Introduction to Broadcasting on Happs

Happs is for anyone who wants to broadcast for free, build a community, and make money. Here’s how it works.

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Happs

10 min readNov 5, 2020

Contact Happs via email. We’ll gladly explain Happs over the phone (or via email) to help you get started. In the meanwhile, here’s introductory info about broadcasting on Happs…

Where do I get Happs?

Download the Happs app on iOS and Android to start broadcasting. Broadcasts are also viewable at the Happs.tv site.

What is Happs?

Happs helps you broadcast like a pro. Happs broadcasters include journalists, podcasters, vloggers, artists, musicians, and activists. It’s for anyone who wants to broadcast for free, build a community, and make money. Viewers can comment and ask questions within live broadcasts, follow broadcasters to get notifications when they go live, and financially support their work via monthly sponsorships or one-time payments.

The result is news coverage that’s more honest and relatable alongside a new model for rewarding broadcasters. Basically, Happs is doing for broadcasters what Substack is doing for writers and what Patreon is doing for podcasters: It’s enabling them to earn income from passionate fans.

Happs also features a vibrant community who collaborate on broadcasts and support each other. Get in touch and we’ll be happy to put you in touch with likeminded broadcasters.

Society is no longer beholden to the mainstream media and Happs is a game changer for independent creators motivated to start their own shows. Learn more about Happs at this About Happs page.

We love talking about Happs! Reach out to Peter Bittner, Head of Community at Happs, at pbittner@happs.tv with any questions.

What can I broadcast on Happs?

All kinds of things. Here are a few examples:

View some of the top broadcasters on Happs at this About Happs page.

What are the top benefits to broadcasting on Happs?

Reasons you’ll love Happs:

Get top-tier guests for your broadcasts. Collaborate with our growing community of broadcasters from around the globe. Get in touch and we’ll help you connect with fascinating members of the Happs community.
Monetize your work. Happs gives you a way to make money directly from your broadcasts. Viewers can financially support your work via monthly sponsorships and micro payments (aka awards). Happs allows you to develop a sustainable income while maintaining full control of your broadcasts.
Reach a wider audience. Build your live audience across multiple social networks via Happs, which lets you stream to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and elsewhere in real time. You can also reach new people by collaborating with others and becoming one of Happs featured broadcasters.
Look like a pro. The Happs Broadcast Studio enables you to customize your broadcast with professional tools. With Happs, you can look just as polished as reporters on CNN or BBC.
Get world-class support. Our experts are here to guide you through each step of the process. Get in touch and we’ll walk you through setup, discuss best practices, and introduce you to other broadcasters on the platform.

What can viewers do on Happs?

Viewers can interact with Happs broadcasts in a variety of ways. For example, they can…

Subscribe to broadcasters so they’re notified when their broadcasts go live.
Support broadcasters they admire by sponsoring them or giving monetary awards.
Comment on live broadcasts and ask questions of the hosts/interviewees in real-time.

How do I start broadcasting?

We’ll help you get started. Just reach out to Peter Bittner, Head of Community at Happs, at pbittner@happs.tv for a walkthrough. You’ll get a guided tour, ideas for how to use Happs, and suggestions for a partner broadcaster so you can get the experience of doing a live broadcast right away. Often, that first broadcast is really what leads to “the aha moment” with Happs.

Any tips for broadcasting on Happs?

Broadcast on a regular and frequent schedule so viewers can develop a habit of tuning in. In just a month, Alex Mohajer’s daily broadcast (AM Report) audience grew from a few hundred a day to thousands watching each morning.

Check your lighting and audio. Keep your production values up and viewers will notice. The usual tips for looking good during online meetings apply. Also, a small investment in gear can help your broadcasts really shine.

Use the Broadcast Studio to upgrade your broadcasts. You can access it through the Go Live button at Happs.tv via the Google Chrome browser. The Broadcast Studio features an easy-to-use interface and a pre-live lobby. You can use it to add pre-recorded video and custom graphics. It also lets you multicast live to all of your social media accounts. Each broadcast is recorded and available for you to download and edit afterwards too.

Interview multiple guests. The Happs Broadcast Studio allows you to invite up to 7 guests to your broadcast and go live from your computer. You can use an external microphone and camera or the Happs phone app.

Interact with your viewers. Happs not only lets you simultaneously stream to your social platforms, it also aggregates your audience, chat, and engagement from these platforms so you can engage with your audience in one place…the Happs app!

Use the audio controls in the Broadcast Studio to adjust levels for you, your guests, and/or any pre-recorded video. You can change the audio levels at any time using the “gear” icon in the right-hand corner of the rectangular box for that person or video clip. Then, adjust the “program volume.”

Contact us for advice. The Happs team is happy to provide one-on-one demos and answer any questions you may have about broadcasting. Get in touch by emailing pbittner@happs.tv.

How do broadcasters feel about Happs?

They love it!

“The Happs people are great. They make it easy to sign up and figure out how to invite people. And they’ve got a lot of cool technological stuff that’s coming. They’re a very interesting platform that we’re all going to be hearing a lot from in the weeks and months ahead.”
-David Shuster
“I’m having a fantastic time using Happs. I love how it has democratized news and allowed many journalists to have more control and make money.”
-Tolulope Adeleru-Balogun
“What a great platform and so easy to use.”
-Katie Maloney
“It was fun and easy and it’s only going to get better.”
-Jason Carter
“Just broadcast for the first time with the @HappsNews app — totally seamless. Like FaceTiming into a studio. Would recommend journalists get on this platform.”
-Harriet Marsden

And check out Happs user reviews.

How do I become a “Top Journalist” on Happs?

Get in touch (pbittner@happs.tv) and we’ll guide you through the process. Keep in mind, you must practice journalistic storytelling and relevant ethics as outlined in the Happs Community Guidelines. Also, verified journalists must meet two or more of the following standards:

Educated in journalism or media studies in an accredited university program, or at least one year of journalism experience.
3 bylines, credits and (or) primary responsibility for articles, videos, audio stories, etc. with adherence to Happs’s journalistic best practices.
Strong, documented area of expertise in a specific topic or subject that demonstrates an authoritative voice.

How do payments and awards work on Happs?

Viewers can sponsor your work. Eligible broadcasters receive 70% of the monthly recurring sponsorship revenue after applicable taxes and fees are deducted. For payments, our standard payout period is Net 30. Once your account balance reaches $200, a payment request can be made and will be scheduled for 30 days after for the current account balance. A record of all of your earnings and available balance can be found in your settings. Happs does not charge any fees for payments. However, our payment processor charges small fees (2.9% plus $0.30) on each transaction which will be deducted from your payout. These fees are disclosed in your settings and when you cash out. Get in touch if you have additional questions.

Also, anyone on Happs is eligible to earn awards. Viewers can give awards to broadcasters that can be cashed in for real money. Awards can be sent using coins purchased or earned by being active on Happs.

Are there any other reasons to broadcast on Happs?

Yes, here’s a more in-depth list of reasons you should be on Happs:

Broadcast like a pro
Happs offers professional broadcast tools that make your newscasts look like those seen on major networks. You’ll stand apart from the crowd and look better than streams seen on other livestreaming platforms. What Instagram does for photo filters and TikTok does for video editing (i.e. make those things no-brainers), Happs does for enhancing live broadcasts.

Reach more viewers
The Happs platform allows you to easily connect social media accounts so you can simultaneously reach your followers across platforms (Twitter, Periscope, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) with a single live broadcast. Plus, Happs tracks your broadcast’s interest and engagement and spreads featured broadcasts to the wider Happs audience via social media giving you access to a whole new set of viewers beyond those you already reach.

Get paid to broadcast
Happs lets you monetize your broadcasts directly via sponsorships from viewers who want to support your work. You don’t need to rely on Big Media companies or advertisers. We’ll take care of the hard work so you can focus on broadcasting. In the same way podcasters get paid via Patreon or writers get paid via Substack, broadcasters get paid via Happs.

Interact with viewers
Happs aggregates comments from your various social media platforms and enables you to engage with your audience regardless of their platform of choice. No need to pick and choose between Facebook Live, Periscope, or anywhere else. Happs gives you access to everybody at the same time.

Collaborate with peers
The Happs community is filled with like-minded broadcasters. Join up and you’ll have direct access to compelling people whom you can interview, ask for advice, and collaborate with on broadcasts.

Eliminate the gatekeepers
Frustrated by the way media organizations control broadcasting? Happs takes the middleman out of the equation, allowing people to tell the stories they want to tell and connect directly with the people who want to watch them. Any broadcaster anywhere in the world can access Happs for free and decide what to broadcast. The result is an egalitarian, democratic approach to broadcasting.

Speak freely
Corporate-controlled broadcasters have to live in a world that often cares more about profits than people. They can’t always tell the truth about their parent companies (or other subjects). Happs allows broadcasters to be independent and transparent in a way that those who work for huge corporations can’t. The result is a safe haven for truthtellers and independent voices.

Go beyond the sound bite
A three minute standup segment doesn’t provide time for nuance and in-depth reporting. Happs allows broadcasters to stream for 3, 20, 60 minutes, or whatever it takes to get the story right. When you use Happs, you don’t have to play the sound bite game.

Choose the format that fits
Happs supports a full range of broadcasting styles, including newscasts covering the day’s events, scheduled shows addressing a specific topic, and live “on the scene” broadcasts. You can get as creative as you want using our tools.

Get verified and build trust
The Happs platform has badges we use to identify broadcasters. Happs clearly displays these badges so viewers have proper context on whomever they’re watching. The goal is to give viewers perspective on a broadcasters’ standing, reputation, and approach.

Guidelines that build trust
Anyone who streams with Happs must strive to be safe, accurate, fair, and thorough in their reporting. Moderators are active on every stream and broadcasts that violate Happs’ guidelines are subject for immediate removal or delisting. Broadcasters must disclose any potential conflicts of interest or bias too. The result: Transparent broadcasts which viewers can trust.

Biases revealed
Let’s be real, broadcasters have biases (just like everyone else) and it shows up in the stories they choose to cover and how they tell those stories. At Happs, we want broadcasters to feel free to reveal those biases so viewers can evaluate their reporting with the proper context in mind. The notion of unbiased broadcasting feels increasingly archaic in today’s day and age. Happs offers a path for broadcasters to be themselves and for viewers to make informed decisions about what they’re viewing.

Fight fake news
There’s truth embedded in the act of going live; it’s the antidote to fake news. While it’s easy to edit footage together to misconstrue events and facts, it’s much more difficult to do that live. By going live, Happs lets you give viewers “the raw intel.”

Next steps

Reach out to Peter Bittner, Head of Community at Happs, via email. Or visit Happs to get started.