Why audience interaction keeps viewers watching, the main formats — live polls, quizzes and QR-code participation — and how to run them on screen over OBS or vMix.
A stream that talks at an audience loses them; a stream that talks with them keeps them watching, commenting and coming back. Interaction — a quick poll, a quiz they can play along with, a QR code that pulls them into the show — is one of the highest-leverage things you can add to a live broadcast, and it's mostly a matter of the right on-screen graphics driven live. This guide covers the main engagement formats and how they fit together; the deeper walkthroughs for live polls, live quizzes and QR-code interaction go further on each.
Why engagement matters
Interaction does three concrete things for a live show:
- Watch time. People stay to see the poll result or the next quiz question. Retention is the metric every platform rewards.
- Participation. Voting or playing along turns a passive viewer into an active one — and active viewers comment and share.
- Data and moments. A poll gives you a talking point on air; a quiz gives you a leaderboard and a payoff.
None of it requires a big production — it requires the right overlay and someone to drive it.
The main formats
Live polls
A quick question with a few options, shown on screen, that the audience votes on — results updating live. Great for opinion, predictions and "which one" moments. See how to run a live poll.
Live quizzes
A single question or a full multi-question round the audience plays along with — questions revealed on the operator's cue, with a holding screen before it starts and a thank-you at the end. Great for sport, entertainment and community shows. See how to run a live quiz.
QR-code participation
A QR code on screen is the lowest-friction way to get a viewer from watching to taking part — they scan and they're in the poll or quiz, no typing a URL. See using QR codes for audience interaction.
Running it live
Engagement graphics are overlays, so they run the same way as any other — a browser source in OBS or vMix, driven by an operator:
- Build the poll or quiz ahead of time.
- Drop its overlay URL into your streaming software once.
- During the show, take it on, advance it (reveal the result, move to the next question), and take it off — on cue.
Because the participation link or QR points the audience to a lightweight join page, viewers take part on their phones while the on-screen overlay shows the state of play.
How Show Runner handles it
Show Runner has audience engagement built in: on-screen polls with a QR code for instant voting, and single- or multi-question quizzes the audience joins by link or QR, with operator Prev/Next control and configurable holding and thank-you screens. Both are overlays — build them in the browser, drop the URL into OBS or vMix, and drive them live alongside the rest of your graphics.
FAQ
What's the difference between a poll and a quiz?
A poll asks for opinion or a prediction — there's no right answer, just a live tally of votes. A quiz has correct answers and is usually played as a round: the audience answers each question and you reveal results and, often, a leaderboard. Use a poll for "what do you think", a quiz for "play along".
Do viewers need an app to take part?
No. Audiences join a lightweight web page via a short link or by scanning an on-screen QR code — it opens in their phone browser, no app or account needed.
How do engagement graphics get on the stream?
They're overlays: you add the poll or quiz URL as a browser source in OBS or vMix, and an operator takes it on and off and advances it live, exactly like a lower third or scoreboard.
Pick a format to start: run a live poll or run a live quiz. Or start for free.