For every family member
who couldn't be there.
Set it up before the family arrives. A staff member taps Go Live, then goes back to being present with everyone in the room. Private link, no public feed.
Livestreaming a service sounds harder than it is.
The sibling across the country. The grandchild who couldn't get a flight in time. The friend who is homebound. They aren't absent because they don't care. Life made it impossible to be there.
Most funeral homes that want to offer livestreaming get stuck because it sounds like it needs cameras, a streaming service, and someone who knows what they're doing. It doesn't. The setup happens before the service, and nobody operates anything once it's live. The families who couldn't travel are there.
"I use Switcher Now whenever a family requests a live stream. It was super easy to set up and use."
One of our active funeral homes
Set it up before. Then let it run. Keep it after.
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BeforeSet up the service ahead of time
Create the service in Switcher Now. It takes about a minute. Add an intro image, like a photo of their loved one, and a closing image for the end of the stream. A private watch link is created automatically. Send it to the family by text or email, ideally the night before.
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DuringGo live, then be present with the family
Before the family is seated, a staff member sets a phone on a small stand facing the front of the room and taps Go Live. The phone's built-in mic handles the sound. A second phone can add another angle by scanning a QR code, with no app and no training. Nobody operates anything once it's live, so staff can be fully present in the room.
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AfterThe replay stays at the same link
Family members open the link on any phone or computer, with no app, account, or password. When the service ends, the recording stays at the same link, with every angle you captured. Anyone who missed it live can watch later and choose the view they want.
Your stream goes only where you send it.
Every service streamed through Switcher Now has a private direct link. It isn't a social media post or a public feed, and no algorithm decides who sees it. You share the link with the family. The family opens it. That is the entire audience.
No footage ends up somewhere you didn't intend. No strangers in the stream. The dignity of the service stays with the people who belong there.
The watch page isn't listed or searchable anywhere. Only people with the direct link can watch.
Simple answers to the questions we always get.
"We don't have anyone on staff who knows how to do this."
Nobody technical is required. The setup happens ahead of time. On the day, a staff member sets a phone on a small stand facing the front of the room and taps Go Live. Nobody needs to monitor it or stay near it once it's live.
"We don't have cameras or streaming equipment."
You don't need any. A staff member's phone on a small stand is your entire setup, and the phone's built-in mic handles the sound. A basic phone stand costs about $15 and gives remote family members a steady, clear view for the full service.
"Not every family requests livestreaming. We don't want to pay monthly."
That's what $19 per service is for. Pay only when a family requests it. No subscription, no monthly commitment, no cost when you don't stream. Try it free for 14 days with no credit card.
"We tried Facebook Live before and it felt wrong for a memorial service."
Facebook Live goes into a public feed. Switcher Now gives you a private direct link, so only the people you share it with can watch. No algorithm, no public presence, no strangers in the stream. The service stays private and dignified.
Four things worth reading before you go live.
The most common first-stream issue is audio that sounds distant from the camera position. Here's how to check it before the family arrives, and what to adjust if it's off.
Cellular signal in a chapel can vary by position. A two-minute signal check before the family arrives removes the one variable you can't fix during the service.
A memorial service can run 60 to 90 minutes. A phone that starts at 60% battery may not make it. Here's the one-item fix that eliminates the most common mid-service failure.
Your private watch link is ready before you go live. Here's when to send it, how to word the message, and why sharing it the night before works better than the morning of.
Want to see what setup actually looks like?
Our Quick Setup guides cover how to position a phone in a chapel, how to check audio before the service starts, and how to get someone up to speed in under two minutes.
Your next service is the right time to try it.
Free for 14 days. No credit card. No commitment. For every family member who couldn't be in the room.
Start FreeQuestions first? Reach out at switchernow@switcherstudio.com. We read everything.