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Autostart Live Event

Learn how to automatically start a live event with a video.

Caroline F avatar
Written by Caroline F
Updated this week

Autostart

After creating a live event, you can schedule a video to automatically start the event. From your live event’s Overview page, click the “Autostart” toggle or "Choose Video."

You will then be prompted to select a video you’d like to use for your live event. You can navigate and search all of the content in your Wistia account. Select your desired video and then click to add it to the event.

Note

Your selected video must be at least one minute long.

Once your video is added, Autostart will be toggled to “on.”

If you’ve changed your mind, or accidentally selected the wrong video, click “Replace Video” to select a new one.

With Autostart enabled, the live event will begin streaming at the scheduled time with the video you’ve selected.

A limited version of chat, Q&A, and polls will be available, however other event room features will be disabled. These include:

  • Selecting another video to present

  • Layout changes

  • Bringing people on/off stage

  • Bringing polls and Q&A on stage

  • Uploading and bringing slides on stage

At the end of the video, the event will either:

  • Automatically end when the video finishes

  • If a host joins during the event and takes over, the event will not end automatically when the video is complete

Take over live event

If you’d like to continue a live event after it automatically starts with a video, join the event as a host, and click “Take Control.”

Note

If you take control of the event before it starts, this overrides autostart and your event will not begin automatically with the selected video. Ensure that you take control of the event after it has automatically begun.

Then, confirm your selection in the pop-up by clicking “Take control.”

Once confirmed, the live event format will change so that you can see that you’ve joined and are currently off stage.

Tip

You can join as host before the event has automatically started to be ready to take control once the video comes on stage.

Once the video has ended, click the “x” to remove it from the stage.

Note

You cannot go on stage or add any panelists to the stage while the video is on stage.

After removing the video, your live event will continue and you can proceed as planned.

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