Audience: Viewers Status: User Guide
Creators broadcast live episodes you can watch in real time. While a stream is on, you can join the chat and take part in polls. When the broadcast ends, it becomes a regular video you can watch on demand. This guide explains how to find a live stream, what affects whether you can watch it, and what to expect during and after.
Finding a live stream
Live episodes appear on the creator’s show, the same place as their other episodes. When an episode is broadcasting, it is marked as live. Open it to start watching in the player.
Whether you can watch
Each episode has an access mode set by the creator, and a live episode uses the same access modes as any other episode. The mode decides who can watch:
| Access mode | Who can watch |
|---|---|
| Public | Anyone. |
| Subscriber | Active subscribers to the creator’s organization. |
| Tier-gated | Subscribers on the specific tiers the creator chose. |
| Perk-gated | Viewers who hold a specific perk. |
| Purchase | Anyone who buys access to the episode. |
| Purchase or subscriber | Either a purchase or an active subscription unlocks it. |
If a stream is limited, the page tells you what you need to watch, such as subscribing to the creator or buying access. To learn how subscriptions, tiers, perks, and purchases work, see Pricing Your Content.
During the stream
While the episode is live you can do more than watch:
- Live chat. Talk with the creator and other viewers in real time. See Participating in Live Chat.
- Live polls. When the creator runs a poll, it appears so you can vote and watch the results update live. See Voting in Live Polls.
After the stream
When the creator stops broadcasting, the recording is saved and the episode becomes a regular on-demand video. You can find it on the creator’s show in the same place as the live episode, and watch it whenever you like, subject to the same access mode. There can be a short wait after the broadcast ends while the recording is processed.
Troubleshooting
The stream will not load:
- Refresh the episode page.
- Check that the episode is still live. If the broadcast has ended, look for the recording on the creator’s show.
You are asked to subscribe or buy:
- The episode is gated. Follow the prompt on the page to subscribe or purchase access. See Pricing Your Content.