How to live stream a funeral with Zoom
Live streaming funerals can provide great comfort to those who are grieving but cannot attend in person. Participating in a funeral service, even virtually, can help us begin to process our grief.
Additionally, a recording of the service can be valuable for those who were able to attend. Funerals are emotionally intense, and we may be too overwhelmed to absorb everything that is said. Having a recording allows attendees to revisit and remember the shared memories. At Forget Me Not Ceremonies, we have seen nearly 20% of those who watch the live stream recording online were actually physically present for the funeral service.
There are many mobile apps that can be used to live stream a funeral. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the work meeting app Zoom to live stream a funeral:
Step 1: Prepare ahead of time
Gather equipment
You will need a phone, tripod, and a holder to attach the phone to the tripod. We strongly recommend using a wireless external microphone but it isn’t always necessary.
Tripod
Get an affordable tripod that isn’t too heavy. Heavy tripods work well in windy conditions but won’t be necessary for 99% of your funeral live streams. You will need a holder for your phone that will attach to the tripod. The holder will need a ¼” female connection on the bottom.
Phone
We recommend using a phone. In our experience, phones gather a stronger cellular connection than tablet devices.
External microphone
This isn’t required, but we strongly recommend this. Here’s why: your phone’s microphone is going to prioritize louder audio and treat lower audio as noise. It may even attempt to cut out the “noise” completely. What should you get? Don’t break the bank with this one. We have found that brands like Comica, Hollyland, and Neewer are more than up to the task for capturing audio at a funeral live stream.
Test your equipment
Ensure your phone’s camera and microphone are working correctly. Download the Zoom app and get familiar with its functions.
Internet connection
If possible, test the strength of the internet connection where you will be live streaming. Open the browser of your phone and test the speed at https://www.speedtest.net/. Zoom requires the upload speed to be between 1-5 Mpbs.
If the location you will be live streaming the funeral has a wifi network, do the speed test when you are connected to the network. Once the test is complete, turn off the phone’s wifi and do another test using the phone’s cellular data connection. Compare the results and use the fastest connection for the live stream.
Charge the phone, microphone, check available phone storage
Fully charge your phone and external microphone if you decide to use one.
Make sure there is enough free space on your device. An hour-long live stream will require at least 1 gigabyte of space.
Step 2: Set up Zoom and schedule meeting
Download and install Zoom
If you haven’t already, download the Zoom app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).
Sign in or sign up
Open the app and sign in with your Zoom account. If you don’t have an account, sign up.
NOTE:
The free Zoom account plan will limit your live stream to 40 minutes. This may be sufficient for a graveside service but will likely not be for a chapel funeral service. We recommend upgrading to the “Pro” plan.
You will also be limited to 100 participants for the free and Pro plan. This will be sufficient for most funeral services. However, if the live stream is for someone more well-known, you may want to upgrade your plan.
Forget Me Not Ceremonies has no limit on the length of the live stream or number of attendees.
Schedule the meeting:
- Open the Zoom app and tap on “Schedule”.
- Fill in the meeting details (date, time, and name of the event, e.g., “Funeral Service for [Name]”).
- Set the duration and time zone.
- Enable “Automatically record meeting” so you will have a recording on your phone.
- Tap “Save” and share the invitation link with family and friends via email or social media.
- Funeral directors can add this link to the obituary page on their website.
Step 3: Go live
Set up your phone
Since you will be live once you join the meeting, set up your phone’s viewing angle before you join.
Position your phone on a tripod and open your phone’s camera app. Ensure it captures a good view of the service area. Adjust the camera to focus on key elements like the podium or altar. Plug in and set up your external microphone if you’re using one.
Start the meeting
Open the Zoom app, select the meeting, and tap “Start”.
Switch camera feed
Zoom will default to your phone’s selfie camera. Press this icon to use the cameras on the back of your phone.
Mute participants
To avoid background noise, mute all participants by tapping “Participants” then “Mute All”. Encourage viewers to use the chat feature for condolences and messages.
Step 4: After the funeral
End the meeting
Once the service concludes, end the Zoom meeting by tapping “End” then “End Meeting for All”.
Save and share the recording
If you recorded the service, Zoom will save the recording on your phone. Share the recording with those who couldn’t attend live by uploading it to a cloud service like Google Drive and then sharing the link with those that would like it.
Our internal survey data shows that almost 20% of the live stream attendees were actually at the physical funeral service. Meaning, they went to the funeral and then watched the recording of the live stream after. Don’t underestimate the desire of those who attended in person to want a copy of the recording!
Forget Me Not Ceremonies saves the recording online and makes it free to watch for 120 days – no need for you to do anything.
Remove link from obituary
Funeral directors should remove the Zoom link from the obituary since the link will no longer work. Of course, with Forget Me Not Ceremonies, you only need to edit the obituary once since the link will direct everyone to the recording.
Additional tips
- Consider having a backup device on hand in case your primary device fails
- Use an external microphone for the best audio experience possible – especially if you will be live streaming the funeral from the back of the room.
That’s how to live stream a funeral using Zoom.
If you’re a funeral director and looking for a professional option exclusively for funeral homes, consider Forget Me Not Ceremonies. We offer phone and email support 7 days a week and the ability to generate pre-need leads directly from the live stream.
