How to go live from Zoom to YouTube and Facebook

In a recent Digital Labs webinar, we asked how many were already going live with services on social media. Many answered not yet, but were already using Zoom meetings, and were looking for advice on how to go from Zoom meeting to broadcasting on social media.

So, in this week’s Digital Lab blog we hope to answer your questions on going live from Zoom to Facebook or YouTube.

Using Zoom to broadcast to social media is an easy way to get started, and, we think it has multiple benefits too.

Familiarity. If you are already using Zoom for your services, you will already be familiar with the controls and meeting space - no need to learn a whole new programme.

Easy of use. Once you tried it out, screensharing PowerPoints or video, and inviting others to participate, are easy skills to acquire – no need for fancy video editing tools.

Practise. Before you click Go Live you can practise in the privacy of the Zoom meeting.

Security. There is no need to worry about your Zoom meeting being interrupted by Zoombombers, as you only need to share the link with those who are participating. Everyone else can watch on social media.

Reach more people. Going live to social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook, opens up your service to a new community as it’s easy to share the service with friends and family – we’ve heard countless stories of those who have joined churches this way during lockdown. Who knows who you will meet by starting this new online ministry?

First, set up your Zoom account to go live to social media

Please note, this is available on Zoom pro. Find out more here
Sign into the Zoom web portal
Click Account Management > Account Settings
Go to In Meeting (Advanced)
Tick each location you would like to enable.

If you cannot see these options, please make sure your Zoom account is updated to the latest version. Check here for more pre-requisites.

Once set up as above, you will be able to stream live from your Zoom meeting, following these steps

How to go live from Zoom to Facebook

Start your Zoom meeting
When ready, click on More, found in the in-meeting control bar
Select Live on Facebook to open Facebook in your browser - you won't go live just yet!

From the pop-up in your browser, select where you'd like to go live - to a page, profile or group you manage

When selecting your page, make sure you are posting as your church page, and click Next

Next, Live video producer will open with a preview of your stream
In the left-hand colum, type a description for your video to encourage viewers to watch, then, when ready press the blue Go Live button, found in the bottom right of your screen

Go back to your Zoom meeting to begin presenting your service. There will be a 20 second delay in the broadcast to social media
Once your service is over, press More in your Zoom meeting controls, then Stop Live Stream.

How to go live from Zoom to YouTube

Start the Zoom meeting
When ready, select More in the meeting controls
Click Live on YouTube

Your browser will open, log in to YouTube and select the channel from which you will broadcast
Next, name your live feed as would like it to appear on YouTube
Set the Privacy - Public, Unlisted, or Private
Click the Go Live button

Go back to your Zoom meeting and wait for the notification from Zoom that your meeting is live on YouTube, then begin your service
Streaming stops when you end the meeting, or click More then Stop Live Stream in the meeting controls.

Tips for your Zoom service

Remember, you’ll only be able to see those who are in the Zoom meeting with you. Everyone else will be watching on YouTube or Facebook.
Even though you can't see who is watching, remember to speak directly to your community, so that viewers feel welcomed and part of the service. Invite participation by asking questions and reading comments. This will help them - and you - feel connected.
To see the comments on social media, use a separate device such as your phone or tablet, placing it next to your monitor.
Turn on Allow all participants to screenshare before you go live (if others need to share!). To do this during the meeting, click Security and tick Allow participants to screenshare.
If you are using screenshare, open all your files ahead of the service so they are ready (and you won’t need to trawl through your files whilst broadcasting!).
When screen sharing a video, click both Optimise for video, and Use computer sound before you share.
Turn on Hide non-video participants to help those watching at home to focus on the presenters. Ask everyone contributing to turn their video on when it's their part. Click View then Hide non-video participants to do this.
In gallery view, customise the position of particpants on the screen by dragging videos into the desired order. Click View then Follow hosts desired order so that everyone in the meeting views the same layout. This does not work when Hide non-video participants is turned on.
Remind people to unmute themselves when it’s their turn. Click Participants and Mute all to quickly mute everyone.
Once you’ve competed the live video, it will remain on Facebook and YouTube for anyone to catch up later. Share the video link in your email newsletters, Facebook Groups or WhatsApp groups for anyone who missed it.

Safeguarding and GDPR considerations

Religion is a protected feature under GDPR, which means that consent must be gained from anyone who appears in photos or video taken by the church. If members of your church community will be visible during the Zoom service, make sure they are aware, and have given their consent. More advice on this can be found here.

If there are people present in the Zoom meeting who will not be participating on screen, or do not want to be visible, ask them to turn off their video, and as the host select Hide non-video participants by clicking on Security. This will prevent their name and profile image from appearing on screen, but enable them to be present in the meeting.

In-meeting chat

During Zoom meetings, attendees can chat privately 1:1, as well as with the whole group. This feature can be turned on or off. A general good rule for this is:

Leave on for a private meeting where 1:1 conversations may support the whole discussion, where you know all the attendees and everyone is comfortable having the function turned on
A public service where this feature may be distracting or open to abuse should have this function disabled
The function must always be disabled if children or young people are attending.

Find out how to turn off private chat here.

What about those who do not use Facebook or YouTube?

If they have access to the internet, anyone can watch a Facebook or YouTube video without logging into the platform. Simply share the link to the video, your church Facebook page or YouTube channel, via email, WhatsApp or text.

If they don’t have access to the internet, it is possible to join a Zoom meeting by phone, and although there will be call charges, it can be a helpful feature. Find out more here.

Don’t forget licences!

If you are using any copyrighted material as part of the live or pre-recorded video, you need to have the correct licences in place.

Licences

When using copyrighted material including music in a live-streamed service, each church is required to have a licence. We have included some useful information here to give some guidance, however, please do contact CCLI, PRS and One Licence for more detailed advice for your church.

CCLI

CCLI introduced a streaming licence in mid-March 2020. It is available to any church which holds a CCLI Church Copyright Licence, which the majority of Church of England churches do. For many churches, this licence will cover them for their streaming activity:

For churches who are streaming their services via YouTube or Facebook, the CCLI Streaming Licence will cover them for live worship music performed as part of that stream. (This would include services streamed or webcast via YouTube but embedded into the church’s own website).
You can check on the CCLI website as to whether permissions for a particular hymn or song are covered by them.
If the church is hosting the stream/webcast on their own website, they will need the PRS for Music Limited Online Music Licence (LOML) in addition to the CCLI Streaming Licence.
The CCLI Streaming Licence includes the right to show the words on screen.
The CCLI Streaming Licence allows a church to make recordings of the services available on their website indefinitely provided you keep renewing your streaming licences.
These licences cover ‘live’ music performances. If a church is using recorded music as part of the stream, additional rights come into play. Commercially available CDs or music recordings cannot be played unless specific permission is granted by the copyright holder.
Churches that are part of a Benefice will each require their own licence.

One Licence

Another license, One License is available which covers an additional range of church and choral music e.g. Taize, GIA Publications, Oxford University Press, Wild Goose Resource Group, Kevin Mayhew.
The Church of England uses both a One Licence and CCLI Streaming Licence for the weekly online services to enable access to a broad range of Christian music.
The same rules described above over seeking permission for ‘recorded’ performance still apply.

Rights-free music from the Church of England, St Martin in the Fields and the Royal School of Church Music

The Church of England, working with St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Royal School of Church Music, is providing a resource of rights-free music for Church of England churches to use on streamed services, via the A Church Near You resource hub providing you have a CCLI Streaming Licence. Read the press release for more details.
There are several other Christian organisations that provide apps or software that provide backing tracks for worship, some of which are giving churches permission to use their pre-recorded tracks as part of their streams. Please carefully check first before using this material.

Using other copyrighted material

Permission should also be sought from the owner(s) of any other creative works included in the service. If reproducing bible verses, or liturgy, usually there will be copyright information in the front of the publication, and usually they will allow for a certain proportion to be reproduced.
For any images etc. the same rules would apply as in normal circumstances. Never assume that you can take an image found on Google and use it in a church service or include it in a service sheet or similar without permission. Read our guidance on using images here.
Regarding a Service Sheet, as long as there are appropriate licences/permissions in place, making that service sheet available online should be fine.

Using Zoom to stream services

Churches using Zoom to stream services need both the CCLI Streaming Licence and the PRS for Music LOML. This is because Zoom doesn’t currently have an agreement with PRS for Music as YouTube and Facebook do.

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How to go live from Zoom to YouTube and Facebook

Using Zoom to broadcast to social media is an easy way to get started, and, we think it has multiple benefits too.

First, set up your Zoom account to go live to social media

Once set up as above, you will be able to stream live from your Zoom meeting, following these steps

Tips for your Zoom service