Simulcasting: The Multi-Destination Streaming Guide [2024]

The purpose of broadcasting is to bring video content to your target audience. But what if you could stretch the reach of your broadcast and bring your video to more people?

With simulcasting, you can reach larger audiences by broadcasting your content on multiple platforms at the same time. Think beyond your video player. Think Facebook, Youtube, and the other platforms where potential viewers are hanging out. With simulcasting, you can reach viewers on numerous platforms at the same time, increasing exposure to your content.

In this post, we’re going to talk about what simulcasting is and how you can simulcast your next live stream. We’ll cover some of the best practices and helpful software solutions that will help make your first simulcast a hit. Simulcasting might seem overly complicated for the average user, but it’s actually more simple than you may think. Here’s how it works.

Table of Contents

• What is Simulcasting?
• How Does Simulcasting Work?
• What Is OTT?
• How To Simulcast
• Tips for Making Your Multi-Destination Stream a Hit
• What are the Best Simulcast Platforms for Live Streaming?
• How to Stream to Multiple Platforms At Once
• FAQs
• Conclusion

What is Simulcasting?

Simultaneous broadcasting—or simulcasting—is broadcasting on multiple channels at once. “Multicasting” or “multi-destination streaming” are two other terms that are used to describe the same concept. “Simulcasting” was originally used in the world of radio to describe radio shows that were simultaneously broadcasted on different stations through syndication.  The term simulcasting has been adapted to more modern applications. 

Today, simulcasting is also used to describe broadcasting a live stream on several platforms at once. You can simulcast virtual events, private events, webinars, speeches, sporting events, or content made for entertainment purposes. Simulcast streaming allows you to share your content with a larger audience.

In order to simulcast, you generally need to use a professional online video streaming solution.

Let’s say Dacast is your online video platform of choice. If you simulcast your live stream, you could have it appear on the video player you’ve added to your site plus your social media platforms.

Steaming with professional-grade streaming solutions, as opposed to on the free social platforms, has a ton of benefits. The video monetization capabilities, total ownership of content, and control over the video player are great. But there are also perks to live streaming on the free platforms, like Facebook Live, Youtube, Instagram, and the like.

Simulcasting is also known in the industry as Multi-destination streaming or “multistreaming” for short. This is a broadcasting technique that involves streaming a single feed to multiple destinations simultaneously. The main benefit of multistreaming is that it helps broadcasters reach a larger audience.

By simultaneously streaming to social media sites like YouTube or Facebook using a multistream platform, you can reach your existing following faster and grow a more “social” community. Your audience may also be more comfortable tuning into your content from the platforms that they are the most familiar and comfortable with.

How Does Simulcasting Work?

There are a few ways to simulcast your live stream. Most often, they involve using a video hosting manager and/or a dedicated simulcasting software or platform.

The technicalities of how simulcasting works vary by which method you choose. In most cases, over-the-top (OTT) technology is used to stream your video over the internet.

What Is OTT?

“Over the top” refers to the practice of delivering video and other media content directly to the end user over the internet, without the need for any intermediate service provider or cable broadcast setup. The origin of the nickname is that the internet bypasses the need of a traditional cable box, which was typically placed on top of a television set.

In most cases, OTT services are delivered through the use of an internet connection, a computer or other device with an internet browser (like a smartphone or other touchscreen device) and a streaming service. Netflix and Hulu are two major OTT providers.

How To Simulcast

There are three ways to stream to multiple platforms at once. These include:

1. Using a share code
2. Encoding software settings
3. Simulcasting software solutions

Each of these varies a little bit in nature and functionality. Which you use will depend on the social platforms that you’d like to stream on. 

For example, Facebook is the only free streaming platform that gives professional streaming software any real competition. The only way to truly simulcast on your video player hosted by Dacast and Facebook Lives is to use special software like Switchboard. You can post a share code on your Facebook page, but that simply takes viewers back to your custom video player.

Share codes work very similarly to any link that you’d post on social media. Once you add the share code to a blank post on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, a splash screen and title will appear.

The most technical option, which can also be the most complicated, is simulcasting with the help of encoding software. There are numerous options for this, including free, proprietary, and open source tools. Some of these applications focus on professional broadcasting, while others provide general video encoding and transcoding solutions.

Using special software for simulcasting has tons of benefits. This approach gives you the freedom and control that come with your professional streaming solutions. However, this software can be a bit of an investment — in time, money, effort, or all of the above.

Tips for Making Your Multi-Destination Stream a Hit

Just like any livestream broadcast, your first simulcast will require a bit of preparation. Since simulcasts are slightly more complicated than regular live-streams, they require a bit more time and effort.

Here are a few tips that will help you have a successful simulcast.

1. Test Beforehand

Since you’re going to be streaming on several platforms, it’s a good idea to test each one individually before showtime just to make sure everything runs smoothly.

If one platform works better than others, perhaps direct users to watch there. 

2. Notify Your Audience

In order to get the most viewers, let your audience know where they can find the stream far enough in advance.

One of the perks of simulcasting is that you can tap into existing audiences on social media platforms. Make announcements and countdown posts on these platforms before your stream so that everybody knows that you’ll be going live.

It is a good idea to let people know that you’ll be live on multiple platforms so they can view the stream on the platform that they prefer. Promoting on the very platforms where you will be broadcasting is one of the advantages of simulcasting; you can pull your audience in.

3. Monitor the Platforms

It’s a good idea to have somebody monitoring each of the platforms that you’re streaming on, especially if any of the platforms have commenting capabilities. This way you can see what people are saying and see if anything is malfunctioning.

The person who’s monitoring the simulcast should be in a different room so that your microphone doesn’t pick up the sound of the broadcast and begin to echo or feed back.

Figure out a way for the person who is monitoring to communicate with the person on camera in the event that something goes wrong.

What are the Best Simulcast Platforms for Live Streaming?

Simulcasting is made easy with a powerful streaming platform. It is important to choose a multi-stream platform that either has simulcasting capabilities or integrates with software that is specifically intended for live streaming to multiple platforms.

Let’s take a look at a few of the top live streaming platforms that support simulcasting and a few dedicated simulcasting software options.

1. Dacast

Dacast’s live streaming platform has two major integrations that are perfect for simulcasting. You can use the custom OBS platform, or you can use the Switchboard Live integration feature. Either option is great because both of them provide access to the powerful features of Dacast.

Even if you decide against investing in a specialized simulcasting solution, Dacast has other methods for livestreaming to multiple platforms. The simplest method is via share codes, but free encoding software is useful, as well.

Pros:

• Unlimited viewers and live channels
• White label and branding control
• RTMP (real-time messaging protocol) ingest, playback, and streaming support
• Embeddable HTML5 video player
• SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD pay-per-view monetization options
• M3U8 media links to stream to mobile and smart TV apps such as Roku, Apple TV, etc.
• VOD platform to monetize on-demand content, and to scale your VOD business
• Low latency HTML5 channels for video streaming
• Multi-bitrate streaming for live video and VOD
• Cloud video transcoding with true adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR)
• Player API access for 3rd party player integration
• Video API access on premium plans
• Mobile device support
• SDK for player integration on iOS and Android platforms
• Live stream recording
• China Video Hosting
• Pricing plans for every budget

New!

• 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

Cons:

• Requires a bit of a learning curve
• Not a dedicated simulcasting platform

Pricing:

Streaming plans with Dacast start at $39 per month and come in the following four tiers:

• Starter plan: ideal for newcomers with 2.4 TB of bandwidth and 500 GB of storage per year, at just $39 per month, billed annually.
• Event plan: for organizations that would rather not sign a contract, and want to purchase bandwidth separately to live stream an event. It offers 6 TB of bandwidth upfront, 250 GB of storage, and costs $63 per month, billed annually. Additional data and storage can be added as needed.
• Scale plan: includes 24 TB of bandwidth per year, with 2 TB of storage for $165 per month billed annually (or $250 per month). These Scale pricing plans add phone support, monetization paywall, ad insertion, white-label streaming, and  video API access. Additional bandwidth is available upon request for monthly plans.
• Custom plan: if your enterprise business has high-volume streaming needs, you can contact Dacast for a custom plan tailored to your needs. This plan supports an M3U8 online player for live channels and VOD, custom SLAs, and other special features. Read more here about Dacast’s live streaming pricing plans.

Dacast allows you to engage in live simulcasting using OBS simultaneous streaming as well as with free share codes. It’s also a comprehensive video hosting service that can meet a range of your other broadcasting needs.

2. BoxCast

BoxCast is another popular live streaming solution for those who are looking for simulcasting capabilities. Boxcast allows users to stream to Youtube, Facebook Live, and Periscope.

In addition to its simulcasting features, Boxcast offers specific streaming solutions for churches, sports, events, municipalities, and enterprises. 

Pros:

• Wide variety of streaming destinations
• Event scheduling
• Automation for time scheduling
• Reliable support

Cons:

• Can get expensive
• Some limitations on compatibility

Pricing:

BoxCast pricing is based on plan tiers, where each successive plan offers more features and more storage time per broadcast. Add-on features and extras are available at an extra charge as well. Here are the monthly plans:

• Basic: $49 per month; includes 30 days of storage and streaming to either YouTube or Facebook.
• Standard: $99 per month; increases storage time to 90 days, with streaming to any destination (including RTMP and TV apps).
• Deluxe: $169 per month; 365 days of storage, with ability to rebroadcast past live streams (Simulated Live)
• Advanced: $279 per month; simultaneously broadcast three streams, and access a custom-branded VOD streaming web app
• Premium Plan: $999 per month; all-inclusive streaming plan with unlimited concurrent broadcasts. Contact sales if interested.    

If your primary audience is on Facebook, YouTube, and Periscope, this is a good simulcasting tool for your business. 

3. Vimeo

Looking for a basic streaming solution with live-streaming capabilities? Vimeo is a great option. Vimeo started as a consumer-grade platform and has shifted to serve a more professional audience.

Setting up the simulcast tools on Vimeo is very simple. All you have to do is go into the settings, click “Destinations” and connect your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Youtube accounts.

Pros:

• Low-budget options
• TVOD monetization
• Video management service
• Privacy options
• Widely-adopted video player

Cons:

• Limited storage
• Heavy Vimeo branding on the more affordable plans.
• Live-streaming is only available on Advanced plan ($55/month) and above.
  

Pricing:

Vimeo pricing plans are available in 5 tiers that are suitable for content creators and startups.

• Free: Includes 1 seat and 1 GB of storage; comes with some useful creator tools, like screen recording and creative templates.
• Starter: $20 per month; 1 seat and 100GB of storage; comes with Free plan features, plus custom video player and URLs, and auto closed captioning.
• Standard: $33 per month; 3 seats and 1 TB storage, includes everything in the Starter plan, plus a brand kit, AI script generator, and analytics.
• Advanced: $108 per month; 3 seats and 5 TB storage, unlocks simulcasting and event broadcast tools, along with all previous plans’ features.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing; more seats and unlimited storage, includes everything in the Advanced plan but with more custom tailorability, as well as more security and technical support.

Vimeo offers simulcasting as well as video management services and limited monetization options for content. 

4. Livestream

Livestream, which is a premium streaming solution from Vimeo, has settings that allow users to simulcast directly from their platform to Facebook Live, LinkedIn, Twitch, YouTube, and Vimeo.

This platform supports both OTT VOD streaming and live broadcasting.

Pros:

• Sleek interface
• Thoroughly detailed analytics
• Easy to use
• Large collection of professional broadcasting tools
• Video management service
• High-quality videos and streams
• Large storage capacity

Cons:

• Can get quite expensive
• Extremely limited streaming destinations 

Pricing:

Livestream offers three main pricing plans, including:

Vimeo Advanced:

• Advanced pricing: $65/seat/month (billed annually)
• Their Advanced plan includes both live-streaming and VOD support. This plan is the best option for professional broadcasting on this platform.

Vimeo Enterprise:

• Enterprise Pricing: Please contact Vimeo for custom pricing information
• The Enterprise plan includes white-label service, monetization, and video API access. It also includes branding control and added security features.

Vimeo OTT:

• Starter Pricing: $1/subscriber per month (or 10% of one-time purchases)
• Enterprise Pricing: Custom pricing
• This OTT-specific pricing package comes with the Vimeo.com relationship. These plans include all the basics for starting your web-based OTT channel, as well as growing your OTT business online.

5. Restream

Restream is a dedicated simulcasting software that is quite powerful. The appeal of this platform is that simulcasting is its primary function, and it has solutions for a wide range of budgets.

The primary industries that Restream serves include gaming, tech, government, sports, media, and music.

Pros:

• Powerful simulcasting capabilities 
• Tools for boosting engagement
• Peer-to-peer streaming support
• Support for audience interaction

Cons:

• No encoding support
• Difficult to use on WiFi
• Some complaints about video quality

Pricing:

Restream has several pricing plans for both individuals and businesses. These include:

Individuals:

• Free: $0/months (for individuals)
• Standard: $19/month (for individuals)
• Professional: $49/month (for individuals)

Companies:

• Premium: $99/month (for businesses)
• Business: $299/month (for businesses)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (for businesses)

These prices reflect monthly rates when paid monthly, and offer discounts when paid for a full year in advance.

6. Switchboard Live

Switchboard Live is another great simulcasting software that is worth noting. This platform is relatively basic and is almost totally dedicated to simulcasting.

There is actually a Switchboard Live integration on Dacast which makes this platform one of the preferred options for our users.

Pros:

• Generally easy to use
• Integrates seamlessly with some major OVPs
• Powerful simulcasting support

Cons:

• Some minor “snags” in setup
• Some settings require manual configuration (which are automatic on other platforms)

Pricing:

Switchboard Live has three different pricing plans:

• SMB: 1 seat and it supports streaming to unlimited destinations 
• Public Sector: 3 seats, 30-day archive, and it also supports streaming to unlimited destinations 
• Enterprise: Account hierarchy and 24/7 streams to unlimited destinations 

You must contact sales to get pricing details for all Switchboard plans.

7. OBS Studio

Open Broadcaster Software Studio (or OBS Studio for short) is a live streaming tool that allows you to simulcast your streams. It has additional tools that are used for mixing and editing content as it’s recorded. You can even add filters to your videos or automatic correction, which keeps you looking your best as you stream.

Dacast offers a customized version of OBS that lets you stream with Dacast but use the cool features of OBS. There are four OBS settings that you should check out for the best streaming results.

Version 30.1.2 was released on April 5th, 2024, and is available for download here for both macOS and Windows operating systems.

OBS is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Windows Vista is no longer supported by OBS Studio.OBS is not compatible with Facebook, but it does work with Youtube.

Pros:

• It’s free
• Easy-to-use (especially for beginners)
• Frequent updates to improve the experience
• Able to function on lower-quality internet

Cons:

• Some inconvenient limitations on features
• Limitations on plugins

Pricing:

OBS Studio is open-source and completely free to use. 

If you want to engage in simulcasting without adding to your budget, try multistreaming on OBS. OBS simulcasting, and all its other tools, are completely free to use. 

8. SplitCam

SplitCam is a broadcasting software program that’s primarily used for webcam splitting. This comes in handy for use cases in which peer-to-peer streaming is necessary. Some use cases would be live training sessions, webinars, and other virtual streaming events that involve interaction with viewers.

SplitCam is compatible with many major peer-to-peer services and streaming solutions, which makes it useful to broadcasters with many different streaming needs. Users can broadcast their streams to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, YouTube, and a variety of other platforms all at the same time.

One notable feature of SplitCam is that it has a large online community which means that it is easy for users to connect and find support from one another. This is a nice addition, especially for broadcasters who are still learning the ropes.

SplitCam is compatible with both Windows and macOS.

Pros:

• It’s free
• Supports multiple destinations and multiple sources
• Tools for video mixing
• Supports high-quality streaming

Cons:

• Doesn’t support encoding
• Requires laptop or desktop (no mobile streaming)

Pricing:

SplitCam is absolutely free to download and use.

SplitCam is another free simulcasting solution with a focus on helping you split the screen using webcam streaming that integrates with other video hosting platforms. 

9. Wirecast

Wirecast is a broadcasting software from Telestream that supports simulcasting and other broadcasting functionality, like encoding.

The latest version of Wirecast is 16.2 It is the newest full version and was released on February 12th, 2024. It features several enhancements and fixes, including sync and compatibility issues.

Pros:

• Unlimited inputs
• Unlimited outputs
• Tools for mixing video and audio
• Easy-to-use, user-friendly platform
• Compatible with most popular operating systems
• Fully loaded with valuable features for broadcasters

Cons:

• High price point 
• Many features locked in the “Studio” version
• Strain on computer

Pricing:

The software comes in two versions:

1. Wirecast Studio: $35/month; designed for enhanced live production & streaming
   
2. Wirecast Pro: $46/month; designed for advanced live production and streaming
   

Free trials used to be available with both versions of the software, but that has since been discontinued.

10. XSplit

XSplit is a broadcasting software that is used for simulcasting, screen recording, mixing, and more. This company offers many of the tools that broadcasters need to make their streams a success.

XSplit works with the Windows operating system. Although it’s not currently compatible with macOS, a dedicated version that works with that operating system should be coming soon.

Pros:

• Multi-destination streaming 
• Organizational tools (title tags)
• Screen recording capabilities
• Mixing and editing
• Business-grade platform
• Flexible pricing
• 24/7 support

Cons:

• The interface can be confusing
• Requires a bit of a learning curve
• Known to strain some processors

Pricing:

The pricing plans for XSplit Broadcaster are very flexible, including the following:

• 1-month, 12-month, and lifetime licenses
• VCam, Broadcaster, and Premium tiers
• Prices as low as $8 per month and $60 for life

How to Stream to Multiple Platforms At Once

Now that we’re familiar with the top simulcasting software choices, let’s take a look at how to simulcast from Dacast with both OBS Studio and Switchboard Live.

Simulcasting with OBS Studio

You can simulcast with OBS Studio by connecting it to your Dacast account with our encoder setup instructions and properly configuring a few different settings.

The best OBS settings include:

1. Simple Output Mode: “Simple Output Mode” gives you the default video settings to set you up for your live stream.
2. Advanced Output Mode: This feature gives you a little more control over the output settings of your broadcast.
3. Hot Keys: This tool allows you to switch scenes while you’re broadcasting.
4. Video Source: The “Video Source” tool allows you to set up video source(s) before you start recording.

We suggest experimenting with each of these tools to learn how you can get the most out of the platform.

Simulcasting with Switchboard Live

Dacast’s streaming solution seamlessly integrates with Switchboard Live, which is another one of the platforms that we compared above.

There are two processes that you must go through to simulcast with Switchboard Live. You have to connect your account with Dacast and then connect your account to the other platforms that you’d like to stream on. 

To connect Dacast to Switchboard, you have to first copy your API key from Dacast. Open up Switchboard Live and add “Dacast Channel” as a new destination.

Once you’ve connected Dacast, it’s time to connect to any social platforms that you’d like. You’ll add each platform as a new destination, as well. After your preferred destinations are entered, you’ll set up the encoder and the RTMP server.

For more detailed instructions, check out our dedicated video tutorial.

FAQs

1. Is simulcasting worth it?

Yes, it can significantly expand audience reach and engagement, and provide a backup in case of technical difficulties on one stream.

2. What is streaming and simulcasting?

Streaming is the process of transmitting video/audio content over the internet. Simulcasting is a type of streaming that distributes that same content to multiple platforms or services at the same time.

3. What is simulcasting on Twitch?

Twitch streamers can stream a single broadcast to Twitch and to other platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook Live, or other streaming services, simultaneously. This way, their audience can watch on whichever service they prefer.

4. What is an example of simulcast?

A great example of simulcasting is a live gaming streamer broadcasting their gameplay on Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming at the same time.

5. What does simulcast mean in anime?

This is the practice of streaming new anime episodes over the internet on the same day they air on television in Japan, allowing international audiences to watch them simultaneously. It reduces piracy and provides timely access for fans worldwide.

Conclusion

Simulcasting comes with many benefits, and with the right tools, it’s easy to do. You can reach larger audiences and make your live streams more easily accessible to your existing social media followers.

You can choose to simulcast with the help of a software encoder, a specialized simulcasting software, or a share code from your video hosting platform. You have the power to choose the option that works best for you.

Simulcasting is made easy with Dacast and our powerful integrations. You can try Dacast risk-free for 14 days to see how well it works for your business. No credit card is required. Are you ready to start streaming with Dacast?

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