Live Webcast and Timed Auction Software
Run your live sales and your timed online sales on one platform. Bidders in the room, on the phone and on the web bid against each other in real time, over low-latency audio and video, on any device they happen to be holding.
Why live and timed belong on one platform
Timed online auctions are one of the fastest-growing parts of the industry. Live auctions are still its backbone. Most houses now run both — and most run them on two different systems.
- One catalog, not two. Lots entered once serve the live sale and the timed sale, so nothing is re-keyed between formats and nothing goes out of sync mid-sale.
- One bidder record. The same registration, absentee bids and invoicing rules apply whichever way a lot sells, and the bidder history stays in one place afterwards.
- One platform to learn. Your clerk, your auctioneer and your office work in the same system on sale day, rather than one each.
Wimbledon Auctions nearly doubled turnover after moving to Bidpath, running their live sales with no live surcharge on their own platform.
Live webcast auctions
The auctioneer runs the sale; the platform keeps every bidder in it, wherever they are.
- Low-latency audio and video — bidders hear and see the room as it happens
- Fully customizable bidder screens on a mobile and responsive layout
- Pre-auction and absentee bids carried into the live sale
- One-way and two-way chat between the rostrum and online bidders
- In-room marquee display so the room sees what the web sees
- Invoicing and reporting from the same record the sale ran on
Multi-currency with hover-over conversion, grouping, choice and privilege lots, active bidder visibility and the rest of the specification are on the SAM product page.
Timed online auctions
Lots close on a schedule you set, with the closing behavior your sale actually needs.
- Hard close, soft close and extend all, plus staggered closing
- Auto-updating countdowns on closing times
- Out-bid notifications and automated emails to bidders
- Buy Now and fixed-price sales alongside the timed catalog
- Invoicing and reporting on the same records as your live sales
Bulk bidding, event grouping, flexible catalog layouts and credit card processor APIs are covered on the SAM product page.
Hybrid sales and shared portals
Live, timed and hybrid formats can run under one portal, including portals shared by several auction companies.
Your own portal
Live webcast, timed online, hybrid sales and a 24/7 marketplace under one roof, with iOS and Android apps.
Sell across borders
Multi-lingual, multi-currency and multi-time-zone, with VAT, GST and sales tax handled per sale.
Connect what you run
APIs and XML feeds, photo and catalog management, and invoicing and reporting across every format.
Who runs sales on it
The live and timed modules serve art, antiques, collectibles, numismatics, automotive, industrial, technology, medical, construction, mining, real estate, retail, wholesale merchandise, government surplus, aviation, personal property and public storage, among others.
After the core timed and live modules were built, client requests have driven development since — which is why the closing rules, bidder screens and reporting bend to how a house already works rather than the other way round.
Frequently asked questions
What is live webcast auction software?
Live webcast auction software broadcasts a live sale — the auctioneer, the rostrum and the lot in front of them — to bidders online, and takes their bids in real time alongside bids from the room and the phone. Bidpath's live webcast module streams low-latency audio and video, shows a fully customizable bidder screen on any device, and carries pre-auction and absentee bids into the sale.
Can one platform run both live and timed auctions?
Yes. Bidpath's SAM platform runs live webcast sales and timed online sales from the same catalog and the same bidder records, so lots are entered once and invoicing and reporting come out of one system regardless of which way a lot sold. Hybrid sales, where a timed catalog closes into a live session, run on the same platform.
What does low latency mean for live auction bidding?
Latency is the delay between what happens in the room and what an online bidder sees and hears. When it is high, online bidders bid against a moment that has already passed, and the auctioneer has to wait or re-offer. Low-latency audio and video keeps the online bidder on the same beat as the room, which is what makes a webcast sale feel like one sale instead of two.
Which live bidding software do industrial and commercial auction houses use for webcasts?
Industrial, construction, mining, technology and government surplus sellers are among the sectors running live webcast sales on Bidpath's platform, alongside art, antiques and automotive houses.
Can bidders in the room and bidders online compete against each other?
Yes — that is the point of a webcast sale. Room bids, phone bids, absentee bids and online bids all land in the same sale, and an in-room marquee display shows the room what the web sees. One-way and two-way chat connects the rostrum to online bidders during the sale.
Does it handle multiple currencies, languages and tax rules?
Yes. The platform supports multi-currency with hover-over conversion, multi-language bidder interfaces, multiple time zones, and VAT, GST and sales tax. Auction portals can be shared by several auction companies selling into different markets.
How do we see it running on our own sale?
Schedule a demo and we will walk through a live webcast and a timed sale with your own lot structure, closing rules and bidder screens in view. If you would rather talk it through first, contact us.
Run your next live and timed sale from one platform
See a webcast sale and a timed sale set up the way your house actually works — your closing rules, your bidder screens, your reporting.
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