Hangout on Air is a way to record and share your discussions live and have them be replayed over and over again. Google Hangout on Air works with YouTube to stream your hangout live. It allows you to invite customers, friends or whoever to your public forum.

How Hangouts on Air Work

You’ll need to sign in to your Google+ account to begin with. Then go to the Home menu located on the left side of your screen. Scroll down and Click the “Hangouts on Air.”

 

Click the “Start a Hangout on Air” button.

Here, Google+ asks you to connect to your YouTube account.

Verify your YouTube account by entering your phone number and using the verification code you receive.

Next you need to go back to the Google Hangout on Air screen and confirm YouTube and your Google plus accounts are connected.

Starting Your Hangout on Air

Give your Hangout a name and invite people to view it. The name you use here will be the title of the Hangout post in your Google+ stream and your YouTube recording. It cannot be changed in Hangouts after you set. It can be adjusted in the resulting YouTube video later though.

You can invite people from your circles or individuals. Extended circles or the public cannot be invited to join the broadcast as a participant.

Agree to the Terms. Click the start broadcast button on the right and confirm you want to broadcast your hangout publicly.

Your broadcast has now started. When you are finished, simply click the End Broadcast button to stop the broadcast. Once the broadcast is done, it is automatically converted to a static video on YouTube where people can watch it and comment on it whenever they want.

Finding your Video

Your Hangout on Air video is available on your Google+ home page. Once the Hangout is finished, the video is automatically posted publicly to your YouTube channel as well as any other live streams you have, such as embedded links on your website.

You can edit your Hangout on Air video using YouTube’s video editor. Or download it and use your own editing software like Camtasia.

The easiest way for people to find your recorded broadcast is to create a page on your blog with the embedded video stream. You can embed the live player of your Hangout on Air by copying the YouTube URL or HTML code and pasting it onto your blog page.

There is some processing time. It can take a few minutes or several hours.

Preview your recording once it is done processing. Play it from start to finish and pay close attention to the beginning and ending. You can add tags, change the view from public to private, and add thumbnails or other things. You do this by clicking on the title of the video in the video manger, clicking on edit video or edit settings.

Tips for a Successful Google+ Hangout on Air

* Send out reminders close to the time your event is taking place. Promote it in advance as much as possible. Use your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and your newsletters to let people know about your hangout.

* Prepare in advance for your broadcast. It’s a live event. You won’t be able to make any edits until after the event. Have some type of script or bullet points worked out ahead of time.

* Grab the code from the embed code button before you start the broadcast. You will see a link that says “Embed”. Click it and you’ll get the code you can share.

…and place it on your blog to send people to your Hangout on Air. This embeds the YouTube player on your site so visitors can watch the Hangout on Air live from your site as well as on Google+ and your YouTube channel.

* Highlight Reel. A few days after the event, post a short 1 or 2 minute highlight reel of the best moments from you hangout on your website, Google+ page, Facebook, Twitter and in any of your marketing. This is great for getting people who didn’t come to your last Hangout to attend your next one.

* Use the Q&A App. There is a Q&A app that you can use that will allow people to submit questions to your Hangout. This handy app also lets you keep track of questions you’ve already answered. NOTE: You have to start Q&A before your broadcast begins. You won’t be able to turn it on after you start.

* Add Your Name and Website to Your Video Screen. The Google Toolbox app makes it possible to add your name, location and other details like your website to the video screen.

It’s the “Lower Third” option. All you have to do is enter your information once and then have the app save the preset, so you can use it again.

 

Practice Ahead of Time

Check your settings so you maintain screen control during the broadcast. You can do this by going to the settings in the hangout and adjusting them to what you want.

* Make sure your environment is clear. What will people see and hear on your end? Keep distractions to a limit if possible.

* Have a conversation. Invite someone to be a guest and join in the conversation with you. It’s much more interesting to listen to a conversation than to a single person. Remember, however, that only 10 people are allowed on the Hangout on Air at a time but an unlimited number of people can watch.

Google+ Hangouts on Air is a lot like Skype. You can have conversations, text chats and record your discussions. The one thing that HOA has is the ability to share your recordings through YouTube and on your own website.