For every family member
who couldn't be there.
A staff member starts the stream before the family is seated — then goes back to being present with everyone in the room. Private link, no public feed. No special equipment. No production crew. No experience needed.
For every family member who couldn't travel.
The sibling across the country. The grandchild who couldn't get a flight in time. The friend who is homebound and couldn't leave. They are not absent because they don't care — they are absent because life made it impossible to be there.
Most funeral homes that want to offer livestreaming get stuck because it sounds like it requires a camera setup, a streaming service, and someone who knows what they're doing. It doesn't. A staff member starts the stream before the family is seated and goes back to being present with everyone in the room. The service is 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
Three steps. Under 60 seconds. You're live.
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1Create the service in Switcher Now
Takes about a minute. A private watch link is generated automatically — share it directly with the family by text or email before the service begins. No social media, no public posting. Just a link that works for the people who should have it.
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2A staff member starts the stream before the family is seated
Someone already at the service scans a QR code and their phone becomes a live camera. No app to download, no training required. Point it toward the service, prop it on a stand, and leave it. The phone stays where it is — no one needs to manage it or remain next to it. Their job is done in under 60 seconds, and then they can be fully present with the family in the room.
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3Tap Start Broadcasting — then conduct the service
You're live. Family members anywhere open the private link on any phone or computer — no app, no account. They watch in real time. When the service ends, the replay stays at the same link so anyone who missed it can watch later.
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4Family members watch without any setup on their end
Whoever receives the private link opens it on any phone or computer and watches immediately. No app to install, no account to create, no password to remember. The sibling across the country, the grandchild who couldn't get a flight — they just tap the link and they're there.
Your stream goes only where you send it.
Every service streamed through Switcher Now has a private direct link — not a social media post, not a public feed, not something the algorithm decides who sees. 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 where it belongs — with the people who belong there.
The watch link only goes to the people you send it to. Nobody else can find it, share it publicly, or access it without the direct link.
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. Someone already at the service scans a QR code, props their phone on a small stand pointed toward the front of the room, and that's the entire technical job. The phone stays where it is — no one needs to monitor it or stay near it. The stream handles everything from there.
"We don't have cameras or streaming equipment."
You don't need any. A staff member's phone on a small phone stand is your entire camera setup. The phone already in someone's pocket works. A basic phone stand costs $15 and gives remote family members a steady, clear view for the full service — and nobody has to hold it.
"Not every family requests livestreaming — we don't want to pay monthly."
That's exactly what the $19 per service option is for. Pay only when a family requests it. No monthly commitment, no subscription, no cost when you don't stream. Your first service is free with no credit card required.
"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 — 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 60–90 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 produces better results than the morning of.
Want to see what setup actually looks like?
Our Quick Setup guides cover everything — 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 to start. No credit card. No commitment. For every family member who couldn't be in the room — this is for them.
Start FreeQuestions first? Reach out at switchernow@switcherstudio.com — we read everything.