After PheedLoop’s own built-in streaming solution, Meet & Stream (complete with our PheedLoop Meet integrations and even a Direct RTMP override mode), our integration with Zoom is by far the second most popular option events choose to stream their sessions in PheedLoop.
Most virtual event platforms will boast Zoom integrations that are actually very basic. In the best and still basic case, they are featured in the Zoom marketplace which ultimately requires accessing Zoom externally from the virtual event platform itself and zero programmatic flexibility. In the worst case linking out to Zoom with no real integration whatsoever.
PheedLoop’s integration is very different from the vast majority of platforms, in that it is the Zoom experience built right into the PheedLoop platform. It is programmed inside PheedLoop, giving us an unprecedented level of flexibility and a truly seamless experience for attendees.
One of the limitations of this approach for a few months was the limited set of features Zoom offered using this method. No breakout rooms, gallery views, live polls, etc. Well, that has now all changed and it is amazing how much better PheedLoop’s integration with Zoom is from every angle! Let’s explore some of the newest aspects.
Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms have surfaced over the past many months as a top way to engage audiences in sessions by splitting audiences into smaller groups to connect on narrower topics, and come back to the parent session. Zoom’s breakout rooms are now available via the PheedLoop Zoom integration, alongside our own breakout room options (e.g. group networking rooms, sub-sessions, etc.)
Live Polls
Live polls are a popular way to engage attendees to measure opinions on topics, maintain attention in presentations, and simply keep things interactive. Live polls are now available via the PheedLoop Zoom integration, alongside our own options for integrating live polls for all streaming methods PheedLoop supports.
Live Captions
Although PheedLoop has a lot of amazing options when it comes to captioning, especially with our recent announcement about our partnership with the industry-leading captioning software, SyncWords, the updated PheedLoop Zoom integration now supports live captions as well. You can use it the same way you use captions in Zoom already, by adding languages and allowing your own captioners to jump in and start providing live captions.
Gallery View [Beta]
Ah, the much anticipated gallery view is finally here. Well, just about. Gallery view was just released days ago, and is in beta currently supporting Zoom Meetings and eventually coming to Webinars with more advanced functionality. Depending on the type of Zoom setup you have for a particular session in your PheedLoop event (i.e. meeting vs. webinar), you’ll be able to give this exciting new feature a whirl. Zoom is fixing some small bugs with this feature shortly, but it’s already looking great!
Whiteboards
Whiteboards are slowly rising up to become a great collaboration tool for small meetings in PheedLoop. PheedLoop already allows you to embed custom whiteboard for each session no matter what streaming solution you use (via each session’s Custom Engage Code), so you can use popular tools like Miro with ease, but Zoom’s built-in whiteboard now works as well with the PheedLoop Zoom integration.
White-Labeled Design
This goes back to our earlier point in this post. We’ve taken the effort to build a much more advanced version of Zoom inside PheedLoop, we’re not linking out to Zoom or relying on the Zoom marketplace for an easy way out. We are all about creating seamless and tightly integrated solutions so that everything works as well as possible within one interface with minimal functional conflicts, but also brand conflicts. This is why we’ve totally reskinned the PheedLoop Zoom integration to match your event’s theme much more closely. This means attendees can hardly tell you’re even using Zoom within PheedLoop, and you get to maintain a unified brand image. Of course, you can also consider using PheedLoop’s built-in streaming solutions under the Meet & Stream umbrella.
Reduced Need for API Keys
A sticking point for some PheedLoop customers was the need to apply their Zoom account’s API keys to link Zoom to PheedLoop properly. We’re excited to say that this is no longer required! Simply fill in the Zoom parameters per session, and everything will work great. You still need the meetings/webinars to be hosted using your own license.
Conclusion
We’re thrilled to present all these updates. Although most events use Meet & Stream, Zoom has been an excellent second option with unique features that have only gotten better. We work directly with the Zoom team, and they are a great crew just like our own at PheedLoop. If you’re curious about all the streaming options in PheedLoop, feel free to check this page out.
