Perhaps you’re an animal enthusiast with a penchant for cameras, or maybe you’re just fascinated by the world of live streaming. Either way, animal live streaming is a glorious way to channel your inner Steve Irwin and capture a happy digital user foothold while you’re at it. Five years ago, live streaming would have entailed an enormous arsenal of hardware and software technologies. Today, all you need are a few hardware tools and a superior live streaming framework. Thanks to the upswing of turnkey platforms in the market, establishing a live stream is no longer a long-wound, cumbersome process. In fact, thanks to technologies like StreamNow, you can set up quickly and easily without breaking the bank.
If you harbour a love for animals and communication, setting up an animal live stream can marry your interests perfectly. Here’s how to set up a live camera feed.
Steps to Set Up an Animal Live Stream
If you aspire to be on the best live animal broadcasters’ map, there are seven key steps you should follow to set up a superior animal live stream.
Step 1. Acquire a Camera and Audio System
A live stream, or any video for that matter, can be projected significantly better with a good live stream camera setup. If you prefer to complement your animal live stream with a voiceover, then consider investing in a microphone too. However, know that a large number of live streams are broadcast without a running commentary, simply capturing an animal in its natural habitat. When it comes to recording an animal in its natural state, it’s advisable to keep a camera tucked inside the trees or other nooks within the forest. Human movement may throw off an animal, threatening it and in turn, affecting the authenticity of your animal live stream. IP cameras and surveillance cameras are apt for outdoor shooting, allowing you to be restrained and discreet during a capture. Capturing domesticated animals in an indoor environment can be just as entertaining for viewers. An indoor capture also gives you flexibility in terms of lighting, camera and connectivity. In either case, if you use a professional camera, you’ll need a capture card to go with it.
Step 2. Secure a Robust Internet Connection
When you’re live streaming from a forest environment where network coverage can be sketchy, it’s imperative that you acquire a reliable, sturdy internet connection. A poor stream peppered with empty screens can tip your viewers in favour of alternate means of entertainment. That said, it may be next to impossible to seek an internet source in an obscure environment, but a well-configured hotspot may serve you well.
Step 3. Use a Content Delivery Network
Think of a content delivery network (CDN) as a tube that keeps its contents flowing smoothly and seamlessly. A CDN sits atop a streaming service and monitors the flow of content to servers, to save them from being overburdened. As a result, the quality of your animal live stream remains optimal. The truth is, wildlife enthusiasts tend to be exceptionally loyal to brands of wildlife content. This special group of viewers even resort to leaving their broadcasts on for hours together, just to watch a predator attack. Although around-the-clock live content typically garners very few viewers, wildlife content stands apart from this generalisation. Such channels witness more users per hour than any other live broadcast format. A CDN can help to manage large numbers of viewers as well as cater to viewers across the globe.
Step 4. Establish a Live Streaming Channel
StreamNow is a professional, user-friendly turnkey technology that will spotlight your animal live streams effectively. Along with a framework like StreamNow, you will also need an encoder for your live stream. Adobe Flash Live is a good option for this.
Step 5. Scatter Your Live Streaming Presence
Avoid keeping your animal live stream restricted to one or two locations on the web. The more locations, the better. Make sure you embed your source code on your website to make it easier to spread your video across cyberspace. To do this, simply copy the source code from your ‘Publish Settings’ tab to the code page on your website.
Step 6. Line Up Your Animals
There are several things to consider when you’re live streaming an animal. There’s your safety, your crew’s safety, proximity to the animal, lighting, internet connectivity. And that’s just the beginning. However, amongst these peripheral worries, your main concern should be the animal you intend to film. Make sure that your stream begins when the animal has acquainted itself with its environment and is displaying attributes worth capturing. Also, ensure that your camera is stationed at a safe, yet adequate distance. The last thing you need is a provoked attack on your live feed.
Step 7. Market Your Live Animal Cam
An effectively shot live animal cam can be a sensational source of entertainment for viewers and it is important that it is marketed well. Create a Facebook page and an Instagram business account to get your word out. The latter is a visually rich, engaging medium that can work well for your brand. Twitter is also effective, leading you to promote your content in bite-sized nuggets. StreamNow offers an exclusive feature that lets you plug your live stream right into social media platforms so that your content is streamed concurrently across the board. Posting entertaining tidbits throughout your animal live stream can attract users and promote cross-pollination of ideas and thoughts. Hashtags can tie your posts together so remember to use key hashtags to highlight the nature of each post.
A live animal cam can provide viewers a real-time keyhole to content they can possibly never view in person. Unlike documentaries on National Geographic, animal live streams are not edited. This makes them more genuine and relatable.
Now that you know how to set up a live stream, you can take one step closer to your animal cam dream. We promise you, it will be an adventure of a lifetime that you won’t regret.