However, businesses with specific goals need live streaming metrics to measure success and inform strategy improvements. Across departments \u2014 marketing, learning and development, operations \u2014 these analytics help determine ROI, meet compliance standards, and maintain security measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to our walk-through guide on live streaming metrics<\/strong>. Learn what each metric measures, why it’s important, and how to use the information to meet your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quickly determine how a live stream performed with your audience. These metrics are helpful for evaluating attendance and engagement across use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Click on each metric above for in-depth information \u2014 or keep reading to find it in the full list of 15 metrics below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: The metrics above are common across live streaming platforms. However, some of the metrics below are SproutVideo-specific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Live stream metrics are organized into three categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Click on any of the links above to jump to that section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When evaluating the metrics below, higher numbers are generally favored and indicate that you successfully promoted the live stream to your audience. Additionally, more viewers equals more opportunities for people to engage and absorb your content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Private live streams are the exception. In this situation, use real-time analytics to ensure the audience size doesn\u2019t exceed the intended audience<\/strong>. Monitoring this data helps detect security leaks during a live stream with limited access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: There is some overlap between the analytics measured in real-time and post-live stream. We discuss each metric in relation to real-time and post-live analytics when applicable below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monitor the following metrics during the live broadcast<\/strong>. These metrics are displayed directly below the live stream, so it\u2019s easy to glance at the numbers while hosting live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The number of viewers currently watching your live stream (AKA concurrent viewers).<\/i><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This metric monitors live viewing engagement. It lets you quickly see how many people are tuned in and engaging with your live stream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This information is most helpful when starting a live stream. It is common to begin a broadcast and wait until a minimum number of viewers have joined before launching into the prepared material. This metric helps you determine when you\u2019ve reached that minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this number suddenly drops to zero, an issue likely occurred during the broadcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are very few reasons your live stream would be interrupted once you\u2019ve configured a live stream and begun broadcasting. If you have an unexpected issue, such as changes to your device or losing the network connection, you must resolve the root problem to continue.<\/p>\n Luckily, you do not need to start a new live stream if you use 30-second latency<\/a> on the SproutVideo platform. This latency option gives you five minutes to fix the issue and reconnect without starting a new live stream. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The highest number of concurrent viewers who join during the live stream.<\/i><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Peak views represent the highest number of viewers who simultaneously watched the live stream up to the current point in the broadcast . After your broadcast concludes, it represents the highest number of people who watched your live stream at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peak views help you measure audience engagement during the broadcast. As this number updates, it indicates whether or not your viewing audience is still growing<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A high peak views count post-live stream suggests your content was engaging and attracted significant viewers. On the SproutVideo platform, you can use the analytics graph (pictured below) to quickly determine what part of the live stream attracted the most viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across multiple live streams, this information can guide you in tailoring your content to match the interests of your viewers better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: Currently Watching<\/a> viewers and Peak Views<\/a> measure non-unique viewers, meaning if a user plays the live stream in two browser windows simultaneously, it will count as two viewers or views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The total unique viewers who watched your live stream during the broadcast. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like peak views, this information helps you compare live streams and determine what topics perform best with your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a company is promoting a product launch, and 8,000 people register for the event. If 3,500 unique visitors attend (44%), it suggests significant interest in the product and successful marketing of the launch event<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For private live streams, monitor unique visitors during the broadcast to ensure your security measures work as intended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The average amount of time viewers watch your live stream. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This metric tracks how long viewers watch the live stream and displays the average time watched in hours, minutes, and seconds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you notice the average time watched is low during the broadcast, you can employ more interactive techniques to reengage viewers and encourage longer viewing times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also use this information to create more engaging live streams: determine if new engagement strategies are effective across multiple live streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the rest of the metrics on our list, chat participation is qualitative data.<\/strong> Therefore, you base your insights on audience feedback rather than objective data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Live chat creates a direct line of communication between you and the viewer during live streams. Direct interaction encourages audience participation and provides insights into their frequently asked questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use this information to align your content strategy with your most engaged audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccc How to Add Chat to Your Live Stream<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tired of videos that feel like a rigged carnival game? Discover expert strategies for turning video into a growth engine across any industry.\n<\/p>\n \n Get Real Video Results\u2014Just Press Play<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div> On the SproutVideo platform, post-live stream metrics are organized into two dashboards: Analytics and Engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Analytics dashboard<\/strong> provides an overview of how many people watched the live stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dashboard also includes graphs on the domains people watched from, what devices they used, and where in the world they tuned in from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Engagement dashboard<\/strong> features metrics on how many people engaged with your live stream and for how long; it also includes individual viewer data (more on this later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some overlap exists between real-time and post-live analytics. These are Peak Views<\/a><\/strong>, Unique Visitors<\/a><\/strong>, and Average Time Watched<\/a><\/strong>. Click on any of the metrics to review them above. We\u2019ll discuss the other available metrics and how to use them below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The total number of live stream views accumulated during the broadcast.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This information gives you a broad understanding of your audience\u2019s interest in the live stream topic. A high view count suggests you successfully promoted the live stream to your audience, and it garnered enough interest for viewers to join live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this way, total views and unique visitors provide similar information. However, unique visitors will never exceed the total views (though they could be equal). <\/p>\n\n\n\n When there is a significant difference between these numbers, it might suggest that a substantial portion of viewers left and returned to the live stream during the broadcast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it could also signal buffering or disconnection issues, a viewer switching devices, among other possibilities. Review individual session data by studying viewer behavior to create a more complete picture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The total amount of time all viewers spent watching the live stream.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Higher total hours watched are generally associated with greater engagement. This information is better contextualized as the average engagement rate (discussed next). <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you can combine this information with individual session data<\/a> to discover highly engaged audience members who spend more time watching your live stream than average. Heat maps<\/a> make it easy to identify these viewers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The average percentage of the live stream viewers watched. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The average engagement rate showcases the amount of your live stream that a single viewer generally watches. It\u2019s one of the best metrics for determining audience engagement<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The SproutVideo platform provides a graph that displays the average engagement rate at every point of your live stream. This graph is a hugely useful tool for determining what parts of your live stream are most interesting to viewers<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use this metric to determine what aspects of your live stream would benefit from additional engagement strategies and again to evaluate the success of those strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Live stream intros give viewers time to join a live stream. Similarly, live stream outros often provide a wind-down period with room for Q&As.\n Compare this engagement percentage to the reported engagement rate for the entire live stream duration, which is 34% (20 average minutes watched \/ 60 total minutes).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n A map of every country where your live stream played. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can click each country from the world map on the SproutVideo platform to see specific regions where viewers watched your live stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local businesses that market within a specific region and multi-branch companies that must communicate internally and privately often use this metric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Geographic location is also a helpful metric when gathering customer insights for tailoring marketing campaigns and understanding your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, geographic location is necessary to comply with state or federal regulations within relevant industries. Tracking geographic location is generally needed when ensuring your live stream reaches the correct audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Domains identify where your live stream was played on the internet. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you embed your live stream in multiple places, this metric is ideal for determining what channels generate views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Data on domains is also helpful when auditing security for private live streams: you can easily ensure only viewers from intended domains watched the live stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Determine the device, browser, and operating system used to watch your live stream. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This information provides insight into your audience\u2019s viewing behavior and preferences, which is helpful when creating a marketing strategy. It can also inform how to optimize your live stream\u2019s landing page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the SproutVideo platform, click on each device type to view more in-depth information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Post-live stream analytics provides a bird\u2019s-eye view of metrics for a specific live stream. Individual session data, on the other hand, provides data view-by-view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is some overlap between post-live analytics and individual session data. The difference between the data is whether the information pertains to the entire live stream or a single view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This overlapping information includes geo<\/a><\/strong>graphic location<\/strong>, domains where viewed,<\/strong><\/a> and the device type<\/strong><\/a>. Click on each metric to return to its section above. Check out the other available individual session metrics below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The day the viewer watched your live stream and at what time (in your time zone).<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This metric conveys when each viewer tuned into your live stream. The dates will be the same for any single live stream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This information is helpful for diligent record-keeping, especially in regulated industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The names of viewers whose contact information has been tagged.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can track specific viewers<\/a> if their information has been captured or tagged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Log-in protection is a common way to do this<\/a>. When the viewer watches a live stream after logging into their account, their name appears instead of \u201cUnknown Viewer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tagged viewers will also include a small box next to the name that indicates the total number of live streams the user has watched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Click on any individual session, including \u201cUnknown Viewers,\u201d to view all of the viewing sessions (across live streams and videos) recorded for that user<\/strong>, as well as their total time watched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The practical applications for this information are abundant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: When a live stream is viewed internally by a logged-in SproutVideo account user, the viewer session data will feature a small box that reads, \u201cInternal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The IP Address associated with each view of the live stream. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n IP addresses are collected to identify viewers and their location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Track this information to audit the security of live streams while employing IP address whitelisting<\/a>, which is a security measure that makes streaming content available only to viewers with approved IP addresses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A cool-to-warm visualization for individual viewer engagement data.<\/i><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n At a glance, \u201cheat spots\u201d indicate where the viewer rewatched content. Rewatches indicate areas of greater interest or sections of information that are too dense to absorb the first watch. Portions of the live stream the viewer didn’t watch are white space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This map also includes the percentage of the total live stream the viewer watched. This information allows you to determine how much of the live stream a viewer completed during any one session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: Download live stream data as a CSV for offline viewing and easy record management with the SproutVideo Forest plan<\/a> \u2014 built for businesses and institutions. These downloadable reports are Live Stream Event Analytics<\/a>, Engagement Data<\/a>, and an Access Log<\/a> (for log-in-protected live streams). <\/p>\n\n\n\n When your broadcast ends on the SproutVideo platform, the live stream is automatically saved and inherits its privacy settings.<\/p>\n Live streams embedded on public and private web pages update with the on-demand video version. Therefore, it automatically becomes available to watch for viewers with access.<\/p>\n Once a live stream is recorded and shared as an on-demand video, all the regular metrics for video streaming<\/a> are tracked and available within your video library.<\/p>\n Learn more about mastering the video metrics game<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Effective live streaming starts with clear goals. Here are some common ways businesses use live streaming, alongside example goals and the metrics needed to evaluate success. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: Click on each of the \u201cMetrics to Evaluate Success\u201d to learn more about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Goal<\/strong>: Create highly engaging live streams to encourage loyalty and interaction with the brand. Employ insights gained from highly engaged viewers in the brand\u2019s overall marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Goal<\/strong>: Engage leads by solving product-related problems to drive interest in company products or services. Track attendees’ post-live stream engagement with your website (i.e., shopping cart checkout, requesting a demo, subscribing to free resources, repeat purchase) to measure success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Goal<\/strong>: Ensure compliance with regulations and data privacy standards in relevant industries (i.e., finance, healthcare, legal services.) Maintain records of compliance for specific users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Goal<\/strong>: Track employee or student engagement with educational materials to ensure proper training. Easily gain insights into participation and engagement for future improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLive Streaming Metrics That Matter & How to Use Them<\/h4>\n
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\n
Quick Look: Top Metrics to Review Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
15 Live Stream Metrics to Measure Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Real-Time Live Stream Analytics <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"real-time](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_01_v4-1200x817.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. Currently Watching<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Addressing Technical Issues in Real Time<\/h5>\n
2. Peak Views<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"analytics](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_02_v3-1200x612.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Unique Visitors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Average Time Watched<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Live Chat Participation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How Experts Turn Video Views Into Profit<\/h3>\n\n \n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/mcusercontent.com\/381115c9b3d020de97ac69209\/images\/b6dda757-460d-2212-d502-8daaffa929d7.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n
\n\n\n\nPost-Live Stream Analytics & Engagement Metrics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"analytics](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_03_v3-1200x612.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAnalytics Dashboard on the SproutVideo Platform<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
![\"preview](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_04_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEngagement Dashboard on the SproutVideo platform<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
6. Total Views<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
7. Total Hours Watched<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
8. Average Engagement Rate<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"average](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_05_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIntros and Outros Affect Average Engagement Rate<\/h5>\n
![](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_06_v2-1.jpg\")
\nBut this extra time at the beginning and end of your live stream can distort your average engagement rate. Here\u2019s how to remove this anomaly from the data to give you a cleaner benchmark of your live stream\u2019s average engagement rate: \n<\/p>\n
9. Geographic Location<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"geographic](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_07_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n10. Domains Where Viewed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"data](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_08_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n11. Device Type<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"pie](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_09_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"pie](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_10_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIndividual Viewer Engagement Data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"individual](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_11_v3-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"individual](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_12_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n12. Date Viewed & Time Stamp<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
13. Viewer Name with Total Live Streams Viewed (When Captured)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"individual](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_13_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"all](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_14_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n14. IP Address<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
15. Heat Map<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"visualization](\"https:\/\/d9pfvpeevxz0y.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LiveStreamMetrics_16_v3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRecorded Live Streams Become On-Demand Videos<\/h5>\n
5 Live Streaming Use Cases for Business + Metrics to Track<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Optimize customer journey & tailor marketing efforts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Metrics to Evaluate Success: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Influence purchasing decisions & increase activations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Metrics to Evaluate Success: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Maintain compliance with regulatory requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Metrics to Evaluate Success: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Onboard new hires and improve employee skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Metrics to Evaluate Success: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Communicate across company teams privately and efficiently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n