How to Start a Live Stream in PAPAI LIVE — Step-by-Step Guide

PAPAI LIVE is designed around the idea that producing a polished live stream should not require broadcast engineering knowledge. The studio does the heavy lifting — composing the frame, routing video sources, recording the composite output — while you focus on the content. This guide walks you through every step from a blank slate to a live broadcast.

If you want context on what live streaming is and why format choices matter before you start configuring, read the live streaming overview first. This guide assumes you have a PAPAI LIVE account and are ready to build your first event.

Step 1: Create a New Webinar

Log in and navigate to Dashboard → Webinars → New webinar.

Fill in the required fields:

• Title — the name of your event. This appears in the participant waiting room and in recordings.
• Scheduled start time — sets the context for participants and determines the start of your analytics window. You do not need to wait for this time to open the studio; you can enter early for a tech check.
• Description (optional) — shown to participants on the join page. A sentence or two about what the session covers and who it is for.

Save the webinar. You will land on the event detail page, which shows the shareable guest link and a button to open the studio.

Step 2: Copy the Guest Link

Before opening the studio, copy the guest link from the event detail page and keep it somewhere accessible — you will share it with participants via email, calendar invite, or messaging.

The guest link is a short URL that takes participants directly to a waiting room. They do not need an account. When you are ready to admit them, you approve entry from inside the studio.

Step 3: Open the Studio

Click Open studio from the event detail page (or go to Dashboard → Webinars → your event → Studio).

The studio opens in your browser. You will see the broadcast canvas — a 16:9 composition area — alongside the control panel. At this point the session is in pre-live mode: you can configure everything, cameras are active locally, but no participant video is going out.

Take a moment to orient yourself:

• Canvas (centre) — where video tiles appear and are arranged.
• Sources panel (left or bottom) — cameras, screen shares, presentations, and participant feeds available to add to the canvas.
• Layout presets (top bar) — Gallery, Speaker, Presentation, Split.
• Tools (right panel) — annotation/drawing tools, chat, participant list, recording controls.

Step 4: Connect Your Camera and Microphone

Click the camera and microphone icons in the bottom control bar. PAPAI LIVE will request browser permissions for both. Select your devices from the dropdown if you have multiple cameras or microphones.

Your own video tile will appear on the canvas. Check:

• Framing — are you centred and at eye level?
• Lighting — is the light source in front of you, not behind?
• Audio — speak a few words and watch the audio meter. The bar should move visibly without peaking.

If you are broadcasting with co-hosts or guest speakers, they join via their own links (moderators log in with staff accounts; guests use the guest link and are admitted from the participant list).

Step 5: Load Your Presentation (If Using One)

In the Sources panel, click Add source → Presentation.

Upload a PDF or PPTX file. PAPAI LIVE converts PPTX to PDF server-side (this takes 20–60 seconds depending on file size). Once processed, the presentation appears as a tile source.

Add it to the canvas. It will appear as a video tile you can size and position alongside camera feeds.

Advance slides during the broadcast using the arrow controls that appear on the presentation tile, or with keyboard shortcuts. You do not need to share your screen.

Step 6: Compose the Frame

This is the director’s step — the one that separates a production from a video call.

Use a layout preset to start. Click one of the preset buttons in the top bar:

• Gallery — equal-sized tiles for multiple speakers. Good for panels.
• Speaker — one large tile (the active speaker), smaller tiles for others. Best for presentations with a visible presenter.
• Presentation — the presentation slide dominates; presenter video is inset. Standard webinar layout.
• Split — two equal tiles side by side. Good for interviews or dual-presenter sessions.

Fine-tune manually. Drag any tile to reposition it on the canvas. Resize tiles by dragging their edges. Changes take effect immediately for all viewers.

You can switch presets live during the broadcast — the transition is instantaneous. Many broadcasters switch from Presentation to Speaker during Q&A to return focus to the presenter’s face.

Step 7: Run a Tech Check

Before admitting participants, spend two minutes on a technical check:

1. Play back your audio through headphones or a second device — does it sound clear?
2. Advance through your presentation slides once — do they all render correctly?
3. Check your internet upload speed. You need at least 4 Mbps stable for a 1080p broadcast; 8 Mbps is comfortable headroom.
4. Close any application you are not using — particularly browsers with video content or large file syncs running in the background.

Ask a colleague to join via the guest link and confirm they see and hear you correctly from the participant perspective.

Step 8: Start Recording (Optional)

In the recording controls (right panel or top bar), click Start recording before you go live.

PAPAI LIVE captures the composite output — the frame as you have composed it, not individual camera grids. The recording starts immediately and runs until you stop it or end the session.

Recording is strongly recommended for any planned webinar. The output file is available in Dashboard → Recordings within minutes of the session ending.

Step 9: Admit Participants and Go Live

Open the participant list panel. As guests arrive at the waiting room, their names appear with an Admit button. Click it for each participant you want to let in.

Once participants are in the room, their video tiles appear in your sources panel (not automatically on canvas — you control what the audience sees). Add a guest’s tile to the canvas if you want to feature them.

When you are ready to broadcast:

• Confirm your composition looks right on the canvas.
• Click Go live (the LIVE button in the top bar).

The LIVE indicator activates. You are broadcasting. All participant video and audio is now live to the audience.

Step 10: Manage the Session

During the broadcast:

• Chat — monitor the chat panel for audience questions. Pin important messages to surface them.
• Annotations — use the drawing toolbar to annotate over the current frame live. Switch to the laser pointer for a non-persistent highlight.
• Layout switches — change presets or reposition tiles at any point. Transitions are immediate.
• Mute controls — mute individual participants from the participant list if there is background noise.
• Raise hand queue — participants can raise a hand; you see the queue in the participant panel and can grant them audio/video.

Step 11: End the Session

When you are done:

1. Announce the close to the audience — give them the next step (replay link, follow-up, resource).
2. Click End broadcast in the control bar. This stops the live feed for all participants.
3. If recording was running, it stops automatically and queues for processing.
4. Download or share the recording link from Dashboard → Recordings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I go live without scheduling the webinar in advance? Yes. You can create a webinar and immediately open the studio without setting a scheduled time. The guest link is available as soon as the event is saved.

What happens if my connection drops mid-broadcast? PAPAI LIVE uses WebRTC, which handles brief interruptions gracefully. If the host’s connection drops, the broadcast pauses. Participants see a buffering state rather than an error. Reconnecting within 30–60 seconds typically restores the session without ending it.

Can I have multiple presenters on the canvas at the same time? Yes. Add as many tiles to the canvas as you want. The layout presets are starting points — you can resize and reposition any tile manually.

How do I share my screen instead of a slide deck? In Sources → Add source → Screen share. Your screen appears as a tile source that you can add to the canvas exactly like a camera or presentation.

Where is the recording after the session ends? Dashboard → Recordings. Processing typically completes within a few minutes of the session ending. You will see a download link and a shareable replay URL.

---

Launch the studio now — your first broadcast is a few clicks away.