What is Simulcasting? How Does Simulcasting Work?

By Emily KringsSep 16, 2022

Your audience is likely spread across multiple social media platforms, and naturally, you’ll want to reach them all. 

That’s where simulcasting comes in handy. This streaming technique makes it easy for brands and creators to meet their audiences wherever they’re at.

In this article, we will discuss what simulcasting is and how it works. We will also discuss the benefits of simulcasting and how you can use this technique as part of your revenue growth strategy. 

Table of Contents

What is Simulcasting?

Simulcasting, which is short for “simultaneous broadcasting,” is a broadcasting technique that allows brands and creators to stream to multiple destinations simultaneously. This technique is also called “multistreaming” or “multidestination streaming.”

When you simulcast, you can stream on your own site and one or more other destinations all at once. For example, you could stream from your website while simultaneously broadcasting that feed to YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Facebook.

The idea is to create an omnipresence and tap into the unique discovery tools of each unique platform. Simulcasting is amongst the top strategies for expanding your digital presence. It multiplies your reach without having to put in much more effort.

Simulcasting can be used by businesses that are trying to build brand awareness, creators that are trying to connect with new fans, or anyone who wants their streams to reach more viewers. 

Benefits of Simulcasting

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The most obvious benefit of simulcasting is that it allows you to be everywhere at once. More content without more effort? Sounds like a digital marketing or content creation dream. However, this is simply one of many perks to this streaming strategy. 

Here are a few other benefits of simulcasting.

1. It’s Cost-Effective

Simulcasting is very cost-effective because you can produce one live stream for multiple destinations and audiences. 

You can create your live streams for Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, and any other destinations you’d like all at once. Basically, you’re only paying to produce one stream, but you’re actually producing multiple streams. Talk about boosting your ROI!

Even though it requires the support of simulcasting software, the investment is worth it.

2. It’s Time-Effective

The amount of time you save with simulcasting is another major benefit of this technique. Just like your monetary investment, the ROI of your time invested in simulcasting is exponential over the ROI of producing a single stream. 

Five separate hour-long streams would take five hours, but if you stream once to five destinations, it only takes an hour.

3. It Improves Discoverability 

Although streaming on your branded website is great for brand recognition and audience ownership, the built-in discoverability tools of social platforms are hard to beat.

YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other social media sites have unique algorithms that deliver users content that matches their perceived interests based on past viewing behavior. Simulcasting allows brands and creators to tap into these tools to improve discoverability.

4. All Gain, No Sacrifice

When you only stream on social media sites, you give up brand customization. When you only stream on your own website, you miss out on some of the traffic from your social followers.

However, when you simulcast, you don’t have to give anything up, and you still get all the perks of each type of platform. 

How Does Simulcasting Work?

Simulcasting requires the support of dedicated software. Some simulcasting software comes in the form of a standalone tool, whereas other simulcasting software options are built into other streaming software.

These tools don’t require much configuration on the users’ end because they use a highly technical setup behind the scenes. As a user, you can expect to log in to a few accounts, authorize access, and possibly copy and paste some credentials. It is very, very straightforward.

Some popular simulcasting software includes Maestro, Restream, Streamyard, Wirecast, and Castr. Many of these simulcasting solutions have basic free plans that allow you to stream to a couple of destinations, so you can test your multistreaming strategy for free. However, upgrades are required to stream to more destinations.

How to Use Simulcasting to Boost Revenue

Reach is just one part of the equation when it comes to creating a revenue-boosting strategy. We’ve identified a strategy that brands and creators can use to make more money with the help of simulcasting.

Let’s dive in.

1. Cast a Wide Net with Simulcasting

Simulcasting can be used as a tool to draw awareness in as a top-of-the-funnel. You can leverage various platforms to reach a wider audience by connecting with your existing followers on those sites and 

Think of this as casting a wide net. Before you draw a net in, it covers a much wider area. Simulcasting expands your brand’s presence with the sole goal of extending your reach as wide as possible.

2. Funnel Your Core Audience to Your Destination 

Next, you’ll “pull your net in” to funnel your core audience to your custom destination. This can be done with strategic CTAs, special offers, and exclusive events. The supports that follow you to your custom destination are your die-hard fans.

When you have these people on your own video site, you control their experience since you curate the content that they see. You can monetize your site with paid events, selling merch, selling a service, or whatever makes the most sense for your brand.

Once you bring your core audience to your destination, you make more money. In fact, with the right monetization strategy, you can make as much as 10 to 100 times as much revenue per user.

3. The Platforms Serve You

In the past, you likely spent time and resources advertising your content on places like Twitch or YouTube, which ultimately drove traffic to those big platforms and made them money. Once you’ve set up your funnel, the various platforms will become sources of traffic to your side. 

This strategy flips the script, and the big platforms begin to serve you.

Final Thoughts

When you simulcast, you need a home base for your streams. If you’re looking for a powerful video CMS that helps you create beautifully branded video sites, Maestro is the choice for you!

Maestro is equipped with all of the tools you need to host, monetize, and deliver your streams like a pro. Whether you’re hosting an exclusive stream for your core audience or streaming to multiple destinations, we’ve got you covered.

Sign up for Maestro to get your video site up and running in no time at all.

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