How to upload a live event to add commentary

An event represents a live broadcast in the Spalk system. In order to use the spalk system for a live broadcast you must first schedule an event. To schedule an event, you need 3 pieces of information:

• Title
• Start date and time
• End date and time

To get started with Spalk:

1. Navigate to the Upload page
2. Select your input type (RTMP, SRT or MediaConnect). If you wish to hear more about our input protocol options, please contact your Spalk representative
3. Select the region for your ingest server. It is usually best to choose the region geographically closest to your uplink encoder.
4. (Optional) Select the persistent endpoint you wish to use. Persistent endpoints are useful if you have many broadcasts from the same encoder or system.
5. Enter the Ingest bitrate. This is the maximum data rate you will send data to Spalk. It is important that we set this correctly so we provision the correct amount of cloud resources to handle your streams. If you're unsure about this value, it is best to contact your onsite team to hear what the intended bitrate is.
   Note: The bitrate is measured in bits per second, so an 8.5 Mbps stream will be 8500000
6. (Optional) Upload a thumbnail so commentators and administrators can easily identify the event
7. (Optional) Upload a "No-Signal slate" to insert if we lose input from the uplink encoder. That way commentators and fans can see that the signal has been lost and you are working to fix it. This is typically a much better experience than if there is either a black frame, or a spinning loading wheel. This option is only available for the RTMP input type.
8. Enter an event title, so commentators and administrators know which broadcast this event relates to.
9. Select the start date and time.*
   This is the date and time that you need the Spalk system to be ready to receive the live feed. We recommend scheduling this 30-60 minutes before you want to be on-air so you have time to troubleshoot any possible uplink or commentator issues before going to air.
10. Select the event end date and time.**
    This is the time that Spalk will end all streams, shut down infrastructure, and charges will stop. You can change this at any point up to 5 minutes before the scheduled end date. Our recommendation is to set this much later than you expect the event will end to account for unexpected delays, then once you are finished broadcasting, immediately end the event.
11. Check the box confirming you have permission to upload this content to Spalk
12. Select a privacy setting:
    
    1. Private events can only be accessed if commentators have been specifically invited from dashboard.
    2. Unlisted events can be accessed if the commentators have the direct link.
    3. Public events are visible to all commentators on the Spalk platform.
13. Click Save.
14. You will be redirected to the dashboard with your new event. You are now ready to invite your commentary team and schedule outputs.

Tip: If you need to upload multiple events at a time, check the "Upload another" checkbox to avoid bouncing between the dashboard and upload page.

* Each event is provisioned dynamically, so there is approximately 5 minutes of startup time before an event is ready to receive a live feed. If you schedule your event more than 5 minutes in advance, Spalk will be ready to receive your feed at the start time you specify.

** All dates and times are displayed in your system timezone.