How to plan replay access for a virtual event
Attendees and absentees are both asking when the recording will be available, and nobody has decided who is allowed to see it.
The short answer
A replay access plan answers five questions: who may watch, from when until when, in what form, with what permissions from speakers and others in the recording, and who is responsible for each step.
Where the replay is stored and how it is shared depends on your platform and plan, so confirm with the supplier and the vendor's current documentation.
Decide who the replay is for
| Group | Typical need | Question for the organiser |
|---|---|---|
| Registered attendees | Review a session they saw | Does the replay go to everyone who registered or only those who joined? |
| Registered but absent | Catch up | Is the replay part of the registration offer? |
| Members who did not register | Access as a member benefit | Is it open to members only, and how is that checked? |
| Public | Reach beyond the audience | Does anyone with the link see it, and who agreed to that? |
Permissions in the recording
- Speakers: have they agreed in writing to recording and replay, for how long and in what form? See remote-speaker liaison for how this is collected.
- Slides or materials from third parties: who owns them and is replay allowed? Ask the owner or your legal adviser.
- Attendees on camera or speaking in Q&A: has the registration notice said what will be recorded? Ask your privacy owner for wording.
- Sponsor content: has the sponsor agreed to it being shown after the event?
Form, timing and access
- Decide the release date, for example after captions and any edits are checked, and tell attendees.
- Decide the access end date, or confirm whether the replay has no end date, and who can change it.
- Choose how access is controlled and ask your platform supplier what is available. See access-link security.
- Decide whether the replay is edited, for example to remove breaks or sections where a speaker did not give permission.
- Arrange captions or a transcript for the replay, as in caption delivery.
Who does what after the event
Name one person who owns the replay release, one who edits, and one who checks it before sending the link. Add the dates to the project timeline.
Keep a record of speaker permissions with the replay files, so a later request can be answered quickly.
Worked example · Fictional example
A two-day online symposium for a professional society
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The Fictional Society of Environmental Engineers plans a two-day online symposium with 12 speakers. The committee wants members who could not attend to watch afterwards.
Two speakers agree to live viewing only. The secretariat edits those sessions out of the replay, adds captions to the rest, and releases it 10 days after the event to registered members through individual links that stop working after 60 days. The dates are on the project timeline, and the permission record is stored with the files.
Use this yourself
Replay access plan
Complete with the committee and the platform supplier. The RFP completeness checker can help check that your supplier request covers recording and storage.
- Who may watch the replay, by group:
- Release date and who decides:
- Access end date, or no end date, and who changes it:
- How access is controlled (confirmed by platform supplier):
- Where the recording is stored and who can download it (confirmed by platform supplier):
- Speaker permission record (name, date, scope, duration):
- Third-party materials needing owner consent:
- Sessions to be edited out or held back, and why:
- Caption or transcript owner and date checked:
- Registration notice wording for recording (approved by privacy owner):
- Replay owner, editor and checker:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The replay is for registrants only and all speakers have agreed.
- Your platform supplier handles storage and links.
- The event is a single short session.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several speakers and sponsors have different permissions.
- The replay is public or for a members-only benefit that must be checked.
- Captions, editing and release dates all need coordinating after the event.
Need the replay plan coordinated?
A conference project lead can collect speaker and sponsor permissions, put the storage and access questions to your platform supplier, and run the post-event release timeline with your team. Hosting, editing tools and the platform stay with your suppliers.
Questions organisers ask
Do we need speaker permission for a replay?
Ask whoever handles legal matters for your organisation. In practice, get written agreement from each speaker that says what is recorded, who can watch and for how long.
How long should the replay stay available?
That is the committee's decision. Set an end date or state that there is none, and tell attendees.
Should the replay be public?
Only if speakers, sponsors and privacy requirements allow it. A members-only link is a common middle choice if the platform supports it.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.