Simulive and scheduled streams that look live but plan ahead

Vimeo lets you schedule pre-recorded video to broadcast as a live premiere with real-time chat, Q&A, and polls, so the audience gets the shared experience of a live event without the production risk. Run 24/7 scheduled streams for a rolling channel, evergreen webinars, or a launch window where the polished cut ships at the exact hour it was meant to.
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True-live broadcasts carry risk the content itself does not need

  • Rehearsals, run-of-show, and the day-of nerves

    The keynote is written, the demo is scripted, the cutdowns are ready. A live delivery introduces failure modes the content never asked for: a dropped connection, a missed cue, a technical hiccup in front of the audience.

  • Time zones lock live to one window

    A 10 a.m. New York live works for the East Coast, cuts European viewers out, and lands in the middle of the night in Asia. One live broadcast serves one region, and the recording arrives after the moment.

  • 24/7 channels need round-the-clock production

    A rolling channel that runs all day needs continuous production, or it turns into a static video loop. Real programming, at scale, without live production, requires a different model.

Simulive and scheduled streaming exist because the value of a live event, shared moment, real-time chat, urgency, does not require live production risk. When the video is already recorded and polished, scheduling it to broadcast at a specific time gives the audience the shared experience with none of the day-of failure modes. Add live chat, moderated Q&A, and polls during the premiere, and it reads live to viewers while running on a controlled asset.

Broadcast pre-recorded video as a live premiere

Vimeo's simulive scheduling lets you pick a start time for a pre-recorded video, and Vimeo broadcasts it as a live premiere on the exact schedule. Real-time chat, moderated Q&A, and polls run alongside the playback so the audience gets the shared moment. Trigger the event across time zones by running the same asset at multiple scheduled times, without a fresh production pass for each region.
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Scheduled premiere start times

Pick the date and hour your recording goes live. Vimeo pushes the broadcast automatically. The event feed loads the countdown, then rolls into playback at the scheduled moment.

Real-time chat during playback

Viewers watch the recording together with live chat rolling. The scheduled premiere reads as live because the audience conversation is live, even when the video is pre-recorded.

Moderated Q&A and polls

Layer moderated Q&A and audience polls on the simulive playback so the host or moderator engages with viewers in real time without piloting a live camera.

Multiple simulive events per region

Schedule the same recorded asset to premiere three times across time zones. New York, London, and Singapore each get a shared-moment broadcast without three live production runs.

Run 24/7 scheduled streams for a rolling channel

For a channel that runs all day, Vimeo supports 24/7 scheduled streams built from a playlist of pre-recorded content. Program the day, and Vimeo delivers continuous broadcast without live production staffing. Combine it with simulcast to YouTube and social destinations, and the programmed channel reaches audiences on every platform they already watch on for real-time engagement.
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24/7 continuous scheduled streams

Program a playlist and Vimeo runs the channel round the clock. Rolling content, launch countdowns, and always-on broadcasts run without staffing a live production booth.

Simulcast the scheduled stream

Push your simulive premiere to YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and up to 20 custom RTMP destinations. One scheduled stream reaches every channel.

On-demand replay after premiere

When the simulive premiere ends, the recording is available on-demand at the same event URL with chat history preserved for viewers who missed the scheduled window.

Registration and CRM sync

Gate the simulive premiere behind a registration form. Registrations sync to HubSpot, Marketo, or Salesforce so the marketing team follows up with the audience.

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What simulive and scheduled streams change about the live event workflow

Simulive turns a polished recording into a live-feeling event without day-of production risk. The keynote runs on schedule, chat feels alive, and the on-demand replay ships automatically. For teams running product launches, evergreen webinars, or a 24/7 channel, simulive replaces live-production overhead with a scheduling flow, and the audience experience stays the same shared moment.

  • Zero live production risk

    The video is already recorded and polished before it airs. Dropped connections, missed cues, and technical hiccups do not enter the equation on the day of the premiere.

  • Same shared-moment audience feel

    Live chat, Q&A, and polls run in real time during the simulive playback. Viewers experience the premiere as a shared event, not a solo watch on an on-demand video.

  • Cross-time-zone coverage

    Schedule the same recorded asset to premiere three times across regions. One recording reaches New York, London, and Singapore audiences at reasonable local hours.

  • 24/7 scheduled channels

    Program a rolling channel from a playlist. Vimeo runs the broadcast continuously without live production staffing, and the schedule updates from your workspace.

  • Simulcast to every social destination

    The simulive premiere pushes to YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and up to 20 custom RTMP destinations from one scheduled stream.

  • Recording lives on the same URL

    When the premiere ends, the recording is available on-demand at the same event URL with chat history preserved. Late viewers get the same page as attendees.

  • Registration for evergreen webinars

    Gate the simulive event behind a registration form. The evergreen webinar captures leads on a rolling schedule without a fresh live production for every session.

  • CRM sync for lead follow-up

    Registrations sync to HubSpot, Marketo, or Salesforce. The marketing team follows up with simulive attendees the same way they would with true-live event registrants.

  • Engagement analytics per premiere

    See concurrent viewers, watch time, drop-off, and chat activity during the simulive broadcast. The data informs the next scheduled premiere's format and length.

How to schedule a simulive stream on Vimeo

Vimeo turns a recorded upload into a scheduled premiere in a few configuration steps. Here's the flow from raw recording to live-feeling broadcast.

  1. Step 1

    Upload the finished recording to your Vimeo workspace. Auto-captions and a searchable transcript generate on paid uploads within minutes so the simulive premiere ships accessible.

  2. Step 2

    Create a live event in Vimeo and pick simulive as the source. Set the scheduled start time, event title, privacy, and registration options if you're gating the premiere.

  3. Step 3

    Turn on chat, moderated Q&A, and polls for the simulive playback. Assign moderators from your team so the real-time audience engagement runs alongside the pre-recorded video.

  4. Step 4

    Add simulcast destinations for YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X. Configure additional simulive slots for other time zones if you're covering multiple regions.

  5. Step 5

    At the scheduled time, Vimeo broadcasts the recording as a live premiere. When it ends, the on-demand replay is available at the same URL with chat history preserved.
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Find the right plan for you

    Vimeo offers discounts to US-based non-profit organizations and educational institutions. Learn more.

    For more information on feature availability, please reference our pricing page.

    Frequently asked questions about simulive and scheduled streams

    True live streams broadcast a real-time camera feed. Simulive broadcasts a pre-recorded video on a scheduled start time, with live chat, Q&A, and polls running alongside the playback. The audience gets the shared-moment feel of live without production risk on the day.

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