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FAQ

F

ABOUT

What is NOTV?

NOTV is an online video platform that offers you the possibility to stream your events (like concerts, performances, lessons etc.) to a worldwide audience. Yes, there are other platforms, like Youtube, that do that too. But as a groundbreaking full-service platform NOTV also takes care of your ticket sales, copyrights payments and promotion. No other platform offers this! Even better: our do-it-yourself service makes it available for everyone, at low cost. Simplicity is our mission!

How is NOTV different from Youtube, Facebook or Instagram?

NOTV is a secure video streaming platform where you control everything. No disturbing ads, no piracy, no copyright blocking worries. Thereby NOTV is unique as you can (optionally) geofence your stream and sell tickets for your events (like live concerts). We also handle the copyrights payments to the applicable collecting societies, and help you with marketing and promotion.
As no other platform offers these options, this combination of services makes NOTV unique. More info.

How can I use NOTV for my live or VOD stream?

We have built the platform and went live in summer 2022. You can submit your event via our Event Application Form. Our full Do-It-Yourself service will follow later in 2023.
Stay tuned for announcements in social media and press, or subscribe to our newsletter!

TICKETS

What payment methods and valuta can I use?

After clicking the TICKET button you will see all payment methods and valuta you can use.
Methods include: Creditcard, PayPal, Apple Pay, iDEAL, VPay, Bancontact, Sofort.

How do I buy a ticket for an online event?

You can purchase a ticket (if applicable) on the event page itself, or on the website of the artist.

So, I bought a ticket for an online event. What happens next?

After purchasing your ticket you will receive emails with instructions where and when to watch the stream. Just click on the link in your email and enjoy! You can then view the stream on 3 different devices.

If an event is cancelled, do I get my money back?

Yes. If, for any reason, an online event is canceled, no action is required from your side to receive your refund of the purchased ticket. Refunds will be processed to the original method of payment used at time of purchase of your ticket. No worries!
If you can’t make it on time for the online event you may forward your digital (email) ticket to a friend. See also our  Ticket purchase and refund policy.

WATCH EVENTS

How do I watch the streams?

You can stream NOTV events on any internet-connected device. We support streaming on media players, Smart TVs, game consoles, smartphones, tablets, PCs and laptops.
Once you have purchased a ticket, simply click the link in your email or go to WATCH EVENTS and select the event you want to watch. The stream may start some time in advance.
Your ticket lets you watch the stream on 3 different devices.

How do I watch streams on my TV?

NOTV delivers all streams to all popular IOS and Android smartphones, tablets, computers and Airplay and Chromecast devices as well.

APPLE AIRPLAY
If you are on a Safari web browser or iPhone, you will be able to cast to your TV using the Airplay icon in the player to connect to your AppleTV device. Alternative is to use screen mirroring.

GOOGLE CHROMECAST
If you are on a Google Chrome browser, you will be able to cast to your TV using the Chromecast icon. Note: If you do not have a nearby Google Chromecast-enabled device to connect to, then you will not see this icon in the player. We suggest making sure it’s turned on and then refresh the page to help the player reconnect to the device.

SCREEN MIRRORING
You can use the Screen mirroring functionality on your computer.

CONNECT WITH HDMI
You can connect your laptop or desktop to your TV with an HDMI cable and play the event from your internet browser.

I live in a different timezone. Can I still watch a scheduled live concert?

Yes. To enable viewers anywhere in the world to watch a live concert or event at a suitable local time (instead of 05:00 am in the morning), worldwide live events can be offered in e.g. three different time zones (e.g. for the Americas, Europe or Asia). Effectively this means that such an event is ‘semi-live’, being offered as three identical (semi-live) events, but each having a different start time. You can buy tickets for the event with a start time that suits you best.

CREATE YOUR EVENT

Can NOTV help me organise and/or produce my event?

Sure we can! We can help you to organise part or whole of your event, and/or send our Stream Team to your event location to take care of all audio and video recording and actual streaming. They bring the right gear and press the right buttons. You can send us your event application request here.

How do I create an event myself?

During the pilot phase you can only create an event on invitation. After full launch this summer you can create an account on our website (for which we will charge you a small registration fee). Then follow the step-by-step instructions to create your event:

  • log in and create a new event
  • describe your event
  • select: free or paid access to the event
  • set 1 or more ticket types (price)
  • set type: scheduled live stream or video on demand
  • set location: worldwide, selected countries only, or location-based (limited perimeter)
  • set date and time of the event
  • upload promotional materials (poster image, perimeter map, teaser video)
  • fill cue sheet (if applicable we handle royalty payments to copyright holders)
  • publish event

We try to make this process as simple as possible, no geek skills required! Interested? Send us your event application request here.

What content can I stream?

In principle you can stream any content you want, as long as you have the rights to do so. It is up to you to assess what your audience will find interesting, and (if you charge a ticket price) if they will be willing to pay to see it. However, if you create an event on NOTV you agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, sexually-orientated or any other material that may violate any laws (including copyrights) be it of your country, the country where NOTV is hosted or International Law. Doing so may lead to you being immediately and permanently banned, with notification of your Internet Service Provider if deemed required by us. See our Terms & Conditions.

Can I stream a prerecorded video?

Yes. Creating a prerecorded video has the advantage of filming in advance, taking your best footage and adding e.g. special intro’s, interviews, overlays, credit rolls, subtitles etc. You can stream this recording on a scheduled date & time (like an actual live recording) using the same streaming software (like OBS , vMix or ECAMM). Especially useful when you want to stream your event worldwide on 3 different time zones.

Optimise your prerecorded live stream video or VOD video before streaming or uploading

Before uploading your video to NOTV we strongly recommend to optimise (encode) your source video to the following settings:

  • Video format: .MP4
  • Video codec: H264
  • Video bitrate: SD 640×360 or 768×432: 1 Mbps / HD 1280×720: 2,5 Mbps / HD 1920×1080: 5 Mbps
  • Framerate: 25 frames per second
  • Audio codec: AAC-LC or AAC
  • Audio bitrate: 160-256 Kbps for stereo music; 96-128Kbps for stereo voice

Several video encoding apps are available, e.g. handbrake.fr (free).

What types of content can I stream?

Your event stream can offer video (including audio), or audio only.

What types of events are possible?

Several streaming types are possible:

  • scheduled events (e.g. live concerts and performances)
  • prerecorded events (scheduled live or as Video-On-Demand)
  • continuous events (e.g. free location-based content and services)
  • Video-On-Demand (pay-per-view).

See PLANS on CREATE EVENT.

Applications can be for example:

  • Concerts: paid or free online artist concerts; live or prerecorded; local or worldwide
  • Album / product presentations: exclusive (time/location limited) audio or video previews
  • Messages: e.g. local welcome message, instructions, background information on location
  • Tours: e.g. guided tours for museums, parks, zoos, cities, historic areas & sites, monuments
  • Events: time/location limited special events (e.g. brand sponsored) with exclusive audio/video
  • Workshops: paid workshops, seminars, presentations, readings, etc.
  • Lessons: subscription-based music courses, yoga lessons, training & instruction sessions, etc.
  • Games: location and/or time based games

See ABOUT -> IMAGINE for examples.

What is the difference between ‘realtime’ and ‘prerecorded’ live streaming?

Scheduled events (e.g. live concerts and performances) can be streamed as a real live event: click “start stream” in your stream application (like OBS) and start playing. Advantage: realtime live streaming is an exciting experience for your audience! Disadvantage: you can’t delete the breaks, mistakes or bad solo’s 🙂
Alternative is to select (e.g. in OBS) an (H264 .MP4) file from disc to stream when you click “start stream”. This prerecorded file can be an audiovisual recording you filmed and edited earlier, e.g. deleting the breaks and with additional footage like intros, creditroll and subtitles. Especially useful if you want to stream your one-time concert scheduled for 3 different timezones.

What are optimal recording and streaming settings?

RECORDING

  • Videocodec: H264
  • Video bitrates: 424×240 512 Kbps (Baseline 3.2); 640×360 1 Mbps (Baseline 3.2); 1280×720 2,5 Mbps (High 4.1); 1920×1080 5 Mbps (High 4.1).
  • Audio codec: AAC-LC or AAC. When AAC is not an option for you, you should use MP3 Samplerate: 48Khz.
  • Framerate: Set the framerate to 25 frames per second or lower.
  • Keyframes: Should be sent every 2 seconds (so if the frame rate is 25 frames per second, a keyframe should be inserted every 50 frames).

ENCODING SETTINGS (OBS etc.)

  • Output Mode: Simple
  • Video bitrate: HD 1920×1080: 2 to 6 Mbps / 1280×720: 1 to 3 Mbps; SD: 768×432 at 500 Kbps
  • Audio bitrate: Audio: 160-256 Kbps for stereo music; 96-128Kbps for stereo voice

CONNECTION

We advise to avoid wifi or mobile connections and use a dedicated ethernet link to a dedicated internet connection with sufficient upstream capacity of at least 10Mbps for HD streaming.

To which countries can I stream my event?

NOTV can stream your event worldwide. However, when you create your event you have the option to apply geolocking to restrict the availability of your stream to one or more selected countries, or even to a local area (location-based) via geofencing.
Note: Some countries like North and South Korea and China may block streams. Avoid streaming to those countries!

Can I play other artists songs?

Yes, of course. However, just like playing those songs (copyrighted by others) during a live concert in a bar, club or theatre, royalty payments are due. Don’t worry: NOTV makes this very simple: you just provide the songs and artist names in the cue sheet we provide you online (just like the venue normally asks you to do), and we take care of all due payments to the applicable collecting societies. See also the LEGAL f.a.q. below.

Can I interact with my online audience?

Your live stream takes 10 to 30 seconds to reach your audience anywhere in the world. Realtime chatting is therefore hardly an option (though getting questions from your viewers is of course possible by using a separate chatbox). However we are working to add an interactivity feature in the future.

What hardware & software do I need to publish (stream) my event?

You can use e.g. your iPhone to record and stream your event. This may be sufficient for e.g. readings or lessons. However, using multiple videocamera’s and microphones will ensure the best viewer experience for live concerts etc.!
Next to camera(s) and microphone(s) you need a PC or laptop. We advise to use a modern, powerful PC or laptop for live encoding. Encoding is CPU intensive. Base specs are 8GB memory and 4 core CPU. Any recent MacBook or similar Windows laptop should be sufficient.
You make the final live stream mix on your PC or laptop with the streaming software of your choice, like OBS , vMix or ECAMM. This is free software and quite easy to use.
We provide you with the codes to connect the software to the NOTV Content Delivery Network.
Make sure your internet upload connection is at least 10 Mbps.
Enter the codes and when all is ready to go live: press “STREAM”. You’re airborne. More info.

GEOFENCING

What is a ‘location-based’ event?

A location-based event is limited by micro-geofencing and therefore only available within a specific area (perimeter), like a park, city square or beach. Where generally an event will be available in specific countries or even in the whole world, the option to make your event location-based opens up a plethora of exciting event formats or business cases (scarcity creates demand!). More info.

What is geofencing?

NOTV events can be geofenced if you want. This means that your content/event can only be viewed in a specific country (by ‘geo locking‘) or only within a local area (perimeter) set by you, the event creator (by ‘geo fencing‘). This can be done for copyright reasons or to create innovative business models (scarcity creates demand!). More info.

Enabling location detection on your smartphone

Location-based services and events require your device to know your geographical location. Your device’s location is detected by its GPS, cellular network connection, IP address and/or Wifi. If you experience problems with detecting your location, make sure that your device has enabled location detection. Need help? Click iOS instructions or Android instructions.
Note: pinpointing your location may be disabled if you use VPN. Result: your device may sometimes show an inaccurate location and the location-based content may not be accessible!

COSTS & EARNINGS

What does it cost to create an account and event?

We will charge you a small one-time fee to create your account. After onboarding you can create one or more events. The costs of creating events differ, depending on the event type (ticketed stream versus free content on location, etc.). Our mission is to get you airborne at minimal cost. See PLANS on CREATE EVENT. You can send us your event application request here.

How much money do I earn from my event?

You can set your own ticket price for your stream event. You earn the largest percentage of all revenues. For e.g. lessons, readings and workshops you can also offer a subscription model to your viewers (to be introduced later). NOTV handles royalty payments to copyright holders and takes her share to cover her cost for systems and datatraffic. See PLANS on CREATE EVENT.

LEGAL

Is my event content protected against piracy?

The NOTV network applies strict security measures to avoid illegal redistribution and copying of your stream as much as possible. One ticket = One stream (on 3 different devices per user). However, please bear in mind that a 100% security is technically not possible (screen grabbing!).

What about my personal privacy?

NOTV is GDPR compliant. See our PRIVACY page.

How about copyrights?

If you create an event on NOTV you agree that you are the rightful publisher or lawful owner of all title and intellectual property rights in and to your event content which may be accessed by viewers through use of the NOTV platform. If this is not the case the respective third party copyright owner(s) are protected by applicable copyright or other intellectual property laws and treaties. NOTV grants you no rights to use such content. In case you publish (live or prerecorded) content in your event containing materials like music, song titles and/or imagery copyrighted by third party rights owners you agree to have cleared the use of copyrighted imagery in advance, and/or provide for such an event a list of titles and rights holder names in the NOTV event cue sheet. NOTV will take care of applicable copyright / royalty payments to the applicable collecting societies. NOTV will hold you liable for any omissions in the cue sheet as provided by you for such an event. See our Terms & Conditions.

Does NOTV handle copyright (royalties) payments to artists?

Yes, like it is standard procedure for a concert at a physical venue you provide us (if applicable) with the list of covered song titles on the event cuesheet on MY.NOTV.COM. We handle all due payments (if applicable) to the respective collecting societies. They pay the due royalties to the rightful copyright owners.

OTHER

Venues: partner with us!

Venues that are well equipped for audiovisual recording of their concerts or events are invited to contact us. Why not set up a partnership and create a series of ticketed streamed events? You program the live concerts or events on your location/venue, NOTV streams the events online and does the ticketing, handling of due copyrights payments (if applicable) and helps you with marketing and promotion. Interested to become a NOTV reseller? Contact us here.

Do you have any job offerings?

Yes. Contact us for more information.
Interested to become a NOTV reseller? Contact us here.

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