The introduction of mobile apps like Snapchat and YouNow has increased the popularity of live streaming as the new social media trend. Many have seen the potential that live streaming holds and have tried to inculcate it into their existing platforms – Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are to name a few.

The potential in live streaming has not only been noticed by the big names in social media, but also by individuals who would like to make their brand visible, may it be a product or themselves. It doesn’t take much, financially or the know-how, in order to set up a live streaming studio or if you want to build a live streaming studio in-house.

The article to follow will give you an idea about how to build a house studio.

A Work Space         

This is where we begin to build a live streaming studio. It is necessary to have one dedicated area the purpose of which is only to create your live stream videos. This is necessary so as to have one consistent background to be used for every live stream you do.

Almost all YouTubers have a habit of having a consistent background for all their videos, and eventually, the background itself becomes a key characteristic of their brand. The background can be used as an advertising tool, which will help make the product you are marketing visible.

As making a high-quality live video requires a lot of bulky equipment, it is always a plus to have a place where the equipment can be set permanently in the desired tunings and not disturbed by you or anyone else in the house. This way, your studio also functions as a storage area.

Equipment

Even though the technology today has developed enough to give us smartphones with high-quality video and audio recording, they still cannot beat the capabilities of professional recording equipment. 

The famous words spoken by all directors – reputed and non-reputed, i.e., lights, camera, action, will give you an idea of the type of equipment you need. You require lights in order to make the subject matter as bright as possible, good camera and a decent audio recording system.

As someone who is just entering the biz, it is advisable to start small and then build on it. It is this approach that makes sense both in terms of finance and scalability, as the time passes by, it will help you understand what equipment works best for you.

• Lights

The lighting system is an important point to consider because even if you have a high-end video recorder, they won’t give you the optimum output if the lighting is not correct. You could either be lucky enough to have windows in your workplace which have good sunlight exposure or go the artificial route and buy some studio lights.

The downside of natural light is that you will have to designate a certain time when the light is right to record a video, and it may not be so every day since factors like the weather may interfere. Going the studio light route is better, as it gives a consistency to all your streams.

• Camera

These are going to be the windows through which the viewer is going to gaze at you. This is where the more you invest, the better. There are many recording devices that you can go for, but in general, the main options you have are a webcam, a DSLR or a video camcorder.

Whatever you may opt, look for a recording device which captures video in1080p 30fps quality. Another thing to watch out for is a clean live HDMI output. There are many companies out there like Canon and Sony which sell high-end products, but if finances are an issue, then Logitech could be worth a look.

• Audio

The first thing to do, avoid using the inbuilt mic. That is a strict rookie mistake. Always opt for an external mic as the sound quality will complement the video better. There are many audio recording options out there. You can go for a classic Larry King style mike on the table setup or if you are not a fan of the visible mic, a boom mic is also a viable option. In the case of a boom mic, you will have to go for a stand too if you are a solo act.

Streaming Platform & Software

Having found yourself a private space and acquiring all the required equipment, your live streaming studio setup is now complete. What comes next is an important step, as it involves deciding the platform on which you would like to advertise your product and reach your audience.

Many existing social media heavy hitters have come to see the potential in live streaming and have tried to add the option to their platforms. The first ones to catch up to it were Twitter with Periscope, an independent app, which was later made an integral part of the parent site.   

Facebook caught on soon with Facebook Live, and soon YouTube came up with YouTube streaming. The platform which you choose to use depends on what you are selling. Many users look on YouTube as it is purely dedicated to video streaming and have a very simple and user-friendly uploading process.

StreamNow is a streaming software which is very much preferred by the live streaming community. It has multiple monetization options- ranging from monthly subscription and banners to pay per view. Latency and bandwidth are not a constraint.

Videography

The advantage that video uploaders have over live streamers is that they have time before to edit a video to perfection before uploading it. However, live streaming is real-time footage with no time for any kind of editing.

It is advised that a professional with the skills and know-how of videography and producing skills are available to give you productive insight. This will help in giving your live stream an edited feel, even though all of it is being updated as it is being recorded.

Encoder

It may sound like a large device with numerous wires, but an encoder is a simple tool which is easy to use. If you want to stream live, an encoder is a must. They come in two avatars: software or hardware.

Software’s have the advantage of not taking any physical space and are easy to use. However, they are known to require a very robust processor to take the load of streaming live videos. Hardware encoders are preferred by many as it is a dedicated system and robust enough to stream live on multiple platforms.

Live streaming is the trend which is making it big in 2018, and many have predicted that it would only grow from here. If you plan on making your product reach a larger crowd then going the live streaming route by using StreamNow Facebook Live or YouTube streaming could be very productive to your brand, no matter what it may be.

Do let us know your thoughts on live streaming. Feel free to mention your doubts or concerns in the comments section. Our best wishes are with you and your live streaming venture. Cheers!