Stream Views Insights and Analytics allows you as event organisers to really understand your audience and retrieve reports to better understand the viewing statistics and trends for virtual sessions that you host at your events.
Article contents:
Stream Views Insights
To find the stream views insights, navigate to Insights in the sidebar menu on the left hand side of the dashboard. Then select Advanced Insights and select Stream Views in the Sessions section. You should then get to the page below.
Stream Insight Metrics
The stream insights will include a number of metrics each defined in the table below:
| Metric | Description |
| Total Views | The total number of legitimate views for stream session(s) for both on-demand and live streams. |
| Unique Views | The total number of unique users who have watched the session at least once from the Session Page, Main Stage and also Sessions that have been promoted on the Home Page. This includes sessions with a Live Stream and/Or On-Demand URL added to the session configuration. |
| Average Watch Time (seconds) | Estimated average seconds watched per view for stream session(s) between the start and end watch time. |
| Unique Watch Views of 5 or more consecutive minutes | Unique Watch Views of a session for more than 5 consecutive minutes of distinct participants. |
| Total Watch Time (seconds) | Total Watch Time is the total duration based on the start time and end time of the session. |
| Sessions Viewed | The total number of sessions viewed by the user across all the sessions in the event. |
Filtering your stream insights
We have 5 filters that allow you, as an event organiser to segment and dive into the streaming insights. This filter will drive all the insights on this page.
- Session Name: You can select and filter to a specific session to see the insights for a single session by the session name.
- Session Type: You can filter and separate by "On Demand" and "Live Stream" statistics.
- Data Type: You can filter based on the data type so you can see and understand which data type audience is more engaged.
- Track: You can filter based on the sessions assigned to tracks.
- Location: You can filter by location so that all the insights will be shown for all the sessions assigned to the location you have selected.
Session Watched Statistics
Sessions Watched Statistics will take the total watch time (sec), average watch time (sec), total views, and unique views together separated by each session in a table so that you can easily see the stream views statistics along with other sessions to see which stream has the most engagement.
Viewer Watching Statistics
Viewer Watching Statistics will take the total watch time (sec), average watch time (sec), and sessions. viewed together separated by each viewer in a table so that you can easily derive insights on the engagement of each user across all sessions.
Export the Session Watched and Viewers Watching Statistics
You can export both these tables in a CSV and XLSX format as well as download them as a PNG image. The export button is shown when you hover your cursor over the top right corner of each table until a download icon appears.
Stream Views
At Grip, we measure and track the engagement of users that engage with embedded sessions on Grip.
The stream view table is a list of the participants who engaged with the session from three different areas on the platform, the main stage, the session page and the home page when a session is promoted.
The export will include the following fields:
- User Profile ID
- Viewers Name
- Session ID
- Session Name
- Time and Date Open
- Time and Date Close
- Session Type
- Source
- Data Type Name
- Phone Number
- Company Name
- Total View Duration (seconds)
Key Definitions:
Open Events:
Session Page, Home Page with sessions and sessions that are promoted when opened from any of the available navigation pages:
-
Session Agenda Page.
-
Session Link.
Close Events:
Navigate away from the session page using any of the navigation buttons available on the web page:
-
Logout.
-
Navigating away from the session and therefore no longer watching the session page.
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Profile Links - Users selecting to view a profile.
-
Sponsorship Banners - Users.
Live Stream: Steaming Live Content.
On-Demand: Recorded Content.
Source: This is the place of the views from where the participant has come from to view the session.
The three sources:
- Main Stage.
- Session Page.
- Home Page (when a session is promoted).
How are engagement metrics counted?
Grips have a number of systems that monitors actions taken by the user to track how they interact with the platform along with defining and making key assumptions (which are highlighted further down in the article) to determine and derive the "Time and Date Open" and "Time and Date Close" of sessions.
One of those systems is a Heartbeat that will measure the last actions taken by the user, this is only used when no reasonable close event can be determined. At this point, the last heartbeat received will be considered the last time at which a user was viewing a particular session.
Common Scenarios for Live Stream and On-Demand Sessions:
Scenario 1 LIVE STREAM & ON-DEMAND:
Session Times = 9am to 10am.
Participant Joins at 9am.
The participant leaves 20 minutes later by logging out (Navigate away from the session page using any of the navigation buttons available on the web page).
Close time Generated as 9:20am.
Scenario 2 ON-DEMAND ONLY:
Session Times = 9am to 10am.
Participant Joins at 9am.
The participant leaves the on-demand video playing and leaves his desk after 20 minutes.
The participant returns 2 hours later after the recording has already finished.
THEN Close Time = Start Time + Length of the Session.
Scenario 3 LIVE STREAM:
Session Times = 9am to 10am.
Participant Joins at 9 am.
A participant stands up and leaves the desk 20 minutes later.
Participant does not take any action on the web page until 1.5 hours later (after the session ends).
THEN Close Time = Start Time + Length of the Session + 30 minutes* (default).
Session end time is capped to 15 minutes after (to take into account live streams that overrun) anything after that, we assume that the user may have left their page running. Assume that no activity after 15min of the session end time. (Heartbeats produced after 15 min will be ignored).
Scenario 4 LIVE STREAM & ON-DEMAND:
Session Times = 9am to 10am.
User Joins at 9am.
User Close the Window/Tab 20 minute later.
THEN Close Time = Least Heartbeat Recorded.
Scenario 4 LIVE STREAM & ON-DEMAND:
Where the user enters the session page but changes tabs and leaves the session running in the background.
Session Times = 9am to 10am.
User Joins at 9am.
User Close the Window/Tab 20 minute later.
THEN Close Time = Least Heartbeat Recorded.
Scenario 5 LIVE STREAM (WEBINARS):
Session Times = 9am to 10am.
Participant Joins at 10:31am.
The participant leaves the video playing and leaves his desk after 20 minutes.
The participant returns 2 hours later after the recording has already finished.
THEN Close Time = Start Time + Length of the Session.
Here are other scenarios with certain edge cases where key assumptions are made.
|
PRE-RECORDED |
A participant Alice has opened a pre-recorded session after the scheduled session time has passed. Alice begins watching the session by pressing “play” (Open event). Unfortunately, no close event is sent. Even after the video finishes, Alice leaves her tab open and the heartbeat continues to send to Grip. |
We should reasonably assume that Alice cannot still be watching the video after X time as the session is only N minutes long. |
Participant A enters pre-recorded session = Start Time is defined |
|
LIVE STREAM |
A participant Alice has opened a live stream session after the scheduled session time has passed. Alice begins watching the session by pressing “play” (Open event). Unfortunately, no close event is sent. Even after the video finishes, Alice leaves her tab open and the heartbeat continues to send to Grip. |
We should reasonably assume that Alice cannot still be watching the video after X time as the session is only N minutes long. |
Participant A enters live stream = Start Time is defined |
|
PRE-RECORDED |
For both Live Streams and Video recordings, the start_time and end_time from the list of attendees will have the same timezone as the event. |
We will also timestamp the start and end time of a session based on the timezone configured for the event. |
The event is configured for the UK timezone (GMT) SAME FOR END TIME |
|
LIVE STREAM |
For both Live Streams and Video recordings, the start_time and end_time from the list of attendees will have the same timezone as the event. |
We will also timestamp the start and end time of a session based on the timezone configured for the event. |
The event is configured for the UK timezone (GMT) SAME FOR END TIME |
|
LIVE STREAM |
The start time will be defined by the time when the participant joins the session although the participant may not press play (some video providers start automatically whereas others you have to press play). |
We assume when a participant selects a session from an agenda or link that takes them to a session page, they have the intention of viewing the session, whether that live stream or video recorded session. |
the participant enters the session page = start time is defined from that point in time. |
|
PRE_RECORDED |
The start time will be defined by the time when the participant joins the session although the participant may not press play (some video providers start automatically whereas others you have to press play). |
We assume when a participant selects a session from an agenda or link that takes them to a session page, they have the intention of viewing the session, whether that live stream or video recorded session. |
The participant enters the session page = start time is defined from that point in time. |
|
LIVE STREAM |
When a participant enters a live stream session (anytime before the start time of the session) for example 5 minutes before the session start time, we do not count this as a start time, in this case, start time will be the time when the session starts (ignoring the previously generated heartbeats). |
We will only take the start time of the session, based on the aim of providing the most accurate analytics and tracking of session engagement. |
Live Stream Start at 9am
|
|
LIVE STREAM |
When a participant enters a live stream session (anytime before the start time of the session) for example 15 minutes before the session start time and leaves the session before the start time of the session, we do not count this as a view, in this case, will not be shown on the list of viewers. |
If a participant joins the live_stream session before it starts and leaves before it starts, this participant the session information will not appear in the list of viewers and not be added to any streaming analytics. |
Live Stream Start at 9am |
|
LIVE STREAM |
|
if a participant joins a live_stream session after 15 minutes of being finished, this participant-session information will not appear in the list of stream viewers. |
Live Stream Start/End at 9am - 10am |
*NB*
For all embedded streaming providers note that numbers will not always align between Grip session insights and streaming providers used. For example, Vimeo analytics as metrics are defined differently. Cookies are used for tracking purposes for some situations with embedded sessions.
Because the live stream functionality is based on embedded 3PY players, controls of which are not under the control of Grip, the session view definition is based solely on the user opening the session page, not on the actual interaction with the live stream player. Sessions that have the open-stream setting enabled within their streaming provider.
All the views that are captured within Grip will be sent to streaming partners for streaming providers that are embedded and compatible with Grip. We do not know how these are identified by streaming providers and we highly recommend that you look at how each metric is defined to get a full picture of insights. Therefore you may see discrepancies between the streams you see on your streaming provider and our stream insights.
There will always be some discrepancies between platforms as each of these platforms calculates and defines metrics differently. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Grip support.
Sessions that are viewed from the mobile app will not appear on the stream view insights.
Sessions that are not embedded during the configuration of your event will not appear on the stream insights
Session Insights currently does not show any session insight check-ins for events that either run in-person events or hybrid events and run sessions physically in-person. This only includes views that have been watched from our web platform.
Grip Academy
If you want to learn more about insights, see our Grip Academy module here: https://academy.grip.events/learning/modules/250
FAQs
What happens to the insight data of my sessions, if I delete a session after the session has finished within the dashboard?
For deleted sessions insights will not be reflected on any insights on the dashboard.
How does Grip calculate views?
Because we are compatible with embedding many streaming providers, we calculate each view when a user enters the session page and not when the user interacts with the session player itself.
Why is the data of views on my dashboard different to the dashboard of my streaming provider?
There are many factors that you need to take into account when trying to understand why there is a difference between the streaming players insights and grip insights.
- De-duplicating views.
- Other streaming providers may be discarding views from certain devices/browser/network combinations.
- They may be discarding views under a certain playback time.
- Other streaming providers may count views differently based on the number of seconds the viewer entered the session. Some providers start counting a view after 5 seconds, others may count a view after 15 seconds of the participant being on the session.
Each streaming provider defines metrics differently. For example, Vimeo defines unique viewers as "Unique viewers: The number of people who have watched a video within a specified timeframe." We define a unique view as someone entering the session page at least once.
It is important when looking at insights from different platforms that you take into account how each metric is defined and derived.
Are views counted if I do not embed the video player on Grip?
Yes, views are counted even if you do not embed the video player on Grip. All the views that are captured within Grip are sent to streaming partners for streaming providers that are embedding and compatible with Grip.
When my session finishes, does Grip capture the on-demand views?
Yes, providing the below criteria are met on the configuration of your event:
- the session has been added as a Livestream URL.
- the session is also added as a video recording URL.
- the live stream URL is not deleted once the stream swaps to the recording.
Example:
If my session is viewed outside of the Grip platform will I see the views?
No, Any views from outside our web platform are not counted as a view as the data from the streaming providers is not sent back to Grip.
Grip domains/sources on my player on the Grip.
Depending on each streaming provider you may see your views that have come from Grip differently. For example in Vimeo, if you have embedded the link you will see the source/domain in Vimeo as vimeo.com. However, if you do not embed the video in Grip, you will the source/domain as matchmaking.grip.events. Furthermore, this may also change if you have a dedicated domain set up with Grip.
Why does the total number of unique views displayed at the top not match the sum of the unique views in the session watch statistics table when exported?
- John watched Session A twice
- Jane watched Session A once
- John watched Session B once