General Membership Questions
Q. Which membership level do I qualify for – home, school or small business?
A. The best way to determine which membership level you should register for is to refer to this table, which breaks out the different membership levels and benefits associated with each.
Q. Can I give a TED Live Membership as a gift?
A. Yes. On the registration page, click on “Purchase as Gift.” This will take you to a form that will require information about yourself and your recipient(s). We'll then get in touch with you for payment information.
Q. I live in a different time zone from the conferences in Long Beach and Edinburgh. How can I tune in?
A. TED Live members can join remotely from anywhere in the world. The conference sessions are quickly uploaded to video archives within a couple hours, so members in different time zones can still have the experience of following along with the conference as it unfolds near real time.
Q. Which conferences do I have access to if I sign up for membership prior to TED Global?
A. The TED Live membership is a yearly membership that includes the next two consecutive conferences after you register. If you sign up prior to TED Global 2012, you have access to TED Global 2012 and TED Long Beach 2013.
Q. Why did you replace TED Associates with TED Live?
A. After review and feedback from previous members, we wanted to create a program that brought more value to our members and developed the TED Live membership.
Q. I’m not on Facebook and don’t plan on getting an account. Is there another way to join the Facebook Group?
A. Unfortunately there is no other way to join a Facebook group if you do not have a Facebook account. We do have other ways you can be a part of the TED Live community. With your TED.com account, you can message other TED Live members from the TED.com social networking site. You can also participate with us via Twitter (@TEDLiveHQ).
Q. How can you charge money for a webcast? It should be free!
A. TEDTalks are free. Shortly after each conference, we begin carefully editing and releasing some TEDTalks on TED.com. If you want to watch TED in real time, all at one time, we feel that has value, and we are charging for that live experience as well as the other valuable membership benefits.
Q. I’m interested in becoming a member, but I wonder if the Talks will all end up online for free anyway?
A. The TED Live membership gives you access to the live streams of the TED and TED Global conferences and all Talks in their unedited format. It also gives you 24/7 access to an online archive of the Talks, so you can watch it whenever you get a chance and re-live the conference at any time. While some of the Talks do end up online, many of them don't. Moreover, the timing of the talks coming online are not pre-determined, so some Talks may go online but not for a few months to a year.
Q. Is there a cutoff date to register?
A. There is no cutoff date for TED Live registrations, although the earlier you register, the more opportunities you have to connect with other registrants via our Facebook group and test the stream and technical needs.
Q. When will I receive the DVDs?
A. TED Live membership doesn’t include a physical DVD but rather a “virtual” one. Within one week after the conference, the archive videos will be updated and tabbed so you can click to the speaker and session of your choice with greater ease. There is not cutoff date to your access to this online virtual DVD.
Q. What is the difference between TED Live and
TEDxLive?
A. TED Live is a year-round membership program managed by TED
that provides members with virtual seats to each of the four
days of both the
TED and
TEDGlobal conferences, along with a host of other
member benefits,
such as a Kindle Fire and year subscription to TED Books.
TEDxLive is a TEDx license that allows an individual to host an event around one day of an official TED conference: TED and TEDGlobal. These events are free to the public, and last an entire day. Some events include local programming. In order to host a TEDxLive event, you must apply for a license, be approved by the TEDx team, and adhere to the TEDx and TEDxLive rules for executing this event.
Q. How much of my membership fee is tax deductible?
A. As TED is owned by the Sapling Foundation, a private 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation registered in the State of New York, $695 of the TED Live membership fee for home and school and $2,200 of the TED Live membership fee for college and small business may be tax-deductible; Fair Market Value is $300. Please check with your tax professional. We issue tax receipts at the end of each year.
Home Membership Questions
Q. If I have a home membership, can I watch the conference from work?
A. You may watch it from work, as long as you are abiding by all other Home membership rules. You can share the experience with up to 9 friends, for a total of 10 viewers, and view from one computer source only. The Home membership is not intended to be on display and shared with a whole office. If you would like to view the conference with other co-workers, consider registering for the Small Business membership, and view the conference with up to 49 individuals, for a total of 50 viewers.
Q. For a home membership, can 10 of us each contribute to the cost to watch the stream?
A. You can, but you are eligible to receive only one of each benefit item, though.
Q. With my home membership, can I show it to more than 10 people at one time?
A. The Home membership allows for the same 10 people to view from one stream. You must buy another membership for every 10 individuals.
Q. With my home membership, can I show it to 10 people in multiple locations?
A. No, the feed will only stream to one address. We use IP identification technology to detect whether multiple computers are accessing the web stream from one account. Logging in from more than one location is in violation of the terms and conditions, and access to the conference and membership will automatically be revoked if access to one account from multiple sources is detected.
School, College, Small Business Membership Questions
Q. With my school/small business membership, can I hold viewings in multiple rooms if there are a total of 50 people watching?
A. No, the viewing must take place in one room from one computer source. We use IP identification technology to detect whether multiple computers are accessing the web stream from one account. Logging in from more than one location is in violation of the terms and conditions, and access to the conference and membership will automatically be revoked if access to one account from multiple sources is detected.
Q. Is there a discount for nonprofits?
A. Not at the present time.
Q. My business has more than 100 employees. How can I share the conference with my organization?
A. If your business has more than 100 employees, please contact sponsors@ted.com and we can work with you to figure out the best solution for your organization.
Q. My office has less than 100 employees, but we are a branch of a larger organization. Can I purchase the TED Live membership just for my office?
A. We view that as a large business and can work with you to determine the best way for your group to access the conferences. Please email sponsors@ted.com and we can work with you to figure out the best solution for your organization.
Q. Can I use the TED livestream or "virtual DVD" online archive to hold a fundraiser for my school or other nonprofit?
A. Not at the present time.
TED Books & Kindle questions
Q. I already have a device with Kindle software for reading eBooks (a different Kindle, iPad, Android, etc.). Can I get my TED Books subscription on that device instead of the Kindle Fire?
A. Absolutely. When you register, we’ll get in touch with you to determine the best way to deliver the TED Books to you. You can read your TED Books on any device that has Kindle software and is connected to your Kindle account.
Q. I don't live in the US. Can I still get TED Books and Kindle Fire?
A. Due to obscure tax regulations, we are unable to automatically push TED Books to your Kindle device outside the U.S. However, we will make it easy for you to get them for free. Also, the Kindle Fire has not yet been released outside of the US; the e-reader feature will still work, but many of the other Kindle Fire features may not. Since international members may not get all of the benefits of the Kindle Fire, we will be offering some alternatives. Please note, some countries have overreaching duty rules that we cannot pay ahead of time. If this is the case, members may have to be responsible for those overreaching duties.
Q. Can I re-gift my Kindle Fire?
A. Yes, you can, however you may not charge money for it or post it for sale.
Q. Can I re-gift my TED Books subscription?
A. The TED Books subscription is an integral part of the TED Live experience. We don't allow re-gifting of TED Books subscriptions.
Q. When do I start getting TED Books?
A. Once you register, we will get in touch with you to start delivering your TED Books online. Your year’s subscription starts after you register and you will continue to get books approximately every two weeks for 12 months from your registration.
Q. Is TED Books the same as the TED Book Club?
A. No, it is not. Approximately twice a month, TED publishes TED Books, short eBooks with the powerful ideas from our Talks. These TED Books will be automatically delivered to TED Live members as they are published. The TED Book Club is a benefit of attending the TED Long Beach conference.
Q. My question isn't answered here.
A. Email live@ted.com -- and thanks to those who've written already to seed this FAQ!
Technical Questions
We are here to help you through every stage of setting up and planning your viewing experience. Check back closer to the conferences for instructions and tips on your remote connection to the Conference.