Scheduling public streams in preparation of a race weekend
- Claire Delcourt
- May 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 30
Your race weekend is coming up and it's going to be a very busy weekend! So here are all the things you may want to configure ahead of time in the "My Races Live" portal to ensure that the live stream is the least of your worries...
Follow this first tutorial to test your equipment at home.
Then,
Add your team and drivers
Log in to the portal and ensure you've created your Racing Team and added all the Drivers who will race your car(s).
Schedule your streams
Only use public Streams to stream racing actions. Any Stream Event that is scheduled with a "public" visibility becomes public on the MyRaces.Live YouTube Channel. If you want to test something from home, always use Test Streams.
If you prefer that your race stream does not appear publicly on the MyRaces.Live YouTube channel at all, simply change the visibility from public to unlisted after the event is created, and don't forget to add your own stream destination.
Schedule your public Stream Events before heading to the racetrack by setting future start and stop times:
Schedule the stream event to start 1 hour before the car goes on track (give yourself plenty of time to get the live stream going).
Schedule the stream to stop 1 hour after the race ends (you can always end it earlier if needed).
For example, if you have the following race schedule:
"Practice sessions all day on Friday (8AM to 5PM), one race on Saturday (9AM to 4PM) and one race on Sunday (8AM to 3PM)"
Then create 3 streams with the following start and stop times:
Stream Name | Start Time | Stop Time |
F1@Sonoma - Friday Practice | 7AM | 6PM |
F1@Sonoma - Saturday Race | 8AM | 5PM |
F1@Sonoma - Sunday Race | 7AM | 4PM |
Changing your stream visibility on the MyRaces.Live YouTube channel
By default, all your stream events will be broadcast on the "MyRaces Live" YouTube channel. The default visibility is "public", but you can switch to "unlisted" at any point in time by clicking the edit icon at the top-right corner of the "STREAM DESTINATIONS" box. Public videos can be found and viewed by anyone, while unlisted videos are only accessible to those you share the link with.
Restreaming to your own YouTube Channel
With the free version, you can optionally send the stream to your own YouTube Live channel by adding your YouTube Stream Key in the "External Stream Key" field of the Stream Event (only enter your YouTube Stream Key, not the full RTMP URL!)
Important Notes:
Even when using a custom destination, we still send your stream to MyRaces.Live YouTube Channel so that you always have a backup stream. You can use the "Visibility on MyRacesLive YouTube Channel" field to make the stream unlisted or private if you prefer to only expose your race to your channel.
PS: You can now update your Stream Key even when the Stream Event is live!
Important settings when creating your own YouTube Stream...
DO NOT use the "Default broadcast/stream" (which you access when clicking on the "Stream" icon in the YouTube Studio). Instead, navigate to "Manage" and click on "Schedule Streams" on the top right of the page, it will allow you to access additional settings such as disabling auto-stop. When using the default broadcast, the auto-stop option is enabled by default which means if you stop sending data, even for a short period, the YouTube stream will end automatically. When live streaming at a race track, it's preferred to have auto-stop disabled as short drops/disconnections are likely to happen.
Once your YouTube Stream is scheduled, you can edit the Stream settings as follows:
Enable Auto-Start: Change from OFF to ON (the stream starts automatically when you start sending data)
Enable Auto-Stop: Keep OFF (the stream won't automatically end if you stop sending data for a short period). - Do not forget to end your stream after your race!
You can optionally create a new Stream Key (and keep the Default Stream Key for when using your default Live Broadcast).
Example:
Restreaming to custom destinations
With the premium subscription, you can restream to one custom destination (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, or a Custom RTMP/RTMPS). The pro subscription allows you to restream up to 3 custom destinations at the same time.
First, navigate to the Multistreaming page. From there, you'll be able to set up a destination and then use that destination for any subsequent Stream Event:
To configure a new stream destination:
Optionally enter a destination name
Select the type of service you want to stream to
The Stream URL is auto-populated based on the service your select.
Enter your Stream Key (click on "Get Stream Key" to be redirected to the website where you can find your stream key).
Click Save
When scheduling your Stream Events, you can now select your custom Stream Destinations.
Important Notes:
Even when using a custom destination, we still send your stream to MyRaces.Live YouTube Channel so that you always have a backup stream. You can use the "Visibility on MyRacesLive YouTube Channel" field to make the stream unlisted or private if you prefer to only expose your race to your channel.
Making a live streaming equipment checklist
You probably already have a checklist for packing up your truck or trailer with your car, parts, and tools, why not add a checklist for your live streaming equipment as well?
Here's an example of what you could add in your live streaming checklist:
I have prepared my live streams (following this tutorial)
I have tested my equipment (see "Test my equipment at home " tutorial)
My equipment is fully charged (cameras, encoders, hotspots, external batteries)
I have all the live streaming equipment and tools needed to mount the equipment: (make your own list!)
Camera + mount + USB cable
External microphone for the camera
Hotspot + mount
Sim Card
External battery + mount
Zip Ties
Flat Screwdriver
...
You're all set!
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