GoTo Webinar
Working with Stream Aura on GoTo Webinar
Technical scoping document — operating modes and access requirements
Preliminary note: two products, one name
GoTo sells two platforms that teams refer to interchangeably as "GoToWebinar". They do not accept an incoming signal in the same way, and the choice of operating mode depends directly on which one you have.
| GoTo Webinar (classic) | GoTo Webcast (Live Events) | |
|---|---|---|
| Control interface | GoTo application | Live Studio (browser) |
| External signal input | No — camera device only | Yes — RTMP / RTMPS ingest |
| Delegated access | Co-organizer | Guest Administrator |
| Typical audience | Webinar, training | Corporate event, financial results |
First question to settle with your teams: which one do you have? The answer is visible in the scheduling interface — a "Media Encoder Settings" button in the broadcast controls identifies the Webcast version unambiguously.
Mode A — You run the platform, we deliver the signal
You retain control of the platform. We produce the picture and sound, and push them to your ingest point.
On GoTo Webcast
From the Live Studio, under Broadcast Controls → Media Encoder Settings, you send us:
- the primary stream URL and ID
- the backup stream URL and ID
- the event mode: adaptive (URL ending
/abr_live) or constant bitrate (URL ending/convey_live)
We encode to the platform's published specification: H.264 for video, AAC for audio, Main 3.1 profile, bitrate capped at 6 Mbps — above that, GoTo terminates the stream.
We always supply both streams from two separate machines. Plan accordingly: a redundant configuration doubles the upstream bandwidth required.
On GoTo Webinar classic
The platform accepts no external encoder. We therefore inject the programme from a dedicated workstation, presented to the application as a camera source. That workstation must be invited as a panelist or co-organizer, and granted presenter rights so the picture displays at full size.
One constraint to factor into the graphic design from the outset: GoTo Webinar compresses heavily and rescales according to available bandwidth and the number of active cameras. We adapt lower thirds and captions accordingly — large type, strong contrast, no fine text.
Division of responsibilities
| You | Stream Aura |
|---|---|
| Creating and configuring the event | Multi-camera capture |
| Registration, emails, reminders | Vision mixing, branding, playing in items |
| Starting and stopping the broadcast | Encoding and stream redundancy |
| Q&A moderation, polls | Supervision from our Paris operations centre |
| Recording and reporting | Master safety recording |
Mode B — You open a production account for us
You delegate control of the platform to us. A single technical contact from start to finish, leaving your teams free to focus on content.
On GoTo Webcast: the Guest Administrator account
Once the event is scheduled, you invite presenters, moderators and schedulers by granting them Guest Administrator access. Permissions are set through "Access Types", which you create once and reuse:
- Live Studio — join and deliver the live event
- Content — upload slides, resources and imagery
- OD Studio — edit the replay and the event timeline
- Reports — generate audience and analytics reports
- Q&A Only — manage audience questions only
You stay in control: a dedicated setting lets you limit what each presenter can see and do inside the Live Studio. There is no cap on the number of Guest Administrators who can join the Live Studio — except on events using Video Bridge or telephone acquisition, which are limited to 20 presenters on the bridge.
What we ask for: a named Guest Admin with Live Studio and Content rights. Reports and OD Studio rights are useful if you entrust the replay to us.
On GoTo Webinar classic: the co-organizer
You add us as a co-organizer, either before or during the session. We then have access to the same in-session tools as you.
Two limitations to be aware of, inherent to how GoTo works:
- Starting the session. Only people who are members of your GoTo Webinar account can start a webinar on your behalf. An external co-organizer cannot — someone on your side must open the session.
- After the event. Co-organizers have no access to post-session features: archiving recordings and follow-up emails remain with you.
To remove both limitations, you would need to provision us a genuine organizer seat from the Admin Center. This consumes a licence on your subscription. It is the option to favour for a recurring programme, or for an event where your own team's availability on the day cannot be guaranteed.
Comparison
| Mode A — You run it | Mode B — We run it | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform access required | None, or panelist | Guest Admin / co-organizer / seat |
| Load on your team | One operator engaged live | None during the broadcast |
| Response time to an incident | Two-party coordination | Immediate decision |
| Suited to | Experienced in-house team, straightforward event | High stakes, complex or multilingual set-up |
The two modes combine. We regularly run Mode B for production while the client keeps an operator on Q&A.
What we need from you
In both modes
- The exact platform version: GoTo Webinar or GoTo Webcast
- Date, running times, duration and language of the event
- Expected audience volume
- Name and contact details of your technical lead
In Mode A, additionally
- Primary and backup stream URLs and IDs
- Event mode: adaptive or constant bitrate
- A slot for the ingest test, no later than D‑5
In Mode B, additionally
- Named accounts with the rights described above
- Access opened no later than D‑7 for preparation
- Written confirmation of the delegated scope
Rehearsals
Our method, refined since 2007, comes down to three appointments:
- D‑7 — access and set-up validated
- D‑5 — ingest test or camera test, under real network conditions
- D‑1 — full run-through with the speakers
No event goes ahead without the ingest test. It is the only way to confirm that the ingest point responds, that the bitrate holds, and that the platform will not terminate the stream.
Access security
We work exclusively with named accounts, never with shared credentials. Access can be revoked at any time, and we ask that you close it once the replay is published.
Contact
Stream Aura — technical audiovisual and streaming services 45 rue Sedaine, 75011 Paris, France bonjour@streamaura.fr — https://streamaura.fr
Digital events, without a hitch.