💬 So you want to go LIVE on Substack?

Some tips on going live on Substack (app and desktop) + meet a live buddy in the comments.

“Video killed the radio star!” 🎵

(Updated 15th April 2026)

Hi Sparklers,

How are we all feeling about lives?

Going live?

Trying out Substack’s new desktop live tool?

I thought I’d see a few folks pop up in my app this week but I haven’t? 👀 📲 🏃🏻 💨

Honest question - Do Substack Lives feature into your content eco system? Your ambition for joyful, sustainable growth here?

✨

I love a chat - you guys know that, so when Substack rolled out the live feature in the app I thought it was a nice opportunity to chat more casually with some of my colleagues. It’s a different medium to podcasting in my mind (although Substack pile the replays into my podcasting tab).¹

I also made a Substack tag so that folks could easily re-find the full replays if they missed them. https://sparkleon.substack.com/t/live-chats

When you make a Substack tag (which you can do at the point of posting or later in your settings), you are making a little collection to help others find your posts now and in the future.

Top tip - This small act of organisation will INCREASE your monthly views. We are allowed to remind folks of the Substack archive regularly!

Substack’s announcement post on how to use Live Video in the app - https://substack.com/home/post/p-154826615 and an updated article on going live from the desktop - https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/43904564079892-How-do-I-go-live-on-Substack-using-my-computer

💫

My tag on my home page (live Substack chats)

Going live and screen sharing on the desktop

Top tips for going live in the Substack app.

Before you go live…

1. It now works in the app and on the desktop!! You can adjust your image to smooth it out if you like.

2. You can also add your branding on desktop - FUN!

3. Give your Live a catchy title and give folks prior notice if you can. Once you schedule your live the best thing to do is share that link with your audience rather than email everyone.

4. Grab your plug in apple headphones (with built in mic) or fancy mic… it makes it a better auditory experience for everyone and helps you concentrate.

At the time of going live…

1. If collaborating - DM the person you are going live with and they should be near the top of the list when you go to invite them in. I’ve found this makes it easier to find them on the live.

2. If using a phone - decide where to look and use a tripod - if you don’t have one a hair bobble and a tin of beans can work just as well.

3. If using a laptop - stay inside the guided area for people watching on phones!

4. You’ll be on a preview screen first - you can adjust your appearance and angles - don’t be too close.

5. GO LIVE

6. Engage your audience - say hello to people who pop in. (You don’t get notified when they leave so I suspect the number is cumalative but I don’t know.)²

7. Introduce yourself, tell people how long you plan to be on and what you’ll talk about

8. You’ll pop up in the app and it will say ‘name is now live’ on your homepage on your Substack website too.

9. People can type questions so you can pause to read those or try and catch them as they come in. I have an iphone 14 and I find it really hard to read the questions if they go over 3 lines so I tend. to open the desktop as well on mute and read them there.

10. When you’re ready end the call/ live.

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

After going live on Substack.

1. ‼️ Don’t email it out! No body needs that email.

2. Go into drafts and download the transcript, ask Claude to summarise and pick out two/ three key quotes. Add that in for people skim reading (note it’s ai and you’ll need to check it and disclose it’s ai writing)

3. Your live will be saved to drafts when you close (takes around 20 mins) so you can edit, add bits, post it or email it out. Make it meaningful.

4. You can change the thumbnail if you feel like you look like an alien!

Does going live on Substack work for growth?

Yes I get subscribers every time.

I’ve had over 900 people on a live - it’s great fun - just be yourself!

Ok - personal growth YES! For most of us this is outside of our comfort zone. For Substack growth - hard to quantify as Substack aren’t giving us that data. There are already some BOLD claims about this 🥴 but I’d say yes my subscribers do get a gentle boost when I’ve been live.

I grew exactly the same number of subscribers on Thursday as I did yesterday (x35). I didn’t post or go live on Thursday so I personally don’t think there’s a mad rush to go live for any sort of fomo based reasons.

Let us know if you fancy trying it in the comments, what you want to talk about and if you don’t want to go it alone, find someone who wants to go live with you?

Have fun! You learn so much about yourself and your colleagues doing lives!

Claire

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💬 Sparklers - if you want to go live - come meet a buddy in the comments?

1. I think this is actually incredibly helpful. Although I wanted to curate my podcast feed into seasons and episodes it just means folks listening on other platforms (spotify, apple etc) get notified of the live after it’s happened and can listen and circle back into our Substack ecosystem.

2. The views go up the longer you stay on a live (this has happened every time and I guess encourages us to stay on where as I imagine people are clicking in and out?).