Live chat is a valuable addition to any Live Stream. It promotes viewer interactions and increases engagement with your content. Viewers can ask questions and learn in parallel with the content presented during the broadcast.
How Live Chat works on SproutVideo
While SproutVideo does not provide a native Live Chat feature, there are two primary ways to display a Live Chat widget when live streaming with SproutVideo. The first method is to embed your live stream on an external website along with a third-party embedded Live Chat widget. The second method allows you to display a Live Chat widget on the Video Website we provide but will require a Tree or Forest plan.
Embedded Live Chat
If you choose to embed your live streaming video on an external website, you can embed a third-party chat next to the video so viewers can interact with each other. Embedded a Live Chat widget works in the same way as embedded the video. You can obtain the embed code from the Chat Widget you would like to use and paste that code into the HTML near where you added the video.
Video Website Live Chat
When using the video website we provide, you can display a live chat widget by adding Custom CSS and Javascript to your page. This will require you to be on the Tree or Forest plans with access to our Advance Video Site Options.
Note: Please contact Support@SproutVideo.com if you need assistance with custom CSS or Javascript.
Recommended Providers
Here are some popular Live Chat options we like the best:
- tlk.io - Completely free and very simple. Great if you need an easy to use solution with no frills.
- DeadSimpleChat - Extremely customizable and allows for easy moderation. Reasonably priced with customizable plans.
- Chatroll - Integrates easily with Wordpress, Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify.
Honorable Mentions
- Chatango - Simple and easy to use but may not look the best.
- arena - Requires all users to register for an account.
- Pigeonhole Live - Very powerful and provides additional features include Q&A, Quizzes, and Polls but can get pricey.
Other articles in the Live Streaming section:
