Improving Your Church's Livestream Mix: A Guide for Better Sound

When it comes to streaming your church services, the audio quality of your livestream is just as important as the visual experience. However, achieving the perfect livestream sound can be a challenge, especially for churches with limited budgets or resources. In this guide, we’ll walk you through three common approaches to improving your church’s livestream mix and audio quality, and how each one can work within your church’s capabilities.

1. The FOH Mix: A Simple and Cost-Effective Option

The FOH mix (Front of House mix) is the audio mix that the congregation hears in the sanctuary. This is typically the easiest and most cost-effective approach for livestreaming, as it leverages the same mix being sent to the speakers in the room. The main advantage of this method is simplicity—no need for complex setups or additional audio sources.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and requires minimal extra equipment.

• Only requires one mix engineer to manage both the live sound and the livestream audio.

• The sound mix for both in-person and online audiences is the same, simplifying your workflow.

Cons:

• The mix may not always be optimized for both audiences. For example, typically the mix is more focused on the live congregation's needs, such as balancing levels to sound good in the room, rather than what works best for an online listeners.

• Using processing to account for room acoustics and background noise can affect the livestream audio, making it harder to achieve a polished sound for viewers at home.

2. The Aux or Mixbus Mix: A Step Up for More Control

If you want to improve the sound quality for your livestream without complicating things too much, then an aux mix, mixbus, or matrix output is a great choice. This method involves using a dedicated output from your mixing console to send a separate audio mix specifically for the livestream, independent of the FOH mix.

How it works: You would route certain channels (like microphones, instruments, and ambient sounds) to a mixbus or aux output, creating a tailored audio mix for the livestream. This setup is typically easier than an independent mix because it still uses the same equipment but gives you a bit more flexibility in shaping the sound for online viewers.

Why post-fade is preferred: When setting up your aux or mixbus, it’s typically better to use post-fade sends, meaning the audio that goes to the livestream is affected by the main mix’s volume adjustments. This ensures the livestream stays balanced with the main service, even if levels are adjusted in the room. Pre-fade sends, on the other hand, keep the livestream audio at a constant level, which might not always work well if adjustments are needed.

Pros:

• Provides a more customized mix for the livestream.

• Still relatively simple to manage, and only requires one mix engineer.

• More flexibility in managing the balance of elements (e.g., speaking vs. music).

Cons:

• You need to ensure that the mix you’re sending to the livestream is appropriate for the online audience, which may require careful adjustments.

• Not as much control as a fully independent mix.

3. The Independent Mix: The Best for Full Control

The independent mix approach is often the most desirable option for churches that want complete control over their livestream sound. In this setup, the mix engineer uses a separate mixing console or a digital audio workstation (DAW) to create a unique mix for the livestream, completely independent from the FOH mix.

How it works: This approach often involves using a separate mix console or DAW, away from the main sound system, and sends a tailored audio feed to the livestream. By doing this, you can fully customize the sound for online viewers—adjusting the levels, effects, and EQ settings without being constrained by what works in the room.

This is typically done in another room away from the main sanctuary in order to better hear and mix the audio properly. The room needs to be acoustically treated so that the mix engineer can hear everything clearly and make accurate adjustments. If budget constraints don’t allow for this, mixing with headphones in a quiet space is an economical option, though it can be challenging because it our ears are isolated from one another in headphones.

Pros:

• Complete control over the livestream mix.

• Able to customize the sound for online audiences.

• A professional-level solution if done right.

Cons:

• Requires more equipment, and often a separate mixing space.

• Typically requires more than one mix engineer: one for the FOH mix and one for the livestream.

• More complex to set up and manage.

Which Approach Is Right for Your Church?

The right choice depends on your church’s needs and technical capabilities:

• FOH Mix is the easiest and most cost-effective option for churches with simple setups and only requires one mix engineer.

• Aux or Mixbus Mix offers a balance between ease of use and customization, giving you more control over the livestream without overcomplicating things, and also requires just one mix engineer.

• Independent Mix is the best option if you want total control over your livestream sound, with the flexibility to offer a unique experience for online viewers.

At Surrender Sound, we get that not every church has a big budget, and we’re here to walk with you through the process, no matter your setup. If you’re working with a small budget, we can help you improve your FOH mix, which will also enhance your livestream quality. There are also free tools out there that can make a world of difference—turning a basic FOH mix into something truly special for your online audience.

If you’re ready to take your livestream sound to the next level or just need some guidance, we’d love to chat and see how we can help you get there. Reach out to us, and let’s work together to make your sound the best it can be.