Frequently asked questions about the Stage.
Check out our tutorials on the Stage and Backstage to get more details on how they work.
Q: What is the Stage?
A: The Hopin Stage is where you can reach the entire audience in one place. It’s great for your main talks — keynotes, presentations, fireside chats, panels, interviews, and so on. Up to 100,000 people can view the Stage at a time.
Q: What is the difference between Stage and Sessions?
A: Stage allows people to view only and have up to 5 people with video/audio on (when using the Hopin Backstage), run both pre-recorded or live video, and stream with RTMP. Sessions are more like breakout rooms or workshops, allowing up to 20 participants with video/audio on, where attendees can ask questions on video or join a roundtable so it's very interactive.
Q: How do I access the Stage?
A: To watch the stage as an attendee, all you need to do is enter the event and click on the Stage tab on the left side of the screen.
To broadcast to the Stage as an organizer or speaker, you will need to access the Backstage via the Backstage link. If you are a speaker and do not have the Backstage link, please contact the event organizers.
Q: What is the Backstage?
A: The Backstage is a private video and chat area that allows Speakers and Organizers rehearse before going live in front of attendees.
For more information, check out our guides on how to use the Backstage as a speaker and how to go live on stage using the Backstage
Q: How many people can participate with audio and video on the Stage?
A: There can be 10 speakers on the main stage at once. A screen share is considered a “seat” on Stage. If you have 9 speakers and one of them shares his screen, the screenshare will be considered as the 10th person. You can find more info on the limits at Hopin here. You can increase this limit using RTMP to broadcast to the stage.
Q: How many people can watch the stage?
A: You can have up to 100,000 people watch content on the stage.
Q: What are my options regarding the content I can put on the Stage?
A: You can place prerecorded content from YouTube, Wistia or Vimeo. You also have the option to live stream through the Hopin Studio or live stream from a third-party software onto the Hopin Stage using RTMP streaming.
Q: Can I use the RTMP option and stream from the backstage at the same time?
A: Once you switch from Backstage to RTMP, the RTMP stream will cut off the Backstage stream and override the Backstage.
Q: Can I stream the main stage to YouTube or Facebook?
A: Yes! We support simulcasting to another provider which includes Youtube, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, etc. You can Simulcast to one location at a time.
Q: Can I record the Stage?
A: All Stage segments are automatically recorded by default. However, the event organizer can disable that option when creating the details of the Stage.
Q: Will the Stage cut off after it's scheduled time has finished?
No, the content will not be cut off once it's scheduled time is over; you can continue to share content and Attendees will remain in the Stage.
Attendees will no longer see it on the Reception page, however they will still be able to find the Stage within the "Stages" area of your event.
Q: Is it possible to have more than one stage at the same time?
A: Currently, the option to enable more than one stage is available on the advanced plans. On the other plans, you can have only one Stage and an unlimited number of Sessions and Expo booths.
Q: Can we have some background music while waiting for the Stage keynote?
A: The best way to do this is by using RTMP to stream into the Hopin Stage. If you are using RTMP studio, you can start the broadcast early and have music playing.
Q: Can speakers exit the backstage?
A: Yes, they can click “Leave” in the upper right-hand corner of the backstage screen. You as an organizer can also cut off their stream if they have technical difficulties, etc.
Q: Can I force people to the Stage when the event starts?
A: No, we cannot force them there. However, you can set a schedule segment as "recommended" so that it will show up on everyone's agenda and they will receive a notification when it is about to begin.
For more info on how to do this, check out our article on Guided Events.
Alternatively, you can send an announcement, or you can also create a pinned message in the chat to get your attendee’s attention.
Q: Can I make changes to my Stage details once the event is live?
A: Yes, you can make changes to any part of your event once it’s live. Attendees may need to do a quick refresh to have the changes live on their end.
Q: Can I disable the Stage and just have Sessions and Networking for my event?
A: Absolutely! You have the option to disable any of the main event areas (Stage, Sessions, Networking and Expo) through your event dashboard. You can do this anytime before or during the event. Attendees will need to do a quick refresh if the area is enabled/disabled during the event.
Q: When will my stage recordings be available and how do I download them?
A: It takes a minimum of 1/3 of the recording length time in order for a recording to appear in the recording library. For example, if a recording was 60 minutes, organizers can expect to see it in the recording library in roughly 20 minutes. However, it can take up to 24 hours for your recordings to become available.
For more info on how to access recordings check out our guide!
Q: How do I share recordings with my attendees and can I delete the recordings right after?
A: You can download your recordings, upload them to a cloud storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc and send the link to your attendees. Deleting Stage recordings is only possible by deleting the whole event.
Q: Can I mute the audio of a participant/speaker for everyone?
A: Yes, you can mute the audio of a speaker for everyone, but you cannot unmute the person. Only the speaker will be able to unmute their audio thereafter.