Pre-recorded lives let you schedule and broadcast a previously recorded live sale on your website and mobile app without being online when it starts. Products and info banners appear at their original recording timestamps, shoppers can chat in real time, and you can schedule broadcasts in advance.
Use the table of contents below to navigate to specific sections of this article:
- What Happens During a Pre-Recorded Broadcast
- Auto-Cancellation Rules
- Recording Statuses
- Limitations
- FAQs
What Happens During a Pre-Recorded Broadcast
When the scheduled broadcast begins:
- Products appear at the exact timestamps they were scanned during recording.
- Info banners replay at their original timestamps.
- Live chat remains open and active in real time.
- The broadcast automatically ends when the recording duration completes unless ended early by an admin.
- Shoppers see either a Live or Pre-Recorded badge depending on your selected setting.
- Push notifications are sent if enabled during scheduling.
Auto-Cancellation Rules
In some situations, the system automatically cancels the scheduled broadcast.
|
Tip! If a traditional live sale is active and a pre-recorded broadcast is scheduled within 30 minutes, warning alerts appear at:
before the scheduled start time. |
Recording Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
| Pending | Session created and stream setup is in progress |
| Wowza Ready | Stream infrastructure ready; recording has not started |
| Recording | Recording is actively in progress |
| Processing | Recording stopped and video is being encoded |
| Ready | Recording successfully processed and ready to schedule |
| Failed | Video processing failed and must be re-recorded |
| Draft | Saved without a schedule |
| Scheduled | Scheduled for future broadcast |
| Broadcasting | Currently live |
| Completed | Broadcast completed successfully |
| Cancelled | Broadcast cancelled manually or automatically |
Limitations
- Pre-recorded broadcasts are available only on the mobile app and website.
- Facebook and Instagram broadcasting are not supported for pre-recorded broadcasts.
- Only one recording/live session can be active per shop at a time.
- Scheduled broadcasts cannot overlap.
- Failed recordings cannot be scheduled and must be re-recorded.
- Live Overview as a stream source is unavailable when multi-host streaming is forced on.
- Maximum recording duration is enforced automatically.
| Important! Deleting or discarding a recording is permanent and cannot be undone. Cancelling a scheduled broadcast does not delete the recording. |
FAQs
Do I need to be online when a pre-recorded broadcast starts?
No. Once scheduled, the broadcast starts automatically at the scheduled time.
Can shoppers chat during a pre-recorded broadcast?
Yes. Live chat remains active throughout the broadcast, and your team can access the Live Overview tab while it plays.
Can I reschedule a pre-recorded broadcast?
Yes. Open the broadcast from Live History and update its schedule on the Edit page.
What happens if I cancel a scheduled broadcast?
Cancelling removes the schedule but preserves the recording. You can schedule the recording again later.
Why might a pre-recorded broadcast be cancelled automatically?
A broadcast may be cancelled if another live sale or pre-recorded broadcast is already active, the recording has not finished processing, or the recording video file is unavailable.
What do the recording statuses mean?
Statuses show the recording or broadcast's current stage, from Pending and Recording to Ready, Scheduled, Broadcasting, Completed, or Cancelled. A Failed status means video processing failed and the recording must be made again.
Which platforms support pre-recorded broadcasts?
Pre-recorded broadcasts are available on the CommentSold mobile app and website. Broadcasting to Facebook and Instagram is not supported.
Can I schedule overlapping pre-recorded broadcasts?
No. Only one recording or live session can be active per shop at a time, and scheduled broadcasts cannot overlap.
Does cancelling a scheduled broadcast delete the recording?
No. Cancelling a scheduled broadcast preserves the recording. However, deleting or discarding a recording is permanent and cannot be undone.