Live vs Pre-Recorded Live Streams – Which Viewers Prefer and Why
Author: Chris Thompson P. Eng.
chris101t@bell.net
613-692-5380
Date: June 17, 2020
Introduction
This is the fourth in a series of articles on live streaming ‘stay-at-home’ musical performances based on the author’s experience as the organizer of the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!” live stream performance series – see ‘Background’ below.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Ottawa Jazz Happenings or of JazzWorks Canada.
Note: Since the beginning of April I've acquired a fair depth and breadth of practical knowledge regarding live streaming musical performances, due to a) my two week technical investigation of Facebook Live and YouTube Live at the beginning of April (see 'Background' below), and b) my organizing the 'ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!' live stream performance series including, as required, mentoring series performers using a range of physical setups on doing live streams (see 'Background' below). Please feel free to phone me (613-692-5380) or email me (chris101t@bell.net) if you would like any advice on/assistance with live streaming your musical performance(s). My fee is a donation of whatever you feel is appropriate to the GoFundMe campaign for the ZOLAS series, every penny of which (after advertising expenses and GoFundMe's service charge) will go to covering performers' fees.
The ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!” live stream performance series (see ‘Background’ below), which I organize, is based on Facebook. Facebook events, reminders, and the actual live streams are posted on multiple Facebook pages – ZOLAS', JazzWorks’, ‘Ottawa Live Music Streams!’, and the performer’s. Because of this, and so that ZOLAS live stream performances all have the same ‘look and feel’, a requirement for participating in the series is that the performer use Facebook for their ZOLAS live stream performance.
Facebook offers two live streaming services: Facebook Live and Facebook Premiere. With Facebook Live, the performer streams live video and audio to the Facebook server which, in turn, streams the video and audio to viewers. With Facebook Premiere, the performer uploads a pre-recorded video file to the Facebook server and specifies a date and time. At the specified date and time, the video file is streamed to viewers. The pre-recorded video can be ‘live-to-tape’, where there is no post-production editing. This is like a Facebook Live stream (and live performances!) in that there are no retakes, or there can be post-production editing which allows retakes. In the remainder of this article, I refer to Facebook Live live streams as ‘live live streams’ and Facebook Premiere live streams as ‘pre-recorded live streams’.
Facebook Live and Facebook Premiere both:
a) indicate to viewers that they are watching a live stream – Facebook Live displays the word ‘LIVE’ in a small red box superimposed on the video as shown in Image 1 below, while Facebook Premiere displays the word ‘PREMIERE’ in a small red box superimposed on the video
This is the fourth in a series of articles on live streaming ‘stay-at-home’ musical performances based on the author’s experience as the organizer of the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!” live stream performance series – see ‘Background’ below.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Ottawa Jazz Happenings or of JazzWorks Canada.
Note: Since the beginning of April I've acquired a fair depth and breadth of practical knowledge regarding live streaming musical performances, due to a) my two week technical investigation of Facebook Live and YouTube Live at the beginning of April (see 'Background' below), and b) my organizing the 'ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!' live stream performance series including, as required, mentoring series performers using a range of physical setups on doing live streams (see 'Background' below). Please feel free to phone me (613-692-5380) or email me (chris101t@bell.net) if you would like any advice on/assistance with live streaming your musical performance(s). My fee is a donation of whatever you feel is appropriate to the GoFundMe campaign for the ZOLAS series, every penny of which (after advertising expenses and GoFundMe's service charge) will go to covering performers' fees.
The ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!” live stream performance series (see ‘Background’ below), which I organize, is based on Facebook. Facebook events, reminders, and the actual live streams are posted on multiple Facebook pages – ZOLAS', JazzWorks’, ‘Ottawa Live Music Streams!’, and the performer’s. Because of this, and so that ZOLAS live stream performances all have the same ‘look and feel’, a requirement for participating in the series is that the performer use Facebook for their ZOLAS live stream performance.
Facebook offers two live streaming services: Facebook Live and Facebook Premiere. With Facebook Live, the performer streams live video and audio to the Facebook server which, in turn, streams the video and audio to viewers. With Facebook Premiere, the performer uploads a pre-recorded video file to the Facebook server and specifies a date and time. At the specified date and time, the video file is streamed to viewers. The pre-recorded video can be ‘live-to-tape’, where there is no post-production editing. This is like a Facebook Live stream (and live performances!) in that there are no retakes, or there can be post-production editing which allows retakes. In the remainder of this article, I refer to Facebook Live live streams as ‘live live streams’ and Facebook Premiere live streams as ‘pre-recorded live streams’.
Facebook Live and Facebook Premiere both:
a) indicate to viewers that they are watching a live stream – Facebook Live displays the word ‘LIVE’ in a small red box superimposed on the video as shown in Image 1 below, while Facebook Premiere displays the word ‘PREMIERE’ in a small red box superimposed on the video
b) display to viewers the number of concurrent viewers of the live stream, superimposed on the video, as shown in Image 1 above
c) allow viewers to comment via chat, with their comments displayed to all viewers, as shown in Image 1 above
Note: Both services allow viewers to reply (via chat) to other viewers’ comments, with the replies displayed to all viewers. As discussed in my first article in this series ‘Ten Benefits of Live Stream Musical Performances Over Live Performances’, “via comments (aka ‘chat’) there’s a level of interaction between audience members and the performer, and even among audience members themselves (because you can see and comment on other audience members’ comments), that doesn’t exist with live performances”.
‘Live live streams’ have the following advantages over ‘pre-recorded live streams’:
‘Pre-recorded live streams’ have the following advantages over ‘live live streams’:
Note: With a ‘pre-recorded live stream’, the performer is uploading a video file over their Internet connection instead of streaming live video and audio over their Internet connection with a ‘live live stream’, so the performer’s Internet access upload speed doesn’t matter. A slower upload speed just means that the video file will take longer to upload. In other words, uploading a one hour video file is ‘non real time’ and can take many hours, while streaming a one hour performance is ‘real time’ and must be done in an hour. A relatively low upload speed with a ‘live live stream’ may result in degraded video and audio quality, as shown in Image 2 below. My third article in this series ‘Twelve Technical and non-Technical Tips for Live Streaming Musical Performances – Tip 2’ discusses the importance of upload speed for ‘live live streams’.
c) allow viewers to comment via chat, with their comments displayed to all viewers, as shown in Image 1 above
Note: Both services allow viewers to reply (via chat) to other viewers’ comments, with the replies displayed to all viewers. As discussed in my first article in this series ‘Ten Benefits of Live Stream Musical Performances Over Live Performances’, “via comments (aka ‘chat’) there’s a level of interaction between audience members and the performer, and even among audience members themselves (because you can see and comment on other audience members’ comments), that doesn’t exist with live performances”.
‘Live live streams’ have the following advantages over ‘pre-recorded live streams’:
- The performer can react to audience members’ comments during the live stream (e.g. say hi to people they know), other than just being able to reply to viewer comments with their own comments.
- ‘Live live streaming’ is like live performing – there’s an excitement on the part of the performer and the audience because things are always ‘on the edge of disaster’.
‘Pre-recorded live streams’ have the following advantages over ‘live live streams’:
- Ensures there are no technical ‘gotchas’, such as the live stream being dropped because the performer has a poor Internet connection
- May result in higher audio and video quality because the performer is uploading a pre-recorded video file instead of streaming live video and audio
Note: With a ‘pre-recorded live stream’, the performer is uploading a video file over their Internet connection instead of streaming live video and audio over their Internet connection with a ‘live live stream’, so the performer’s Internet access upload speed doesn’t matter. A slower upload speed just means that the video file will take longer to upload. In other words, uploading a one hour video file is ‘non real time’ and can take many hours, while streaming a one hour performance is ‘real time’ and must be done in an hour. A relatively low upload speed with a ‘live live stream’ may result in degraded video and audio quality, as shown in Image 2 below. My third article in this series ‘Twelve Technical and non-Technical Tips for Live Streaming Musical Performances – Tip 2’ discusses the importance of upload speed for ‘live live streams’.
- Lets the performer read and, via their own comments (aka ‘chat’), reply to viewer comments during the live stream (because they aren’t actually performing while the video is being streamed)
After the second live stream in the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series, which was a ‘live live stream’ using Facebook Live – Laura Anglade on May 16th (see Image 3 below), I conducted a ‘mini-survey’ of seventeen viewers (from the comments) who I know and whose email addresses I have. Laura’s live stream performance had two technical issues – the live stream connection was lost a few minutes after the performance started and the live stream had to be started again, and there was a noticeable constant background hissing in the audio during the performance – which would have been identified and fixed had the live stream performance been pre-recorded. I asked my mini-survey recipients whether they would prefer that future ZOLAS live stream performances be ‘live live streams’ or ‘pre-recorded live streams’. To my surprise, despite the technical issues associated with Laura Anglade’s May 16th ZOLAS live stream performance, ten out of the eleven repondents to my mini-survey indicated that their preference was ‘live live streams’.
Note: Someone in their reply to my mini-survey said “What a great idea — to get audience (read: customer) feedback. So many businesses forget about the importance of this!”.
After the third live stream in the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series, which was a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ using Facebook Premiere – Elise Letourneau & Tim Bedner on May 30th (see Image 4 below), I conducted a second ‘mini-survey’ of twenty-one viewers (from the comments) whom I know and whose email addresses I have. Since this live stream was pre-recorded, there were no technical issues during the live stream.
After the third live stream in the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series, which was a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ using Facebook Premiere – Elise Letourneau & Tim Bedner on May 30th (see Image 4 below), I conducted a second ‘mini-survey’ of twenty-one viewers (from the comments) whom I know and whose email addresses I have. Since this live stream was pre-recorded, there were no technical issues during the live stream.
I asked my second mini-survey recipients the same question – whether they would prefer that future ZOLAS live stream performances be ‘live live streams’ or ‘pre-recorded live streams’.
Note: Elise’s and Tim’s live stream performance was ‘live-to-tape’ – i.e. there was no post-production editing. This was like a Facebook Live stream (and a live performance!) in that there were no retakes. That said, Elise and Tim were not entirely happy with their first live-to-tape recording and did a second live-to-tape recording which was the one that was live streamed. From the viewers’ perspective, their performance could have been a ‘live live stream’ – the only differences apparent to viewers were:
In fact, many viewers didn’t realize that Elise’s and Tim’s live stream was pre-recorded until I told them in my second mini-survey email.
Again, to my surprise, when combined with the results of the first mini-survey:
Interestingly, none of the respondents to the second survey who were also respondents to the first survey changed their position.
Note: I let ZOLAS live stream performers decide which approach they will use for their live stream – ‘live live streaming’ or ‘pre-recorded live streaming’. I can, and am happy to, as necessary help them do either. Interestingly, the performers’ preferences align with the viewers’ preferences – seven out of the eight performers I have booked so far to do a live stream performance as part of the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series have chosen to do ‘live live streams’ using Facebook Live, and only one performer has chosen to do a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ using Facebook Premiere:
As a result of the responses to my two mini-surveys, I now ask performers doing ‘live live streams’ to stop from time to time during their live stream, for example after every tune or two, and check/react to viewers’ comments. They don’t need to respond to every comment – for example, they could say “I see lots of people are commenting”. I tell them that most viewers have told me that this is what puts the ‘live’ in ‘live streaming’ and adds to the viewers’ experience (see below).
Tip: I suggest to performers that they have a tablet or laptop displaying the live stream as a viewer – in other words, logged in to Facebook using an account other than the one used to initiate the live stream – close to them on a music stand or a chair so that they can easily read the comments during their live stream performance. Tablets should be positioned vertically (i.e. portrait) so that the video is above and the comments are below. If their iPad is horizontal, the performer will see only the most recent comment, superimposed on the video. The other advantage of this is that the performer will know if anything is or goes wrong with the live stream, which they might not otherwise realize – for example if the image is flipped horizontally (mirror image), as happened in the case of one ZOLAS live stream performer although, fortunately, this was noticed and corrected during an end-to-end test of the live stream (my second article in this series ‘Twelve Technical and non-Technical Tips for Live Streaming Musical Performances – Tip 1’ discusses the importance of test end-to-end live streams).
I encouraged respondents to my two mini-surveys to include comments with their responses, which I indicated would be shared publicly, although anonymously (except for Diane Nalini’s and Adrian Cho’s comments) in this article. I found the comments extremely interesting and of even more value than the votes. The following are the combined comments from both mini-surveys. Note that each comment indicates whether it is in response to mini-survey #1 or mini-survey #2. Where someone provided comments for both mini-surveys, I have put the comments together.
Prefer ‘live live streaming’ – 12
“I can put up with degraded audio quality for the increase in intimacy the ‘live live stream’ brings.” [mini-survey #1]
“I believe live music should be just that – live. ;-) Listening ‘live’ to a prerecorded concert is a totally different experience.” [mini-survey #1]
“My vote would be to stick with the method used (with Laura Anglade’s May 16th ZOLAS live stream). The interaction was really lovely and the technical issues minor.” [mini-survey #1]
“I will choose the ‘live live’ for ZOLAS because of the ‘contact’ with local friends, which I am missing [you can still do that with a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ via the comments – CT]. But I will still listen in on certain shows whether or not they are live or pre-recorded, regardless.” [mini-survey #1]
“I prefer the actual live event. It just works better for me and planning because I can plan to ‘attend’ at a certain time. I find when I have a link that I can go to at any time, even though I have good intentions, I find other things fill up the time and I don’t get to it.” [mini-survey #1]
“I much prefer the live live streams even with the technical difficulties. I really like the connection they provide with the artist. There’s a feeling of anticipation and excitement when you’re waiting for the stream to start. Once Laura started singing, I didn’t even notice the hiss!” [mini-survey #1]
“(With) the NAC’s airing of Robi Botos (he was one of the pianists in the Oscar Peterson with Love program), the video was displayed sideways for the entire show. He even spoke to us about it, knowing that’s what was happening. It was really weird. But the music was so good, it didn’t really matter. For vocalists, it’s different, since seeing the facial and body expressions is more important than (for an instrumentalist).” [mini-survey #1]
“My feeling is that most of the attraction of these ‘live’ events is that they’re live. I know there are advantages (features :-) ) of a pre-recorded event. But to me, that’s the difference between sitting in the audience of a performance and listening to the CD. The excitement would not be there for me. I can go to YouTube anytime of the day and find lots of great recorded music, so what would be the appeal to attend this … other than the fact that friends would be there, too, that is.” [mini-survey #1]
“The pre-recorded sessions, such as Elise and Tim's, are obviously very polished and enjoyable, with more than one camera [Tim’s and Elise’s ‘pre-recorded live stream’ was ‘live-to-tape’ (i.e. there was no post-production editing) so it could have been a ‘live live stream’ and it would have been exactly the same for the viewers – CT]. In my humble opinion, the direct, live ones – with or without glitches – are closer to in-person, 'live' performances at the NAC or GigSpace because of the immediacy of the experience. Having said this, Elise and Tim were great to follow up with comments afterwards.” [mini-survey #2]
“Yes, for ZOLAS, I like the ‘live live streaming’ because it is fun and interactive. You get a sense of the performer. And chat with your friends. For those that are chatty and interactive performers like FreePlay, the ‘live live’ is great and tech issues don’t really phase them. Diane Nalini and Adrian have personality and tech savvy and can carry a ‘live live’ even when they had tech difficulties (and that was after they had perfected it beforehand). For a shy or non-techie performer, ‘live live’ is a trial for them as they are not at all comfortable but, unfortunately, in these times, they need to take on the challenge.” [mini-survey #1]
“Even before the pandemic, I have been watching a lot of live-streamed events, mostly gymnastics-related, with varying degrees of success. Now I’m watching about 4-6 live-streams daily on various platforms. When ‘live live streams’ work best, it is usually after some amount of experience/trial-and-error, even in optimal conditions. Ideally, that is my preference – ‘live live stream’. Pre-recorded live streams are somewhat one-way, minimally interactive, so I may tend to tune out partway, especially if I can watch the rest later. If the artist is using new or complicated unfamiliar equipment, has an unreliable internet connection, or is less-experienced with streaming live, then it will be best to pre-record the gig.” [mini-survey #1]
Diane Nalini approved my identifying the following comments in response to mini-survey #2 as hers. She and Adrian Cho have a very entertaining regular half hour live stream every Saturday at 5 pm. The video and audio quality are amazing, as is the slick production.
“As a performer, I understand completely the desire to present a polished show with no hiccups and therefore the (Facebook Premiere) approach is appealing. The downside is you’re not live with your audience. Adrian and I have tried both approaches. We started out live streaming each week, then we had one show that was glitchy (due to internet or YouTube issues, we're not sure). So we tried the pre-taped (Facebook Premiere) approach for two weeks. But we really missed being able to interact live in real time with the audience. So we've gone back to live streaming. For us, live streaming is the closest we can come in these times of social isolation to the dynamic of a live gig. Personally, I love being able to read segments of the chat out loud during the show and being able to respond to people in real time. It creates a precious moment of connection with our audience. Based on feedback we've received, our viewers seem to share this love of a live connection, where they are 'in the moment' with us. As a viewer, I feel the same way when I watch other live streams. So on the whole, as a performer and a viewer, I think I prefer live streaming (as opposed to pre-taped), despite all the risks of potential technical challenges this brings. Perhaps you want to give your performers in the series the choice of doing whatever they prefer? [I do – CT]”
Prefer ‘pre-recorded (aka ‘live-to-tape’) live streaming – 2
“For sure the pre-recorded route is my choice, from my experience. ... There was some anxiety when the connection cut out last night and I was suddenly watching the WHO [not the band, I’m assuming – CT] with terrible news. Laura hadn’t started singing yet. It was frustrating trying to find a way in, and I wasn’t sure how I finally got back in, but relieved. I got back in near the end of the second song. [The live stream] only cut out or froze Laura a bit after that. As far as live comments go, she doesn’t have time to really answer anyway, when live, and with pre-recorded we still can comment as we go, right [yes – CT]? So to me it is the best option, eliminating lots of anxiety and concerns. We can all use that these days in my books.” [mini-survey #1]
Fine Either Way – 4
“Either way works for me. It is just such a treat to see and hear local musicians from here in Merrickville. It all seems personal to me!” [mini-survey #2]
“I am open to various options to bring us this high quality entertainment. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert last night and had forgotten that it wasn’t literally live. It was very engaging and along with my delicious dinner from ZOLAS, made for an excellent experience.” [mini-survey #2]
“I loved the pre-recorded glitch-free performance from Elise and Tim. I live in the country where Internet speed can be an issue [this is an issue for viewers whether the live stream is ‘live’ or ‘pre-recorded’ – CT]. The performance felt intimate just the same, and we know they can review the comments while the performance is rolling. I don’t mind (the ‘live live stream’ performances) if they are glitch free – Diane Nalini’s come in well, for example. Either way is fine, whatever the artist is most comfortable with.” [mini-survey #2]
Adrian Cho approved my identifying the following comments in response to mini-survey #2 as his. He and Diane Nalini have a very entertaining regular half hour live stream every Saturday at 5 pm. The video and audio quality are amazing, as is the slick production.
Disclaimer: There are pros and cons to both the live and prerecorded approach. Some performers will prefer one over the other just as some viewers will. I am not lobbying for one over the other and in fact I’m very happy if everyone wants to the opposite to what I would do. This is just my personal perspective:
Food for thought: You have to wonder why, especially right now, there are so many (‘live live stream’) music performances out there and far fewer (‘prerecorded live stream’ performances).
Business perspective: There is a very important thing that a lot of people don’t understand but which explains the success of companies like Apple, Disney, as well as countless small businesses that continue to survive even in saturated, highly competitive markets. People don’t buy products. They buy experiences. If two products are identical but one offers a better experience, people will pick that. If you want perfect then it’s all too easy to find it elsewhere. If you want to compete purely on product, you will always lose (eventually) because there will always be someone else, or hundreds or thousands of others, who will offer the same thing for less cost, less friction, etc. People want engagement. They want emotion. They want genuine, authentic experiences and they want to connect with others. Even more so in this current time. It’s not about making it perfect. The product, the performance, the production quality just need to be good enough. The rough edges, the struggles, the journey – these are all things that make something unique and engaging and bring the audience along on the ride as engaged viewers. People don’t just want to consume something. They want to feel something.
The dynamic of live: Much of the dynamic of ‘live’ is that the audience comes on an adventure with the performer even if there are some glitches. Part of the excitement is the unknown element, whether that is created by bringing together artists who have never performed together before, or playing music that is new to them, or anything else. With live streaming, when people comment in the stream and performers say “hi” back or when the artist asks a question and people respond in the chat, it creates a special connection between the performers and the audience. I believe most people know when a show is not live and there shouldn’t be any attempt to pretend that it is. (A Facebook Premiere live stream) is clearly not live, as it says it is (‘Premiere’) and not (‘Live’), both at the time it is airing and when replayed later, and it’s not possible to have interaction between the artist in the video and the audience. Even if the artists are in the chat during a (Facebook Premiere live stream) and interacting through text, they are not able to interact in the video. For example, they can’t take requests or answer questions verbally or make changes to their sound based on feedback from the audience. It’s important to consider that it is not just about the music. It’s about the interaction.
Production quality: One argument against live is that it is safer and that you can get higher production quality. I totally agree. However I’ll also point out that almost everything that is done in a prerecorded show including multiple cameras, on-screen titling, and rolling of prerecorded clips, is all possible live and has been done for decades in live TV broadcasting. Whether a show is live or prerecorded, having a tech crew help to make all the audio and video and recording/streaming happen is helpful and there are definitely times as an artist when I would be happy for someone else to do the tech work. However, it’s harder to make it work financially especially in this current time. There’s also an argument that it takes away from some of the excitement and the journey when the audience sees some of the struggles of the artists to make it work and when they do finally triumph and it all comes together. The emotional connection is so important. If something is too perfect or too overproduced then it can actually be less appealing, at least to some people.
Background
I got involved with live streaming at the end of March 2020 when ZOLAS restaurant and pasta shop in Ottawa’s West End asked me to help them with live streaming performances by their jazz performers in order to help support their takeout and delivery business during this very difficult time for restaurants. I had been booking the performers for their ‘Live Jazz Saturday Nights’ program for the previous two years. Being an engineer (and borderline OCD – not a job requirement, but definitely an asset), I spent a couple of weeks investigating Facebook Live and YouTube Live from a technical perspective. I set up numerous end-to-end test live streams in order to understand how the two services work, understand the differences, and identify serious and less serious issues. These tests included (successfully) using as the audio source a USB microphone, a sound system (USB and non-USB mixers), and a high quality digital audio recorder.
I’m a retired Professional Engineer (degree in Electrical Engineering). I worked for 23 years at Bell-Northern Research/Nortel in Ottawa, Canada, designing telecommunications services. I’ve been playing drums and electric bass in gigging big bands and small jazz ensembles since 1970 (fifty years!). Playing in bands kept me sane when I was in school and working, and is now (or at least it has been until this year) my major retirement activity. I’m currently the drummer in the big band Standing Room Only and was the bass player in the bossa nova trio Wave until it disbanded (pun intended) in December 2019. Having a technical background and being a gigging musician is proving very valuable for my involvement with live streaming musical performances, since I can bridge the two areas.
I’m currently organizing the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series. There have been six successful live stream performances so far:
Note: Elise’s and Tim’s live stream performance was ‘live-to-tape’ – i.e. there was no post-production editing. This was like a Facebook Live stream (and a live performance!) in that there were no retakes. That said, Elise and Tim were not entirely happy with their first live-to-tape recording and did a second live-to-tape recording which was the one that was live streamed. From the viewers’ perspective, their performance could have been a ‘live live stream’ – the only differences apparent to viewers were:
- Facebook Premiere displays the word ‘PREMIERE’ in a small red box superimposed on the video, while Facebook Live displays the word ‘LIVE’ in a small red box superimposed on the video (as shown in Image 1 above)
- Elise and Tim did not react to viewers’ comments during the live stream and, although they could have, during the live stream they did not reply to viewers’ comments with their own comments – so during the live stream there was no interaction between the performers and the viewers
In fact, many viewers didn’t realize that Elise’s and Tim’s live stream was pre-recorded until I told them in my second mini-survey email.
Again, to my surprise, when combined with the results of the first mini-survey:
- twelve respondents (67% - two thirds) indicated that they prefer ‘live live streams’
- only two respondents (11%) indicated that they prefer ‘pre-recorded live streams’
- four respondents indicated that they are fine either way and are happy to leave it up to the performer
Interestingly, none of the respondents to the second survey who were also respondents to the first survey changed their position.
Note: I let ZOLAS live stream performers decide which approach they will use for their live stream – ‘live live streaming’ or ‘pre-recorded live streaming’. I can, and am happy to, as necessary help them do either. Interestingly, the performers’ preferences align with the viewers’ preferences – seven out of the eight performers I have booked so far to do a live stream performance as part of the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series have chosen to do ‘live live streams’ using Facebook Live, and only one performer has chosen to do a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ using Facebook Premiere:
- Lucas Haneman and Megan Laurence on May 9th – live
- Laura Anglade on May 16th – live
- Roddy Ellias on May 23rd – live
- Elise Letourneau and Tim Bedner on May 30th – pre-recorded ‘live-to-tape’
- Mark Ferguson on June 6th – live
- Diane Nalini and Adrian Cho on June 13th – live
- Sean Duhaime and Suzie Q on June 20th – live
- Spencer Scharf on June 27th – live
As a result of the responses to my two mini-surveys, I now ask performers doing ‘live live streams’ to stop from time to time during their live stream, for example after every tune or two, and check/react to viewers’ comments. They don’t need to respond to every comment – for example, they could say “I see lots of people are commenting”. I tell them that most viewers have told me that this is what puts the ‘live’ in ‘live streaming’ and adds to the viewers’ experience (see below).
Tip: I suggest to performers that they have a tablet or laptop displaying the live stream as a viewer – in other words, logged in to Facebook using an account other than the one used to initiate the live stream – close to them on a music stand or a chair so that they can easily read the comments during their live stream performance. Tablets should be positioned vertically (i.e. portrait) so that the video is above and the comments are below. If their iPad is horizontal, the performer will see only the most recent comment, superimposed on the video. The other advantage of this is that the performer will know if anything is or goes wrong with the live stream, which they might not otherwise realize – for example if the image is flipped horizontally (mirror image), as happened in the case of one ZOLAS live stream performer although, fortunately, this was noticed and corrected during an end-to-end test of the live stream (my second article in this series ‘Twelve Technical and non-Technical Tips for Live Streaming Musical Performances – Tip 1’ discusses the importance of test end-to-end live streams).
I encouraged respondents to my two mini-surveys to include comments with their responses, which I indicated would be shared publicly, although anonymously (except for Diane Nalini’s and Adrian Cho’s comments) in this article. I found the comments extremely interesting and of even more value than the votes. The following are the combined comments from both mini-surveys. Note that each comment indicates whether it is in response to mini-survey #1 or mini-survey #2. Where someone provided comments for both mini-surveys, I have put the comments together.
Prefer ‘live live streaming’ – 12
“I can put up with degraded audio quality for the increase in intimacy the ‘live live stream’ brings.” [mini-survey #1]
“I believe live music should be just that – live. ;-) Listening ‘live’ to a prerecorded concert is a totally different experience.” [mini-survey #1]
“My vote would be to stick with the method used (with Laura Anglade’s May 16th ZOLAS live stream). The interaction was really lovely and the technical issues minor.” [mini-survey #1]
- [same respondent – mini-survey #2] “I'll admit that, even though I voted for ‘live live’ (in mini-survey #1), last night's performance was so crystal clear and less disjointed. I'm less sure of my original vote but don't feel ready to switch camps.”
“I will choose the ‘live live’ for ZOLAS because of the ‘contact’ with local friends, which I am missing [you can still do that with a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ via the comments – CT]. But I will still listen in on certain shows whether or not they are live or pre-recorded, regardless.” [mini-survey #1]
“I prefer the actual live event. It just works better for me and planning because I can plan to ‘attend’ at a certain time. I find when I have a link that I can go to at any time, even though I have good intentions, I find other things fill up the time and I don’t get to it.” [mini-survey #1]
“I much prefer the live live streams even with the technical difficulties. I really like the connection they provide with the artist. There’s a feeling of anticipation and excitement when you’re waiting for the stream to start. Once Laura started singing, I didn’t even notice the hiss!” [mini-survey #1]
- [same respondent – mini-survey #2] “I really enjoyed Tim’s and Elise’s performance. They are a great duo and it’s fun to see the interaction between the two of them as they perform. The quality was very good and there was a lot of variety in the music they chose. It did feel quite different from the previous performances in the series because it was at GigSpace rather than in the performers’ home. I still prefer the intimacy of the ‘live live stream’. I feel more connected to the performer(s) and there’s a feeling of excitement. I don’t mind the technical glitches; in fact, I feel that they’re just part of the experience. It’s fun to chat with other audience members through the comments [you can still do this with a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ – CT] and I really appreciate it when the performers take a break from time to time to respond [but you can’t do this – CT]. That being said, I would be happy to watch a ‘pre-recorded live stream’ from time to time if that is the strong preference of the performer.”
“(With) the NAC’s airing of Robi Botos (he was one of the pianists in the Oscar Peterson with Love program), the video was displayed sideways for the entire show. He even spoke to us about it, knowing that’s what was happening. It was really weird. But the music was so good, it didn’t really matter. For vocalists, it’s different, since seeing the facial and body expressions is more important than (for an instrumentalist).” [mini-survey #1]
“My feeling is that most of the attraction of these ‘live’ events is that they’re live. I know there are advantages (features :-) ) of a pre-recorded event. But to me, that’s the difference between sitting in the audience of a performance and listening to the CD. The excitement would not be there for me. I can go to YouTube anytime of the day and find lots of great recorded music, so what would be the appeal to attend this … other than the fact that friends would be there, too, that is.” [mini-survey #1]
“The pre-recorded sessions, such as Elise and Tim's, are obviously very polished and enjoyable, with more than one camera [Tim’s and Elise’s ‘pre-recorded live stream’ was ‘live-to-tape’ (i.e. there was no post-production editing) so it could have been a ‘live live stream’ and it would have been exactly the same for the viewers – CT]. In my humble opinion, the direct, live ones – with or without glitches – are closer to in-person, 'live' performances at the NAC or GigSpace because of the immediacy of the experience. Having said this, Elise and Tim were great to follow up with comments afterwards.” [mini-survey #2]
“Yes, for ZOLAS, I like the ‘live live streaming’ because it is fun and interactive. You get a sense of the performer. And chat with your friends. For those that are chatty and interactive performers like FreePlay, the ‘live live’ is great and tech issues don’t really phase them. Diane Nalini and Adrian have personality and tech savvy and can carry a ‘live live’ even when they had tech difficulties (and that was after they had perfected it beforehand). For a shy or non-techie performer, ‘live live’ is a trial for them as they are not at all comfortable but, unfortunately, in these times, they need to take on the challenge.” [mini-survey #1]
“Even before the pandemic, I have been watching a lot of live-streamed events, mostly gymnastics-related, with varying degrees of success. Now I’m watching about 4-6 live-streams daily on various platforms. When ‘live live streams’ work best, it is usually after some amount of experience/trial-and-error, even in optimal conditions. Ideally, that is my preference – ‘live live stream’. Pre-recorded live streams are somewhat one-way, minimally interactive, so I may tend to tune out partway, especially if I can watch the rest later. If the artist is using new or complicated unfamiliar equipment, has an unreliable internet connection, or is less-experienced with streaming live, then it will be best to pre-record the gig.” [mini-survey #1]
Diane Nalini approved my identifying the following comments in response to mini-survey #2 as hers. She and Adrian Cho have a very entertaining regular half hour live stream every Saturday at 5 pm. The video and audio quality are amazing, as is the slick production.
“As a performer, I understand completely the desire to present a polished show with no hiccups and therefore the (Facebook Premiere) approach is appealing. The downside is you’re not live with your audience. Adrian and I have tried both approaches. We started out live streaming each week, then we had one show that was glitchy (due to internet or YouTube issues, we're not sure). So we tried the pre-taped (Facebook Premiere) approach for two weeks. But we really missed being able to interact live in real time with the audience. So we've gone back to live streaming. For us, live streaming is the closest we can come in these times of social isolation to the dynamic of a live gig. Personally, I love being able to read segments of the chat out loud during the show and being able to respond to people in real time. It creates a precious moment of connection with our audience. Based on feedback we've received, our viewers seem to share this love of a live connection, where they are 'in the moment' with us. As a viewer, I feel the same way when I watch other live streams. So on the whole, as a performer and a viewer, I think I prefer live streaming (as opposed to pre-taped), despite all the risks of potential technical challenges this brings. Perhaps you want to give your performers in the series the choice of doing whatever they prefer? [I do – CT]”
Prefer ‘pre-recorded (aka ‘live-to-tape’) live streaming – 2
“For sure the pre-recorded route is my choice, from my experience. ... There was some anxiety when the connection cut out last night and I was suddenly watching the WHO [not the band, I’m assuming – CT] with terrible news. Laura hadn’t started singing yet. It was frustrating trying to find a way in, and I wasn’t sure how I finally got back in, but relieved. I got back in near the end of the second song. [The live stream] only cut out or froze Laura a bit after that. As far as live comments go, she doesn’t have time to really answer anyway, when live, and with pre-recorded we still can comment as we go, right [yes – CT]? So to me it is the best option, eliminating lots of anxiety and concerns. We can all use that these days in my books.” [mini-survey #1]
- [same respondent – mini-survey #2] “Still the same vote for me. The reasons are simply less worry about things going wrong and more ability for the performers to comment during the concert [using chat, but not in the video – CT].”
Fine Either Way – 4
“Either way works for me. It is just such a treat to see and hear local musicians from here in Merrickville. It all seems personal to me!” [mini-survey #2]
“I am open to various options to bring us this high quality entertainment. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert last night and had forgotten that it wasn’t literally live. It was very engaging and along with my delicious dinner from ZOLAS, made for an excellent experience.” [mini-survey #2]
“I loved the pre-recorded glitch-free performance from Elise and Tim. I live in the country where Internet speed can be an issue [this is an issue for viewers whether the live stream is ‘live’ or ‘pre-recorded’ – CT]. The performance felt intimate just the same, and we know they can review the comments while the performance is rolling. I don’t mind (the ‘live live stream’ performances) if they are glitch free – Diane Nalini’s come in well, for example. Either way is fine, whatever the artist is most comfortable with.” [mini-survey #2]
Adrian Cho approved my identifying the following comments in response to mini-survey #2 as his. He and Diane Nalini have a very entertaining regular half hour live stream every Saturday at 5 pm. The video and audio quality are amazing, as is the slick production.
Disclaimer: There are pros and cons to both the live and prerecorded approach. Some performers will prefer one over the other just as some viewers will. I am not lobbying for one over the other and in fact I’m very happy if everyone wants to the opposite to what I would do. This is just my personal perspective:
Food for thought: You have to wonder why, especially right now, there are so many (‘live live stream’) music performances out there and far fewer (‘prerecorded live stream’ performances).
Business perspective: There is a very important thing that a lot of people don’t understand but which explains the success of companies like Apple, Disney, as well as countless small businesses that continue to survive even in saturated, highly competitive markets. People don’t buy products. They buy experiences. If two products are identical but one offers a better experience, people will pick that. If you want perfect then it’s all too easy to find it elsewhere. If you want to compete purely on product, you will always lose (eventually) because there will always be someone else, or hundreds or thousands of others, who will offer the same thing for less cost, less friction, etc. People want engagement. They want emotion. They want genuine, authentic experiences and they want to connect with others. Even more so in this current time. It’s not about making it perfect. The product, the performance, the production quality just need to be good enough. The rough edges, the struggles, the journey – these are all things that make something unique and engaging and bring the audience along on the ride as engaged viewers. People don’t just want to consume something. They want to feel something.
The dynamic of live: Much of the dynamic of ‘live’ is that the audience comes on an adventure with the performer even if there are some glitches. Part of the excitement is the unknown element, whether that is created by bringing together artists who have never performed together before, or playing music that is new to them, or anything else. With live streaming, when people comment in the stream and performers say “hi” back or when the artist asks a question and people respond in the chat, it creates a special connection between the performers and the audience. I believe most people know when a show is not live and there shouldn’t be any attempt to pretend that it is. (A Facebook Premiere live stream) is clearly not live, as it says it is (‘Premiere’) and not (‘Live’), both at the time it is airing and when replayed later, and it’s not possible to have interaction between the artist in the video and the audience. Even if the artists are in the chat during a (Facebook Premiere live stream) and interacting through text, they are not able to interact in the video. For example, they can’t take requests or answer questions verbally or make changes to their sound based on feedback from the audience. It’s important to consider that it is not just about the music. It’s about the interaction.
Production quality: One argument against live is that it is safer and that you can get higher production quality. I totally agree. However I’ll also point out that almost everything that is done in a prerecorded show including multiple cameras, on-screen titling, and rolling of prerecorded clips, is all possible live and has been done for decades in live TV broadcasting. Whether a show is live or prerecorded, having a tech crew help to make all the audio and video and recording/streaming happen is helpful and there are definitely times as an artist when I would be happy for someone else to do the tech work. However, it’s harder to make it work financially especially in this current time. There’s also an argument that it takes away from some of the excitement and the journey when the audience sees some of the struggles of the artists to make it work and when they do finally triumph and it all comes together. The emotional connection is so important. If something is too perfect or too overproduced then it can actually be less appealing, at least to some people.
Background
I got involved with live streaming at the end of March 2020 when ZOLAS restaurant and pasta shop in Ottawa’s West End asked me to help them with live streaming performances by their jazz performers in order to help support their takeout and delivery business during this very difficult time for restaurants. I had been booking the performers for their ‘Live Jazz Saturday Nights’ program for the previous two years. Being an engineer (and borderline OCD – not a job requirement, but definitely an asset), I spent a couple of weeks investigating Facebook Live and YouTube Live from a technical perspective. I set up numerous end-to-end test live streams in order to understand how the two services work, understand the differences, and identify serious and less serious issues. These tests included (successfully) using as the audio source a USB microphone, a sound system (USB and non-USB mixers), and a high quality digital audio recorder.
I’m a retired Professional Engineer (degree in Electrical Engineering). I worked for 23 years at Bell-Northern Research/Nortel in Ottawa, Canada, designing telecommunications services. I’ve been playing drums and electric bass in gigging big bands and small jazz ensembles since 1970 (fifty years!). Playing in bands kept me sane when I was in school and working, and is now (or at least it has been until this year) my major retirement activity. I’m currently the drummer in the big band Standing Room Only and was the bass player in the bossa nova trio Wave until it disbanded (pun intended) in December 2019. Having a technical background and being a gigging musician is proving very valuable for my involvement with live streaming musical performances, since I can bridge the two areas.
I’m currently organizing the ‘ZOLAS Live Jazz Saturday Nights ONLINE!’ live stream performance series. There have been six successful live stream performances so far:
- Lucas Haneman and Megan Laurence on May 9th
- Laura Anglade on May 16th
- Roddy Ellias on May 23rd
- Elise Letourneau and Tim Bedner on May 30th
- Mark Ferguson on June 6th
- Diane Nalini and Adrian Cho on June 13th
Organizing the series includes having Zoom meetings with the performers in the series as required (some of them are self-admitted ‘luddites’, so our Zoom meetings are looong and painful, although by the end I get them ‘from zero to sixty’) to a) determine the best technical setup for their live stream performance, b) do a step-by-step walk-through of how to set up and initiate a live stream, and c) do a test end-to-end live stream. I’ve authored a detailed technical user guide ‘Live Streaming Stay-at-Home Musical Performances – Technical User Guide’ for the performers to use as a reference document after our Zoom meeting, and which you can access (read only) at this URL.
Comments
Bob Nesbitt, 4-November-2020 - "Wow, what a resource Chris Thompson is for technical matters! I read a number of his articles and they were truly excellent."
Davina Pearl, 16-August-2020 - "I very much appreciate all the careful thought that you put into your articles. It’s an amazing way of supporting our little community during these times. It’s heartening to read them, and to build hope that we will find some excellent ways to overcome the challenges of our new reality.”
Devon Woods, 17-June-2020 - "Very interesting and relevant series of articles by Chris Thompson."
Bob Nesbitt, 4-November-2020 - "Wow, what a resource Chris Thompson is for technical matters! I read a number of his articles and they were truly excellent."
Davina Pearl, 16-August-2020 - "I very much appreciate all the careful thought that you put into your articles. It’s an amazing way of supporting our little community during these times. It’s heartening to read them, and to build hope that we will find some excellent ways to overcome the challenges of our new reality.”
Devon Woods, 17-June-2020 - "Very interesting and relevant series of articles by Chris Thompson."