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There are many different types of live streaming apps available on the market, but most of them aren’t suited for funeral streaming. For starters, some of them require extensive knowledge to operate, while others simply require one tap to go live.
Choosing the best live streaming app will depend on the features you need, ease of use, and how much money you want to spend to make families happier with the result. Some of them are free while others require a flat fee or a monthly subscription.
As with everything in life, free alternatives are usually more time-consuming and come with a few caveats.
You can opt for social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, or Youtube, but most of them have some obvious disadvantages for funerals and memorials. I’m thinking blocked videos, virtual guests calling to complain, or even poor image quality.
Being respectful to the family of the deceased and their memories is probably the most important aspect of live streaming a funeral service and we can’t guarantee this by using a public platform, or one that will show ads next to the video feed.
In this post, we’ll explore the best live streaming apps for funerals, memorials and celebrations of life.
Best Live Streaming Apps for Funerals
When choosing a funeral streaming app, you have to consider the following aspects:
- Will families be able to access the stream easily?
- Will it add extra work to your busy day?
- Can you live stream multiple services at once?
- Is it reliable enough?
- Will your live streams remain online for families to access it in the future?
- Is sharing the live stream as easy as sharing a link or as complex as creating a private listing for every stream?
- How long does it take to start implementing it?
With that in mind, let's explore the options I found and compare them by these standards.
YouTube Live
App Store Rating: 4.7 • 27.5M Ratings
Google Play Rating: 4.2 • 143M reviews
YouTube Live offers excellent quality. You can publish unlisted videos to go live while preventing strangers from joining a funeral service. The first problem with YouTube live is that you must have 1000+ subscribers to go live from a mobile device. For this reason alone, most people using YouTube are experienced a/v professionals who can handle live streaming equipment.
Advantages
- It’s free. It works perfectly on both Android and iOS devices every time.
Disadvantages
- The biggest reason funeral homes are staying away from YouTube is that an automatic algorithm may block your video or audio if you play copyrighted music. This turns out in a not-so-great experience for the deceased loved ones.
- You can't pause and resume the live stream without inviting everyone to a new event. This is time-consuming and confusing for families at home.
Will families be able to access the live stream easily?
Yes, but they might have to see ads or unrelated content next to the video.
Will it add extra work to your day?
Yes, definitely. Creating private events on YouTube can feel like an extra job on your day to day routine.
Can you live stream multiple services at once?
It can be done, but it's not really easy to do so.
Will your live streams remain online for families to access it in the future?
If you didn't use copyrighted material or music in it, then yes. If you did, YouTube might have blocked it during the live stream, or will mute or block your video in certain regions when the live stream ends.
How easy or difficult is it to share the live stream?
It's fairly easy, but the URL doesn't look friendly or easy if someone has to type it on a different device.
How long does it take to start implementing it?
After reaching the 1000 subscriber milestone, you have to apply to be eligible to run live streams on your YouTube channel. If you have a successful channel, this isn't a problem. Assuming you're not a successful YouTuber yet, your best alternative might be next on this list.
EventLive
App Store Rating: 4.9 • 180 Ratings
Google Play Rating: 4.5 • 124 reviews
EventLive offers a seamless solution for live streaming funerals and memorials directly from a mobile device. As it is a platform in itself, you can simply tap the record button to go live and people can access it from anywhere in the world using a web browser, such as Safari or Google Chrome. It also works on TVs and other devices.
You can schedule a Celebration of Life directly on your phone or using a computer and go live from any smartphone or tablet. No ads, excellent video quality, replay available for a full year, and automatic reminders are some of EventLive’s included features. The in-house customer support handles viewers' questions as well as Funeral Directors' inquiries with excellent response times.
EventLive also includes a tribute wall in which bereaved guests can leave love messages for the deceased and their family.
Advantages:
- It’s very easy and intuitive to use. No need for learning or training employees.
- The video saves automatically to the mobile device.
- The replay can be seen online for 365 days.
- The native app works well on both Android and iOS devices.
- You can live stream multiple services at the same time.
- Allows you to include event programs, PDFs, or donation links underneath the video.
Disadvantages:
- It costs anywhere from 25 to 50 USD per service but if you work at a funeral home, you can get 3 free services to get started today.
Will families be able to access the live stream easily?
Yes, they can access the live stream by simply clicking on the custom link.
Will it add extra work to your day?
No, as scheduling an event takes seconds. All you need is the event name, date and time. The entire app is optimized to save your time and doesn't require any knowledge to operate.
Can you live stream multiple services at once?
Yes. You can create a new event from any device and go live with a second smartphone or tablet from any other location, such as funeral home, cemetery, graveside, or church.
Will your live streams remain online for families to access it in the future?
Yes. EventLive keeps a backup for 365 days and the Replay can be seen instantly after the live stream ends.
Funeral directors can share the live stream Download and Replay links with families.
How easy or difficult is it to share the live stream?
It's really easy. You can invite people by sending a private message or by sharing a friendly URL on social media or other channels. As the URL can be customized, it is easy to be typed on a new device, even by elderly family members.
How long does it take to start implementing it?
You can try live streaming within 15 minutes, and offer it to your clients as soon as today. Even though EventLive offers outstanding support, you might not need it to get started.
TribuCast
App Store Rating: N/A
Google Play Rating: N/A
TribuCast offers a similar option to the previous alternatives but uses third-party apps -such as Airmix Solo or Larix Broadcaster- that need to be configured in order to go live. If you’re familiar with RTMP and Stream keys, it shouldn’t be too complex. Otherwise, it might look like a time-intensive task that requires training and learning until anyone in your organization can use it.
While this platform offers more personalization than any other on this list, this also means spending time going through each setting for every live stream. To help with this, they created TribuCast Page Master, which is a system that affects new live streams but not previous ones. It's intended to help reduce the burden of customizing every new page.
Advantages:
- They allow more customization for event pages, such as including descriptions, blocks of text, color customization, photos or memorabilia.
- They offer training through their website.
- It might work well for tech-savvy users.
Disadvantages:
- You can go live from both Android and iOS devices, but they use different apps, so you might have trouble changing devices during a service.
- The 150-300 USD per funeral pricing might be high for some family-owned funeral homes or grieving families.
- It is the most time-consuming platform of this list
- You have to pay for each segment of the live stream (the wake, funeral service, burial)
- The video resolution is low: 480x30 compared to 1080p (EventLive) or 720p (OneRoom)
- Limited to 100 guests without incurring in extra charges
- Limited by storage (1GB per segment: burial, funeral service)
Will families be able to access the live stream easily?
Yes, as long as the shared link is clickable and not printed or shared on non-linking channels. Otherwise it would be very complex to be typed in.
Will it add extra work to your day?
Creating a TribuCast event seems intuitive, but the Management page includes terms such as Stream Security Code, VOD, and others that make it a technical solution for some Funeral Directors.
While the ability to fully customize a funeral page is more featured-packed than other alternatives on this list, the fact that it requires you to fill hobbies, texts, colors, and images makes it a more time-intensive platform to use.
Can you live stream multiple services at once?
I can't confirm this at the time, but I believe it is possible.
Will your live streams remain online for families to access it in the future?
Yes. Tribucast keeps a backup for 90 days and it can be Downloaded.
How easy or difficult is it to share the live stream?
It is very easy to share, but it is very hard to type it on a new device as TribuCast doesn't use user-friendly or customizable links.
How long does it take to start implementing it?
Downloading the apps and configuring them might take some time if you're not familiar with RTMP. After setting everything up, you must pay $150 in order to try the app or request a demo through their website.
OneRoom Remote
App Store Rating: 5.0 • 2 Ratings
Google Play Rating: N/A
OneRoom offers a live streaming app that works both on Android and iOS devices. You must schedule the service from the OneRoom Platform using a computer, and you can go live from a smartphone or tablet. They offer a 90-day backup, password protection, and other useful features.
Advantages:
- The app seems intuitive enough, even though it requires setting a finite time for the service instead of just stopping it when it’s done.
- If you're already paying for OneRoom, the OneRoom Remote app works as an extension of the platform.
Disadvantages:
- You cannot schedule live streams from the OneRoom Remote app, which makes it inconvenient.
- You need to extend the service manually by 15-minute increments if you don’t want it to be cut off automatically.
- OneRoom uses a Chatbot instead of real people to answer website inquiries, which can be frustrating.
- Requires a subscription to use the OneRoom Remote app.
- Pricing isn’t available on their website at the time of writing this.
Will families be able to access the live stream easily?
Yes, as long as the shared link is clickable and not printed or shared on non-linking channels. Otherwise it would be very complex to be typed in.
Will it add extra work to your day?
Yes, as the App doesn't allow you to schedule live streams. You'd have to schedule the event using the Dashboard in a computer, and then use your mobile device to watch the countdown go down to zero in order to start the live stream. Once it started, you must watch the countdown in order to know when your stream will end. This can be overridden if needed with the stop button. If you needed to add extra time, you can do it in 15-minute increments, otherwise the live stream will end at the defined time.
As the app isn't available on my region (Caribbean), I couldn't test it myself. I verified both Android and App Stores, and neither one has good reviews to show, but I prefer to test things myself before giving a verdict.
Can you live stream multiple services at once?
I believe it's possible, but only after scheduling them from a computer.
Will your live streams remain online for families to access it in the future?
Yes. OneRoom keeps a backup for 90 days.
How easy or difficult is it to share the live stream?
It's easy. You can invite people by sending a private message or by sharing the URL on social media or other channels. If family members need to type the URL to open it on a second device, the complexity of the URL makes it a difficult job.
How long does it take to start implementing it?
OneRoom requires you to fill a form or request a Demo in order to be contacted by them. This is the first step of a sales process, which is required to test the platform and then the app.
Larix Broadcaster
App Store Rating: 4.4 • 82 Ratings
Google Play Rating: 4.2 • 1050 reviews
Larix Broadcaster is an Android and iOS app that allows you to go live to any destination of your choice. It is a technical solution that allows you to live stream directly to YouTube Live, Facebook Live, EventLive, or any other streaming platform.
It is 100% free and it works well. If you want to get your hands dirty while configuring a live streaming solution, this one might be right for you. If not, I’d recommend skipping it right away.
Advantages:
- It’s free
- It is reliable once you understand the most important settings
- It is frequently updated
Disadvantages:
- It’s a technical alternative to easier, premium choices such as EventLive or OneRoom app.
- If you’re streaming to a premium platform, you still have to pay for the destination, in which case it isn’t free anymore.
Will families be able to access the live stream easily?
It depends on the destination of the live stream.
Will it add extra work to your day?
Definitely. This is a time-consuming option and involves learning and using multiple tools.
Can you live stream multiple services at once?
Yes. You can use Larix on different smartphones while streaming to the same or multiple platforms at once.
Will your live streams remain online for families to access it in the future?
Depends on the destination of your live stream. EventLive allows you to watch a replay for 365 days, while TribuCast or OneRoom allow it for 90 days.
How easy or difficult is it to share the live stream?
If difficulty is a concern, you should look into other alternatives on this list. The ease of sharing depends on the platform you choose as a destination.
How long does it take to start implementing it?
Depending on your experience with technology, it could be from a few hours to a few days until you get all your settings right and the destination set up properly.
Summary and Recommendations
Going live from a smartphone should be fairly easy in 2022. Some of these live streaming platforms offer a straightforward and simple method, while others add a layer of complexity to the entire process.
The best way to approach this is to choose a live streaming app that will make things easier for you while enhancing the marketing efforts of your funeral home.
If you prioritize ease of use, image and audio quality and a clean and simple experience, EventLive and OneRoom are your best options. You can get started with EventLive right away, while OneRoom requires you to message their sales team to get started. When talking about iOS and Android apps, EventLive's proven record makes it an easy choice for new live streamers.
