[TIP Proposal] Expanding Council Meeting Coverage to Live Streaming on X Spaces and YouTube
Submitted to: Platform and Treasury Council
Proposed by: BZ
Date: 4/15/2025
Funding Request: None (No funding requested)
Category: Public Engagement / Transparency / Technology Enhancement
Overview
This proposal seeks approval and support to expand live streaming coverage of council meetings by broadcasting simultaneously on X Spaces (formerly Twitter Spaces) and YouTube. The goal is to increase public accessibility, engagement, and transparency by leveraging existing free streaming technologies to reach broader and more diverse audiences.
The project will utilize OBS Studio, a free and open-source streaming platform, combined with multistreaming tools such as the Restream plugin or OBS’s Multiple RTMP Outputs plugin, to broadcast live council meetings from Discord or other meeting platforms across multiple social media channels concurrently.
Purpose
Current council meeting broadcasts are primarily limited to single platforms, which restricts audience reach and engagement. Expanding to X Spaces and YouTube will:
- Enhance real-time public participation and awareness by meeting audiences where they are active.
- Provide redundancy and resilience in streaming, mitigating risks of platform-specific outages or content removals.
- Foster greater transparency and community trust through accessible, multi-platform coverage.
This initiative supports the council’s commitment to open government and digital inclusivity by modernizing meeting dissemination methods without incurring additional costs.
Scope of Work
- Configure OBS Studio for live streaming council meetings, integrating audio and video feeds from Discord or other meeting software.
- Implement multistreaming capabilities using free tools such as the Restream free tier or OBS Multiple RTMP Outputs plugin to broadcast simultaneously on X Spaces and YouTube.
- Develop standardized streaming workflows and provide training for staff or volunteers to manage live broadcasts efficiently.
- Monitor and moderate live streams to ensure compliance with platform policies and community standards.
- Engage with community via real time streaming chat to answer questions.
- Archive streamed meetings for on-demand viewing and maintain accessible records.
- Promote the expanded streaming options through council communication channels to maximize public awareness.
Expected Outcomes
- Live streaming of all council meetings on both X Spaces and YouTube, increasing accessibility.
- Higher viewer engagement and participation metrics across platforms.
- Improved public perception of council transparency and responsiveness.
- Establishment of a scalable, multi-platform streaming infrastructure for future digital initiatives.
Success Indicators
- 100% of council meetings streamed live on both platforms.
- At least 25% increase in average live viewership compared to current single-platform streams.
- Positive community feedback and increased interaction during live sessions.
- Successful archiving and availability of meeting recordings within 24 hours post-event.
Closing Notes
By adopting multi-platform live streaming using OBS and related free technologies, the council will significantly enhance public access to governance processes without requiring additional funding. This proposal aligns with the principles of transparency, inclusivity, and technological innovation, ensuring that council meetings are accessible to a wider audience in real time and archived for future reference. Approval and support for this initiative will modernize civic engagement and strengthen community trust.
This proposal leverages free, open-source tools and existing platform features to enable efficient multistreaming. It also emphasizes the importance of platform policy compliance and content moderation to maintain uninterrupted, high-quality broadcasts.