Start Open Intercom for Live Production in 5 Minutes
Step-by-step walkthrough showing how to start a complete intercom system for live production using just the web interface — no coding or technical skills required.
Open Intercom is a complete communication system for live production crews. Whether you are broadcasting a sports event, producing a live stream, or coordinating a virtual conference, Open Intercom provides audio channels, video monitoring, text chat, and coordination tools for your entire team. Best of all, you can start it in about 5 minutes using just the web interface — no technical knowledge required.
What Is Open Intercom?
In professional broadcasting and live production, an intercom system lets crew members communicate during the event. Camera operators talk to the director, audio engineers coordinate with producers, graphics operators get cues from the switcher. Traditionally, this required expensive hardware systems with wired connections. Open Intercom provides the same functionality through software that runs in web browsers, powered by Symphony Media Bridge for production-grade audio quality with real-time latency. Each crew member connects through a web browser on their computer or tablet — no special equipment needed. You create productions with communication lines for different roles, and your crew joins through shared links. It is production-grade communication without the hardware costs.
Step 1: Log In and Find Open Intercom
Start by logging in to your Open Source Cloud account at app.osaas.io. If you don't have an account yet, sign up for free — you get tokens to try services. Once you are logged in, you will see the dashboard. Look for the search bar or browse the services catalog. Type "Intercom" in the search box. You will see Intercom listed with a description. Click on it to view details about what it does and how it works.
Step 2: Set Up the Required Services
Open Intercom needs two supporting services: a CouchDB database for storing data, and a Symphony Media Bridge (SMB) for handling real-time audio. On the Intercom service page, you will see fields for these dependencies. Use the "+" button next to each field to create them directly from this page. First, create a CouchDB instance — give it a name like "intercom" and set an admin password. Then create a Symphony Media Bridge instance — give it a name and set an API key (this is a password you choose). Once both services are running, fill in the remaining fields: give your intercom a name, and the SMB URL and database URL will be auto-populated. Enter the SMB API key you chose. Click "Create" to start the intercom. This usually takes 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Open the App and Create a Production
Once the intercom service is running, click on the instance to see its access URL. Open this URL in your browser. You will be asked to grant microphone permissions — click Allow. Then log in with a username (this is just a display name for the session, not a separate account). Once inside, create a new production — give it a name like "Morning Show" or "Live Event Nov 10." Then add communication lines to the production. Lines are like audio channels for different roles: create one called "Camera", another called "Audio", one for "Director", and so on. Each line is an independent communication channel that crew members can join.
Step 4: Invite Your Crew
To bring your crew into the production, you can share the application URL with them directly, or generate unique one-time URLs for external guests. Send the link via email, Slack, text message, or however your team communicates. Each person opens the link in a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari all work), grants microphone access, and logs in with their name. They can then join the production and select which communication lines to listen to and speak on. For example, camera operators join the Camera line, audio engineers the Audio line, and the director might monitor all lines. Test the audio by having people speak on their lines and verify others can hear them. That is it — your intercom system is now running.
What Can You Do with It?
Use Open Intercom during rehearsals to work out technical coordination. Run it during live events for real-time crew communication. Set up lines for different production roles and let people switch between lines as needed. Create separate productions for different events. Generate one-time guest URLs to invite external collaborators securely. When you are done, simply stop the services from your OSC dashboard. If you want to use it regularly for productions, consider upgrading to a paid plan to keep it available whenever you need it. The free tokens are perfect for trying it out during a test event or rehearsal.