1. Tithely
  2. Help Center
  3. Church Apps
  4. Apps : Manually Adding Content

Adding Live Streams to Your App

Updated:

Summary: Discover how to enrich your church app with live streaming capabilities, fostering connection and engagement within your congregation. This guide provides easy-to-follow steps for seamlessly integrating live streams into your app—either directly or through your Tithely Site—allowing members to participate in services remotely.

Before You Begin

  • Avoid Duplicate Tabs: Creating a "new" livestream in the dashboard will generate a brand new tab on your app. To prevent your app from becoming cluttered with multiple Livestream tabs, we highly recommend updating your existing Livestream link each week rather than creating a new one.

Method 1: Using Your Tithely Site as the Source

If you already use Tithely Sites to host your livestream, you can sync it directly to your app.

  1. Log in to your App Dashboard.

  2. Locate and select the Livestreams tab.

  3. Select Add New (or edit your existing livestream).

  4. Set the Source to Tithely Site.

    • Best Practice: When using this method, you should only have one livestream set up ahead of time on your Tithely Site to ensure the app displays it correctly.

  5. Enter your Livestream Title.

  6. Set the Start Date.

    • Note: The start time you set here simply determines when the "Next Live Stream" text appears in the app and when the chat feature opens. The actual start and end times for the video playback are managed within your Tithely Site.

  7. Enter the Video Link. Copy the Live Stream link from your Tithely Site and add .rss to the very end of the link.

    • Important: Tithely Site livestreams using iframe embed codes will not work with this method. The livestream on the Site must be set up using a direct link to the video.

  8. (Optional) Add your Sermon Note link.

  9. Click Submit!

Method 2: Using the Tithely App Only (Direct Link)

If you do not use Tithely Sites, you can link your app directly to your YouTube or Facebook livestream.

  1. Log in to your App Dashboard.

  2. Locate and select the Livestreams tab.

  3. Select Add New (or edit your existing livestream).

  4. Set the Source to Tithely App.

  5. Enter your Livestream Title.

  6. Repetition: Choose "Repeat weekly" if applicable.

  7. Timing: Set your Start and End Time.

    • Note: If you enable chat, it will automatically open 30 minutes before your designated start time and close 30 minutes after your end time. If your video is prerecorded (a simulated live stream), it will automatically commence playing at this chosen start time.

  8. Stream Type: Select whether your live stream is simulated or live.

  9. Video Link: Insert the exact link to your video from YouTube or Facebook.

    • For YouTube: You must use the unique link for that specific scheduled broadcast (e.g., [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYdfffddfdd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYdfffddfdd)). Permanent/generic channel links will not work. You must update this link in the dashboard each week.

    • For Facebook: You must use the specific Facebook video link (e.g., [https://www.facebook.com/sampleusername/videos/855074](https://www.facebook.com/sampleusername/videos/855074). You must update this link in the dashboard each week.

  10. (Optional) Choose or add your Sermon Note.

  11. Chat Features:

    • Toggle the Enable chat feature ON or OFF.

    • Chat Moderators: Begin typing to search for individuals to moderate the chat. (Note: These individuals must already exist in your Tithely People database).

    • Decide whether you wish to clear the chat history after every session by toggling the option ON or OFF.

  12. Click Save.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

  • Why do I have multiple Livestream tabs on my app? Every time you click "Add New" in the Livestreams section, it creates a brand new tab on your app. To avoid this, we highly recommend editing and updating your existing Livestream entry each week instead of creating a new one.

  • Do I need to update my YouTube or Facebook link every week? Yes. Permanent channel/profile links will not work for livestreams in the app. You must copy the unique URL for each specific scheduled broadcast and update the video link in your App Dashboard every single week.

  • Why isn't my Tithely Site livestream syncing to the app? If you used an iframe embed code on your Tithely Site, it will not sync correctly to the app. You must set up the livestream on your Site using a direct video link, and ensure you added .rss to the very end of that link in your App Dashboard.

  • When does the livestream chat open for my congregation? If you have chat enabled, the chat room will automatically open 30 minutes before your designated Start Time and will close 30 minutes after your End Time.

Articles in this section