Top 10 Private Streaming Platforms for Live Stream Events in 2024

In 2024, the best private streaming platforms for live events that broadcasters and businesses use are secure, tailored streaming solutions. These platforms offer private streaming servers that ensure your content reaches your intended audience, enhancing privacy and control while streaming remotely. Some of the best platforms include Vimeo, Brightcove, and IBM video streaming, all of which we’ll dive into.

These platforms benefit businesses and broadcasters by providing strong security features such as password protection, encryption, and viewer authentication. They also offer customizable streaming experiences for your viewers. This enables companies to brand their streams and engage with their audience more effectively. Whether you’re hosting a corporate event, a product launch, or an internal training session, these private streaming services offer the reliability and scalability you need for any event. For those wanting to maintain control over their private live streams, these private streaming apps and services offer great advantages in terms of security, customization, and viewer engagement.

How to live stream privately, how to live stream a private event effectively today? In this article, we answer how to do a private live stream using the best platforms available. We run through the 10 top private video streaming platforms so you can pick the best private stream service for your needs. By the end, you’ll know the best private live-streaming options. You’ll also understand the distinct advantages of broadcasting private live streams while ensuring that they stay safe.

Table of Contents

• What is a Private Livestream?
• How to Stream Privately
• Comparison of the 10 Best Streaming Platforms for Private Live Streams
• 1. Dacast
• 2. Vimeo Livestream
• 3. JW Player
• 4. Wowza
• 5. IBM Cloud Video
• 6. Brightcove
• 7. Kaltura
• 8. Muvi
• 9. StreamShark
• 10. Panopto
• Private Streaming Apps for Live Streaming
• Security Features to Look for in a Private Streaming Platform
• Private Streaming Platforms vs. Free Streaming Sites
• Benefits of Hosting a Private Live Stream
• Conclusion

What can we learn from the rise of the famous Chinese short-video platform TikTok and how does it apply to live streaming? For one, audiences love video more than they love the written word.

In the past, video has never been this easy to share, store and view before. With technological advancements, our attention spans seem to be getting shorter, explaining the potential of the live streaming and video industry. Another fact that cements the place of videos is Facebook’s launch of reels and Facebook Watch.

Live streaming and short and medium-length videos are among the most effective ways to connect with viewers. According to research by Livestream, 80% of consumers would prefer to watch live videos than read a blog, and 82% of people prefer a live stream over a social media post.

When it comes to consuming content, video is where it is at. 62% of people aged 18-34 regularly watch live streaming content. Younger generations are more interested in live streams than pre-recorded content, and overall, viewers are watching more live streams now than they were even a year ago.

Live streams capture people’s attention in ways that pre-recorded videos don’t. Watching someone in real life can feel thrilling like you are part of a bigger moment.

• Facebook Live videos are watched 3x longer than pre-recorded videos
• Live streams hold viewers’ attention for 10-20x longer than VOD content

When it comes to live streaming, you want to stream in as many locations as possible. Multistreaming or simulcasting is when you live stream to multiple platforms at the same time, such as:

• Business websites
• Social media platforms
• Video sharing platforms

Live streams have been shown on multiple platforms to hold viewers’ attention longer than VOD. So, to connect with modern viewers and hold their attention, you must create live streams.

Want to enjoy the benefits of live streaming? Work with one of the ten best private live-streaming platforms discussed later in this article. With all the streaming platforms discussed in this article, you can provide your viewers with private live streams.

What is a Private Livestream?

More is not always the merrier. While sometimes broadcasters stream to reach large audiences, that is not always the case. That’s where private live streams come into play. Sometimes, you want to magnetize viewers from a certain group, area, or industry, not the general masses. Private live streaming offers the perfect solution to secure your stream while engaging a large group of selected audiences.

A private live-streaming event is a broadcast meant to be streamed to a select group of people rather than to the public.

There are many events where you may want to limit access and viewership, such as: 

• Internal company meetings
• Internal company training
• Private streams to family and friends
• Paid virtual events

There are numerous paid private virtual events you could host, such as: 

• Webinars
• Conferences
• Concerts
• Private meet & greets
• Classes 

Live streams have many purposes in the world of business video hosting. You could stream webinars, conferences, training sessions, and multiple platforms simultaneously.

Which broadcasts are public and private is to be determined by the broadcaster.

Typically, private video sharing would be intended for internal use. However, you can also use private video sharing for paid public events, where you only want those who paid for access to attend the event.

Public outdoor streaming, for example, would be intended for an audience beyond your company or authorized viewers. There are many use cases for private streams for businesses. Public streaming is when anyone, without any access requirements, can view your live streams.

How to Stream Privately

Setting up a private live-streaming event is much like setting up any other live-stream. However, you need to take additional measures to ensure that you’re setting up your live event video streaming service correctly for a successful private event streaming experience.

With a private live stream, you need measures that allow you to limit access to your events, such as password protection or domain restrictions.

Let’s run through a quick tutorial on how to stream privately using a private video streaming service.

1. Create a Plan

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That can’t be truer than in the case of live-streaming. Much planning and hard work go into each element of live streaming since certain parts can’t be edited or made to look better during the post-production stages.

Winging it may sometimes work with a live stream; however, if you want to run continuous successful live streams, you need a plan. When planning a private live stream, you can plan it out on multiple levels:

Goals & Audience 

It is important to know who you are streaming for and what your goals are with your stream.

• Who is your audience?
• Where are they located?
• How will they access your stream?
• How will you promote your live stream to your audience?

What is the goal of your stream? Knowing what you want to achieve with your stream will help you craft the content and refine your audience.

For example, your goals could be to inform your audience about a product, educate internal company employees about a new idea, entertain the audience, or share a private moment with family and friends.

Topic & Content

Once you know your audience and goals, it is time to choose a topic for your livestream. You should choose a narrow and specific topic that you want to cover. Choose a topic that addresses your audience’s needs.

After you choose your topic, start to write the content for your lifestream. You don’t have to follow a script. However, it would help if you had a general outline you want to follow.

Once you create an outline, fill in the details. Are there stats you need to look up? Are there areas of your live stream where you want to share other audio or visual content? Having a plan allows you to add more depth to your live stream. 

Team

Now it is time to build your team! Who do you need to help you produce your live stream? You may develop a live stream on your own or with a team of individuals. Coordinate the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved so that everyone knows their jobs and what to do when you go live.

Live Streaming Set-Up

Finally, establish your live streaming set-up.

• Are you going to use a private live streaming service or a public free live streaming service?
• How are you keeping the stream private?
• Are you monetizing the live stream?

With a solid plan, you can run a successful live stream that meets the needs of your target audience, is engaging and entertaining, and hits your goals for the content.

2. Choose a Private Streaming Platform

When exploring how to stream privately, the best way to live stream an event is with the help of a professional live private streaming platform equipped with the tools you need to reach your individual goals.

For example, monetization features are a must if you’re hosting a large paid event. However, if you’re leaning towards internal video streaming for the members of your team or organization, monetization is not necessary.

Streaming at the professional level also calls for branding customization and eliminating third-party ads and logos.

Choosing a platform with an HTML5 white-label video player will help you achieve these things. Plus, an HTML5 video player is compatible with most internet-enabled devices. The nearly universal nature of this type of video player will help maximize your viewership.

Other valuable features to consider when weighing your options for a live event streaming service include:

• Video and player API.
• Reliable content delivery through a global video CDN.
• An easy-to-use content management system.
• Video galleries.
• 24/7 customer support.

You want a private live-streaming platform that will allow you to share the stream with an audience worldwide. You want a secure live streaming platform with an easy-to-use content management system, a customizable video player, and 24/7 customer support.

It’ll help ensure you can create a successful customized private stream event.

3. Configure Your Streaming Setup

Now, it is time to configure your private live-streaming services setup. Most broadcasters need the support of a professional private live-streaming service.

Some more advanced streams require dedicated streaming software for mixing, editing, adding graphic overlays, chroma-keying (using a green screen), or simulcasting. The need for these types of software depends on your unique streaming goals.

That is why you want to establish your streaming goals before choosing a private video streaming service.

An organization that wants to host internal meetings will have different streaming goals than a company that wants to live stream exclusive private concerts or a business that live streams private events for customers, such as weddings.

Ensure all your equipment and digital tools are compatible with your chosen private video streaming service. For example, to enable a private RTMP stream, you must ensure that the platform you choose supports your specific RTMP encoder.

Check out our streaming setup guide for more information on how to configure your streaming setup.

4. Promote Your Event

Some private streams, such as paid virtual events, require promotion. Since it is a private event, it is important to require RSVPs so you can send the password or login credentials to verified participants.

Depending on your goal, you can promote the event on social media or through internal channels. Your promotion could be a simple “heads up” email blast, or it can use a full-blown marketing campaign. It is up to you to determine what is appropriate for your specific stream.

Here are a few ideas to promote your live steam before it begins:

• Schedule your live stream 
• Share with your intended audience
• Set up an event that people have RSVPed to 
• Share on social media 
• Run a countdown
• Create a teaser trailer 

Adapt these ideas to fit with the goals of your live stream. For example, if you are running an internal training, you can still schedule the event, send out an RSVP, and create an internal teaser trailer. You can adapt these strategies to fit the needs of your specific live stream.

You want to ensure that your intended audience can access your private stream.

5. Confirm Your Privacy Settings

Now, let’s talk about how to make a secure private stream. Password protection should be your first defense when you confirm your privacy settings for a private stream. Set a password for your stream that you can send out to viewers before you go live. That will help ensure that only your intended audience can access your private live-streaming event.

Run through your online video player’s other privacy and security settings, and enable any additional controls you see fit.

• AES encryption
• Domain restrictions
• Geographic restrictions
• HTTPS video delivery
• Dynamic token security

Once you have your RSVP list, you can also set geographic controls on your stream for an extra layer of protection. For example, suppose our RSVP list only has participants from Canada, Guatemala, the United States, and Mexico. In that case, you can white-list those countries to prevent access from viewers in any other country.

6. Protect Against Video Piracy

Domain restrictions are key to protecting against piracy or the illegal use and distribution of your videos.

These restrictions allow you to control where your video player can be embedded. For example, if you only whitelist pages on your site, the player won’t work if it is embedded into a site with another domain.

Another key way to protect against video piracy is to watermark your videos and consider a platform that allows you to protect your videos with digital rights management (DRM).

Digital rights management is the technology used to control and manage access to your digital copyrighted material.

On a functional level, DRM uses codes that prohibit the copying of material. It can also use codes that limit the number of times the video can be accessed or the number of devices that can access the content.

DRM is designed to protect against others copying and sharing your video content as their own and profiting off it.

7. Start Streaming

Once everything is set up, it is time to start streaming. It is a good idea to do a test run before you start the real stream to identify any snags in the system before you’re live in front of an audience.

It is a good idea to have somebody monitor your stream throughout so that you know if you go offline or experience any issues on the viewing end.

8. Consider Repurposing Your Private Live Stream 

Who said recycling, reusing, and repurposing are just for saving the planet? Once you invest time and resources in recording a live stream, ensure you get the most out of it across multiple platforms. Now that you know the main steps to a private livestream let’s discuss repurposing your video content.

Many private streaming platforms have an option allowing you to record your live stream so that you have a video at the end of your live stream.

Whether your purpose for live streaming was to monetize or not, you can extract a lot more value from your live streaming experience by repurposing it.

A few popular ways to repurpose live stream include:

• Turning it into a video on demand
• Making highlight clips of the live stream
• Creating a podcast from the content
• Writing a blog post about the content of the live stream
• Make it into BTS (behind-the-scenes) content
• Post it on short video platforms such as Facebook Watch or Instagram reels.

For example, you can turn the finished live stream into an on-demand video for internal use or a paid course. You can also consider extracting just the audio and using a private audio streaming service like Apple podcasts or Spotify.

Repurposing your content, in this case, your private live stream is a common practice to extract the most value from your hard work.

Comparison of the 10 Best Streaming Platforms for Private Live Streams

Now that you know how to host private live streaming and what security features you’re looking for, you’re likely left wondering which private streaming service is best. That’s why we’ve reviewed the top secure private streaming platforms on the market. These services are long-standing, robust competitors offering various compelling features.

As you know, however, different users have different needs. By taking a closer look at the features and costs of live-streaming solutions, you can make an informed decision about the right video platform.

We’ve evaluated many private live streaming options and narrowed it down to the top 10 private streaming platforms for broadcasting private virtual events in 2023. Here they are.

1. Dacast

Dacast is one of the leading online video platforms with a full-featured, self-service solution for live streaming and private video hosting.

Dacast’s acquisition of Vzaar, a video hosting, and distribution platform, has made our platform even more powerful and useful to broadcasters.

When it comes to security and privacy controls, Dacast gets an A+. This streaming platform makes broadcasting private live streams a breeze.

Basic Functionality

Dacast is known for its easy-to-use platform and custom white-label streaming solution. Brand new broadcasters can create a live channel, stream in minutes, and maintain 100% content ownership.

The platform was designed for professional broadcasters with security in mind and featured a robust video solution that meets their business requirements. Dacast offers many advanced features for private live streams, including top-notch AES encryption, a video paywall for monetization, password protection, referrer restriction, and an analytics dashboard to track user events.

Key Features

Dacast offers high-end features with competitive pricing plans. These include ad-free broadcasting, white-label service, and secure CDN video delivery.

It is also one of the few streaming solutions of its caliber that offer video delivery to China.

Detailed Features

• Secure, global content delivery, including industry-best video hosting
• 24/7 tech support with all plans, including email and live chat
• Secure video upload features, including content management, library migration, and video replacement
• RTMP Encoder for ingesting HLS streaming
• Player API access for 3rd party player integration
• Video API access on premium plans (scale and event)
• Best-in-class private RTMP server
• Adaptive multi-bitrate streaming
• Cloud-based video transcoding
• Real-time analytics
• Ad-free streaming
• Multi-user access on Scale and Custom plans
• Zoom live streaming integration for meetings and live events in real-time
• Expo 2.0 galleries video portal for immersive video experiences
• AES video encryption for advanced streaming security

New!

• Dacast now offers Digital Right Management to protect your videos.
• VOD to Live allows you to choose any of your videos, set them to a specific time and date, and go live without using an encoder.

Pros

• Live streaming and VOD packages on all pricing plans
• Unlimited viewers and live channels
• White label and branding control
• Embeddable HTML5 video player
• SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD monetization options
• An integrated video paywall
• Mobile device support
• Live stream recording
• China Video Hosting
• Plans for every budget

Cons

• Requires a bit of a learning curve

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: none (but 240p is the recommended minimum)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p or 4K (depends on the user’s hardware and internet)
• Video aspect ratio: no restrictions (but 16:9 is the default)
• Max file size: none
• Max video length: none
• Total file storage: 10-1000GB (depends on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (preferred), MOV, M4V, M2V, AVI, MPG, FLV, WMV, MKV, WEBM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MTS

Pricing

Dacast includes four packages in their streaming pricing plans:

• Starter plan: $39/month (billed annually); ideal for newcomers with 2.4 TB of bandwidth and 500 GB of storage per year
• Event plan: $63/month (billed annually); for organizations that would rather not sign a contract, and want to purchase bandwidth separately to offer 6 TB of bandwidth upfront, 250 GB of storage; additional data and storage can be added as needed
• Scale plan: $165/month (billed annually); includes 24 TB of bandwidth per year, with 2 TB of storage; add phone support, monetization paywall, an for live channels, ad insertion, white-label video player, and; additional bandwidth is available upon request for monthly plans
• Custom plan: if your enterprise business has high-volume streaming needs, you can for a custom plan tailored to your needs.

Dacast has all the tools you need to securely host private live streaming, making it one of the best platforms you can work with.

2. Vimeo Livestream

Vimeo is one of the largest streaming platforms on the market, and it has been around since 2007. Vimeo’s acquisition of Livestream in 2017 has allowed the platform to expand the service from only VOD to both VOD and live streaming services, even though Livestream pricing plans are different.

This platform streams over 10 million events annually. A combined effort of hardware, software, and cloud services delivers this.

Regarding privacy and security, Vimeo is well-equipped with all the right features.

Basic Functionality

Vimeo is both a private live streaming and video hosting platform. This service provides tech support via email for its users. Live support comes with Premium and Vimeo OTT custom plans.

Key Features

Vimeo and other premium plans support private live streaming and VOD hosting. This program integrates smoothly with a variety of powerful services.

Detailed Features

• Video management platform
• Insightful analytics
• High-quality streaming capabilities
• Great storage capacity
• Privacy and security controls

Pros

• No limitations on the number of events and viewers
• No advertisements
• Visually appealing portal
• Powerful analytics
• Pay-per-view option

Cons

• Lower traffic than other platforms
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Recommended dimension: 720p (1280 x 720)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 3GB
• Max video length: Information not available
• Total file storage: Information not available
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (recommended)

Pricing

Vimeo offers basic video hosting plans that are suitable for content creators and startups. These include:

• Free: Try Vimeo for free
• Starter: $12/month billed annually; 1+ seats; 100 GB storage; privacy controls, custom video player, custom URLs
• Standard: $20/month billed annually; 2+ seats; 1 TB storage; brand kit, teleprompter, text-based video editing
• Advanced: $65/month billed annually; 2+ seats, 5 TB storage; AI-generated chapters and text summaries, host live broadcasts and webinars

Vimeo is great if you want to maximize the usage of your content by turning your live streams into VOD content.

3. JW Player

JW Player is a private video streaming service that originated in 2005. The technology used in this platform’s video player was originally a part of the open-source code that eventually contributed to the original YouTube video player.

JW Player was originally known for its HTML5 video player for VOD platforms. In recent years, JW expanded its platform to include live-streaming capabilities.

Basic Functionality

One of the most valuable aspects of JW Player is that it supports MPEG-DASH playback, CSS skinning, DRM, and other advanced features that other OVPs do not have. 

Detailed Features

• Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming features
• Global content delivery
• Tech support with the most inclusive plans
• Video API access
• DRM with Enterprise Plans
• Monetization

Key Features

• Live streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) hosting
• Cloud-based content management platform
• Custom video galleries
• Up to 1080p HD streaming
• Support for monetization via advertising
• Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming
• Email support through the $100/month plan level
• Video API access on all plans
• Only custom-priced Enterprise plans offer DRM
• Monetization via advertising

Pros:

• HD streaming
• Video recommendations engine to generate custom “watch next” recommendations for increased viewership
• Global content delivery

Cons:

• No China video delivery
• Only basic security features
• Only ad-based monetization

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Minimum dimension: 360p (640 x 360)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3, 2.39:1
• Max file size: 25GB
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 25GB to 500GB (depending on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, 3GP, FLV

Pricing

With JW Player, you will need to contact sales to discuss your needs and get custom pricing or start with a free trial.

Publishers and broadcasters should contact JW Player directly for pricing and features.

4. Wowza

Wowza is a private video streaming service founded in 2005 as a bootstrap start-up. It offers private live streaming and on-demand video hosting. Wowza is also known for its top-notch security features.

Wowza offers two main products. The first is the Wowza Streaming Engine. This product is widely used in the industry for self-hosted streaming. The second is the Wowza Streaming Cloud offering.

Basic Functionality

This functionality includes various features aimed at providing low-latency content access to global audiences.

Detailed Features

• Cloud management services
• High-def streaming (up to 4K)
• Powerful security and privacy features
• Access to APIs

Key Features:

• Video content management
• Supports high-definition streaming
• Robust security features
• Video API
• Simulcasting capabilities 

Pros:

• Powerful security
• Supports streaming on most devices
• Live streaming and video-on-demand 
• Connects with Google Analytics
• China video delivery

Cons:

• Monetization through integrations only

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Minimum dimension: 240p (320 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: Not available
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 250 GB (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, FLV, MP3, SMIL, AMLST, ID3, NGRP

Pricing

Wowza recently overhauled its pricing plans and added several options. These are split into 2 main tiers: Streaming Video Cloud Streaming and Streaming Engine.

The Wowza Video Streaming Cloud offers four distinct pricing plans and services. Live Event Pricing, monthly plans include:

• One Month Event: $149 one-time purchase; includes 15 hours of live streaming and 500 viewing hours
• Pay as you go: $0/month; $2.50/hour of streaming, all usage billed separately
• Enterprise: Plans built for your needs; contact sales for custom pricing

The Wowza Streaming Engine has its own pricing plan packages. These professional-grade streaming plans are billed annually and include:

• Pay As You Go: only pay for usage + $2.50 per streaming hour, $0.10 per viewer hour
• One Month of Streaming: $149/month one-time purchase
• Enterprise: Please contact Wowza directly for access to their custom-tailored high-volume enterprise solutions

Check out Wowza’s pricing page for alternative plans and packages.

If you need a budget-friendly video hosting platform with streaming security, try Wowza. 

5. IBM Video Streaming

IBM Video Streaming (formerly IBM Cloud Video) was founded over a decade ago to connect military personnel overseas with loved ones back home. The private video streaming service was formerly UStream, but IBM acquired it in 2016.

Basic Functionality

IBM Video Streaming is primarily a live-streaming company but also has VOD capabilities. This OVP offers two main packages: free, paid, and enterprise. Most features are available with paid packages, but the enterprise packages are all-inclusive.

Detailed Features

• Video Marketing
• Live streaming and live event coverage
• Enterprise video streaming
• Video distribution and workflow
• OTT video management
• Monetization capabilities

Key Features:

• Live and on-demand video streaming
• Secure sharing of online content
• Enterprise content delivery network
• Video distribution and workflow
• OTT video management
• Video monetization

Pros:

• One of the best-streaming cloud storage set-ups, with reliable cloud streaming.
• Responsive customer support, helping you if you ever run into issues.
• Enterprise-grade video capabilities for large organizations, r
• Hong Kong (China) video hosting.
• Impressive analytics feature where you can monitor various KPIs of live streaming.
• You can easily upload video files and media for your audience during the live broadcast.

Cons:

• Uses an internal content delivery system
• General plans don’t offer APIs
• The chat feature isn’t the best given that this supports a large audience
• Users report issues with data synchronization and upload when there’s heavy traffic on the platform.
• The file management system isn’t good if you have many files because it gets challenging to find what you’re looking for.
• Although it allows non-hosts to interact with the broadcast and share files, the permission-granting process is tricky and requires a learning curve.

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Minimum dimension: 480p (480 x 270)
• Maximum dimension:  4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: No published aspect ratio
• Max file size: 4 GB
• Max video length: No published limits
• Total file storage: 1TB – 5TB (depends on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MKV, MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MPEG2, H264, H263, MPEG4, VP6, VP8, THEORA, WMV, MP3, AAC-LC, NELLYMOSER, PCM, SPEEX, VORBIS, WMA

Pricing

The pricing plans for the IBM Video Streaming include:

• Silver – $137/month
• Gold – $688/month
• Platinum – $1,380/month

Custom – Please contact IBM Video Streaming for custom plan pricing.

6. Brightcove

Founded way back in 2004, Brightcove is among the market’s oldest private live-streaming platforms. Brightcove supports both live streaming and VOD hosting.

Brightcove’s custom plans have outstanding security features, but its more basic plans do not.

Basic Functionality

Brightcove provides a few different services. These include Video Cloud hosting, a video player, server-side ad insertion, video streaming capabilities, OTT streaming tools, cloud transcoding, and tools for monetization.

Detailed Features

• Global content delivery
• Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming
• Basic tech support
• Limited API access
• Limited security features
• Limited monetization options
• Best for clients with large budgets

Key Features:

• Live streaming through Video Cloud
• Over-the-top (OTT) streaming
• Advertising and monetization
• Numerous cloud app integrations
• Offers customizable branding features
• On top of the video analytics and reporting feature, it has the option to track your ROI.

Pros:

• A straightforward cloud interface that’s easy for people to use.
• Offers built-in integrations for other cloud apps, allowing you to integrate your video content with other business tools easily.
• High-quality privacy and security.
• Share your live streams in private groups and with the public through your social media channels.
• One of the best cloud storage for video production, so you can neatly categorize your videos and save them in various playlists.
• All the essential editing tools you need to make small changes to your videos, which is especially beneficial if you often repurpose your live streams.

Cons:

• Lack of fine-grain analytics or reporting
• No China video delivery
• 24/7 support isn’t free
• Although the analytics feature is present, you have to go through some manual workarounds to compare the reports of different videos.
• You can’t find data on the number of unique viewers on your videos or track the number of users at specific time markers.

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Minimum dimension: Determined by the user
• Maximum dimension: Determined by the user
• Aspect ratio: No restrictions (since Brightcove uses a responsive player)
• Max file size: No limits on file size
• Max video length: No published limits
• Total file storage: Varies by plan
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

Since Brightcove mainly targets enterprise-level clients, they offer several custom-priced streaming plans at high price points.

The three Brightcove pricing tiers include:

• Starter: includes 50 to 200 videos, up to 100,000 plays, and 2-5 users
• Professional: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overages play, with +10 users
• Enterprise: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overages play, with 10+ users, unlimited upload, and analytics-only users

Interested broadcasters can contact their sales department to receive a quote or sign up for a 30-day free trial. When you need something simple with complex tools, Brightcove is a good choice.

7. Kaltura

Kaltura is one of the leaders in the private live-streaming space. This platform was initially geared toward meeting the needs of educational institutions, but now it serves organizations in several realms.

Kaltura has a broad range of security features that make it great for private live streaming.

Basic Functionality

Kaltura is a cloud-based video hosting and distribution service. It has both VOD hosting and private live-streaming capabilities.

Kaltura is considered an “open-source” platform instead of a traditional self-hosting platform.

Detailed Features

• Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming options
• Bring your own CDN capabilities
• Top-notch security
• Ticket-based tech support
• API access
• Monetization capabilities

Key Features:

• Cloud video hosting and streaming
• Cloud TV service
• Advanced Security in the Cloud
• Highly customizable
• Integrations for any feature imaginable

Pros:

It is designed specifically for education and large enterprise uses. They offer various monetization options, making it a great choice if you want to earn money through your content.

Cons:

• Many options for customization may get complex for beginners
• Slow uploads to the cloud
• No China video delivery
• Users complain about the lack of sufficient customer support

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 180p (320 x 180)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 2GB
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 10GB to Unlimited (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MOV, MP4

Pricing

Prices are based on the solutions you’re looking for. These include but are not limited to: 

Webinars:

• Free trial: $0 for two webinars
• Business: $150/month billed annually (when billed annually or $199 when billed monthly)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Virtual classroom:

• Free trial: 14 days
• Standard: $19/month up to 10 participants per session and up to 10 hrs of cloud recording
• Pro: $45/month for up to 100 participants per session and up to 25 hrs of cloud recording
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for up to 10+ classrooms

Media Services:

• Annual discounts – Discounted pricing packages are available for any scale and use-case, enterprise SLA, and developer support. For more information, please contact sales
• Free trial account – $100 worth of credits for 30 days for testing and experimentation with no commitments
• Pay as you go – You pay only for what you use at these credit levels:
• Base plan: $20 one-time annual fee + monthly usage fees

Other services include virtual events, video portal town halls, video messaging, meetings and more.

8. Muvi

Muvi is a private on-demand video hosting platform that offers specialized support for OTT media businesses. Regarding OTT media distribution, privacy and security are a must for limiting access to paying customers only and avoiding piracy.

Overall, Muvi aims to provide a “turnkey” service to broadcasters. In short, Muvi focuses on OTT services that quickly get up and running. They say their model empowers users to launch their video or audio strategy quickly and easily.

Basic Functionality

Muvi’s OTT multi-screen video streaming solution helps businesses launch white-label multi-device streams. They also provide VOD and audio streaming. It’s fully managed and all controlled from a single CMS.

Detailed Features

• Custom branding
• HTML5 video player
• Analytics
• Monetization options
• DRM and security features

Key Features

• White-label platform: Customizable branding for a unique user experience.
• Multi-device support: Accessible on web, mobile, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
• Monetization options: Subscriptions, pay-per-view, and ad-based models.
• Advanced security: DRM, encryption, and secure video player for content protection.
• Analytics: Detailed insights into viewer behavior and performance metrics.
• Content management: Easy upload, organization, and distribution of media.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Robust security features
• Comprehensive monetization options
• High scalability and reliability
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Higher pricing for advanced features
• Steeper learning curve for beginners
• Limited third-party integrations

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Minimum dimension: 144p (256 x 144)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840  x2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: not available
• Max video length: not available
• Total file storage: 1TB, 2TB, 5TB (depending on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, FLV, VOB, M4V, AVI, 3GP, MPG

Pricing

Muvi prices its plans at the following five levels:

• Starter Plan: $399/month – Basic features and support
• Professional Plan: $1499/month – Advanced features and customization
• Enterprise Plan: $3900/month – Professional + dedicated server and enterprise support
• Ultimate: Full suite of features, dedicated support, and custom integrations

If you are looking for a secure live streaming platform where you can quickly get started without much of a learning curve, Muvi is the right platform for you. 

9. StreamShark

StreamShark is another great private live-streaming platform. It was founded in 2011 and provided multi-faceted online video functionality.

This platform is a product of MetaCDN, an Australian content delivery company. In addition to powerful content delivery, StreamShark is known for its innovative features in the live streaming space. The most notable features are 360 live streaming, peer-to-peer streaming, and enhanced streaming security.

Basic Functionality

StreamShark is an online video platform specializing in secure live streaming.

Detailed Features

• Mobile compatibility
• Peer-to-peer streaming
• 360 live streaming
• Detailed viewer reports
• Customizable live-streaming video player
• Global coverage via a multi-CDN network
• Privacy controls
• Advertising and customer support

Key Features

• Manage different phases of an event’s stream
• Multi-vendor approach
• HLS ingests
• Provides global video CDN services
• Innovative live streaming tools
• Enhanced security for private streaming

Pros

• Localized media ingestion
• monetization options
• Video Encoding
• Redistribution
• Increased storage space

Cons

• No live tech support
• No embeddable playlists
• Fair to no video analytics
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: not available
• Max video length: not available
• Total file storage: 500GB, 1TB, 3TB
• Compatible video formats: HLS, WebM VP9, WebM VP8, WebM VP9 DASH, MP4

Pricing:

Monthly live streaming plans with StreamShark begin at $199 per month and include the following:

• Standard: $199/month; includes 1,000 GB of bandwidth; overage charges of $0.10/GB
• Team: $499/month; includes 4,000 GB of bandwidth; overage charges of $0.09/GB
• Business: $999/month; includes 9,000 GB of bandwidth; overage charges of $0.08/GB
• Enterprise: Please contact StreamShark for their custom enterprise solutions and plans

10. Panopto

Panopto is a private live-streaming platform that is geared toward educational and institutional users. This platform aims to deliver an “internal YouTube” experience for training and more.

It was founded in 2007 in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University as a tech project. This online video streaming solution enables streaming, sharing, recording, and managing of video content.

Panopto has more than 100 employees in 6 offices around the world. The streaming solution serves an audience of over 5 million end-users in e-learning.

Basic Functionality

With a focus on online education, it provides tools similar to YouTube and integrates with Learning Management Systems. Panopto is a more focused online video organization than the other private live streaming platforms we’ve considered.

Key Features

• Secure portal for management
• Includes software for live streaming and auto-archiving using webcams
• Keyword search inside videos
• Tools for API access and LMS/CMS integration

Detailed Features

• Lecture-capture and video-search software
• Access control & security features
• White-label streaming
• Integration with LMS systems
• API for further integrations.

Pros

• Audio Content
• Analytics
• Document Indexing
• Customizable Branding
• Full-Text Search
• Video Content
• Asset Categorization
• China video delivery

Cons

• No customizable templates
• No image editor
• No SEO management
• No version control

Upload Guidelines and Specs

• Compatible video formats: AVI, MP4, MPG, WMV, MOV, QT, ASF, 3GP, WMA, MP3, M4V

All other upload guidelines and specs are only available to paying customers. 

Pricing

You can get a personalized demo to try Panopto. For specific plans and pricing, contact sales.

Private Streaming Apps for Live Streaming

For live-streaming events with an emphasis on privacy, selecting the right platform is crucial. Whether you’re hosting a corporate event, an educational seminar, or a private celebration, using a private livestream app means your content reaches only the intended audience. 

Here are three of the best private live streaming apps that offer robust security features and a smooth streaming experience.

1. Vimeo Livestream

Vimeo Livestream is a top choice if you seek a private live-streaming service. It provides comprehensive privacy controls, allowing you to password-protect your streams or restrict access to specific domains. With Vimeo, you can livestream privately from your phone or desktop. This makes it a versatile option for various events. The platform also supports HD streaming, offering robust security features. This ensures that your live video remains secure and accessible only to your selected audience.

2. StreamYard

StreamYard is another great private streaming app for live video events. It’s popular for it ease of use and ability to stream to multiple platforms simultaneously while maintaining privacy settings on each. StreamYard allows you to host private streams with password protection or unlisted links. This ensures that only those with permission can view your content. This live stream private app is ideal for business meetings, private events, and webinars.

3. Zoom

Known mostly as a video conferencing tool, Zoom is also a powerful private live stream app. Used widely for private webinars and virtual events, it offers features such as password-protected streams, waiting rooms, and end-to-end encryption. Zoom’s security protocol snake it a trusted platform for private live video streams, whether you’re broadcasting to a small or larger audience. Also, it’s user-friendly, allowing you to live stream privately from your phone or device.

Each of these private streaming services provides a secure, user-friendly way, with private app live video, to conduct live events, ensuring that your content remains private and protected.

Security Features to Look for in a Private Streaming Platform

As we mentioned, broadcasting webinars, conferences, corporate events, or other private streams at a professional level requires different features for different broadcasters. However, there are a few features for video privacy and security that are universal for private live streaming.

These key private live streaming events features include password protection, geographic and referrer restrictions, and payment security. Let’s take a closer look at each of these features.

1. Password Protection

Password protection is one of the most basic forms of security for private. It is often considered a “first line of defense” for private streaming.

This feature allows the broadcaster to set a password. Any viewers who attempt to access the stream will have to enter the password as prompted to have access. It’s an ideal setup for smaller events among trusted individuals or groups.

Many live streaming solutions come with password-protected video hosting features.

2. Geographic and Referrer Restrictions

As the name implies, restrictions allow broadcasters to restrict who can access your content. Also, you can set these restrictions based on a variety of factors.

There are two types of restrictions in common use. Geographic restrictions allow you to restrict who can access your online video via IP address. Unless someone is using a VPN, IP corresponds to geographic location.

This tool works by “whitelisting” countries where your audience can view your content. That way, you can bypass hackers or unauthorized people who reside in other countries.

The second type is referrer restrictions. A referrer describes the website a visitor visited before accessing your video content.

Thus, a referrer restriction allows you only to allow users who came from pages on your domain (for example, https://www.dacast.com/*). The asterisk (*) symbol indicates that any page on your site is acceptable to users.

This restriction effectively prevents users from illegally embedding your stream on another site. Even if the embed does work, the video won’t play. That helps to combat piracy.

3. Payment Security

Another great way to keep content secure is to require viewers to pay for access. It also provides a revenue stream for your live broadcasts. However, when money is involved, payment security becomes exponentially more important.

Luckily, online payment systems are now stronger than ever. For example, a tokenized security system can support these authorization schemes. In short, a tokenized security system replaces the payment details with tokens instead of storing your audience’s sensitive payment details. Your audience’s sensitive information is protected if you’re hacked for whatever reason. That prevents anyone without prior authorization from accessing your secure stream.

Note: make sure the live-streaming platform you choose uses SSL encryption for payment information.

4. AES Encryption

AES, short for “Advanced Encryption Standard,” is an industry standard for encryption and is known for its speed and security. In other words, it’s one of the best encryption protocols to allow a live stream to be securely delivered without disruption.

There are three types of AES encryption to know about: 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit. The numbers denote the key length. It may seem obvious that 256-bit would offer the most protection, which is true, but it comes at the cost of resources. For example, watching a video that uses 256-bit encryption rather than 128-bit encryption will drain your battery a little faster.

5. Digital Rights Management

DRM is a proven technology for addressing piracy. If you’ve ever tried to copy text from a website and then pasting didn’t work, or if you’ve ever tried to screenshot a page without success, you’ve likely come across DRM.

In short, DRM prevents the unauthorized use of videos and gives video content creators more control over how their videos are distributed. Keep in mind that although DRM is effective, unfortunately, there are tools out there to work around DRM that sometimes work.

That’s why when looking for ways to protect your videos. You need to take a more comprehensive approach. DRM is just one tool of many in your security-related toolbox.

6. Watermarking

On top of offering a way to personalize your videos, watermarking your videos is a good way to reduce the likelihood and negative effects of piracy.

Watermarking is a way of tattooing your video with your brand logo so no one can claim credit for your video. If it does get illegally distributed, at least the source is identified.

The private streaming platforms that offer this feature usually make it easy to add. For example, with Dacast, you can upload the image you want as your watermark once to add it to all live channel videos.

7. Video Analytics

Video analytics has come a long way since its conception, and its application in live streaming can give your efforts the boost your brand needs. By analyzing data collected from your previous video’s performance and audience’s response, you can make your upcoming live-stream content more relevant and dynamic.

While not directly related to security, think of video analytics as a safety pre-screening step before you start working on content ideas. Video analytics can provide valuable feedback that greatly reduces the guesswork associated with live streaming.

By identifying the categories in which your content tends to perform best, you can save yourself a lot of wasted time and resources by doubling down on what’s shown to bring in results.

Private Streaming Platforms vs. Free Streaming Sites

New broadcasters may feel tempted to start on a free streaming site, like YouTube, rather than a private streaming platform. That could be because of budget constraints, familiarity with free sites, or other reasons.

These free streaming platforms are Facebook Live, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube Live. The only benefits of these platforms are that they are free and well-known.

Let’s evaluate them.

Pros and Cons of Using a Free Private Stream Platform

You can do live streams for free on these social platforms at the cost of next to no privacy or security features. Also, your video streams aren’t yours when you use free live-stream platforms. YouTube and similar free live-streaming platforms have more control than you’d think.

Think about the popular personal video streaming platform Vine, which shut down and left influencers blindsided. A quick Google search will also show you countless stories of YouTube accounts being shut down or demonetized for no reason.

On top of this, video monetization options are minimal. Free live video streaming services like YouTube Live also control what music you can use in your video and give you time limitations on the type of content you can share.

Some benefits of these platforms are that they provide a way for live streaming events online for free, they are well-known, and because you likely use them already, they tend to be super easy to use.

Pros and Cons of Professional Private Streaming Platforms

With so many free options, you might be tempted to skip out on creating a budget and go with one of the free options. However, having a well-thought-out budget can help you save money in the long run.

So while streaming life for free might be super appealing, you should try a more professional solution for your private stream hosting needs. Let’s look at some benefits of using a professional stream hosting service.

Pros of Professional Private Streaming Solutions

• More reliability: Professional streams are more reliable and perform better than free streaming. That’s because they have dedicated servers and better bandwidth, which helps reduce buffering issues.
• More features: Professional stream hosting offers more features and customization options than free streaming services. For example, you can create custom playlists, add captions and overlays, and use multiple cameras with professional streaming solutions.
• More security: Professional stream hosting platforms offer more security features to protect your content from being stolen or pirated. Some also offer IP filters to block viewers from specific regions and analytics tools to track viewer information.
• Ad-free streaming: With professional stream hosting, you don’t have to worry about annoying ads popping up in the middle of your content. There’s no ad-free streaming with a free option.
• Better support: Professional stream hosting services typically offer better customer support than free streaming services. They often have a team of tech-savvy staff who can help you with any issues you have.

Cons of Professional Private Streaming Solutions

• Cost: The cost is the biggest downside of professional stream hosting. It can be expensive, especially if you use a streaming service with many features.
• Learning curve: Professional stream hosting can have a steep learning curve, especially for first-time users. You need to learn the platform, get familiar with the features, and understand how to use them properly.

To sum up, many private streaming platforms offer free or affordable plans, knowledge-based articles, and 24/7 support to overcome these downsides of private streaming platforms.

Benefits of Hosting a Private Live Stream

For some, hosting a public livestream that attracts thousands and thousands of viewers seems the only way to go. But for many, hosting a private livestream can be even more beneficial. Here are some advantages of hosting a private livestream:

• Greater control over content: With a public live stream, you have very little control over what viewers watch or who is watching your content. A private stream allows you to restrict access to only invited viewers and monitor who engages with your stream.
• Improved engagement: When hosting a private live stream, you can engage with specific people on a more personalized level. That can lead to higher levels of viewer engagement, which can be beneficial for any brand or business trying to reach its target audience.
• Less work: Hosting live streams is a lot of work, and doing so publicly requires more work to ensure the right people see your stream. You don’t have to do as much promotion or marketing with a private stream to get viewers.
• Increased exclusivity: Private live streams offer a feeling of exclusivity that public streams cannot match. That can benefit a business trying to build an audience or strengthen relationships with existing customers.

Ultimately, hosting a private livestream can be a great way to engage with viewers in a more controlled and intimate environment. It’s not for everyone, but it can be very effective for many businesses and brands.

Conclusion

Choosing the right private streaming platform is crucial to live streaming events successfully. Privacy and security are vital features if you want to control who has access to your meetings and video content.

Using this article, you’re now armed with the fundamental knowledge of how to choose the right private streaming platform for your live private stream. We’ve laid out the features, prices and security capabilities of the leading live-streaming platforms available.

As we’ve mentioned, Dacast is a professional-grade, flexible and ultra-secure streaming platform. With Dacast, you’ll have access to all the features you need to host high-quality and secure private live-streaming events. What’s more, with a wide range of pricing options you’ll find the perfect plan for your budget.

You can try Dacast and all its features right now, free for 14 days.

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