Listener Guide

Listening on Sideline is free — you don't even need an account to tune in. But creating one unlocks chat, cheers, donations, and the ability to follow your favourite broadcasters.

Sign up at sideline.fm/register with your email, a username, and a password. It takes less than a minute.

Find live commentary on the Sideline homepage. The Live Now section shows all currently broadcasting streams with details like the broadcaster's name, stream title, sport category, and listener count.

The Featured Broadcasters section highlights hand-picked broadcasters on the platform. Click on any broadcaster to visit their page and start listening.

Each broadcaster has their own page at sideline.fm/username. When a broadcaster is live, you can join their stream directly from their page. You'll also find:

• Live stream — Join the broadcast and chat in real-time
• Profile info — Bio, follow button, and social links
• Archives — Past broadcasts you can listen to on-demand

Click on any stream card on the homepage to go directly to the broadcaster's page.

Click on any live stream to join. Audio starts playing automatically (or with a single tap on mobile). You'll see the stream title, broadcaster info, live chat, and listener count.

The audio player appears at the bottom of your screen. You can adjust volume, mute, or leave the stream at any time.

Sideline uses WebRTC for low-latency audio streaming. This means you hear the commentary in near real-time with minimal delay — typically under 1 second.

Audio plays through your device's default output. On desktop, you can select a different audio output device in your browser settings.

If you're having trouble hearing a stream, try these steps:

1. Check your volume — Make sure your device volume and the stream volume are turned up
2. Refresh the page — This reconnects the audio stream
3. Check your internet — Sideline works best on a stable Wi-Fi or 4G/5G connection
4. Try a different browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge are all supported
5. Disable VPN — Some VPNs can interfere with WebRTC connections

If problems persist, reach out via our Contact page.

Join the conversation in real-time chat alongside other listeners and the broadcaster. Chat is available on every live stream for logged-in users.

Keep it friendly and on-topic — broadcasters can moderate their chat by timing out or banning disruptive users.

When a broadcaster creates a poll, you'll see it appear in the stream. Vote by clicking your choice — results update live so you can see what the community thinks in real-time.

Polls are a fun way to predict outcomes, debate player performance, and engage with the broadcast.

Want to join the broadcast? Click the Co-host button to request to speak on the stream. The broadcaster will see your request and can approve or decline it.

If approved, you'll need to grant microphone access and you can then speak live on the stream alongside the broadcaster. It's a great way to share your opinions and join the commentary.

Show appreciation for great commentary with a one-time donation. Click the Donate button during a stream, choose an amount, and complete the payment. Your donation triggers an on-stream alert, and the broadcaster can thank you live.

Payments are processed securely through Stripe. No minimum donation amount.

Subscribe to your favourite broadcasters for a monthly fee to support them with recurring revenue. Subscribers get special recognition in chat and access to exclusive perks set by the broadcaster.

Manage your active subscriptions from your Profile page. You can cancel at any time.

Cheers are Sideline's virtual currency for interactive moments. Purchase cheers from the Buy Cheers button, then spend them during streams to:

• Send text-to-speech messages that play live on the stream
• Trigger sound effects for fun interactions

New accounts receive bonus cheers to get you started.

Gift a subscription to another listener. It's a generous way to grow a broadcaster's community and give someone else the subscriber experience. Gift subscriptions work just like regular subscriptions but are paid by you on behalf of the recipient.

Customise your profile with a display name, avatar, and bio. Your profile is visible to broadcasters and other listeners when you chat or interact during streams.

Visit your Profile page to update your details.

Follow your favourite broadcasters to stay updated when they go live. Click the Follow button on any broadcaster's profile or stream page. You'll receive notifications when they start a new broadcast.

View all the broadcasters you follow from your profile.

View and manage all your active subscriptions from your profile. You can see renewal dates, subscription costs, and cancel any subscription at any time. Cancelled subscriptions remain active until the end of the current billing period.