Pre-recorded Live Stream
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ProgrammeRecorded in advance · broadcast at a set timeCurtain 19:00

Stream a pre-recorded video as a live event.

Upload the finished video and pick a start time. Our servers stream it live; your computer can be off.

Plays on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch or any custom RTMP destination.

Start free See how it works

$19 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly. Try it on the free plan first.

Pricing your first online course (Spring webinar, session 3)
Northfield Course Studio · started streaming 13 minutes ago
Live chat214
  1. MR

    Maya R.Joining from Lisbon, hi everyone

  2. TK

    Tom K.Will you share the slides after?

  3. NS

    HOSTNorthfieldYes, the link goes under the replay tonight.

  4. PS

    Priya S.Where can I get the worksheet?

Say something…
File
spring-webinar-final.mp4
47:12 · 1080p · uploaded
Curtain
Thu 2 Oct, 19:00 CEST
Plays on
YouTubeFacebookTwitch

Illustrative example, not a real audience.

Why it works

Why not go live, or use a Premiere?

Three ways to give an audience a start time and a chat, and what each one asks of you.

Option one

Go live for real

  • You present on camera at that exact hour, with no second take.
  • If your laptop or internet fails, the stream stops for every viewer.

Option two

A YouTube Premiere

  • Free, with a countdown and a live chat, but only on YouTube.
  • YouTube shows it as a premiere of an upload, not as a live stream.

Option three

A pre-recorded live stream

  • The finished video plays live on every channel you connect, at the same time.
  • Cloud servers send it, so you spend the hour in the chat.

How it works

How a pre-recorded live stream runs

From the upload to the replay. The example starts at 19:00 and plays a 47-minute webinar.

  1. Before curtainany day before

    Set the stage

    Upload the finished video. Connect the channels where it should play: YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or a custom RTMP URL and stream key. Then set the date, time and time zone.

  2. Curtain19:00:00

    The stream starts

    At the start time, our cloud servers start the broadcast. Each platform shows it as a live video with its own live chat.

  3. During the show19:00 to 19:47

    You work the chat

    The video plays once, from start to end. Answer questions from your phone or another computer, or step away. Your own computer can be off.

  4. After19:47

    Where the replay goes

    The broadcast stops when the video ends. YouTube keeps a stream of up to 12 hours as a video on your channel. Facebook keeps live videos for 30 days, then deletes them unless you download them.

Before you book the hour

What you need

Print-style drawing of a closed laptop on a desk while a wall screen shows a play symbol
Your computer: off. Stream: live.
  • A finished video. MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM and other common formats, up to 6 GB and 3 hours on the paid plan.
  • A channel that can go live. Turn on live streaming for the account before the start time. YouTube asks for this once per channel.
  • The rights to what plays. Use music and clips that you made, own, or have a licence to stream.
  • A browser. No encoder and no OBS to set up.

Use cases

Simulive for webinars, classes and launches

Simulive is another name for a pre-recorded live stream. It fits any event where the content is ready but the audience still wants a start time and a chat.

  • Pre-recorded webinars

    Marketing, sales

    Record the talk and the demo until both are right. At the start time, attendees join together and you answer their questions in the chat.

  • Online classes

    Teachers, coaches

    The whole group starts the lesson at the same minute, as in a live class. You explain the hard parts again in the chat.

  • Product launches

    Founders, teams

    The launch video goes live at the announced hour, with no demo that can fail on stage. Your team answers questions while it plays.

  • Church services

    Ministries

    Record the service during the week. It goes live every Sunday at the usual time, even when no volunteer can run the stream.

Also used for podcasts, interviews and encore broadcasts for other time zones.

Print-style drawing of an empty theatre stage with the curtains open and one spotlight on the floor
The recording is ready. The audience arrives at 19:00.

Pricing

One plan, one price

A monthly or yearly subscription with every feature below. The free plan lets you try it first.

Admit one · billed yearly

$16per month,
billed yearly ($192)

$19 month to month

  • Unlimited scheduled streams, one-time or weekly
  • Videos up to 3 hours each, streamed in 1080p
  • 6 destinations at the same time, plus custom RTMP
  • 30 GB of storage, files up to 6 GB
  • Playlists of several videos in one stream
  • Attach to an event you already scheduled on YouTube
  • Your computer can be off after the upload

4K and 60 FPS are available as paid upgrades.

Free plan

3 streams a month, up to 30 minutes each, in 720p with a watermark. One destination and 0.5 GB of storage.

Start free

Compare

How it compares

Other tools that stream a recorded video as live, and what each one charges.

Cheapest plan that uploads a video and schedules it as live, price per month
ToolMonthly / yearly (per month)Video lengthSchedulingDestinations at onceComputer can be offNotes
Pre-recorded Live Stream$19 / $163 hours, 1080pYes, one-time or weekly6 + custom RTMPYesFree plan: 3 streams a month, 30 minutes each. Playlists included.
LiveReactingSmall: $19.99 / $16Medium: $39.99 / $33Small: 1 hour, 720pMedium: 3 hours, 1080pYes. Weekly on MediumSmall: 3 + custom RTMPMedium: 6 + custom RTMPYesStorage: Small 8 GB, Medium 30 GB.
StreamYardCore: $44.99 / $35.992 hours per video (Advanced: 4 hours)Yes3Yes—
RestreamUpload & Stream add-on: $39 / no yearly price shown2-hour video library, 1080pYesNot checkedSet by your multistream planYesPlaylists and loops start on the $79 Marathon plan.
OneStream LiveBasic: $15 / $121 hour per stream, 5 GB storageYes5Not checkedPlaylists start on the $49 Professional plan.
CastrStarter: $19.99 / $16.6760 minutes per file, 2 files per stream, MP4 onlyYes6YesNo loop on Starter.
Upstream$30 / $24 (1 stream, 1080p30)No limit on paid plansYes, one-time, daily or weekly10Yes—
YouTube PremieresFreeUpload limit 12 hours (15 minutes until the account is verified)YesYouTube onlyYesShows as a premiere, not a live stream. Max 1080p.
OBS + a cloud server (VPS)OBS free; server from $24 (DigitalOcean, 2 vCPU / 4 GB)Set by your serverYou set it up yourselfNot checkedYes, if the server runs OBSServer size needed for 1080p: not checked.

Prices checked September 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page.

Questions

FAQ

What is a pre-recorded live stream?

A pre-recorded live stream, also called simulive, is a finished video that plays once as a live broadcast at a set time. Viewers join together, see a live player and use the live chat.

How do I live stream a pre-recorded video on YouTube?

Turn on live streaming for your YouTube channel before the day, connect the channel, upload the video and pick the start time. You can also attach the video to an event you already scheduled on YouTube.

Can I schedule a pre-recorded video on Facebook Live?

Yes. Connect Facebook, choose the date and time, and the video goes live there at that minute. Facebook asks you to mark pre-recorded content as pre-recorded.

Can I run a pre-recorded webinar this way?

Yes. Record the webinar, schedule it, and answer questions in the live chat while the recording plays. Attendees watch on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch or any custom RTMP destination, up to 6 at once.

Can I stream to LinkedIn?

LinkedIn’s Live guidelines ask members not to stream pre-recorded content, so we do not recommend it.

Is it free?

There is a free plan: 3 streams a month, up to 30 minutes each, in 720p with a watermark and one destination. The paid plan costs $19 a month, or $16 a month billed yearly.

Does my computer need to stay on?

No. After the upload finishes, our servers send the stream, so you can close your laptop.

How long can the video be?

Up to 3 hours per stream, in 1080p. 4K and 60 FPS are available as paid upgrades.

Can the same stream repeat every week?

Yes. Pick a one-time start or a weekly start, for example for a Sunday service. You can also put several videos in a playlist.

How is this different from a YouTube Premiere?

A Premiere is free, but it plays only on YouTube, and YouTube shows it as a premiere of an upload, not as a live stream. After it ends, it stays on your channel as a regular video.

Will viewers know the video is pre-recorded?

Platforms can ask you to label recorded content, and Facebook does. Telling viewers at the start that the talk was recorded, and that you are in the chat now, is the honest default.

Which file formats can I upload?

MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM and other common formats, up to 6 GB per file. Our servers convert each file after upload, so you do not need to convert it first.

Curtain call

Your recording is ready. Set the start time.

Start on the free plan. Move to the paid plan when you need longer videos or more channels.

Schedule your first stream