Broadcasting audio and video from Microsoft Teams with NDI and SDI technology

Turning on NDI® technology in Teams

To start using NDI®, your admin will need to enable the broadcast production policy. Once the policy is turned on, NDI® will be available. 

To start using NDI® in Teams:

1. Select Settings and more  in Teams.

2. Select Settings   > App permissions .

3. Under Production tools, select Download Link to install the latest NDI® binaries.

   • This is required for every Teams update. We recommend completing this before an event using NDI® in case you need to re-download the latest binaries.

   • To learn more about the Teams update release schedule, see Version update history for Teams.

4. After installing, turn on the Production tools toggle.

   • You can't turn on this toggle while you're in a Teams meeting.

After enabling NDI® technology in Teams,  join a meeting and select More actions in your meeting controls. Then, select Streaming > Broadcast over NDI.

NDI®-out features

Once NDI® technology is turned on, the following streams will be available:

• Primary speaker: A stream will be generated that automatically switches to whoever is actively speaking from all of the incoming streams. (Audio/video from your own computer won't be included.)

• Local: A stream will be generated of the audio/video that is being sent to the meeting from your computer. (This allows you to have the same audio/video in both the meeting and in your local NDI® production.)

• Individual users: Each user will have a stream available over NDI®. The incoming audio for a meeting is mixed together and will be the same for all individual user streams. These streams will display the video at the same quality that is being received by the client.

  Note: If no video is available, you'll see a simple screen with the Teams logo. But the stream is still being received by your NDI® software/hardware.

• Screen sharing: Any incoming screen sharing will be available as an NDI® stream. 

• Large gallery and Together mode: Both of these modes will have their own NDI® stream available. 

SDI hardware-out devices 

Just as with NDI®-out capabilities, SDI hardware-out capabilities must have the NDI/Broadcast policy enabled by your admin. You must also be using either Blackmagic Design (BMD) or AJA Video Systems hardware.

Once your admin has enabled you to broadcast, you'll need to go to Settings and more next to your profile picture in Teams. Then select Settings > App permissions > then enable the toggle next to Production Capabilities. If you have any SDI devices connected, you'll see them under Video hardware out.

If the hardware-out option is available, when you're in a meeting you'll have the option to Send video to Hardware in More options  next to a meeting participant's name.

If there is more than one kind of device available, they'll be listed alphabetically. If a device can output more than one A/V stream, then you'll see a list of output options to choose from.

To stop streaming a particular video, go back to More options  next to the person's name and select Stop sending to.

Technical limitations

These are some common technical issues to consider when using NDI® Technology in Teams:

• Broadcasting NDI® signals from Teams is limited by the number of streams and quality of the streams your Teams client receives.

• A good strategy is to first "pin" a video stream in Teams to ensure that particular video stays connected during the meeting. Under that meeting participant's name, select More actions  and then choose Pin.

• Try limiting the number of NDI®-out video streams to two or three on any single computer. This is another good strategy that'll help ensure stability and performance for most users.

• Changing to a different meeting layout such as Together Mode or Large Gallery will stop the video streams of other people in the meeting from coming to your computer. Your machine will then only be able to stream the selected layout via NDI®. (Returning to the Gallery layout will restore the video streams.)

• Apple Macs with M1 processors aren't currently supported for Hardware-Out.