You can get started in seconds using our basic free plan, with no credit card required. As you grow, or if you have more advanced needs, you can upgrade to one of our premium accounts to remove advertising or add features.
We don't require broadcasters to sign a contract, so you can go month-to-month as needed. Your billing date starts on the day you sign up, so you don't need to sign up on the 1st of the month. Broadcast from the 2nd to the 2nd, or the 23rd to the 23rd. You can upgrade or downgrade your account at any time. And, when you're dormant (i.e. not using your account), all of your archives and settings remain intact. (But if you absolutely need a contract, as some schools do, we can do that for you.)
Nothing more than a smartphone or mobile device is needed, though you can get more advanced if you want. We have a recommended equipment list to help get you started here.
An unlimited number of people can access your live streams, and there are no limits on the number who can connect at any given time (concurrent audience).
There is no limit on the number of total events you can store in your account. Remember, no more than one event can be going on per channel at a given time. If you have 5 events all in the same day, and they do not overlap, then you can use one LiveID (channel) to produce them all. However, if you're broadcasting 5 games in a day but 3 of them occur at the same time, you'd need three channels. You need as many channels as you have concurrent events.
Just because you can load a web page does not by itself indicate that your connection is suitable for broadcasting. The most relevant metric for broadcasting is UPSTREAM (you to internet, usually much slower) bandwidth. Run the following test a few times to determine an average for your upload speeds:
Meridix Bandwidth Test
After you determine your available bandwidth speed, compare with your broadcasting needs. We recommend using a broadcast bitrate of no more than half of your available speed. If you are trying to broadcast a 2 Mbps (2000 Kbps) video stream, you'll need at least a consistent 4 Mbps (4000 Kbps) or greater upload speed. We generally recommend having speeds at least double the bitrate of your stream. If you find you don't have enough bandwidth, lower your broadcasting bitrate.
Once you are familiar with your available bandwidth, you should also test your connection for stability and reliability. It is very possible to have a connection with adequate speeds but poor stability, which would cause your stream to frequently stop or cut out.
Your audience can watch or listen via a direct link, through embedding in your organization's existing website (premium accounts), or via a customized channel page we give to you. Various options are listed here. Once your audience arrives, they simply click to launch the broadcast instantly - no need to wait, nor download anything, nor login.
We continue to see an increasing number of broadcasters utilizing cellular hotspots. In most cases, these have proven to be valuable tools allowing broadcasters to produce events quickly and easily by taking an internet connection with them, often to areas with no other internet available.
However, broadcasters must take into account the limitations of these devices if they are to have a successful streaming experience. As with a standard cell phone call, make sure you're in an area with strong cellular coverage. Mobile broadband capabilities can vary from location to location, meaning your experience in the gymnasium of a school can be completely different than your experience in an outdoor football stadium. You may get full signal, and yet have a slow or unreliable connection, or vice versa. Lastly, while our software and network does as much as it can to mitigate all of these issues, broadband cards are only as good as their weakest link - for your broadcast to go off without a hitch, ensure that your card is giving you adequate bandwidth, strong signal, low latency, high reliability, and good stability.
Video encoding is a CPU-heavy process. If you notice that your video is choppy, not smooth, starts and stops, or seems like it won't catch up, you may want to try a more powerful computer, or lower your framerate/bitrate. Encoding and streaming simply requires more CPU (processor) power than many activities, such as viewing a web page. While most computers manufactured within the last few years should work fine (i.e. we've tried to make our system work on as many computers as possible), the more processor and RAM resources you have available, the better your experience will be.
You can easily check whether your CPU is overtaxed in Windows, while running an encoder, by right clicking on the taskbar, selecting Task Manager, and then selecting the Performance Tab. On a Mac, use Activity Monitor which is located in your /Applications/Utilities/ folder. While running an encoder, your CPU should be at no greater than 80% average usage.
A LiveID is your unique channel on our platform, that could represent your school, team, or organization. Thus, a school such as Naperville Central High School could have a LiveID of "NapervilleCentral", or a radio station could be the "SportsRadio947FM". You can use and customize LiveIDs in any manner you need. A single organization can also have multiple LiveIDs (channels). You can create as many channels as you desire.
This is built right into our platform. If ever you choose to charge your audience to watch or listen to a broadcast (PPV), you simply indicate this as you are setting up the event, set the price, and we take care of all credit card processing for you. You can even set up a season pass, weekend pass, or a pass that is valid across multiple channels. Redeem your earnings at any time via ACH transfer.
If you downgrade to a free plan, don't worry - you won't lose anything. All archives and settings are preserved. The account will simply convert to a free plan, meaning certain features may no longer be available, and you may see our ads. When you're ready, you can re-upgrade at any time.
The vast majority of internet connections will let you broadcast just fine. However, if you're in a particularly restrictive school or corporate network environment, ensure that your internet connection is allowing traffic IN/OUT on ports 80, 443, and 1935, as well as to any *.meridix.com domain. You can check ports here (if this page doesn't load, port 1935 is likely blocked).