Digital Events: Guide to Troubleshooting

We’d like to thank our good friends at Durham Book Festival for putting together this helpful guide to solving problems you may encounter when viewing events in Crowdcast.


We’ve noticed that there are a few common issues that people are having when accessing our digital events, so we thought we’d pass on some of the tips we’ve learned to make sure that you get the most out of streaming our events. We know that there are so many ways that people are accessing our content, from watching on their desktop computer to viewing via their phones but we’ve done our best to summarise some universal tips below:

The streaming platform we’re using is called Crowdcast. You can set yourself up with a password when you register, which you can then use to access any subsequent events.

  • If you are new to Crowdcast there is a helpful step-by-step guide here.

  • If you are using a desktop, laptop or tablet, we’d recommend accessing Crowdcast via your browser, rather than downloading the app.

  • If you are viewing via your phone we recommend using the Crowdcast app.

  • People are having varying experiences with different browsers – we have had good experiences using the latest version of Chrome. However, if the browser you are using doesn’t seem to be working properly, try switching to another one, such as Firefox (for PCs) or Safari (for Mac and Apple products) – they are all free to download.

  • If you are struggling with the display on your tablet, try rotating it to change from portrait to landscape. Similarly you may want to try switching to and from full-screen mode – some people have reported they only see the chat function when in full screen mode.

  • If you are using a tablet or phone, remember to scroll down the entire page to complete the sign-in process.

  • You will be signed up to the event automatically upon purchasing your ticket. You will receive the link to the event the day before the event will take place, as well as a reminder email 15 minutes before the advertised start time. If you do not receive these emails, please email boxoffice@ilkleylitfest.org.uk.

  • If you book within 24 hours of the event start time, you will just receive the reminder email with the link to the event 15 minutes before the advertised start time.

  • Once you receive the email, simply click the link. You will be taken to a page on an online browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). Once there, click the ‘Return to Event’ button. Then input your name if prompted to do so, and then you’re in! If the video does not play at the listed event start time, you can hit play in the bottom left of the screen. Refreshing the page can also help.

  • Remember to check the volume on your device is turned up and that the sound isn’t muted.

  • Remember that all our Digital Weekend events are available to watch again at your leisure and free-of-charge, until 31 October.
  • When watching events on demand (replay), skip to the 15:00 minute mark on the run time indicator towards the bottom of the screen for the start of the interview.

If none of the above problems solve your issues, we suggest trying a different device or restarting your computer.

If you are still having problems, you can contact us via email or social media and we will try our best to help:

Email: info@ilkleylitfest.org.uk
Twitter: @ilkleylitfest
Facebook: ilkleylitfest