How do you set up a business livestream or hybrid session via Microsoft Teams?
Feed Teams with a clean video and audio signal from the room instead of a standalone webcam. That way online participants get the same quality as the people in the room, and the interaction between both groups runs smoothly.
The short answer
For a successful livestream via Microsoft Teams, you feed the meeting with a clean video and audio signal from the room installation, not with a standalone webcam and room microphone. That way online participants hear and see the speaker just as well as the people in the room. On top of that, arrange a stable internet connection and a clear division of roles for the interaction between both groups.
Teams is the platform, not the technology
Microsoft Teams is perfectly suitable for a hybrid session, but the quality stands or falls with what you put into it. Teams shows and plays online participants whatever the laptop is given. Feed it a narrow webcam image and an echoing room microphone, and that is exactly what online participants will experience.
- Teams handles the connection and the participant list
- The video and audio quality come from the room installation
- A clean source in means a professional result out
For how to set up that room technology for a hybrid configuration, read the article on technology for a hybrid event and the guide to business livestreams.
Audio makes or breaks the online experience
Online participants forgive a mediocre image more readily than poor audio. Anyone who cannot understand the speaker drops off within a few minutes. So send the signal from the room microphones straight to Teams, instead of through a microphone that captures the entire space.
- Feed Teams the direct signal from the speaker’s microphone
- Arrange a separate microphone for questions from the audience
- Prevent online participants from hearing echo and chatter
If you want to be sure your speakers come across clearly, both in the room and online, the article on intelligible speakers will help you on your way. For the complete audio technology there is the solution for sound and intelligibility.
Provide an image that shows more
A single static camera image works against you. Online participants want to both see the speaker and be able to read the slides. So combine the camera image with the shared presentation, so that online participants do not have to keep switching.
How to build a strong image
- Show the speaker clearly on screen, not as a small figure in the distance
- Share the slides in high quality straight from the source
- Switch between speaker and presentation where useful
- Keep the image calm, without unnecessary panning or zooming
Let both groups genuinely take part
A hybrid session fails if one of the two groups feels like a bystander. The art is to get the people in the room and the online participants into a conversation with each other.
- Appoint someone to bring online questions to the room
- Always route questions from the room through a microphone
- Make online participants visible or audible at a central point
This direction requires attention during the session itself. The solution for livestream and recording and the service for hybrid events and livestreams are set up precisely to take that direction off your hands.
In brief
A business livestream via Teams is only as good as the source you feed into it. Combine a clean image with direct room audio, arrange a stable connection, and ensure a clear division of roles in the interaction. Then your online participants get the same full experience as your audience in the room.
Frequently asked questions
Can't I just use a laptop with a webcam for Teams?
For a small meeting that works, but for a business event a standalone webcam falls short. The image is narrow, the audio picks up the entire room including background chatter, and speakers further away are hard to understand. A clean video and audio signal from the room installation gives online participants a much better experience.
How do online participants get good audio?
Send the audio from the room microphones straight to Teams instead of through a microphone that picks up the whole room. That way online participants hear the speaker clearly, without echo or background noise. Handle question and answer moments with a separate microphone for the audience.
How do I let the room and the online participants talk to each other?
Make sure questions from online participants are visible or audible in the room, for example on a screen or through a moderator. Questions from the room should go through a microphone so online participants can hear them too. A fixed division of roles prevents either group from feeling left out.
What internet do I need for a stable Teams stream?
A stable, preferably wired internet connection with sufficient upload speed matters more than raw speed. Wi-Fi in a busy room is vulnerable. Test the connection in advance at the time of your event, and if possible keep a second connection on standby.