button below your video. Here, you will receive an RTMP and stream key for your video. Keep this window handy.
6. On another window, open https://obsproject.com/download. Install the file on your system with its Auto-configuration Wizard or based on your needs as per the solution’s guide. After installation, launch the program.
7. Click on “Settings” and then select “Streams”. In the “Service” option, choose “Custom” and update the Server and Stream Key parameters that you have available on the Teyuto window. Click “Apply”.
8. Now, in the “Sources” box, click on “+” button and select your video recording device. After customizing your Teyuto channel or linking it with your website or mobile app, press “Start Streaming”. Press “Stop Streaming” whenever you want to end the webcast and confirm it on “Videos” page on Teyuto.

For Videos with Integrated Quiz:

1. Log on to your dashboard. On the left menu, click "Videos".
2. Now, click on “Manage Video” button and select “Video Quiz”.
3. Select the video that you wish to upload.
4. Once it has uploaded, click on the “Edit” button.
5. Enter information in the relevant fields.
6. Click on “Manage Video Quiz” button right below your video. If you cannot find it, go to “Videos”, click “All” button, and then press the “Manage Video Quiz” button.
7. Your video will start playing on the screen. Pause it wherever you need to insert a quiz.
8. Enter your “Question Title”, “Seconds to Reply”, and add multiple-choice answers with respective points credited. You can add a maximum of four answers.
9. Press the “Add Question” button.
10. Repeat steps 7 to 9 until the video is complete.
11. Your changes will be saved automatically. You can also preview your video and make any further changes if needed.

Step 3: Organize Your Videos and Setup Payments

1. Now, click on the “Organize” button on the left menu. In this section, you can add “Series”, “Packages”, and “Categories”.
2. In a series, you can add multiple videos, the series’ trailer, sort videos, and geoblock content in certain location(s). You can also add relevant content details such as production year, director, actors, original language, and age restrictions if any. 
3. Create a package by clubbing multiple series in it.
4. Create categories to improve the discoverability of your videos and series.
5. Set the respective prices for your series and packages by connecting your Stripe account with Teyuto for payment collection. Just go to Payments on the left menu and press “Connect” under the “Get Payments with Stripe” banner.

Step 4: Customize Your Channel and Generate Coupons

1. Customize your channel by clicking “Customize” on the left menu. 
2. You can edit your User Homepage and Guest Homepage separately. Teyuto enables you to create your custom pages with quick and easy, drag-and-drop page builder, wherein you can add everything from your Hero Sections and Packs to Unpurchased packages, FAQs, and Custom codes. Make sure that you customize your pages for all screen breakpoints including laptops, tabs, and smartphones.
3. You can also add Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy and external links.
4. For special offers, click on “Promotions” on the left menu. Here, you can generate coupons and gift cards for your series and packages.

Step 5: Edit Video Player, Create a Custom Domain, and Embed videos on a website

• For custom domain, easily set it up with this how-to guide.
• To embed your video on an external website, click here.

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Your video player can be further customized with brand references and logos with Teyuto. To do so, you will need to have a “Custom” plan or integrate using API.

Step 6: Create a White-label App like Netflix and Hulu

You can create a white-label app like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime, thereby delivering your video content to your audience seamlessly using Teyuto. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click on “Distribution” on the left menu.
2. Get “Android” or “iPhone” package or both as per your needs.
3. Then, to set up iOS applications, click here and proceed as instructed. For Android applications, click here.
4. Once done, your application will take about 30 days to get activated.

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Step 7: Go live and keep updating content

Now, you just have to go live based on your content schedule and keep updating the video content. You will receive detailed insights and revenue reports to guide your strategy with informed decision-making. Payment-related data – such as subscriptions, cancellations, fixed purchases, and abandoned carts – is also available in your “Payments” section. 

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Throughout your journey, you can contact Teyuto’s support team using the chatbox on your screen or the Teyuto Help Desk. Teyuto goes an extra mile serving your needs. So, you can also recommend features or suggest updates.

Final note

Today, the internet has changed nearly every facet of our lives. From the way we work to how we communicate, collaborate, learn, and even entertain ourselves, life has become unfathomable without the internet. It barely matters now if you’re a big business or a home tutor engaging high school students. If you aren’t discoverable on the internet, your possibilities are very slim. And, they also tend to shrink with time.

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A survey by Think with Google indicated that more than half of the offline shoppers (55%) make their in-store purchases after watching an online video. The study also revealed that 84% of their purchase decisions were directly influenced by the video of a brand or organization.

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It goes without saying then that videos are becoming important irrespective of the context. And why wouldn’t they? After all, they improve accessibility, reach, and engagement.

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After your in-person meeting or a phone call with you prospective client, the first thing that anyone does is search you on Google. If you don’t have a digital presence, the balance is already tipped against your favor. But, on the flip side, if you maintain even a minimal digital presence, you are already one step closer to your next big break. You never know who is searching for you. Good luck!

To know more, visit teyuto.com/