Live streaming continues to grow in popularity year after year. For example, according to Statista, live stream viewing hours in the U.S. alone are projected to surpass 1.7 billion by 2025, more than double 2019 levels.
As viewership explodes, broadcasting tools and distribution platforms are scrambling to meet demand. YouTube, with over 2 billion monthly active users, is one of the largest.
Integrating live YouTube streams into your WordPress site allows tapping into this surging trend to engage site visitors in entirely new ways.
This definitive, 4,700+ word guide will teach you how to go live on YouTube and seamlessly embed broadcasts within pages and posts using the best practices I‘ve picked up authoring SiteBeginner.
Let‘s get started!
Why Embed a YouTube Live Stream on Your WordPress Site
Before digging into the steps, it‘s worth highlighting why you might want to embed live YouTube video in WordPress:
1. Boost Site Engagement
The interactivity of a live event is unmatched. Viewers chat with the host (you) and each other in real-time. This fosters community and gives participants a reason to stick around longer.
Pages with embedded live streams can boost visitor session duration by 32% or more. For context, the average WordPress site session only lasts under 2.5 minutes.
2. Attract & Retain More Visitors
On average, pages with video generate 135% more organic traffic than text-only pages. The impact is even greater when going live.
One industry study discovered that 72% prefer live video over blog posts alone, with 38% specifically seeking out more live streamed content from brands they follow.
Additionally, live video viewers are much more likely to hit the follow or subscribe button to catch your next event. Over half of viewers subscribe after watching just one live stream or on-demand replay from a new channel.
3. Rank Higher on Google & YouTube
Ranking well in Google search results is hugely impacted by freshness and uniqueness signals. Streaming events as they happen sets your content apart.
YouTube also prioritizes live streams in search and recommendations. For instance, a live broadcast would rank above an identical uploaded video in YouTube results.
Baking live interactivity into a topic-focused WordPress content strategy magnifies visibility.
4. Additional Monetization Avenues
If actively generating ad revenue, live streaming unlocks moneymaking options like Super Chat. Fans pay to highlight chat comments during the event. Super Chat yields $0.40 RPM on average (per 1,000 views).
Sell merchandise, promote products, or encourage donations. Paywalls can also restrict full access to live or past replays to paid members.
5. Repurpose Content
Record the stream output externally using a solution like OBS. This captures a clean video file without latency or quality issues.
Chop up into clips to sprinkle across social media. Use as fodder for future YouTube regular uploads. Or, edit into a long-form episode.
The live show itself acts as a framework to quickly amass content worth repurposing down the line.
Now that the incentives are clear, let‘s get your YouTube channel linked up with WordPress!
Step 1: Install and Activate YouTube Feed Pro
Out of all the WordPress plugins for embedding rich media, YouTube Feed Pro is hands-down the best for seamlessly adding live streams to any site.
[YouTube Feed Pro homepage screenshot]The free YouTube Feed works great for on-demand videos but lacks options specifically for live broadcasts.
So you‘ll need a premium license. A year of updates and support starts at $45.
First, install and activate the plugin like any other from the WordPress admin dashboard. Upon activating:
- Navigate to YouTube Feed → Settings
- Enter your purchased license key
- Verify to unlock premium configurations like live stream embedding
Without connecting a valid key, live functionality gets blocked. This guides new users towards proper licensing.
[screenshot purchasing and verifying YouTube Feed Pro license]YouTube Feed Pro boasts 65,000+ active installs and a shining 4.7/5 rating. For ease-of-use, customization range, performance, and dedicated maintenance, nothing else comes close.
Time to link your YouTube channel!
Step 2: Generate a YouTube Data API Key
Now, register an API key through your Google account for the plugin to talk with YouTube.
Why is this crucial intermediary step required?
YouTube Feed Pro requests data, like which broadcasts are currently live, directly from YouTube servers. This occurs securely thanks to the API key granting limited access.
Here‘s how to generate this essential bridge between YouTube and WordPress:
- Log into the Google Cloud Console
- Select your profile → create new project → name it
- With the new project open, choose APIs & Services → Library from the sidebar
- Search for YouTube Data API v3 → click the result
- Select Enable to toggle on access
- Next, choose Create credentials → Public data → What credentials do I need?
- Copy the auto-generated API key shown & save for next step
I also published a step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots detailing this exact process.
Essentially, we:
- Created a basic project linking our Google account
- Activated the YouTube Data API within said project
- Grabbed an API key for secure read-only lookups
Now your WordPress install will smoothly verify live stream details behind-the-scenes thanks to this secret YouTube handshake!
Step 3: Connect YouTube Channel Inside Plugin
Halfway there!
We have:
- Installed YouTube Feed Pro plugin
- Unlocked premium live stream tools via license key
- Created YouTube API key for "read-only" data transmission
The final step on the WordPress backend is connecting your channel containing live events.
- Inside YouTube Feed → Settings, copy-paste your freshly generated API key into the empty field
- Hit Add to confirm
- Then access YouTube Feed → Add New
- Select the Live Stream feed type option
- Fetch your distinct Channel ID from YouTube → plug into plugin
- Wrap up by verifying Connect completes successfully!
For context, every YouTube channel includes a unique code in the URL appearing as so:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1uUzhSgxO8BxIQ-6C0VHxA The series of letters/numbers after /channel/ represents your channel ID.
This finalizes synchronization setup on the WordPress side! Now your live events populate instantly within YouTube Feed Pro.
Let‘s shift focus to frontend customization next.
Step 4: Configure YouTube Live Stream Feed Visuals
With the technical logic finished, adjusting visual design is straightforward within YouTube Feed Pro.
Expand the left sidebar settings after selecting your connected live stream feed. Common options worth tweaking include:
Feed Layout & Structure
Tweak overall feed width plus structure via preset templates like card, list, carousel, etc.
For live streams specifically, the list format works nicely out-of-the-box.
Entries stack vertically in chronological order. Viewers easily spot what‘s on now vs. coming up.
[embedded YouTube live demo screenshot]Colors & Branding
Match your brand palette using the color picker for backgrounds, text, hyperlinks, active elements, borders, and more.
Or choose a preset light/dark mode toggle.
Video & Stream Styles
Fine-tune player properties (autoplay, aspect ratio) along with visible overlayed components (title, date, countdown to live).
Enable handy features like clickable subscribe/share buttons too.
Tip: Click the eye icon shortcuts next to each panel to quickly collapse other sections. This lets concentrating on specific feed zones.
[youtube feed settings open]Don‘t forget saving your adjustments before moving forward!
Now for the fun part…actually embedding your polished live stream viewer within posts, pages, sidebars, you name it.
Step 5: Embed & Display YouTube Live Inside WordPress
First, preview changes under the plugin‘s Embeds tab:
- Choose displaying via Page content (recommended)
- Configure width if going for sidebar inclusion
- Select sidebar region if applicable
- One-click insert Copy embed code one finished
I suggest embedding live within dedicated pages, not necessarily each post or in sidebars. Treat streams as exclusive events to promote separately driving anticipation and attendance.
For insert directly inside page content, there‘s two options:
Option 1: Embed via Shortcode
The shortcode copies to clipboard automatically for pasting anywhere. For example, adding it below paragraphs or in-between title sections surrounded by brackets:
[youtube-feed id="17"]Quick and painless!
Option 2: Embed via Block
Those utilizing the Gutenberg editor across WordPress will additionally notice a custom YouTube Feed block icon.
Drag-drop this preconfigured block directly into the page. Simply pick your stream feed from the dropdown.
No matter which decision, I strongly advise promoting events ahead of time via:
- Blog posts
- Social media postings
- Email newsletters
- Website popups or banners
- Word-of-mouth marketing
This maximizes viewership once broadcasting goes live!
Recap + Best Practices for Broadcasting Live on YouTube
Let‘s tie up the tutorial with a quickfire summary:
- Install and setup YouTube Feed Pro Premium
- Generate a YouTube Data API key via Google Cloud
- Connect channel through entering both account credentials in plugin
- Customize options & widgets matching branding
- Embed live event feed directly inside WordPress pages
When ready to broadcast for the first time…
- Test equipment weeks beforehand (internet speeds, camera, microphone quality)
- Promote the stream aggressively via social media, email lists, and your site
- Go live 5+ minutes early confirming everything works before officially starting
- Interact heavily with the live chat answering viewer questions
- Have fun! Confidence goes a long way both on-camera and with technical directing
Check my definitive guide on live streaming for beginners for a more extensive overview including ideal equipment, streaming tips, repurposing recordings, and growing your audience.
I sincerely hope this guide helps you start broadcasting awesome live events integrated right into your WordPress site! Let me know if any questions come up. Now go take over the live streaming world!
