How to Livestream Your Event and Sell Online Tickets with M-Pesa

Your venue holds 800 people. Your audience is far bigger: fans in Mombasa and Kisumu who can't travel, Kenyans abroad, and people who would gladly pay to watch from their sofa. Livestreaming lets you sell to all of them, and turns a sold-out night into a second revenue stream.

Until now, a paid livestream in Kenya meant stitching tools together: tickets in one place, a YouTube or Zoom link in another, and a lot of hoping nobody shared the link. EventYangu Live puts it all in one place. Fans buy an online ticket with M-Pesa and watch on their phone, on the same platform where they buy your in-person tickets.

This guide covers how paid livestreams work, how to set one up, and how to make it sell.

#Why livestream your event?

• More revenue from the same production. You've already paid for the stage, sound and artists. An online ticket costs little to add.
• Sell beyond your venue's capacity. When the hall is full, the stream keeps selling.
• Reach the diaspora. Kenyans in the UK, US and the Gulf will pay to watch a homecoming show, and cards work at checkout.
• Content you keep. A replay window earns late sales, and clips market your next event.
• Sponsor value. Online viewers are extra reach you can put in your sponsorship deck.

#What is EventYangu Live?

EventYangu Live is livestream ticketing built into EventYangu. You stream your event, and only people with an online ticket can watch.

For fans:

• Buy with M-Pesa or card, with no account, the same way they buy event tickets.
• Watch on their phone in the browser. No app to download.
• A text when you go live, with a link straight to the stream.
• Data saver mode for viewers on mobile data.
• Online tickets live in My tickets next to their event tickets.
• Add to calendar so they don't forget.
• "Can't make it? Watch online" appears on your event page, so undecided fans still buy.

For organizers:

• Online ticket types: up to six, such as Standard, Early Bird, VIP Online or a free pass, each with its own price, quantity and sales window.
• Bundles: give in-person ticket holders online access too, for example VIP guests who want the replay.
• Replays: keep the stream watchable for 1 to 30 days after it ends.
• Device limits: each online ticket can watch on one to three devices at a time, so one ticket can't be shared with the whole group chat.
• Secure playback: the video plays through short-lived, signed links checked against each viewer's ticket. There's no public link to leak.
• Stream from the tools you already use: OBS, vMix, a hardware encoder or a streaming app, using your private stream key. Rotate the key at any time.
• Live stats: see how many people are watching right now.
• Attendee tools: resend access, revoke a ticket, or issue complimentary online tickets to press and partners.
• The same fees and payouts: 3% per ticket sold with payment processing included, free streams free, and same-day withdrawals to M-Pesa, Paybill, Till or bank.

#Free stream or paid stream?

For most events, a hybrid setup works best: in-person fans pay for the full experience, online fans pay a lower price for access, and your event page links the two.

#How to set up a paid livestream

#Step 1: Create the livestream

Add the title, description, poster, start and end time, and link it to your in-person event if you have one. Linking adds the "Watch online" option to your event page.

#Step 2: Add online ticket types

A good starting point is pricing your main online ticket at a third to half of your Regular in-person ticket. Add an Early Bird online price with a deadline to build momentum, and consider a VIP Online with a longer replay. See our guide to pricing tickets that sell out.

#Step 3: Choose replay and device settings

• Replay: 2 to 7 days suits most concerts; conferences may want 30.
• Devices: one device per ticket for low prices; two or three for family viewing at a higher price.
• Bundles: tick which in-person tiers also get online access.

#Step 4: Publish and sell

Publish the livestream and it appears on the EventYangu Live page and your event page. Your first paid livestream is reviewed by our team if your organizer account isn't verified yet, so publish early. Then market it like a real ticket:

• Show what viewers get: multi-camera production, the full set, the replay.
• Target the diaspora with posts timed for UK and US evenings.
• Use promoter links so community pages and influencers earn commission.
• Run a deadline: "Online Early Bird ends Friday."

See our full guide to event marketing in Kenya.

#Step 5: Connect your streaming software

Copy your ingest URL and private stream key into OBS, vMix or your encoder. Run a private test from the venue at least a day before.

#Step 6: Go live

When you go live, every online ticket holder gets a text with a link to watch. Keep an eye on live viewer numbers, and have someone ready to resend access if a fan gets stuck.

#Step 7: After the show

End the stream and the replay window starts automatically if you've turned it on. Cut clips for TikTok and Instagram within a day, and message your online buyers about your next event. They've already shown they'll pay.

#Get the production right

Viewers forgive a lot, but not bad audio. Prioritise in this order:

1. Sound: take a direct feed from the mixing desk, not a microphone in the room.
2. Internet: a wired connection with at least 10 Mbps upload, plus mobile data backup on a separate network.
3. Pictures: two cameras are enough for most shows, one wide and one close.
4. Software: OBS Studio is free and lets you switch cameras and add a lower third with your sponsor's logo.
5. A host for online viewers: someone who greets people watching from home and abroad.

#Common livestream mistakes

• No test run. Venue Wi-Fi that works at noon may collapse when 800 phones arrive.
• Pricing online like in-person. Online fans expect a lower price.
• Forgetting the replay. Many diaspora fans can't watch live because of time zones.
• No backup connection. Always have a second internet line and a local recording.

#Frequently asked questions

#Can I sell livestream tickets with M-Pesa in Kenya?

Yes. With EventYangu Live, fans buy an online ticket with M-Pesa or card and watch on their phone. They get a text when you go live.

#Can people share my livestream link?

Not usefully. Playback uses short-lived signed links tied to each ticket, and you set how many devices each ticket can watch on at once, from one to three.

#Can in-person ticket holders also watch online?

Yes. Bundle online access with any in-person ticket tier, for example so VIP guests can rewatch the replay.

#How much does EventYangu Live cost?

The same as tickets: 3% per online ticket sold, with payment processing included. Free livestreams are free.

#What streaming software do I need?

Any tool that streams to an ingest URL with a stream key, such as OBS Studio (free), vMix or a hardware encoder.

#Bring your next event online

Sell in-person and online tickets on one platform, take M-Pesa from anywhere in the world, and get paid the same day.

See what's on EventYangu Live, or talk to our team to set up your first livestream.

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Cover photo by Oyemike Princewill on Unsplash.