Host Tips

Cheat Sheet

Below is a comprehensive guide to looking, sounding, and being great on StagePilot Live. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick read:

Choose a quiet, bright, climate-controlled, and distraction-free location.
Face the windows. If your back is facing the windows, your face will be in the dark.
Even if your room is well lit, it helps to have a separate desk lamp or globe light to light your face.
Test your wifi at least an hour before the event. Use fast.com for an accurate speed reading.
Keep your camera at, or slightly higher than, eye level.
Keep your device plugged in so the battery doesn’t die mid-event.
Put your device in do not disturb mode so notifications are silenced.
Keep a water, tea, or slightly more exciting beverage handy for between calls.
Take a minute, and maybe a deep breath or two, between calls so you're fresh and excited for each fan.

Location

Depending on the number of fans you’re meeting, you could be sitting in one place for a few minutes or a few hours. Here are tips for staying comfortable and looking great through your Meet & Greets

Choose a quiet, bright, climate-controlled, and distraction-free location.
Be sure your surrounding doesn’t give away your exact location.
Choose a comfortable chair. This is key
Keep a water, tea, or slightly more exciting beverage handy for between calls.

Lighting

Paying attention to lighting is the easiest way to look great during your virtual event. You’ll likely be in a bright room lit by windows or a darker interior room. Let’s look at both situations:

Daylight

A bright, daylit room is ideal for any video call. But clouds can roll in or the sun can set and you’re in the dark. Here’s how to prepare:

Face the windows. If your back is facing the windows, your face will be in the dark.
Just because the room is bright doesn’t mean your face is perfectly lit. You can always add a desk lamp or sit under an overhead light to add some additional light on your face.
If the sun is going to set during your event, skip down to the next section and light your room.

Lighting a dark room

If daylight isn’t an option, a few overhead lights and lamps are all you need to light a dark room.

Light the entire room, in front of you and behind you. Overhead lights are the easiest way to light a large space.
Position yourself in the center of the room, or facing a wall.
Place a lamp directly behind your camera, and aim it at your face.
LED desk lamps typically have large bulbs and brightness and color temperature controls. Aim the light at your face and adjust away. Here’s a great option.

Camera & Mic

Most laptops, tablets and phones have super capable built-in cameras and mics. Most will automatically adjust white balance and exposure to make you look as good as possible. That said, there are a few tips that will guarantee that you’re well lit and heard.

Camera

Just think of the camera as your fan. Look them straight in the eye and if you could smell their breath in real life, the camera is too close!

Test your camera at least an hour before the event starts.
Keep the camera at, or slightly higher than, eye level. Too low, and your fans will be looking up your nose. Too high, and they’ll be gazing down your shirt.
Keep the camera straight in front of you and stay in the middle of the frame.
Turn off any HDR or sharpening features. A bit of blur isn’t a bad thing.
Sit a comfortable distance from the camera. If your entire head and shoulders are in the frame, the fan will see enough background to be personal without being distant.

Mic

You have a choice when it comes to microphones – internal or external. Built-in mics have no software or wires to manage and will create a personal, phone-call experience. External mics will sound more professional and capture your full voice. Whichever mic you choose, here are some tips to sound great:

Stay 6-12 inches from the microphone.
Try to minimize background noise and activity so fans get your full attention.
Keep the microphone away from fans or AC vents.

Device Settings

StagePilot Live is purposefully simple to use. Here are a few tips to be sure your device doesn’t complicate things.

Test your wifi at least an hour before the event. Like any streaming video platform, StagePilot needs enough bandwidth to beam your fans into your home. Use fast.com to test your connection.
Keep your device plugged in so the battery doesn’t die mid-event.
Put your device in do not disturb mode so notifications are silenced.
Close social and messaging apps until the event ends.

Staying Safe

While 99% of fans just can’t wait to hear your voice, there are always going to be people with bad intentions. Just like live VIP events, we encourage you to take some basic precautions to protect yourself.

If you’re ever uncomfortable with a fan, tap the red End Call button. StagePilot takes the blame for ending the call so you’re never the bad guy.
Use StagePilot's moderation feature or have someone physically present during the call. They won’t be seen or heard, but an extra set of eyes and ears can be helpful in sticky situations.
While checking your camera, be sure your background doesn’t elude to your physical location. Be aware of family, photos, and things that aren’t meant for the public in the camera’s view.
Be aware of showcasing valuable items like art, cars, etc.
Fans might ask overly personal questions, want you to record their hit song, send you physical gifts, or follow you on social media. Know your boundaries before the event begins and be clear when a fan crosses them.
Again, if you’re ever uncomfortable, tap the End Call button, take a quick break, and move on to the next fan.

Extras

Take breaks. Grab a drink or run to the bathroom. There aren’t any buttons to press or cameras to turn off, just wait before starting the next call.
Have someone with you. They can stay off-camera while you're meeting with fans but give you a break between calls.
Check your teeth, they’ll be front and center.

Troubleshooting

Everybody. Hates. Technical. Issues.

You're here for a an amazing live event, not to troubleshoot browser issues. We get it. And we're here to get you back up and running ASA(humanly)P. Here are some common issues with streaming video in a browser and our solutions.

Things seem slow in general.

This is pretty vague, but it happens – especially with mobile devices. Before going any farther, restart your device and browser. Most of our devices haven't been restarted for days (or months!) and just need a quick restart. If this doesn't help, read on for fixes to more specific issues.

I clicked my event link and the screen is blank!

If you only see a white screen, your browser is likely not supported or needs to be updated. Check out our list of supported browsers and install or update one. Once the new or update browser is running, try clicking the link again. Here's a list of browsers that StagePilot Live supports.

My screen says "That's not right"!

Honestly, this means StagePilot Live is confused. Try refreshing your browser. If that doesn't work, re-join your event using your event link and PIN code.

I accidentally ended my call early!

If you tap the "End call" button, a warning will appear to be extra sure that you really want to hang up. If you accidentally confirm and hang up, your call will end. While there's nothing you can do to restart the call, just leave the browser open. The host can attempt to call you back if they choose.

My camera and/or audio isn't working!

All browsers requite that StagePilot Live asks for your permission before turning on your camera and mic. When you first your event, you'll be asked to grant assess to your camera and mic. Some browsers will ask again once the call begins. Be sure to grant access to both. If you accidentally deny permissions, you'll need to go to the settings preferences on your device to enable permissions.

My video just turned off mid call!

As you can imagine, streaming video requires on a solid internet connection. If your internet connection is interrupted, it is possible for your video feed to shut off. Just refresh the browser and it should reappear. You may be prompted to grant permission for StagePilot to access your camera and mic again.

My event link doesn't work!

This could be a few things.

There could be a typo in your link. If you've double checked the link, either contact the ticket seller or StagePilot's customer support team at support@stagepilot.com.
Your event could be over. This is unlikely as you should still see the event graphics if you join an event that it over.
Your browser might not be supported. Be sure you're using one of StagePilot Live's supported browsers.

If you have any questions at all, just ask! We can always be reached at support@stagepilot.com.