The COVID-19 pandemic compelled churches and ministries to offer online content to their congregations—many for the first time. People were seeking answers, comfort and hope as they were confined to their homes. The church answered this call by pivoting as quickly as possible to begin livestreaming services that focused on the hope found in Jesus Christ.
Now, five years later, churches are experiencing online fatigue. Church leaders did an excellent job moving quickly to online ministry during the shutdown, but now as that heightened level of online engagement and reach are declining, they’re asking questions like, “Should we continue to livestream our worship services? Should we continue to provide online sermons or sermon clips for people to watch and share?”
My answer to the question is an emphatic yes.
Post-pandemic online ministry is not only about reaching our current congregation, but also about providing a digital front door for outreach into our local community and the rest of the world. If you’re providing livestream, on-demand videos of your church services, you’re placing the world in a virtual front row seat in your worship space. This means that you must think differently about your video content. Providing an exceptional online experience is crucial for connecting people digitally with your church and expanding your reach beyond your current congregation.
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The good news is you can offer an exceptional church video streaming experience on any budget by improving three areas of your video content.
1. Production
How are you using your audio, lighting and video equipment? Five years ago, viewers weren’t concerned about the quality of your online videos. They just wanted the content. The post-pandemic online environment has shifted with people returning to in-person worship. Online viewers are less forgiving of audio, lighting and camera issues than they were in the past. They’re looking for distraction-free content conveying your message, created with genuine care and concern for them. These types of videos resonate with viewers and encourage sharing on their social media accounts, via email, and through text messages, thereby expanding your online reach and engagement.
Note that earlier I asked how you’re using your current equipment, not buying new equipment. Most churches that purchased video equipment during the pandemic can deliver quality content captured during worship services, but they don’t know how to maximize its capabilities. Knowing how to use your current audio, lighting and video equipment to its full potential is crucial for creating an exceptional online experience.
The first step in enhancing the production quality of your online experience is to improve the audio. A good audio mix is the most crucial aspect to consider for providing an exceptional online experience. Why? Viewers will forgive lower-quality camera footage but won’t tolerate poor audio. YouTube is full of highly viewed videos that feature lower-quality video and distraction-free audio. Legacy media organizations, sports networks, news stations and others all use FaceTime, Google Meet, Zoom or other lower-quality video for their content. However, the audio is well-mixed and easy to hear.
Increase the audio quality of your content by doing a broadcast audio mix. This involves mixing the audio separately for your livestream recording than how it’s being mixed for the in-person congregation. Online and recorded audio require different signal levels than in-person audio. Most audio mixers in worship spaces today can produce a separate broadcast mix, distinct from the mix for the in-person congregation.
