Livestreaming: When Should You Bring in the Professionals?

Since 2018, we’ve been developing mobile livestream solutions for outdoor productions with high standards for image composition and broadcast quality - with experienced professionals and high-end technology. We’ve compiled the top seven arguments for when you should definitely leave it to the experts.

Nothing generates as much reach as the use of live features. From Insta to LinkedIn, social media and social business platforms love the concentrated (inter-)activity of your community. Pull in your entire follower base with a single click? For influencers and creators whose business model is authenticity, that’s a no-brainer. But when it comes to evolving brands through product releases and sponsored events, or high-profile events from institutions with serious agendas, you should leave nothing to chance.

Since 2018, we’ve been developing mobile livestreaming solutions for outdoor productions with high standards for image composition and broadcast quality - with experienced professionals and high-end technology. Of course, this costs more than simply pointing a smartphone and broadcasting everything through your own social media channel.

We’ve put together seven reasons why you should definitely leave it to the experts in certain cases.

The decision to hire professional livestreaming providers isn’t just a matter of technology - it’s about the overall impression your event leaves. A poorly filmed or unstable livestream can undo months of marketing work, while a professional broadcast multiplies the event experience and carries it far beyond the physical venue.

“Live mixing of 4 mobile camera signals for a TikTok livestream at the Verties 2022”

1. Brand Care & Reputation: Every Impression Counts

Maintaining a professional image is important. This naturally applies to events that represent your brand or organization. Professionals can help solidify the reputation of your products or institution by delivering high-quality streaming experiences that positively impact your brand.

Livestreaming providers also offer reliability and streaming stability. They minimize the risk of technical disruptions or interruptions during the event, have backup systems to handle unexpected problems and ensure a smooth experience for viewers.

A concrete example: imagine your CEO is giving an important speech at an industry event, and the stream drops in the middle of it or the audio quality is so poor that viewers are tuning out in droves. The reputational damage is hard to quantify. Professional providers rely on redundant systems - multiple encoders, backup internet connections and real-time monitoring - to prevent exactly these scenarios.

2. Complex or High-Profile Events: Too Big to Fail

For events with a high-profile audience or those spanning multiple locations, professionals can better manage the complexity of streaming. When your event requires advanced technical setups such as multi-camera angles, live graphics or complex audio configurations, professionals can ensure everything runs smoothly and meets your technical specifications.

Live mixing of all camera signals, video inserts, motion designs and virtual connections ensures a seamless experience for all viewers and turns your event into a show. From a local or remote control room, multichannel streaming (on all social media channels and landing pages simultaneously) including live feedback integration can be coordinated.

For example, we’ve streamed events with up to six cameras simultaneously, including stationary and mobile cameras, drone footage and remote connections. Such setups require a well-coordinated team: camera operators who know when to deliver which framing, a director who mixes signals in real time, and technicians who continuously monitor picture and sound.

3. Critical Timing: Only One Chance

Events where timing is crucial - such as live performances, sports events or real-time announcements - need professionals who can guarantee timely streaming without delays or interruptions. They have the technical know-how to set up and manage complex equipment for seamless livestreaming. They understand the nuances of camera angles, lighting and audio quality, ensuring a polished and professional broadcast.

At a live event, there are no second takes. When the artist steps on stage, when the minister takes the podium, when the product is revealed - in that moment, everything must work. Professional livestreaming teams rehearse the technical workflow in advance, create detailed rundowns and have a Plan B for every conceivable disruption. This gives everyone involved the confidence to focus on the content rather than the technology.

4. Legal & Interaction: Your Feedback Matters

Certain events may have legal or compliance requirements related to streaming, such as copyright issues or privacy concerns. Professionals are familiar with these regulations and can ensure your livestream complies with relevant guidelines.

Experienced event professionals also know how to effectively engage the audience during livestreams, whether through interactive features, live chat moderation or viewer polls. They can help foster a sense of community and interaction, keep viewers engaged and involved in the event. Your team can meanwhile focus on the professional aspects… which brings us to a very important pro argument…

Especially for events with political content, health topics or sensitive corporate information, compliance with data protection and regulations isn’t an optional add-on - it’s a fundamental requirement. Professional providers know which platforms are GDPR-compliant, how to obtain consent for broadcasting and which content cannot be streamed for legal reasons.

5. Peace of Mind: Focus on Your Event

By entrusting livestreaming to professionals, you can fully focus on the event itself without being distracted by technical worries or troubleshooting. This allows you to fully immerse yourself in the moment, interact with participants and ensure the success of the event without the stress of managing livestream logistics.

From our experience, we know: when event organizers try to manage the livestream themselves, the event almost always suffers. Your mind is on the technology instead of the guests. You miss important networking moments because you’re monitoring the stream. And in the worst case, you suddenly face a technical problem you can’t solve - right in the middle of the event. Professional teams work invisibly in the background and deliver without you having to worry about a thing.

6. Added Value Through Post-Production: Content That Lives On

An aspect that’s often underestimated: professional livestreaming providers don’t just deliver the stream itself, but also high-quality recordings that serve as the basis for further content. From a one-hour livestream, numerous highlight clips, social media snippets, quote graphics and summary videos can be created.

At Jakobs Medien, we record all camera signals individually - not just the mixed program signal. This gives us maximum flexibility in post-production: we can create alternative edits, add close-ups retroactively or extract individual presentations as standalone videos. This way, a single event becomes an entire content package that can be distributed over weeks and months.

This principle of content maximization is the deciding argument for many of our clients. Because the investment in a professional livestream pays off not only on the day of the event, but over the entire lifecycle of the content it generates.

7. Scalability: From Webinar to Major Production

Professional livestreaming partners can scale flexibly - from a compact single-camera solution for an internal town hall to a multi-camera production with virtual sets and international broadcast. Covering this spectrum requires not just equipment, but above all experience and a well-coordinated team.

At Jakobs Medien, we offer different production packages tailored to the scope and standards of the event. A small webinar doesn’t need a six-person team, but an international brand event needs more than a webcam. Professional providers will honestly advise you on what level of effort actually makes sense for your event - avoiding both under- and overproduction.

Another advantage: with a professional partner at your side, you can develop your livestreaming setup over time. Perhaps you start with a simple format and gradually expand it with additional cameras, virtual elements or interactive features. This organic growth path is significantly more sustainable than trying to build everything at once on your own.

Conclusion: When the Investment Pays Off

The question isn’t whether livestreaming is important - it undoubtedly is. The question is when the step from smartphone streaming to professional production makes sense. Our recommendation: as soon as your event has an audience beyond your closest community, as soon as your brand is at stake, or as soon as you want to use the content beyond the event, working with professionals is worthwhile.

The costs for professional livestreaming have dropped significantly in recent years, while quality and technical capabilities have increased massively. What was previously only possible for TV productions with six-figure budgets is now affordable for medium-sized companies and organizations.

At Jakobs Medien, we stand for honest consultation: we only recommend what actually makes sense for your event. Sometimes that’s a full production with all the bells and whistles, sometimes a smart, lean setup is sufficient. What matters is that the technical execution matches the standards of your event - and that on the day of the event, you don’t have to worry about anything other than your guests and your content.