Getting Started on Smiletime

Are you ready to go live?

So, you want to start your own Smilecast, where you can connect live with people who share your passions? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a handy little video that will take you through step-by-step, from login to liftoff. Audio/visual not your style? We’ve also written the steps down after the jump.

Need some real live help? We host Office Hours multiple times per week, where you can chat with someone from the team live. #fullserviceoperation

Creating Your Channel

• For creators, Smiletime is currently optimized for the Chrome browser on your computer. (Audiences can join in from our iOS app, too).
• Log in using your Facebook at Smiletime.com
• Open the menu on the left side of the screen and click “Create New Channel.”
• Give your channel a name, custom URL and channel description. You can edit your name and description later in your Channel Settings.

Customizing Your Channel

• Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen for your Channel Settings.
• Add a subheader. This will appear on the channel browser under your channel name, and is a great place to include when you typically go live.
• Add images. The vanity image is especially key — it’s what makes you stand out on the channel browser. A background image adds some spunk to your channel when your Smilecast is offline.

Background and vanity images? Check. Tune-in info in the subheader? Check. Punny and charmingly misleading channel name? Check! This creator is gunning for the Smiletime A-Team.

Utilizing the Creator Palette

• The creator palette is accessed by clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner that looks like an artist’s palette (only creators have access to a channel’s palette). Drag anything from your palette onto the stage to share it with your audience.
• Captions: Get inspired by trending topics from Twitter, or add captions of your own that let your audience know what you’re talking about. Drag them onto the stage to include them in your show.
• Media: Upload images here if you plan to bring any personal files into your Smilecast.
• Guests: This is where you’ll find the video feeds of anyone who has accepted your invite to get on stage (as well as your own video feed). Anyone special joining your Smilecast? Perhaps someone you’d prefer not to invite from the chat? Give them your VIP Link to invite them directly into your creator palette.

Going Live and Streaming to Facebook Live

• Click the GO LIVE button.
• Decide if you want to stream to Facebook Live. You can simultaneously broadcast to your own personal Facebook, or a page you manage. You’ll also be able to customize the text that appears above your live video on Facebook.
• Your Facebook followers will be able to see your stage, but they won’t be able to participate in your Smilecast unless they’re on your channel, so make sure to include your channel URL and let them know where the real party’s at!

• Want to record your Smilecast for your archive? Check that box off to make your Smilecast available to your audience in your channel down the line (this also makes it available to you for download). We’re still working on rolling out this feature to our creators, so for the time being, you can rely on Facebook’s archive of your stream.
• Confirm your settings and wait for the Go Live Countdown to expire. While the video will be on a slight delay, it will let you confirm that your video is being seen by the audience. Are you brimming with anticipation yet?! Because we are!
• Pro Tip: Any time you’re concerned that your audience is seeing something different than you are, you can click the “Go Offline” button to peek at what they see (at a slight delay). Just don’t click confirm, or you’ll end your Smilecast prematurely!

Make sure the preview of your live feed reflects the background image on your stage. If it doesn’t, start the Go Live process over again.

On the left is an example of some Facebook Live tune-in copy. The most important thing to include is your channel URL. Note that the Facebook Live feed only includes the stage (not the chat feed or Spotlight).

• Now that you’re all squared away across Smiletime and Facebook, start dragging things on stage: your video feed, audience chats, GIFs, images… the stage is your oyster.

Now That You’re Up and Running…

• Get fancy with it! Showcase chats and GIFs from the chat feed by dragging them into one of the white targets on stage (those will only appear once you start dragging). Once your audience starts voting on each other’s chats, you’ll see the most popular ones appear in your Chat Spotlight, and you can bring those on stage as well. When you bring something on stage, that’s included in your live stream to Facebook (the chat feed and chat spotlight are not included in the live stream).

• Invite your audience to join you on stage. Click on someone’s avatar in the chat and send them an invite. Once they’ve accepted, they’ll appear in your creator palette. (While they’re there, you’ll be able to hear them, but no one else will. Drag them on stage so the rest of the audience can hear what they have to say.)
• Rile your audience up with a poll! Once you have two or three items on stage (be it people, chats, hashtags or images), a poll button will appear in the top right corner of the stage. Click that to start a real-time poll. To clear the poll, just hit that button one more time.
• Next to the poll button, you’ll see the layout button. Use that to change the arrangement of your stages to best complement what you’ve got on the main stage. The 2x1 layout is great for interviews!

• Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Spotlight. Audience members are upvoting each others’ contributions, and the best ones are surfacing in the Spotlight at the bottom of the screen (and can then be dragged onto the stage, too). Use that to guide the show!

Looks like the folks in this Smilecast are dropping votes for pepperoni pizza and Nic Cage — naturally.

• To clear anything or anyone from the stage, just drag them into the Dismiss from Stage zone, which will appear at the top of the screen when you start dragging.

Wrapping It Up

• When you’re done with your Smilecast, pull everything off the stage and hit the Go Offline button. The audience preview will be running at a slight delay. Wait for it to catch up with the end of your performance before confirming Go Offline.

And, just like that, you’ve…

Questions? Comments? Sweet serenades?

For technical questions, please reach out to support@smiletime.com.

For all other creator questions, or to send us a clip of you singing a song about Smiletime (guys, it would not be the first time), please reach out to creators@smiletime.com.