Webinars vs live-streams - the ultimate comparison

What's the real difference between webinars and livestream events? Maybe you’ve been using Zoom and want a better understanding of the other options available.

Presenting a live hybrid event

Robert Wagstaff writes:

First things first - we’re talking about livestreamed corporate events, not gaming.

Perhaps your company wants to broadcast updates to its customer base, stream to popular platforms like Youtube, or broadcast a hybrid event: mixing an in-person audience with an online audience.

Today I’m going to show you the key differences between webinars and livestreams.


A little about me: I’m a Cambridgeshire-based Videographer and have produced 50 livestreamed events with 680 hours of audience watch time (1,100 hours counting the event recordings).


 

Key differences

 WebinarLivestream
AudienceOnlineOnline and in-person (Hybrid)
SpeakersOnlineOnline and in-person (Hybrid)
VenueAt homeYour chosen venue
Multiple camerasNot usuallyYes
Ideal forSmaller audiencesLarger audiences
How to watchDownload softwareEmbedded video
PlatformZoom, Google HangoutsYoutube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch

 

You might not have heard about ‘hybrid events’.

These are your usual in-person events that expand their audience with an online viewing option.

Think of an iPhone launch - there’s the clapping crowd (audience 1) and those watching on youtube (audience 2).

While webinars are perfect for small online-only events, if you’re running a larger event for potential customers, you’ll find a livestream is better suited.

Quality

 WebinarLivestream
Picture QualityHighly Compressed (1mbps)Good Compression (>4mbps)
ResolutionDepends on webcamsHD
CameraWebcamProfessional HD DSLRs
AudioIn-laptop mic / USB micWireless lav mic / handheld mic
ConnectionAt mercy of each speaker's connectionIn control of connection
LatencyNear-instantSeconds

 

Webinars usually have lower quality picture and audio as they’re prioritising for low-latency.

The lower the latency is, the sooner Person A hears Person B.

It’s suited for interaction between speakers, but means everything else takes a backseat.

With a livestream most speakers are in the same room, so latency isn’t an issue and crystal-clear audio and HD video can take centre stage.

Quick note: Compression is more important than resolution. If you have a 4K image that’s highly compressed (1mbps), it’s going to look pixelated. If you have an HD image with low compression (>4mbps), it’ll look sharper.

Privacy

 WebinarLivestream
Video link privacyPrivate link / password protectionPrivate link / public link
Login requiredNo, but encouragedNo
Name requiredYesNo

 

Both you and your audience are concerned about privacy.

For you, your event may be aimed exclusively at your paying customers, so having a password-protected link may be critical.

If your event is for prospective customers, they might not want to share their contact details yet.

In this case, being more approachable and not requiring a name to join could help increase the number of attendees.


Want to compare speaker limitations, boosting social media stats and instant replays? For more comparisons, click here.




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