Author: Super Fan

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Live On Stage App Is In Beta!

Super Fan

Live On Stage is for people that host live shows. Talk Show hosts, musicians, comedians and anyone that livestreams needs the Live On Stage to stay connected with fans without being distracted.

In addition to the web based version for home studios with a laptop or desktop we are building the mobile version for tablets and phones. Never miss out on your fans reactions in your live streams. When your fans are cheering you on, you can hear it and feel it just like they were there with you. This isn’t an applause track run by a computer, this is an audience feedback system run by your fans. Coming soon, the Live On Stage App by Fan2Stage.

We all know that the fans add the energy that performers need to achieve their best. Don’t get left in the quiet during your show. Bring your fans back to the show even if they are in another city, another state and maybe even another country. Your fans can cheer and even tip at the end of the show with the Live Fan app when you use the Live On Stage app. CoolToys TV has been using the system on all of the new podcasts, shouldn’t you?

Fan2Stage for House Of Worship

Super Fan

Will Fan2Stage work for a House of Worship? Can your Church, Temple, or Synagogue use Fan2Stage? Yes

While we are working on a dedicated version of our Virtual Audience Server ® for the House of Worship Market Fan2Stage will work. We just realized there are not a lot of worshipers that really want to Boo, so that button will be replaced by an appropriate reaction.

Additionally the “tip” option will be changed to “give” or “donate” depending on the version. For now thank you for giving Fan2Stage a try.

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OnStage App for Performers Coming Soon

Super Fan

Laptop too bulky for all of your live events? OnStage for performers will soon be an app!

Less Is More

When you said “Less is more”, we listened. A new compact version of the OnStage app for performers is being made for native use on mobile devices. Originally we planned for the performer app to be used in home studios. The idea was that you would have a computer in your home studio for live streaming already and you could just log in and go.

That was then, this is now. Time change quickly and so we are changing with them. The current version of the Fan2Stage Virtual Audience System does work just fine on mobile tablets, however you asked for a native mobile app so we are working on it. If you want to be a beta tester, make sure you get an account as a performer on Fan2Stage.com.

Mobile On The Go.

Today a Live Stream can happen anywhere and on more platforms than ever. With OnStage®, our new mobile app, you can get feedback from a live audience anywhere, and all you need is your phone. Of course at Fan2Stage we aren’t judgy so we are working on both an Android and an Apple iOS version.

One thing is that you may need a headphone jack if you are going to plug into any house system or PA system to hear your fans louder. If you are solo you can use headphones to hear your fans too.

Beta Testers Wanted

If you are a live stream performer interested in beta testing the new OnStage App, please sign up as an artist and drop us a note to support. You’ll get the premium plan for a year free.

CoolToys ® Live on TikTok?

CoolToys ® Live on TikTok?

Super Fan

CoolToys will be adding Live shows on TikTok soon.

As Fan2Stage joined Tik Tok so did CoolToysTV. Host Scott figured if TIKTOK is going live then he needed to be there. We figured we needed to test it. We’ll post tips tricks and latency issues as soon as we get it tested. For now we will have some quick videos about how to use the Fan2Stage Virtual Audience System to make your live shows better and how you as a fan can be more engaged.

As always we will be testing the latency of the TikTok live streams and how we can integrate the fan feedback to your TikTok feed. Stay tuned for more soon!

Harnessing the Power of Real-Time Engagement

In the ever-evolving world of social media, TikTok has become a powerhouse for creators and brands alike. Going live on TikTok is not just about streaming content; it’s an opportunity to connect with your audience in real-time, create genuine interactions, and build your community. The same can be said for many other live stream platforms as well.

Why Go Live?

Instant Connection: Live streaming allows you to interact with your followers instantly. With the Fan2Stage OnStage app you can give the power of applause, laughter, cheering and more to your fans. You get realtime feedback that you and your fans can hear without getting distracted from the show.

Boost Visibility: TikTok’s algorithm tends to favor live content, giving your profile a chance to be discovered by new viewers.

Show Authenticity: Going live removes the often polished veneer of pre-recorded content. It allows your audience to see a more authentic side of you or your brand.

Drive Engagement: Live sessions with Fan2Stage are interactive. Prompting users to participate can significantly increase engagement.

Before You Go Live

  • Check Eligibility: Most of the free and many paid live streaming services have some eligibility restrictions, such as having a certain number of followers and being over a certain age.
  • Plan Your Content: While spontaneity is a key element of going live, having a rough plan can help guide the broadcast. Just like radio, dead air on a live stream loses fans.
  • Promote Your Live: Announce your live session in advance through your favorite social media platforms to gather a larger audience.
  • Prepare Your Environment: Find a quiet, well-lit place to go live to ensure a high-quality stream.

During Your Live Session

  • Engage With Your Viewers: Use the Fan2Stage Virtual Audience System to connect with your fans.
  • Use Features: Live Stream services like YouTube, Facebook and TikTok has live features such as filters, Q&A boxes, and the ability to feature comments. These can make your live stream more interactive but can also be a distraction if you aren’t careful. That is why Fan2Stage is about realtime feedback and fan energy and nothing else.
  • Collaborate with Others: Consider going live with another TikTok creator to tap into their audience and add another dynamic to your content.

After Going Live

  • Analyze Your Performance: Review how your live session performed. Look at viewer count, engagement, and any revenue if you utilized TikTok’s monetization features.
  • Follow Up: Post highlights or a thank-you message to your TikTok and other social media accounts to maintain engagement and give a glimpse of what users missed.
  • Evaluate and Adapt: Reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and adjust your strategy for next time.

Going live can be a thrilling and rewarding experience. It’s a way to deepen the relationship with your audience and showcase the unfiltered reality behind your content. With preparation, authenticity, and engagement, your live streams can become a vital part of your social media presence.

Fan2Stage Equipment Test – OBS and Stream Deck

Fan2Stage Equipment Test – OBS and Stream Deck

Super Fan

This test of OBS and Stream Deck is one of the series in which we test different live stream configurations. We test how well they work with Fan2Stage and the OnStage system for Live Streaming. If you want to start a live stream or live podcast check out all of our tests so you can decide which works for you. Most of our tests are done with YouTube Live Streaming at Ultra Low Latency unless otherwise noted in the show notes.

Test Rack – Macbook Air M1, 50″ HDTV screen, OBS, OBSbot Camera and Stream Deck with Thunderbolt Port Expander and external speakers.

Elgato Stream Deck

Limitations – The primary limitation is the ports. The MacBook Air only has two USB-C ports so you need to have a port expander. The OBSbot camera has a USB-A cord but didn’t like sharing the USB port with other devices. We had to dedicate one USB port for the camera.

The Stream deck, Keyboard, Mouse and 50″ screen were all plugged into a Thunderbolt Port Expander. The Stream Deck lets you quickly insert graphics, change cameras and do all kinds of quick tricks when you are running your own show. We all want a team but they get expensive quick. The stream deck from elgato makes it a lot easier.

The Benefits

One key to success with the Stream Deck is that you need some pre-show time to set up all of the buttons. I have tried just doing “scene 1”, “PIP 1” and then use a script to know when to press the buttons. It is much easier to label a button “skateboard” for the skateboard insert.

With OBS the media doesn’t always autosize the way you want it to. You may need to size all of your extra media in advance as well. For instance in the season finale for CoolToys® TV season 4, we had some 4K video from NAMM. We needed to scale it to 1080p to fit the window, otherwise we had some very odd close up’s.

The Bottom Line

Overall OBS and Stream Deck is a great starter set up on a budget. It won’t keep up with dedicated hardware integrated systems like Black Magic, but it is only one tenth the cost. OBS is essentially free and the Stream Deck is under $150 for the small one. Most live streamers will do fine with just the small OBS unit. Having the big screen to run OBS and the small screen on the Mac as the screen for the “OnStage” web application worked great. I think a second screen is almost required to make this work right.

By using the external speakers the crowd input from the Fan2Stage Virtual Audience System was loud enough to be picked up by our microphones so the fans can hear it. There isn’t a way to loop the audio directly back into OBS that we could find. It might be possible to create and audio capture out of the browser window, but you might end up with a double pickup. Also you would have no control over the volume. A second microphone and a mixer could be a cool addition but we haven’t tested that yet.

NAMM Show 2024

Super Fan

#NAMMShow

Fan2Stage is a member of NAMM. Even though we started out trying to find a solution for comedians and talk shows, music is a big part of our lives. Music connects us across generations and magically erases our differences. The NAMM show is a place for everyone and anyone who loves music and we are proud to be part of the organization.

CoolToys TV® host Scott will be walking NAMM with Fan2Stage Pins and Stickers, find him and get free stuff. There will be a full update here after the show and maybe even a live spot on CoolToys TV.

Getting Interrupted? Get a LED Sign!

Super Fan

Get an LED Sign for your podcast.

While Cruising NAMM we found a lot of very CoolToys for podcasters and live streamers. One essential item was these LED Signs from American Recorder. Every podcaster and live streamer has someone that interrupts them and now you can turn on your cool sign and hopefully they can read or at least get a clue. These signs are low voltage LED and easy to install.

Live Fan in Browser Crashes.

Live Fan in Browser Crashes.

Super Fan

1/26/24

Beginning 1/25/24 reports have been coming in that users are getting a crash exception screen with logging in to the Fan side of the F2S.Live website. This is not affecting our servers or our events, and is currently unknown. We are working on it and as soon as we think it is fixed we will post more information here. Until then please download the app to your mobile device and use the mobile device version to let them know you are watching the show.

This error appears to only occur when using social media to log in online. If you log in with your registered email address, the error does not occur that we are aware of. The fan app is intended to be used on mobile devices for ease of use.

2/22/24 Update – We have updated the servers and this issue should be resolved.