• Introduction
• Built-In Live Streaming using OBS Introduction
  • Step 1: Download and Configure Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
    • OBS Starter Profile
  • Step 2: Setting up your Presentation Layout
  • Step 3: Creating a Streaming Session in Conference Tracker
  • Step 4: Linking your Session to OBS and Beginning your Stream
  • Additional Resources
• Built-In Streaming using Zoom Introduction
• Video Upload Introduction
  • Step 1: Ready your Video File
  • Step 2: Create a Session in Conference Tracker
  • Step 3: Uploading your Pre-Recorded Video

Conference Tracker now supports our own suite of built-in services that allow you to either live stream your presentation to your attendees, or upload a pre-recorded video file of your sessions. To find out more, please read below on how each of these services work.

Conference Tracker now supports a built-in service which is highly customizable to ensure that your online presentation's quality is the best it can be. Similar to Zoom or GoToMeeting, our built-in streaming service allows you to create a custom online presentation that fits your exact session's needs. This is accomplished by using Open Broadcaster Software, a free-to-use program compatible with any desktop or laptop computer. Below, we will go over all of the steps required to get your online presentation up and running!

Requirements:

• A desktop or laptop computer
• A stable internet connection
• Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
• Microphone or headset
• Webcam (optional)
• Secondary Monitor (optional)

In order to begin streaming with Conference Tracker, we will need to download OBS, or Open Broadcaster Software, a free to use program that will help you set up your stream to your exact requirements. To download, please visit OBS Project and click on your platform of choice. The download should start automatically. Once you have downloaded the OBS setup, open the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation.

1. Upon installing, OBS should automatically open, and you will be greeted with the Auto-Configuration Wizard. You can close this for now since we will be setting our preferred settings manually.
2. On the top toolbar, click on File → Settings in order to begin your initial OBS setup.
3. Once the Settings window opens, click on the Stream tab on the left hand side. Set the Service drop down menu to Custom. Leave the two following fields blank for now as we will return and update these later.
4. Next, click on the Output tab on the left-hand side of the Settings window. Here, under Video Bitrate, change the setting to say 2000 Kbps.
5. Finally, click on the Video tab on the left-hand side of the Settings window. Here, change the Base (Canvas) Resolution and the Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1280×720. Under Common FPS Values, change this number to 30.
6. Once you are finished, click on Apply then OK at the bottom of the Settings window to finalize your changes.

Now that OBS has been configured, you will be shown the main program screen:

Here is a brief introduction to the OBS display window:

1. Canvas: The Canvas is where you will see what will be displayed in your presentation. You will be able to add, move, and resize all of your content here.
2. Scenes: The Scenes section allows you to set up different layouts for your presentation in order to quickly change between them. For example, you can have one scene show your webcam only, and another scene will show a side-by-side view of your Powerpoint presentation and your webcam. Setting up multiple scenes is optional.
3. Sources: The Sources section allows you to add and manage all of your sources. Your sources can include your webcam, microphone, monitor, application, images, etc.
4. Audio Mixer: Here you can manage the audio that is being captured by your presentation.
5. Controls: In the Controls section, you can begin and end your Stream and your Recording.

We have created a file that you can import into OBS that will help you get started in creating your presentation layout. This file gives you the ability to quickly add your presentation material, microphone/headset audio, and webcam display into OBS. Right click on the link below and chose Save Link As… to download the OBS starter profile:

OBS Starter Profile

1. Once you have downloaded this file, go to the top toolbar in OBS, click on Scene Collection → Import.
2. You will see a small window asking if you want OBS to search for scene collections. You can click on No to skip this window. You will then see the Scene Collection Importer window.
3. At the bottom of the Scene Collection Importer window, click on Add and search for the OBS Starter Profile file we downloaded. Double click the file, then click Import on the Scene Collection Importer window.
4. The Scene Collection Importer window will close, and you will be back to the main OBS screen.
5. Click once again on Scene Collection at the top of the OBS toolbar, and at the bottom, you will see the Conference Tracker OBS Starter Profile listed. Click on this profile and you will see some new items under the Sources section at the bottom of your OBS window.

Now that this file has been imported, we need to simply assign your computer's equipment to be found by OBS. We will be mainly referencing the Sources section at the bottom of your OBS window for the next steps.

1. Double click on the first listed source in the Sources section of OBS, which should be MICROPHONE/HEADSET.
2. A properties window should appear. On the drop down menu, select the microphone you would like to use. If you are unsure of which to choose, you can select Default.
3. Once finished, click OK. To make sure your Microphone is being picked up, take a look at the green bar under the Audio Mixer section at the bottom of OBS. Talk into your microphone and if this bar lights up, you're good to go!

The next two sources will be used differently depending on your available equipment and preferred presentation style.

• If you would like to capture just one program window, such as a Powerpoint presentation or a PDF file (Recommended if you only have one monitor available in your computer setup):
  1. Make sure the program you would like to display on OBS is open in your computer.
  2. Double click on the PROGRAM DISPLAY source.
  3. A properties window should appear. In the drop down menu labeled Window, choose the corresponding program. For example, if you have a Powerpoint presentation open, find the Powerpoint option on this drop-down menu.
  4. To ensure you selected the correct program, the Properties window will show a preview of the chosen window.
  5. Once finished, click OK.
• If you would like to capture an entire monitor (Recommended if you have a second monitor available in your computer setup):
  1. Double click on the MONITOR DISPLAY source.
  2. A properties window should appear. IN the drop down menu labeled Display, choose the corresponding Display.
  3. To ensure you selected the correct display, the Properties window will show a preview of the chosen monitor.
  4. Once finished, click OK.

1. Double click on the second listed source in the Sources section of OBS, which should be WEBCAM.
2. A properties window should appear. On the first drop-down menu labeled Device, choose the webcam you would like to use. To ensure this works, you should see a preview of your webcam's capture above the drop-down menu.
3. Once finished, click OK.

You should now have all of your sources added to OBS! If any of these seem out of proportion or are being cropped:

1. Click on the Source's name you would like to edit in the Sources section.
2. You will see a red box surrounding the selected source in your OBS Canvas.
3. You can now click and drag to reposition the source. You can also resize it by clicking and dragging the corners of the red box.

Our next step is to create a session in Conference Tracker that will be linked to your OBS presentation. Let's navigate over to Conference Tracker and sign in to your account. Once you are signed in, let's go over to the left-hand Navigation Menu and click on Conference → Sessions. Here, you will have two options. If you have not yet created your Session, click on the blue Create button. If you have a pre-existing session you would like to edit, simply click on this session's title and you will be taken to the Session Edit screen.

Once you are creating/editing your session, fill out the session information as you normally would with the session title, start/end times, credit information, and so on. Once you are finished, scroll towards the bottom of this screen and you will see a section labeled Attendance Mode. Here, we will need to pick either Online or Mixed. This will make this session available online, and offer an additional section of settings labeled Streaming.

In the Streaming settings, pick Built-In in the Service drop-down menu, and Live in the Mode drop-down menu. Once you have made all other necessary changes to your session, click on the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken back to the main Sessions page.

We are now ready to perform the final steps to begin your stream! In the main Sessions list screen (on the left-hand Navigation Menu, Conference → Sessions), find the session you have set to stream, click on the three dots button at the far right of the session, and click on the Start Streaming button .

On the next screen, you will once again see a button labeled Start Streaming. Don't worry, clicking on this button only begins the setup of the stream, and your presentation will not go live yet. Click on the button and give Conference Tracker a few minutes to initialize the setup. Once it is finished, the page will automatically refresh, providing you with the information needed to link your OBS presentation to Conference Tracker.

In this page, we will need to important pieces of information: Server Address and Stream Key. We will be using these to link OBS to Conference Tracker.

1. Open OBS, and at the top toolbar, click on File→Settings.
2. Click on the Stream tab on the left-hand side of the Settings window.
3. The Service drop-down menu should be set to Custom from our previous steps.
4. Under Server, copy and paste the Server code you received from your Conference Tracker session.
5. Under Stream Key, copy and paste the Stream Key code you received from your Conference Tracker session.
6. Click Apply and OK at the bottom of the settings window and you are finished!
7. Once you are ready, click on the Start Streaming button on the bottom right corner of OBS and your stream will begin.

Below you can find additional resources to further your understanding of OBS and streaming:

• Conference Tracker Blog: Improving the Quality of your Virtual Event
• OBS Blog
• OBS Help Page
• OBS Wiki
• OBS Quickstart Guide

If you have a licensed Zoom account (Zoom Pro or higher), you can use our built-in streaming services to stream your Zoom meeting to all of your attendees in Conference Tracker.

As the owner of the licensed Zoom account, you will need to update some settings on the Zoom Web Portal to enable the option to stream your Zoom meetings.

1. Sign-in to your Zoom account at Zoom
2. Click on My Account at the top right of the page.
3. On the My Account page, click on Settings on the left-hand Navigation Menu
4. Navigate to the In Meeting (Advanced Section), scroll down until you find the setting toggle labeled Allow live streaming meetings. Enable this setting and you will see some additional options. For Conference Tracker, you will only need to mark the Custom Live Streaming Service check box.
5. You will see an additional text box appear, allowing instructions to be preset for anyone who will be using this live streaming service. Filling this out is optional, but could help if you have multiple speakers creating Zoom Meetings.
6. Once you are finished, make sure to click on the Save button

Our next step is to create a session in Conference Tracker that will be linked to your OBS presentation. Let's navigate over to Conference Tracker and sign in to your account. Once you are signed in, let's go over to the left-hand Navigation Menu and click on Conference → Sessions. Here, you will have two options. If you have not yet created your Session, click on the blue Create button. If you have a pre-existing session you would like to edit, simply click on this session's title and you will be taken to the Session Edit screen.

Once you are creating/editing your session, fill out the session information as you normally would with the session title, start/end times, credit information, and so on. Once you are finished, scroll towards the bottom of this screen and you will see a section labeled Attendance Mode. Here, we will need to pick either Online or Mixed. This will make this session available online, and offer an additional section of settings labeled Streaming.

In the Streaming settings, pick Built-In in the Service drop-down menu, and Live in the Mode drop-down menu. Once you have made all other necessary changes to your session, click on the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken back to the main Sessions page.

Now that your Conference Tracker session has been successfully configured, it's time to begin your Zoom Meeting.

1. Open your Zoom Client and create your Zoom meeting. You can configure your meeting by inviting any additional participants, adding your webcam, enabling screen share, etc.
2. Once you have completed your meeting setup, navigate over to your Zoom Toolbar. This toolbar could be in different locations depending on your Zoom Meeting setup, such as the top of your screen or under your webcam display. For reference, this is the Zoom Toolbar:
3. Click on the More button at the right of your Toolbar, then click on Live on Custom Live Streaming Service.
4. You will be taken to a new page asking for some streaming information, such as Streaming URL and Stream Key. Leave this page open for now.
5. Open a new browser window or tab and navigate to your Conference Tracker account.
6. On the left-hand Navigation Menu, click on Conference → Sessions.
7. Locate the Session you would like to begin your stream for, click on the three-dots button at the far right of the session, and click on Start Streaming option.
8. On the next page, click on the green Setup Stream button and wait for Conference Tracker to initiate your streaming server.
9. Once the page refreshes with your streaming information, we will need to locate two items: the Streaming URL and the Stream Key. These will be located in the Streaming Instructions section on your Conference Tracker page.

Another great addition Conference Tracker now has is the ability to host your pre-recorded videos for your presentations. If you have the ability to create your presentation video ahead of time, you can use our easy to use uploading system to make your video available to all of your attendees.

The first step is to ensure that your chosen video file for your presentation is readily available. Most regularly used video file formats are supported, such as MP4, MOV, and AVI. Be sure to remember the location of where this video file is saved in your computer, as we will be needing it momentarily.

Our next step is to create a session in Conference Tracker that will include your pre-recorded video within Conference Tracker. Let's navigate over to Conference Tracker and sign in to your account. Once you are signed in, let's go over to the left-hand Navigation Menu and click on Conference → Sessions. Here, you will have two options. If you have not yet created your Session, click on the blue Create button. If you have a pre-existing session you would like to edit, simply click on this session's title and you will be taken to the Session Edit screen.

Once you are creating/editing your session, fill out the session information as you normally would with the session title, start/end times, credit information, and so on. Once you are finished, scroll towards the bottom of this screen and you will see a section labeled Attendance Mode. Here, we will need to pick either Online or Mixed. This will make this session available online, and offer an additional section of settings labeled Streaming.

In the Streaming settings, pick Built-In in the Service drop-down menu, and Recorded in the Mode menu. Once you have made all other necessary changes to your session, click on the green Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken back to the main Sessions page.

In the main Sessions list screen, find the session you have just created, click on the three dots button at the far right of the session, and click on the Upload Streaming button .

You will be taken to a page that will allow you to browse your computer files to find the video you would like to upload as your presentation. Click on the blue Upload Video button on this screen to open a file browser window. Find the video file you would like to upload and double click the file. You will be taken back to the Conference Tracker screen and you will see an upload progress bar alerting you of how long it will take for your video to upload. DO NOT LEAVE THIS PAGE UNTIL THE UPLOAD IS COMPLETE!!! Leaving this page before your video has been uploaded will result in a cancellation of your upload. Once your video finishes uploading, you will see a confirmation message. You may now exit this page.

Once your Session is scheduled to start, your Attendees will be able to view the video you uploaded for your session successfully!