When you're hosting a live event for a global audience, language shouldn't be a barrier. That's the philosophy Udemy embraced when planning Front Row, their biannual flagship event for instructors around the world.
Udemy, a leading online learning platform with over 80,000 instructors worldwide, faced a challenge many global companies encounter: how to deliver a premium live experience to audiences speaking different languages. Rather than forcing Spanish-speaking instructors to rely on captions or wait for dubbed replays, Udemy took a bold approach with Restream Studio - streaming simultaneously in both English and Spanish, allowing viewers to seamlessly switch between languages in real-time.
The result? A successful broadcast that exceeded expectations and created a blueprint for scaling to even more languages in the future. This is the story of how Udemy transformed a test event into a company-wide model for inclusive, multilingual live streaming, and what it means for any organization looking to truly connect with a global audience.
The challenge: reaching a global instructor community
When Udemy planned its biannual Front Row event for instructors, the stakes were high. The event would feature senior leadership, including CEO Hugo Sarzen and President Ramji Sundarajan, sharing how AI is shaping the future of learning and outlining Udemy’s vision for 2026.
But there was a critical challenge: a significant portion of Udemy’s instructor community is Spanish-speaking. “We didn’t want them to feel like second-class viewers who had to rely on captions or wait for a dubbed replay,” says Gaby Graujo, Marketing Director at Udemy. This high-impact content needed to resonate equally with both English- and Spanish-speaking instructors in real time.
"We made a very intentional choice to run two live streams at the same time and embed them on our site," Graujo explains.
To pull this off, Udemy needed a solution that could:
- Stream simultaneously in multiple languages
- Maintain high production quality across all streams
- Allow seamless switching between languages for viewers
- Be easy enough for teammates with limited technical backgrounds
The solution: multilingual streaming with Restream Studio
Udemy chose Restream Studio to power their multilingual live streaming strategy for Front Row, their flagship instructor event. What started as a test quickly evolved into a full-fledged company broadcast that exceeded expectations.
Key features that made it work
1. Dual-language broadcasting Using Restream Studio, Udemy streamed in English and Spanish simultaneously and embedded both language options directly on their event website. Hosts reminded viewers they could switch languages at any time, creating an inclusive experience. Spanish-speaking instructors received the same real-time access to executive presentations, strategic updates, and product announcements as their English-speaking counterparts without relying on captions or waiting for dubbed replays.
2. Intuitive teammate collaboration Restream’s multi-user capabilities allowed several teammates to work together seamlessly during the live event. "We have multiple people coming in with limited tech background and they were able to come in straight away, understand the platform immediately without even Gaby and I explaining it," says Bob Hunt, Lead Creative Director at Udemy. "That was huge and it had the exact tools that they also needed.”
3. Professional scene management The team pre-built Studio scenes for different sections of the event, assigning team members to specific scenes for smooth transitions. For example, speakers shared slide decks or played videos, all preloaded and ready for the next segment. Every part of the stream was organized for each presenter, allowing them to present confidently while the team switched effortlessly between scenes.
4. Custom visual elements Udemy customized the event with their own elements, including a countdown to kick off the show and build anticipation in a polished, professional way. “We were a little nervous that it would lose quality, but it very much didn’t,” notes Hunt. They also used Restream Studio’s QR code feature to share resources, links, and run live polls throughout the stream, adding an interactive layer for viewers.
5. Stream control & security The ability to control who could access and control the stream gave the team confidence, especially as more company stakeholders tuned in. "Being able to gatekeep who comes in and who lets people in on the stream was really advantageous to us," Hunt explains.
The results: high satisfaction & future expansion
The Front Row event delivered impressive results:
- 80% satisfaction rate from attendees (exceeding initial expectations)
- Seamless experience across both English and Spanish streams
- High production quality maintained throughout both broadcasts
- Increased visibility within Udemy, leading to plans for more multilingual events
What's next: scaling to Portuguese and French
The success of the English-Spanish dual-language stream has opened doors for even broader multilingual streaming initiatives.
"In the future we're looking forward to add way more languages—not only Spanish but also Portuguese and French," Graujo shares. "Now that we ran this test, I think we're confident enough to include more languages."
Hunt adds: "Being able to talk to [our instructors] natively with these specific events all at the same time I think would be amazing."
As multilingual streaming technology continues to evolve, including emerging AI-powered translation and dubbing capabilities, the possibilities for reaching global audiences in real-time will only expand.
Key takeaways for multilingual live streaming
Udemy's success with multilingual streaming offers valuable lessons for any organization looking to reach global audiences:
1. Prioritize viewer experience over convenience Don't settle for captions or delayed dubbed replays. Viewers appreciate native-language experiences delivered in real-time.
2. Choose tools designed for ease of use "I had been using Restream for over 5 years," Graujo notes. "We still evaluated some other tools and at the end Restream was still the best option because how easy it is to use and that it is not overloaded with features that we're not going to end up using."
3. Start with a test, then scale Udemy began with two languages before committing to expand. This approach allowed them to validate the technology and workflow before investing further.
4. Focus on content, not technical complexity "The event itself we really wanted it to operate in a way that nobody really understands that anything is going on behind the scenes and it is just seamless," Hunt explains. "It allowed us to focus solely on the content and what is being said to our instructors and to our audience."
Start your multilingual streaming journey
Whether you're planning a global company event, an international webinar series, or regular multilingual broadcasts, the technology to reach audiences in their native language is more accessible than ever.
As Udemy discovered, multilingual live streaming isn't just about translation - it's about creating inclusive experiences that make every viewer feel valued, regardless of the language they speak.
Ready to reach your global audience with multilingual streaming? Restream's platform makes it easy to broadcast in multiple languages simultaneously, with professional features that keep your content looking polished and your team focused on what matters most: engaging your audience.
