In short
- A live feed shows camera video on screens inside the venue.
- A livestream sends the programme to viewers who are somewhere else.
- A recording is a saved video you can watch, share or edit later.
- You can combine them, but each one is planned and agreed separately.
Choose by asking who needs to see the event, and where they will be. People in the room need a live feed. People elsewhere need a livestream. Anyone who watches later needs a recording.
What each one is
| Option | Who watches | When | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live feed | People inside the venue | During the event | Cameras, a way to send video to screens, the venue’s screens and operator |
| Livestream | People anywhere with the link | During the event | Cameras, a stream encoder, a stable internet connection, a platform |
| Recording | Anyone you share it with | After the event | Cameras and sound, then editing if you want a finished film |
These are three different outputs, not three names for the same thing. A crew can offer one, two or all three, but each is scoped and checked on its own.
Live feed: for people in the room
A live feed puts camera video on projector or LED screens at the venue. It helps when the hall is large, the stage is far away, or speakers need to be seen clearly from the back.
It does not need the internet, but it does need the venue’s AV supplier and screen operator. See delivering camera video to venue screens for what to settle with them. Our event live feed service covers the camera side.
Livestream: for people who cannot be there
A livestream sends the programme to a link that remote viewers open on a phone or computer. It suits relatives abroad, staff in other offices, members who cannot travel, or a public audience.
It depends on a connection that holds for the whole programme, and on platform and access choices. Read planning an event livestream from the first brief before you decide, and see our event livestreaming service. If some speakers join online while others are in the room, that is a hybrid event.
Recording: for everyone else, later
A recording is the saved video. It can be a full, uncut recording of a ceremony or session, or an edited film. Our full ceremony and speech recording and event highlight films are both built from recordings.
A livestream is not a recording you can rely on. If the stream drops, viewers miss that part, and a saved copy may carry the same gap. When the recording matters, ask for it to be captured separately.
A worked example
Take an illustrative annual dinner for a few hundred guests, with a ballroom stage, staff joining from another city, and a wish to share a short film afterwards.
- The room is large, so a live feed helps guests at the back see the speeches.
- Staff in another city need a livestream.
- The company wants a film for later, so a separate recording and edit is needed.
All three are used here, and each one has an owner: the AV supplier for screens, the crew and platform for the stream, the editor for the film. This is an example of how to think, not a statement about any past event.
What we confirm for your event
We go through these with you:
- Who needs to watch, and how many will be remote?
- Is the audience in the room, away from the venue, or both?
- Does the stream need to be private or public?
- Do you need a clean recording even if the stream has problems?
- Who provides the internet, screens and sound at the venue?
The event video chooser helps you shortlist outputs before you message us.
If you know who needs to watch, and where, we can tell you which of the three fits your event and what each one depends on. Send your date, venue and audience and we will confirm what is possible.
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