Computers can be temperamental and sometimes you may encounter issues with your livestream, for example:
Livestream not publishing
Inconsistent or static audio
Video stuttering
Browser crashing
Rest assured, if you encounter any of the above issues, 99% of the time it’s a hardware or connection issue and there is a way to fix it.
Backup Devices
If you are running Webcast Auctions, the best thing you can do for you and your team is to have redundancies in place.
Laptop dead 5 minutes before the auction? Have a spare computer charged up and on standby. Webcam stopped working? Keep a spare one handy. Microphone cable missing? Move your Webcam close to the Auctioneer.
Always have spare devices at the ready and always have a backup plan.
Livestream not publishing
If you click Start Publishing and the Feed Preview window briefly flashes up and then disappears like this:
This indicates an issue with either your Camera or Audio Input/Microphone device. Here’s what to do to fix it:
Click Remove Feed
Unplug your devices
Reconnect your devices back into your stream computer/laptop
Hard refresh the Webcast Clerking Console (CTRL SHIFT R on Windows, Command Shift R on macOS)
Configure your stream settings and try clicking Start Publishing again
This will fix the issue in 99% of cases, but if the issue persists, switch to a backup Camera and/or Audio Input/Microphone.
If you click Start Publishing and the Feed Preview window does not appear, this indicates an issue with your Vonage/TokBox API Keys.
If you encounter this issue, contact your assigned Webtron Support Specialist immediately.
Inconsistent Microphone Audio
If your bidders are reporting inconsistent or staticky microphone audio
Why does music sound terrible through my stream?
First off, unless you have a licence to stream music (in Australia this is an APRA AMCOS licence), stop.
Streaming through the Vonage Video API prioritises intelligible voice over rich sound. It uses bandwidth‑saving codecs and aggressive noise suppression, echo cancellation, and automatic gain control. Those are great for cutting out power frequency hum and making speech clear, but they flatten dynamics, smear transients, and treat musical tones as “noise” to be removed.
In short, the Vonage’s pipeline is optimised for voice, not music. Playing copyrighted content without a licence puts you at risk of a fine and having your Vonage account closed.
Troubleshooting Webcast Livestream Issues
The reason why we do soundchecks
Computers can be temperamental and sometimes you may encounter issues with your livestream, for example:
Rest assured, if you encounter any of the above issues, 99% of the time it’s a hardware or connection issue and there is a way to fix it.
Backup Devices
If you are running Webcast Auctions, the best thing you can do for you and your team is to have redundancies in place.
Laptop dead 5 minutes before the auction? Have a spare computer charged up and on standby.
Webcam stopped working? Keep a spare one handy.
Microphone cable missing? Move your Webcam close to the Auctioneer.
Always have spare devices at the ready and always have a backup plan.
Livestream not publishing
If you click Start Publishing and the Feed Preview window briefly flashes up and then disappears like this:
This indicates an issue with either your Camera or Audio Input/Microphone device. Here’s what to do to fix it:
This will fix the issue in 99% of cases, but if the issue persists, switch to a backup Camera and/or Audio Input/Microphone.
If you click Start Publishing and the Feed Preview window does not appear, this indicates an issue with your Vonage/TokBox API Keys.
If you encounter this issue, contact your assigned Webtron Support Specialist immediately.
Inconsistent Microphone Audio
If your bidders are reporting inconsistent or staticky microphone audio
Why does music sound terrible through my stream?
First off, unless you have a licence to stream music (in Australia this is an APRA AMCOS licence), stop.
Streaming through the Vonage Video API prioritises intelligible voice over rich sound. It uses bandwidth‑saving codecs and aggressive noise suppression, echo cancellation, and automatic gain control. Those are great for cutting out power frequency hum and making speech clear, but they flatten dynamics, smear transients, and treat musical tones as “noise” to be removed.
In short, the Vonage’s pipeline is optimised for voice, not music. Playing copyrighted content without a licence puts you at risk of a fine and having your Vonage account closed.