# Create a simulive webinar

Set up a simulive webinar in EasyWebinar that plays a pre-recorded video at the dates and times you schedule, with a shared chat you can answer in while it plays.

- Applies to: Simulive webinars
- Status: Live
- Verified: 2026-10-21
- Canonical page: https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/create-a-simulive-webinar/

A simulive webinar plays a recording at the dates and times you schedule. Everyone in a session reaches the same point of the video at the same moment, so the [chat behaves like one shared room](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/live-chat/#simulive-chat), and you or your moderators can answer questions while the recording runs. Creating one takes five steps in the manual builder: name and type, schedule, pricing, video selection and registration template.

**Expected result:** a simulive webinar with its schedule, pricing and recording in place, listed on the **Simulive** tab of **My Webinars**, with a **Webinar Video** panel on its **Content** tab.

## At a glance {#at-a-glance}

| | |
|---|---|
| **What it is** | A pre-recorded video broadcast at times you set, watched together by everyone in that session |
| **Builder steps** | Five: name and type, schedule, pricing, video selection, registration template |
| **Schedule options** | A specific date, or a daily or weekly schedule, set the same way as a live webinar |
| **Session times** | Run at the times you set, in the webinar's timezone |
| **Where the video comes from** | Uploaded and hosted by EasyWebinar, or imported from YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia or a direct MP4 link |
| **Upload format** | MP4, up to 4 GB |
| **Chat and Q&A** | Work as on a live webinar; you answer in real time while the recording plays |
| **Swapping the video later** | **Webinar Video** panel on the **Content** tab |
| **Changing the type later** | Not possible; clone the webinar and pick another type on the copy |

## Before you begin {#before-you-begin}

- **Have a recording.** A simulive webinar plays a video, so you need one in your library or ready to add. You can add it during setup without leaving the builder.
- **Decide where the video will live.** Uploading it means EasyWebinar hosts it for you. Importing a link means it stays on YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia. See Which video source to use, below.
- **Pick your session times and timezone.** Sessions play at the times you set, in one timezone, so choose times that suit the audience you are targeting.
- **Charging for it?** Paid registration runs through Stripe. Leave pricing on **Free** if you aren't charging. See [Paid webinars](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/selling/paid-webinars/#pricing-recorded-webinars).
- **Be sure about the type.** The type is fixed once the webinar exists. If you later want an evergreen or live version, you clone it.

## Step 1: Open the create dialog {#open-create-dialog}

1. In the left sidebar, click **My Webinars**.
2. Click **Create a Webinar**.
3. Choose **Create Manually**.

If you'd rather have the script, pages, emails, polls and offers written for you, choose **Create with AI** and set **Type** to Simulive before generating. You still pick the video afterwards. See [Create with AI](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/ai/create-with-ai/).

## Step 2: Name it and choose Simulive {#name-and-type}

1. Type a **Webinar Name**. The builder won't move on while the name is empty.
2. Under **Webinar Type**, choose **Simulive Webinar**. The card describes it as pre-recorded content that plays at scheduled times, with attendees registering for specific dates.
3. Optionally add **Tags**.
4. Click **Continue to Schedule**.

Choosing Simulive gives the builder a fifth step. A live webinar has four; the extra one is **Video Selection**, where you choose the recording.

## Step 3: Set the schedule {#set-schedule}

The schedule step works the same way it does for a live webinar.

1. Choose a **Schedule Frequency**: **Specific Date**, **Daily** or **Weekly**.
2. Check the **Timezone**. It starts on your account timezone, and every session plays at its set time in this timezone.
3. Under **Available Sessions**, set the date and time. Use **Add Session** to offer more than one sitting.
4. Under **Schedule Preferences**, choose how many upcoming sessions registrants can choose from. By default they see only the next available one.
5. Click **Continue to Pricing**.

Choosing **Weekly** adds **Days of week**, a **Start Date** and **End Date (Optional)**, **Session Time** with **Add Time**, and **Blackout Dates** for days the webinar should skip. Past dates are greyed out in the date picker. For a walkthrough of every schedule control with screenshots, see [Create and schedule a live webinar](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/create-a-live-webinar/).

> **Simulive sessions use the webinar's timezone**
> The schedule step shows a message saying attendees will see times in their local time. For simulive sessions that isn't how they run: they play at the times you set, in the webinar's timezone. Only just-in-time sessions on evergreen webinars follow each attendee's local time.


## Step 4: Choose free or paid {#pricing}

1. Choose **Free** or **Paid**.
2. Click **Continue to Video Selection**.

**Paid** [charges attendees to register](https://easywebinar.com/paid-webinars/) and needs a connected Stripe account. On simulive, pricing comes before video selection, so you set the price before you choose the recording.

## Step 5: Choose the recording {#choose-video}

This is the step that makes the webinar simulive. Whatever you pick here is what plays in every session.

![The Video Selection step showing the All, Videos and Recordings filters, a search box, Add Video, the drag-and-drop upload area and the video library](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/images/simulive/step-01-video-selection.png)

*1 All · Videos · Recordings · 2 Search and sort · 3 Add Video · 4 Drag and drop · 5 Your library.*

| | Control | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | **All · Videos · Recordings** | Switches between videos you uploaded or imported and recordings of webinars you have already run |
| 2 | **Search and sort** | Finds a video by its name |
| 3 | **Add Video** | Adds a new video without leaving the builder |
| 4 | **Drag and drop** | Uploads a file you drop onto the page |
| 5 | **Your library** | Click a video to select it |

1. Click the video you want.
2. Click **Continue to Registration Template**.

The **Recordings** filter is where earlier webinars show up. If you ran a session live [with recording on](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/live-room/run-a-live-webinar/#check-recording), its recording can become the content of this simulive webinar.

### If the video isn't in your library yet {#add-video-during-setup}

**Add Video** opens two routes:

- **Local import** uploads a file from your computer, and EasyWebinar stores and serves it. No YouTube or Vimeo account is involved.
- **Import from URL** plays a video already on **YouTube**, **Vimeo**, **Wistia** or a direct **MP4** link. You enter the link and the video's length.

![The Import from URL form with Platform, Video title, Video URL and Video duration in hours, minutes and seconds](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/images/add-video/step-02-import-from-url.png)

*1 Platform · 2 Video title · 3 Video URL · 4 Video duration.*

Either way, the video is saved to your library and can be reused on other webinars. For the full upload and import walkthrough, see [Video hosting](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/media/video-hosting/).

> **Enter an imported video's duration accurately**
> EasyWebinar reads the length of an uploaded file itself, but not of a linked one. It uses the duration to schedule sessions and to know when the webinar ends, so a wrong figure can cut the video short or leave attendees waiting after it has finished.


### Which video source to use {#which-video-source}

| | Upload (**Local import**) | Link (**Import from URL**) |
|---|---|---|
| **Who hosts it** | EasyWebinar | YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia or the MP4 link's host |
| **Storage** | Counts towards your account allowance | Uses none |
| **What you provide** | The file: MP4, up to 4 GB | The link and the length |
| **Suits** | A recording you don't want published anywhere else | A video that is already online |

A video on YouTube stays discoverable there unless you've unlisted it, which is a reason to upload a recording you'd rather keep to registrants.

## Step 6: Pick a registration template {#template}

Pick a registration template for the page people sign up on, or click **Skip & Create Webinar** to choose one later.

Your registration page can then be edited in the drag-and-drop builder. It doesn't go public until you click **Publish**. See [Registration page builder](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/registration/registration-page-builder/).

## Verify the result {#verify}

- **In My Webinars**, the webinar sits under the **Simulive** tab and its card carries a type badge, the next session's date, time and timezone, and the registrant count.
- **On the Overview tab**, the **Sessions** panel lists each sitting under **Upcoming**, **Past** and **Cancelled**. A daily or weekly schedule fills the list from its recurrence. See [The Overview tab](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/setup/overview-tab/).
- **On the Content tab**, a **Webinar Video** panel shows the recording you chose. Live webinars don't have this panel.
- **On the registration page**, check the session times and publish the page before you share the link.

![The Content tab of a simulive webinar, with the five webinar pages and the Webinar Video panel marked](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/images/simulive/step-02-webinar-video.png)

*1 Webinar Video, the panel only recorded webinars have.*

## Change the recording later {#change-recording}

The **Webinar Video** panel on the **Content** tab shows the selected recording and its length. **Preview** plays it back, and **Change Video** swaps it for another.

Swapping the video leaves your schedule, pages and registrations as they were. That makes it safe to replace a presentation with an improved cut while sessions are already booked.

## What a simulive webinar is {#what-it-is}

EasyWebinar has three webinar types, and they differ only in how the content is delivered. Pages, emails, polls, offers and analytics are the same across all three.

| | Live | Simulive | Evergreen |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Content** | You present in real time | A recording | A recording |
| **Timing** | Dates you set | Dates and times you set | A repeating schedule each registrant chooses from |
| **Who watches together** | Everyone at the session | Everyone at the session, at the same point in the video | Each registrant at the session they picked |
| **Needs a recording** | No | Yes | Yes |
| **Your role during a session** | Presenting | Optional: answering in the chat | Optional |

The short version: [simulive is a broadcast of a recording on a timetable](https://easywebinar.com/simulive-webinars/). It sits between live, where you present every time, and evergreen, where the schedule runs continuously and each person picks their own time. For the evergreen setup, see [Create an evergreen webinar](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/create-an-evergreen-webinar/).

## Why simulive matters {#why-it-matters}

### What it's for {#what-its-for}

Simulive is for a [presentation you give again and again](https://easywebinar.com/blog/simulated-live-webinar/), or a session at an hour you'd rather not be awake for. You record the talk once. EasyWebinar then broadcasts it at the times you choose, like a scheduled programme.

### How it helps {#how-it-helps}

- **Same delivery every time.** A recording doesn't lose its place, run over or forget a point.
- **A shared room.** Everyone in a session is at the same moment of the video, so chat messages make sense to all.
- **You can still be there.** You and your moderators answer questions in the chat while the video plays.
- **It runs without you if needed.** The recording plays on schedule whether or not your team joins.

### What happens without it {#without-it}

Without simulive, a repeated presentation means presenting live each time, at whatever hour suits the audience. A fully on-demand recording avoids that. But viewers then arrive at different points, so there is no shared conversation to join.

### Why buyers care {#why-buyers-care}

It matters to teams that repeat one webinar on a cycle, such as a weekly walkthrough or a monthly onboarding session. They want the same polished delivery each time, with a real audience and a chat they can staff.

## The EasyWebinar approach to simulive webinars {#approach}

{/* 5P */}

Take a typical case. A small Spanish language school with five teachers offers a free taster lesson for adult beginners before each term. Around 40 people join each sitting, held on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings for the six weeks before enrolment closes.

A common approach is for a teacher to give the taster live every time, which can mean twelve sittings a term. Teachers may end up repeating the same lesson and fielding the same questions. In a busy week, the lesson can come out rushed or uneven.

The lesson itself barely changes from one sitting to the next. What differs is the questions people ask afterwards about levels and class times. So the teaching can be recorded once, and the teacher's time can move into the chat, while learners still start together.

EasyWebinar runs this as one simulive webinar. The school records its strongest taster lesson, uploads it with **Local import**, and sets a **Weekly** schedule for Saturday and Wednesday. A teacher joins each sitting's chat and answers questions about levels, class times and placement while the recording plays.

When the school improves the lesson, it swaps the file with **Change Video** in the **Webinar Video** panel on the **Content** tab. Registrations, pages and the schedule stay exactly as they were. How this compares with other recorded-webinar tools is covered in How simulive webinars compare, below.

## How simulive works with other features {#works-with}

### Chat and Q&A {#with-chat}

Chat and Q&A are set up on the **Engagement** tab, as on a live webinar. You and your moderators reply in real time while the recording plays. See [Live chat](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/live-chat/) and [Questions and answers](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/questions-answers/).

Recorded webinars also have chat options a live webinar lacks: **Third party** embeds an external chat tool, **No Chat** hides the panel, and the **EW Contact Box** collects attendee questions by email even when chat is off.

### Chat Simulation {#with-chat-simulation}

**Chat Simulation**, under **Engagement**, fills the chat on simulive and evergreen webinars, either with **AI Simulation** or with a scripted CSV in **Manual Simulation**. Only one can be active at a time. See [Chat simulation](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/chat-simulation/).

### Emails and reminders {#with-notifications}

Confirmation, reminder and follow-up emails live on the **Notifications** tab. Reminders are timed relative to the webinar rather than at a fixed clock time, so they follow a recurring simulive schedule. See [Reminder emails](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/notifications/reminder-emails/).

### Replays {#with-replays}

A simulive session can have a replay page for people who missed it, set on the **Replay** tab. See [Replay pages](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/media/replay-pages/).

### The Library {#with-library}

Every video you add, and every recording of a past webinar, lands in the **Library**. Recordings appear there automatically when **Auto Recording** is on in the live room. See [The Library](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/media/library/).

### Plan usage {#with-plan-usage}

The **Plan** tab, under **Settings** → **Manage Plan**, counts people watching simulive and evergreen sessions on its **Automated attendees** meter, separately from **Live attendees**.

### People {#with-people}

**People** in the sidebar can filter registrants by webinar **Type**, so you can look at simulive audiences on their own. See [People](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/analytics/people/).

## Who uses simulive webinars, and how {#who-uses-it}

These are typical patterns, shown to illustrate how the type fits different teams.

### B2B marketing teams {#b2b-marketing}

A [marketing team](https://easywebinar.com/solutions/marketing-teams/) records its strongest product presentation and runs it as a weekly simulive session. A product specialist joins the chat for each sitting and answers questions while the recording plays, so prospects get a consistent pitch and real answers.

### SaaS and product teams {#saas-teams}

A product team serving several regions schedules the same recorded walkthrough at times that suit each one. Each session runs in the webinar's timezone, so the team sets times for each region accordingly.

### Customer success teams {#customer-success}

A customer success team turns its [onboarding talk](https://easywebinar.com/use-cases/onboard-train-customers/) into a recurring simulive session. New customers register for a date, and a team member covers the chat to pick up account-specific questions.

### Coaches and consultants {#coaches}

A coach records a signature talk once and broadcasts it on a regular schedule, joining the chat when they can. [Polls](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/polls/) and [offers](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/timed-offers/) work as they would live, so the session still ends with a next step.

## How simulive webinars compare {#compare}

EasyWebinar plays your recording at the times you set while you staff the chat. It hosts an uploaded video itself, plays one linked from YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia, and lists recordings of your past webinars as ready-made content. EasyWebinar is the only platform in this table that does all four.

Simulive set-up, from each platform's public documentation:

| Platform | Recording at set times, chat staffed live | Video hosted in the product | Past live session as the video | YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia link as the video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **EasyWebinar** | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **EverWebinar** | Yes (Hybrid mode) | External video required | Partly (needs WebinarJam subscription) | Yes |
| **Demio** | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not in docs |
| **Zoom** | Partly (extra licence needed) | Partly (extra licence needed) | Yes (cloud recordings) | Not in docs |
| **eWebinar** | Yes (when a host is free) | Yes | Partly (Zoom cloud recordings only) | Yes |

*Yes: documented and built in. Partly: documented with a limit, shown in brackets. Not in docs: not found in the vendor's public documentation.*

### Why EasyWebinar is the stronger choice for simulive webinars {#compare-stronger}

- **The video lives with the webinar.** With **Local import**, EasyWebinar stores and serves the file, so no YouTube or Vimeo account is involved. EverWebinar's help centre lists an external video as its primary source. See [EasyWebinar vs EverWebinar](https://easywebinar.com/compare/easywebinar-vs-everwebinar/).
- **Your live sessions become content.** The **Recordings** filter on the video step lists your past EasyWebinar sessions. EverWebinar needs an active WebinarJam subscription to import a live session. See [EasyWebinar vs WebinarJam and EverWebinar](https://easywebinar.com/compare/easywebinar-vs-everwebinar-webinarjam/).
- **No add-on licence.** **Simulive Webinar** is one of the three type cards in EasyWebinar's create dialog. Zoom's simulive needs a Zoom Events or Zoom Webinars Plus licence on top of a webinar licence. See [EasyWebinar vs Zoom](https://easywebinar.com/compare/easywebinar-vs-zoom/).
- **Recordings from your own room.** EasyWebinar reuses recordings made in its own live room. eWebinar builds from imported Zoom cloud recordings. See [EasyWebinar vs eWebinar](https://easywebinar.com/compare/easywebinar-vs-ewebinar/).

*Competitor details checked against each vendor's public documentation on 21 October 2026. Features and plans change, so confirm with the vendor before you decide.*

## Limits and things to know {#limits}

- **The type is fixed.** You can't convert a simulive webinar to live or evergreen. Clone it and choose the new type on the copy. See [Clone a webinar](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/clone-a-webinar/).
- **A recording is required.** Simulive and evergreen both play a video; live webinars don't.
- **Sessions run in the webinar's timezone,** whatever the in-app message on the schedule step says.
- **You can't schedule a session in the past.**
- **Imported videos need an accurate duration.** EasyWebinar uses it to time sessions.
- **Removing a linked video at its source breaks the webinar.** If a YouTube video is deleted on YouTube, the webinar that plays it stops working. An uploaded video is contained in EasyWebinar.
- **Don't remove a video a webinar is using.** The webinar plays it.
- **Uploads count towards storage.** Imported links use none. Extra storage is available as an add-on.

## Common questions {#common-questions}

#### Do I have to be in the room during a simulive session? {#faq-be-there}

No. The recording plays on schedule either way. Being in the chat is what gives simulive its edge over evergreen, so join when you can.

#### Can I use the recording of a webinar I've already run? {#faq-use-recording}

Yes. The **Recordings** filter on the video step lists recordings of your past webinars.

#### Does my video need to be on YouTube or Vimeo first? {#faq-video-host}

No. Upload it with **Local import** and EasyWebinar hosts it. Importing from YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia is optional.

#### Which file formats can I upload? {#faq-formats}

MP4, up to 4 GB.

#### Can I run the same simulive webinar more than once? {#faq-more-than-once}

Yes. Add sessions on the schedule step, or switch the frequency to **Daily** or **Weekly**.

#### Do attendees see session times in their own timezone? {#faq-timezone}

No. Simulive sessions run at the times you set, in the webinar's timezone, so everyone watches together.

#### Can I swap the recording after people have registered? {#faq-swap-video}

Yes. Use **Change Video** in the **Webinar Video** panel on the **Content** tab. Schedule, pages and registrations stay as they are.

#### Can I turn a simulive webinar into an evergreen one? {#faq-to-evergreen}

Not in place. Clone it and choose **Evergreen** on the copy.

#### Why does EasyWebinar ask for a duration on an imported video? {#faq-duration}

It can't read the length of a video hosted elsewhere, and it needs that length to schedule sessions and end the webinar at the right time.

#### Can I charge for a simulive webinar? {#faq-paid}

Yes. Choose **Paid** on the pricing step, which comes just before video selection.

## Related {#related}

- [Create and schedule a live webinar](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/create-a-live-webinar/)
- [Create an evergreen webinar](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/create-an-evergreen-webinar/)
- [Clone a webinar](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/getting-started/clone-a-webinar/)
- [Video hosting](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/media/video-hosting/)
- [Chat simulation](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/engagement/chat-simulation/)
- [Paid webinars](https://maximuslabs-ai.github.io/easywebinar-product-docs/product-docs/webinars/selling/paid-webinars/)