The basics of mixing sound for streaming and live events

Even before the pandemic hit the world, DJs have long been sharing their mixes via livestreaming. DJs who have mixed audio both live events and streaming sessions know that the two have different sound mixing requirements. On this post, DJ-producer James Haidak shares the basics of mixing for streaming and live events.

As most live events nowadays are streamed online, it’s important for DJs to know how live audiences hear the sound and how streamers perceive the audio through their devices. Streaming events can have audiences wait for videos to show or clips to finishing buffering, but once the audio turns sour, audiences almost always leave the stream. While an audio solution may be in place, checking if the sound comes through to the speakers and the stream in safe levels would still be the best course of action.

Headphones are a must for every situation, live or streamed. Webcast mixes may require sound engineers to test sounds in different situations using headphones. DJs who stream their sets online and monitor their sound as the audiences hear it may notice delays anywhere from 3 seconds to half a minute, depending on their network connection.

For James Haidak, streaming with a mixer allows a DJ or a musician to have maximum control over every sound they run. All audio sources when hooked to a mixer can be adjusted according to the DJ’s preference. Only consider using a mixer for live events and streaming when using more than one audio source.

James Haidak is an up-and-coming DJ-producer based in Koh Phangan, Thailand, and Amsterdam. At the age of 17, he committed to his passion by purchasing his own Ableton music software and buckling down to work on learning the craft of sound design, mixing, and production. For more updates from James Haidak, visit this blog.