How to go live

Go live on Vshop and chat with your viewers. Every live starts the same way: schedule it, then go live from your phone or from a computer with OBS.

You need an approved business account on Vshop. Not a business yet? Become an advertiser.

1. Schedule a live

  1. Log in to Vshop with your business account.
  2. Open Live streams from the menu (Go live), or from My dashboard → Live streams.
  3. Press "Schedule a live". Give it a title, add a short description if you like, and choose the start time (Sydney time).
  4. Press "Schedule live". Your live now shows as "Coming up" on the Vshop home page, and its studio page opens. The studio is where you start, watch and end your live.

You can go live up to two hours before the time you chose. To open the studio later: Live streams → tap your live.

2a. Go live from your phone (easiest, no app)

  1. Open your live's studio on your phone in Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android), logged in to Vshop.
  2. Tap "Turn on camera". When the phone asks, allow the camera and the microphone.
  3. Check the picture. Tap "Switch camera" to change between the front and back camera. Hold the phone upright for a full-screen picture on viewers' phones.
  4. Tap "Go live". After a few seconds you'll see "You're LIVE". Viewers can now see and hear you.
  5. Chat with your viewers in the Live chat box under the video. Keep the studio page open and the screen on until you finish.

Lives sent from the phone's browser have no replay afterwards. If you want a replay, use OBS (below).

2b. Go live with OBS on a computer

OBS Studio is free software for Windows, Mac and Linux. You can show a webcam, your screen, a video file or pictures. Lives sent with OBS can be replayed after Vshop checks them.

  1. Install OBS Studio from obsproject.com and open it.
  2. Schedule a live and get your server and stream key. Log in to vshop.local888.com.au → My dashboard → Live streams → Schedule a live. Fill in the title and press Schedule live. On the studio page that opens, click "Or use OBS on a computer" and use the Copy buttons next to Server (URL), for OBS and Stream key, for OBS.
  3. Paste them into OBS. In OBS go to Settings → Stream. Set Service to Custom..., paste the server into Server and the key into Stream Key, then press OK.
  4. Choose what to show. Under Sources press + and add Video Capture Device (webcam), Display Capture (your screen) or Media Source (a video file).
  5. Optional, for best quality: Settings → Output: set the video bitrate to about 3000 Kbps and the keyframe interval to 2 seconds.
  6. Click "Start Streaming" in OBS. Within about 20 seconds the studio switches to LIVE and shows your video.

Keep your stream key secret: anyone with it can stream as you. If it's been shared by mistake, press Reset stream key in the studio and paste the new key into OBS.

Note: every live has its own stream key. If OBS is streaming but your live still says "Coming up", OBS is probably using the key from an older live. To fix it:
  1. Click Stop Streaming in OBS.
  2. Open the studio for the live you want, click "Or use OBS on a computer", and copy its Stream key.
  3. In OBS, go to Settings → Stream, paste it over the old key, then press OK.
  4. Click Start Streaming. Within about 20 seconds the live switches to LIVE.

3. End the live

  1. Phone: tap "Stop and end live" in the studio.
  2. OBS: click Stop Streaming in OBS, then press End live in the studio.
  3. That's it. Viewers see "This live has ended". If you forget to press End live, it ends by itself a few minutes after the video stops.

Problems?

There's no "Go live" button in the studio
The live has ended or was cancelled. Schedule a new live.
"Couldn't open the camera"
Allow camera and microphone for vshop.local888.com.au in your phone's browser settings, then reload the studio.
The studio still says "Coming up" after starting OBS
Wait 20 seconds. If it doesn't change, check the server and key in OBS (no spaces), or press Reset stream key and paste the new one.
The video stops when I lock my phone or switch apps
Phones pause web pages in the background. Keep the studio open and the screen on while you're live.
Something else
Email admin@local888.com.au.