vMix + Bitfocus Companion Setup for Church: Buttons for Inputs, Overlays, and Lyrics

What you’ll build

Row	Buttons
Preview	Wide · Pastor · Worship · Slides
Take	Cut · Fade
Overlays	Lyrics On/Off · Lower Third On/Off
Service	Start Service · Stream · Record · End Service

Preview buttons glow green, the live input glows red, and the overlay and stream buttons show their state, so a volunteer always knows what’s happening.

(New to Companion? Start with Bitfocus Companion for churches.)

Before you start

• vMix on the production computer, with inputs named in plain words.
• Bitfocus Companion on the same computer or another computer on the same wired network.
• If Companion runs on another computer, allow vMix through the vMix computer’s firewall.

Step 1: Add vMix in Companion

1. Open Companion’s admin page from its launcher.
2. Go to Connections and add vMix.
3. Enter the vMix computer’s IP address (127.0.0.1 if it’s the same computer). The default TCP API port is 8099.
4. Save. The connection shows as connected when vMix answers.

Step 2: Preview and take

Many church directors prefer preview, then take: pick the next shot, check it, then send it to program.

• Preview buttons: the “preview input” action, one button per input, with a feedback that turns the button green in preview and red in program.
• Take buttons: “Cut” and “Fade” (or another transition) actions.

Step 3: Overlays for lyrics and lower thirds

If lyrics come into vMix as an NDI input from a slides computer, put that input on an overlay channel. (See two-computer vMix setup.)

• Lyrics On/Off: the overlay toggle action for that channel, with a feedback that shows when it’s on.
• Lower Third On/Off: the same, on another channel.

Step 4: The service buttons

• Start Service: start recording, start streaming, and select the welcome input, all from one button. Add short delays between actions if you need them.
• Stream and Record: toggles with feedback that turns red while active.
• End Service: stop streaming and recording. Put it in a corner, in a different color, or on another page.

Step 5: Add the rest of the room

The same panel can recall PTZ camera presets, turn projectors on, or switch a sound board scene, so “Pastor” can recall the camera preset and preview the input in one press. (See controlling projectors, PTZ cameras, and mixers.)

Where WorshipMetrics helps

• Present’s Companion tab shows these buttons beside your slides. (See Companion buttons inside WorshipMetrics.)
• Tech Manager reports the vMix computer’s health and alerts your team if the stream or recording stops.
• Cloud vMix control gives a helper the full switching panel from any browser, with every remote action logged.

Next: the OBS version of this guide, or designing Companion pages for volunteers.

Share the vMix PC with more volunteers: Splitting vMix roles for church volunteers. See also vMix + Companion for projectors, ATEM, and lighting · the vMix Web Controller for volunteers.