StreamLive ProGuest join options: camera, microphone or listen only
Guest join options explained: Camera + Mic, Camera Only, Mic Only and Listen Only. What each one sends, when to pick it, and what the host sees and can change.
A guest who opens your invite link chooses what to share before joining: Camera + Mic (the default), Camera Only, Mic Only, or Listen Only. The choice decides what the guest sends into the room, not what they receive: every guest hears the conversation, and every guest except a listener can be put on air. Pick Mic Only for a voice guest who does not want to be seen, and Listen Only for someone who should follow the conversation without being heard.
The four options
| Option on the join screen | Guest sends | Guest receives | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera + Mic | Picture and voice | The conversation | A normal interview or co-host |
| Camera Only | Picture, no sound | The conversation | A silent participant on screen, for example a sign-language interpreter |
| Mic Only | Voice, no picture | The conversation | A phone-in style guest, a weak connection, a guest who prefers not to be seen |
| Listen Only | Nothing; the camera light stays off | The conversation | A producer, a guest waiting for a later segment, a listener who may call in |
The same screen appears whether you invited the guest to a live in the browser studio or to the podcast studio. How to send the link: How to invite a guest to your podcast recording or How to do a live interview with a remote guest.
Steps
- Open the link. On a computer or a phone, in a current browser. No app or account is needed.
- Type your name. It is the name the host sees, and it can appear on air.
- Choose what to share. Click one of the four options under "Choose what to share".
- Allow the browser. For any option except Listen Only, the browser asks for the camera, the microphone or both. Allow it.
- Check yourself. With a camera you see a preview. With a microphone a level meter moves when you speak; if it does not, choose another microphone before joining.
- Click Join. You arrive muted. The host decides when you are heard and when you are on screen.
When the browser changes the choice for you
The join screen does not leave a guest out because of a camera problem:
- The camera is busy or missing (another app is using it, or there is none). The guest joins with audio only, and a message says the camera is unavailable.
- The camera is blocked but the microphone is allowed in the browser's site settings. The guest joins with the microphone only, and the message explains how to allow the camera from the lock icon next to the address and reload.
- A weak device. The page tries a lower camera quality before giving up on the camera, and says it is matching the camera quality to the device.
If both camera and microphone are blocked, the guest cannot join with sound and is told how to allow them. Step-by-step fixes: My camera does not work in the browser and My microphone does not work in the browser.
What the host sees and can do
- Every guest arrives muted. Unmute a guest when you want them heard; put them on air when you want them seen. See Talk to a guest off air, then bring them on.
- A Camera Only guest sends no sound. Unmuting them does nothing until they rejoin with a microphone.
- A Listen Only guest can become a speaker. When you unmute a listener, their browser asks for the microphone and they join the conversation without leaving, like a radio call-in. Bringing a listener on air this way is included on Pro and Studio and in the trial: /pricing?lang=en.
- Mute, camera off, rename and remove work for every guest, on every plan. See Manage guests during a live: mute, place, remove.
What can go wrong
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| You cannot hear a guest who chose Camera + Mic | They are still muted, or picked the wrong microphone. See I cannot hear my guest in the live stream |
| A guest wanted to be seen but joined with audio only | Their camera was busy or blocked. Close other apps using it, allow it in the browser, reload the link |
| A listener's camera light came on | It turns off once Listen Only is chosen; if it stays on, reload the page and choose Listen Only before allowing anything |
| The link says it expired | Guest links are valid for 4 hours. Make a new link in the invite window: The guest link does not work |
Frequently asked questions
Can a guest join with only a microphone?
Yes. On the join screen the guest chooses Mic Only. They are heard but not seen.
Can someone join just to listen?
Yes. Listen Only sends nothing: no camera, no microphone. The person hears the conversation, and the host can later invite them to speak.
Does the guest need an account or an app?
No. The guest opens the link in a browser, types a name and chooses how to join.
Why did my guest join without video?
Their camera was busy, missing or blocked in the browser, so the page joined them with audio only rather than not at all. Fix the camera and reload the link.
Can the guest change the option after joining?
The choice is made on the join screen. To change it, the guest reloads the link and chooses again. A listener can also become a speaker when the host unmutes them.
Keep reading
Echo cancellation removes your speakers from your microphone; noise suppression removes background sound. What each does, its limits, and the StreamLive Pro settings.
What is mix-minus? Echo-free sound for remote guestsWhat is mix-minus: a sound feed for each remote guest with everyone except their own voice. Why it prevents echo, how it works, and how StreamLive Pro builds it.
I cannot hear my guest in the live streamCan't hear a guest in your live? Usually the guest arrived muted, joined without a microphone, or picked the wrong mic. The checks for host and guest, in order.
The guest link does not workGuest link not working? Usually it expired after 4 hours or your studio was closed, so the room is gone. What the guest sees, what it means, and how to fix it fast.
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