Running Two ProPresenter Computers: One Machine Only for the Livestream

Uncategorized Jul 16, 2026

Most churches run ProPresenter on one computer. We run it on two.

The second computer has its own job. The main machine runs the room, and the second machine only cares about the folks watching online.

What the main ProPresenter computer does

The main machine handles lyrics, sermon slides and everything on the screens people see in person. A lot of that content gets sent to the live stream too.

A few things that machine handles on a normal Sunday:

A playlist template our volunteers copy to build a full Sunday in about five minutes.
One Look that sends center-screen lyrics to the room and lower thirds to the stream.
A countdown that fires itself at 10:25 every Sunday.

What the stream-only ProPresenter computer handles

Our second ProPresenter computer has three jobs.

A stream-only intro

The stream gets its own intro, with a host welcoming people online plus some extra b-roll and context.

The stream intro can be a different length than the intro playing in the sanctuary and still end at the exact same time. That works because the two intros are triggered from two separate machines.

A stream-only outro

At the end of the service, the second machine wraps up the stream with a clear outro and a call to action for the people watching online.

A "we'll be back in a moment" loop

If we ever need to hold the stream, we have a "press in case of emergencies" button with looping b-roll and music. We never touch it, but it's there.

Can one ProPresenter computer do all of this?

It might be possible to set all of this up on one computer. I think it would be too many moving parts, and I'm sure something wouldn't trigger or fire correctly most weeks.

Common questions

Can you run two ProPresenter computers at the same time?

Yes. We run ProPresenter on two computers every Sunday. The main one runs the room, and the second one only handles content for the livestream.

Do you need a separate ProPresenter computer for the livestream?

It might be possible on one computer, but I think it would be too many moving parts and something wouldn't fire correctly most weeks. A second machine is what lets our stream intro run a different length than the room's intro and still end at the same time.

Is the second ProPresenter computer a backup?

No. It has its own role: a stream-only intro, a stream-only outro and a "we'll be back in a moment" loop for holding the stream.

How do you keep the stream intro and the room intro in sync?

They're triggered from two separate machines, so the stream intro can be a different length than the sanctuary intro and still end at the exact same time.

Church Media Training