Virtual Instruction and Streaming Solutions
With a sudden increase in fitness classes being offered online, more and more fitness instructors are inquiring about the best way to transition to virtual training.
There are multiple aspects that need to be considered when it comes to making this transition. Read on for an outline of how to best go about streaming fitness classes online.
Streaming 101
In order to stream your class, you will need a camera and a microphone that connects to your streaming platform/app (Zoom, Facebook Live, etc.) over an internet connection. Streaming is most commonly done through devices such as smartphones and laptops.
Streamed Video Looks Good, Sound is not...
Today’s smartphones and laptop webcams can provide good video quality for your stream. Their in-built microphones, however, rarely capture your voice sufficiently, especially in open studio spaces. These microphones are designed for phone calls, video chats, and dictation recordings, so using them to capture an instructor’s voice will produce poor sound quality and will likely capture room reflection sounds.
Improving your Phone or Laptop's Microphone Audio for Streaming
Fitness Audio’s recommended streaming products will improve your streaming audio by:- Improving the instructor’s voice quality, making it clearer in the stream by using a headset microphone system.
- Improving voice and music quality using a wireless microphone, music source, and an audio mixer.
This solution is initially popular as it is affordable and easy to use. Streaming platforms, however, only allow one audio source. Therefore, implementing this solution will make the wireless microphone your sole source of audio; the music in you stream will be whatever audio the microphone picks up in your studio area.
As this option requires your music and voice instruction to compete, it is not an ideal solution and is best used for classes and meetings needing voice-only audio.
2. Improving voice and music quality using a wireless mic, a direct music source, and an audio mixer.
For the best streaming audio, use a mixer to blend a wireless microphone system and your music together so that they complement one another rather than compete. This method is the same way an instructor manages sound in a traditional group exercise studio. Instead of the voice-over-music mix amplified through speakers, it goes straight into your laptop, phone, or tablet. Combine this with your video for a premium streaming experience.
Using a mixer gives you complete control of the voice-to-music balance. Your music sounds better because it is going straight into your mixed audio stream – it is not “picked up” by the device’s microphone. You can check your microphone and music by using a speaker at a lower level in your virtual studio. The mixer gives you complete control of your in-studio volume and is the same mix that your clients will hear.
