Live streaming on the internet has changed the medium of entertainment from offline to online and made it easier for brands to bond with their target audience. According to leading influencer marketing agency Mediakix’s stats, Twitch has a massive streaming ecosystem drawing 9.7 min daily active users, speaking for the number of internet users interested in live streaming. Out of these, 100 million daily active users watched videos in Q4 2016. As the numbers keep increasing staggeringly, businesses are constantly strategizing to get improved results with live streaming.
Here are the best practices for live streaming:
Choose the Right Tool:
The best way to stream live videos of your business is ideally on your website. This will ensure that all the traffic is driven to your website alone and no other video sharing website earns a hefty sum of money out of all the hard work you do to telecast live videos. But if you are keen on using social media platforms at first before going big on your own live video streaming website, the most popular tools are Facebook Live, Twitter’s Periscope and Blab.
Facebook Live videos are watched 3x longer than regular videos. So if you are broadcasting your live streams on other platforms, broadcasting simultaneously to Facebook is a good idea. Once your stream on Facebook Live has ended, it will become a video on your page so your followers can watch it anytime. If you don’t stream to Facebook, you can still share the replay link or upload the file directly to Facebook.
Periscope is owned by Twitter and if your brand has engaged Twitter audience, this is a great option. You just have to post your Livestream to Twitter and your followers can watch it in the tweet. You can stream Q&A, show behind-the-scenes and have your audience participating via comments through the Periscope app. So you are engaging with your audience in more than one way at the same time.
Blab is a live streaming tool that can be used on smartphone and desktop. Blab is a great tool as it allows you to have four people live streaming at once. This again means you can engage in four ways with the same audience at the same time. You could run the broadcast in one, put up live questions from the audience in the second, live chat in the third, let an expert or audience member speak in the fourth. There are ‘n’ number of options that you could experiment within the four seats to make the most of the live streaming for your business. You could also share links, provide downloadable content, infographics as you speak about it in the stream, YouTube videos etc.
Bandwidth Recommendations:
Shared networks and wireless connections do not assure zero bandwidth fluctuation. So the most reliable internet connection when streaming is connecting directly via Ethernet to a dedicated network. When you are the sole user of an internet connection, fluctuations are very minimal. Rule of thumb is to have twice the upload speed to the bitrate intended to be streamed.
Backup Recording:
Recording back-up of an on-going live stream is helpful in the rare case where you run into bandwidth issues. For recording purpose, plan for file transport, whether you want to upload to a server or to a repository. The recording can also be broken down into different sections and hosted on your website.
Address your Audience’s Needs:
The best way to live stream video is to choose topics that will address your audience’s needs regarding your products, services or based on the industry you cater to. Live streaming enables you to deliver solutions and engage your viewers to be equal participants in the event. At the end of your live video, they should have answers to their questions or something that will benefit them. When your business validates and addresses present need, question or opportunity, the discussion is always fruitful. When subject matter experts from your business host live videos, viewer participation is higher during Q&A session. This makes your live streams successful.
Double Check on Timing:
Check if your live streaming time would be convenient for the time zone of your target audience. When you are targeting audience globally, it is important to make sure your broadcast is not much of a trouble fitting into their time schedule. Make necessary changes in the timings that will suit everyone. After all, the whole point of streaming live is that target audience can participate.
Promote your Scheduled Broadcast:
Your live stream will have an audience only when you have promoted it through different channels; people know about it and show interest in it. You could promote it on your website, blog and social media accounts. To make it more interesting, use image creating tools like PicMonkey or Canva to create impressive images giving details about your Livestream’s topic, date, time, platform and any other relevant details. Share these images on social media and other channels rather than putting down plain text. The human brain tends to remember images more than text. Also, it is easy for your followers to download the image to safe-keep the details of the live stream.
Include Call To Action:
Including relevant CTA after every live stream is as important as including a CTA. Your call-to-action could be as common as following you on social networking sites or subscribing to your newsletters, adding links to informational video or free download.
Create a Plan for Engagement
The best way to broadcast live video is to create a plan for engaging audience beforehand. First engagement point is to welcome viewers, ask where they’re tuning in from. Engaging people early on and addressing them by names during a conversation makes it more likely for them to engage later in the broadcast. When you find your audience enjoying the broadcast while you converse with them, you could also ask them to share the broadcast if they’re enjoying it.
Planning and preparation is the key for novice and expert alike. Users don’t always come forward with questions once the session is open. To keep your event interesting and engaging, you have to be prepared with additional information and backup plan. Being sufficiently informed help in being open to divert the discussion to another pressing topic that might be the need of the hour. You could also try to incorporate different ways to engage an audience that will influence and impact the broadcast. For instance, ask a question in the comments that will lead to the actual action onscreen.
Seize the Opportunity as it Comes
Pre-planned live streams are always good and welcome, but there are times when the first one to catch up on the flash news or an opportunity, can grow leaps and bounds. It is essential for businesses to be opportunistic in their live stream plans. Over planning or speculation misses out timely opportunities. Several live streaming software’s are available in the market that enables launching business venture almost instantly. The best live streaming software backs you with all the necessary technicalities, so you can invest your time in the creation of live streams.
Test and Learn Post Production
Once your broadcast has ended, it is a great idea to do a post-mortem. You could answer questions like, what could be done better or how to be more creative and engaging. Utilize the learning from previous broadcasts to improvise on the upcoming ones. Because there is always room for improvement, even for the biggest of brands who have been in the business for a long time.
Celebrate the Team Work
It takes a team of specialists to put together an event, regardless of the length of the broadcast. Celebrate the teamwork, even when the live stream falls flat because your team will be implementing the learning in the next one.
Put to use the best practices and experience incremental success in your live streaming.
If you prefer curling up with your laptop to catch some entertaining live streams at the end of a long, hard day, raise your hand. If your hand went all the way up, your television set is most likely relegated to a corner of your living room, a sheath of dust covering its sleepy surface. Like you, myriad millennials favour streaming live content over antiquated content broadcast on television. Livestreams are making their way into the devices and hearts of entertainment seekers world over. And while there are enough takers, there is still tremendous opportunity for broadcasters. Contrary to perception, live streaming isn’t complicated; in fact, it is fairly simple and straightforward. With some basic hardware and a nimble video streaming service like StreamNow, you’ll be good to go in no time. Keep this little guide in your pocket as you set out to venture into the live video streaming realm. Today, we show you how to stream live video over the internet.
The Basics of How to Stream Live Online:
Live streaming has become a catchphrase that has caught on across the world. But what does it really mean? Let’s break it down to understand it better. Streaming implies the real-time transmission of content over the web. Think Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu. While these platforms are on-demand content services, there is another brand of streaming that is rising in popularity. Live streaming enables broadcasters and viewers to communicate in real-time, with a broadcast being received by a user almost immediately after it has been created. A broadcaster may stream a variety of content, ranging from fashion shows and lifestyle exhibitions to sports matches and worship services. Education is a sector where live streaming is becoming increasingly relevant. By learning how to stream live online, schools can source remote teachers, collaborate with other schools and create inter-school collaborations. Live streaming can also be useful for creative folk who can channel their skills through virtual classes and workshops online. With live streaming, anything is possible. Yet, how to stream videos is the big question that many aspiring broadcasters have. Here, we lift the lid.
A Guide on How to Stream Live Video Over the Internet:
If you were to ask us how to live telecast on the internet, we would tell you that you only need a basic camera and a sturdy internet connection, to begin with. And it’s true. With just these two in place, you can build a robust foundation for your live stream. You’ll need a few more things to ensure that your stream is smooth, though. Leave it to us to walk you through some easy steps that encapsulate how to live stream a video.
Internet Connectivity:
Needless to say, an effective internet connection can transform the quality of a live stream. It’s always a good idea to maintain two internet lines to provision for redundancy. While your primary connection could be wireless, we suggest that you select a wireline service as a backup. Fixed line connections almost always offer a more consistent bandwidth, ensuring that a live stream remains smooth and undisturbed. Opt for a connection that features a bandwidth north of 1 Mbps.
Personal Computer:
Now that you have your internet sorted, focus on acquiring a computer that features an effective processor. Also, make sure that your system houses at least 10 GB of RAM. Although you’ll find a host of computers in the market that may match your criteria, many of these may overheat, preventing you from live streaming for long periods. You can broadcast just as well from a tablet or a smartphone, but this way, your device will drain sooner, and a computer will prove far more useful.
Microphone and Video Camera:
When you live stream, you may want to add a commentary to your broadcast and so, it is imperative that your microphone is high-quality. As far as your visual broadcasting goes, invest in an entry-level professional video camera. You will need to pair this with a capture card and you’ll be all set to stream.
Encoder:
An encoder is a clever tool that transforms content from your camera into consumable, palatable nuggets that can be live streamed to users. Flash Media Live Encoder is a top encoder favored by many budding broadcasters.
Live Streaming Platform:
When you have your stream mix in place, you have one final step to go before you cross the threshold of creating a live stream. At this stage, you need to procure a live streaming platform. StreamNow is a multi-faceted, sophisticated live streaming framework that allows you to customize your stream, monetise it through sponsorships and subscription plans, and create live streams on the go. A streaming platform is an interface between you and your viewers, and with a versatile framework like StreamNow, you can reach a plethora of viewers across a range of devices.
Merits of Online Live Streaming:
Live streaming allows you to capture and broadcast content in real-time, meaning that streams are always relevant, in keeping with the season and relatable. Plus, it saves you the trouble of manually converting your video through a separate hardware and transferring it to a specific destination online. It’s a good idea to plug your live streams to social media by displaying sneak peeks and previews through live streaming tools on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The biggest advantage of live streaming, however, is that it is extremely light in your pocket. By investing a tiny amount, you can reach a global audience. Just imagine your monetization potential!
Demerits of Online Live Streaming:
The quality of a video broadcast, whether live or not, rests on the effectiveness of your internet connection. The same holds true for your viewers, whose streams must buffer successfully to be consumed.
How to Live Stream a Video, Your Way:
You can stream almost anything to users across the globe if your basic infrastructure is in place. Ask yourself what you want to share with the world, how you can add value and how you can monetize your platform. With StreamNow by your side, you’ll be covered from the get go. Go live, today.
The best matches aren’t necessarily played in a rolling stadium fitted with swanky arc lights and stippled with celebrity players. They most often happen in your own backyard, as your little one learns how to kick a ball or score a homerun for the first time. These little moments can be priceless and it’s natural to want to follow them through your kitchen window. Except, as your child grows, you’re likely to miss more and more of these moments. Your backyard will be replaced by your child’s schoolyard and you will be slowly eclipsed by a tribe of little minions. In time, you will be relegated to the sidelines. Literally. But therein lies an opportunity. Along with you, there may be hundreds of other parents wanting to follow their child’s matches at school or on the field. And there’s a perfect solution to keep them clued in while making some moolah on the side. Say hello to online sports streaming.
A Keyhole Into Online Sports Streaming:
The sports sector is poised to reach close to $74 billion by 2019. But this colossal number doesn’t only speak of the multi-million dollar celebrity sports teams that form the face of the sector. It also mirrors thousands of backyard stories that could hold even more significance for some people. Little League matches, neighbourhood charity sports events, office sports days; the works. By leveraging live sports streaming online, amateur sports matches have a way of reaching an audience around the world. This way, sports connoisseurs sitting halfway across the globe can still follow the beats of a live match, without having to miss out on crucial moments. Plus, if you monetise your stream well, it is a phenomenal way to fill your piggy bank. Online sports streaming is no longer limited to sophisticated technology. With a few basic pieces of hardware and a versatile streaming software, you can get an online sports streaming platform up and running in a matter of days. StreamNow, for example, is an excellent framework that allows you to plug a live stream into your existing website. If you’re wondering how to stream sports online, we’ve got you covered. Follow this nifty guide to create a sports streaming website of your own.
Example of Online Sports Streaming:
Let’s begin with an example to demonstrate how you can establish an online sports streaming window. Offices across the world regularly organise employee engagement activities for their employees. These range from carnivals, fairs and family meets to intra-company sports tournaments and annual sports days. However, many organisations are geographically fragmented, with offices often spanning the length and breadth of a country and sometimes, even the world. Here, lies the challenge. Sports matches, in particular, are geography-specific, and oftentimes, employees in remote corners of the country have no access to these engaging events. Of course, while participation may be difficult, live streaming serves as a medium that binds remote employees together, showcasing real-time action as a match unfolds. Many companies don’t have the wherewithal or expertise to leverage live sports streaming online. That’s where you come in. With a professional video camera and a capture card, you can set up a live stream through StreamNow. This will allow you to relay a sports match to various nodes around the world. And for every view, you can charge a fee to the company. The concept can work just as well in a B2C setup. Neighbourhood sports events and friendly weekend games can be ideal for streaming content.
Elements Required for Online Sports Streaming:
If you were to classify your live streaming infrastructure into key buckets, you would have five chief categories. Let us walk you through what you’ll need.
Internet Connectivity:
The lifeblood of live streaming is the internet. When it comes to establishing a robust connectivity ecosystem, be sure to build in redundancy. You may have a wireless connection as your primary connectivity tool. In addition to this, tuck a hotspot into your work bag to serve as an inexpensive, yet effective way to source an internet connection while at a game. A hotspot is usually available at telecom stores.
Recording Hardware:
The kind of video camera that you use really depends on the scale of your project. If you intend to turn your live streams into a full-time venture, it would be worthwhile to invest in a professional camera. This would allow you to move around freely, focussing on certain elements of the game and even interviewing players during breaks. A video camera requires a capture card to transform video content into a live stream.
Encoders:
There are two ways through which you can deliver a live stream. If you choose to stream your content exclusively through software, you will need to add a software encoder to your kitty. Flash Media Live Encoder is a wonderful tool, and is absolutely free. Alternatively, you could opt for a hardware encoder, but your costs may rise significantly and you will need a video source that meshes with your encoder.
Streaming Service:
For a seamless, sophisticated stream, turn to StreamNow. With a whole arsenal of unique features, StreamNow allows you to create an exclusive profile for yourself, monetise your stream through banner ads, save all live streaming videos, post statuses akin to social media and create a dynamic subscription plan. Offering a sleek, ritzy interface to users, it is a superior solution for broadcasters across the board.
Monetisation:
Watching sports from the comfort of your couch can send a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. It’s exciting, and leaves you feeling part of the game, even from thousands of miles away. By handpicking games and opportunities in your vicinity, you can tap the latent demand for backyard sports consumption through live streaming. StreamNow offers an assortment of monetisation tools to help you get started. Subscription plans, user-defined paid events and sponsored banner ads can catapult your revenue stream to the big league.
Set Up Your Own Online Sports Streaming Brand:
There’s no doubt that live sports streaming online, holds the ticket to success if executed well. Assess your market for opportunities associated with sports to carve a niche for yourself that stands out. Amateur online sports streaming is a nascent sector today. However, over time, you’ll discover what works and what doesn’t, which sports models hold the maximum monetisation potential and whom to approach for what. And when you do, you’ll score a homerun that will last you a lifetime.
Live streaming is taking the world by storm. And how. Companies of all sizes are clamouring to add live streaming tools to their interfaces, allowing users to connect more deeply and to experience products up close. From Alibaba’s e-commerce offerings to cosmetics brands like Lancôme, Maybelline and Elle, live streaming is being explored as an advertising medium. Live advertising encourages digital entrepreneurs to sell and advertise in real-time, and companies centred on this new brand of marketing are quickly sprouting up, thanks to the tremendous demand that the medium holds. The potential in live streaming, and more so, live advertising is enormous. If you’ve been chasing the entrepreneurial dream, there’s no better sector than this.
When you’re about to launch a business, you’re bound to be bombarded by a million questions. But the most important one will probably be which technology to use to capture your video streams. Luckily, there are several live video streaming software in the E-market, that will plug right into your existing technology. Here’s a list of the 5 best live streaming tools out there:
Open Broadcaster Software:
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is a free, open source software that lets users stream, both real-time and archived videos. The software is compatible with an array of operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux, and is especially useful for those who are in the spheres of gaming, art and entertainment. OBS can connect to any RTMP-enabled platform; some big names include Twitch, YouTube, DailyMotion and Hitbox. If you’re still zeroing in on an RTMP framework, think of Streamhash. Streamhash is a cost-effective, powerful turnkey technology equipped with diverse customisation options that will fit perfectly with OBS. OBS is also aligned to Intel’s Quick Sync, an encryption technology that holds a candle to x264, in terms of speed, quality and compression ratio. Quick Sync plays a pivotal role in swifter, more effective video processing and buffering, and is licensed under GPLv2.
Key Features
OBS boasts of custom transitions that let you toggle among several scenes while maintaining superior quality in live video and audio captures and blends. It comes equipped with an instinctual audio mixer featuring per-source filters, including noise gate, noise suppression and gain. OBS also allows lucidity between a variety of profiles and a settings panel that allows for the lightning-fast configuration of broadcasts and recordings. The appearance and personalization attributes are composed of filters, colour correction, chroma keying, light and dark themes and more. All in all, OBS is convenient and powerful.
FFSplit
FFSplit is a lightweight freeware live video streaming software that allows you to record activities ensuing on your desktop in various high-quality video formats. Then, once the sequence is saved, FFSplit lets you upload it onto social media platforms and websites of your choice using a streaming software. Alternatively, if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, think of linking FFSplit to a platform of your own, using Streamhash. This will give you a distinct virtual identity, without having to rely on third-party video platforms like YouTube to drive your growth.
Key Features
FFSplit offers unique features, some of which are hotkeys, webcam functionalities and overlays to stitch your videos together in a more precise, professional and engaging manner. The FFSplit development community is growing, with users helping to augment the interface, enhance features and improve the programme.
XSplit
XSplit is a minimalistic, yet effective live streaming tool that fuels video streams and archived recordings. It specialises in creating uber-luxe, immersive content that meshes with video games. Essentially split into two verticals, XSplit’s broadcasting arm, XSplit Broadcaster goes hand in hand with its gaming arm, XSplit Gamecaster. Gamecaster helps users record the console games on their screens.
Key Features
XSplit’s streaming and gaming solutions are compatible with a host of capture card brands, such as Elgato, AverMedia, Hauppauge and Magewell. The platform also provides a plethora of webcam options that let you add, resize and reposition your camera, regardless of which XSplit feature you are using. The Chroma Key function augments a broadcast by lending it a green screen transparency effect. Professional production features and multimedia sources underpin XSplit Broadcaster, letting users add an assortment of multimedia, including videos, music and guests who have connected via Skype. XSplit’s superlative audio features offer enhanced sound quality. Custom plugins are fed into XSplit through its plugin store. The plugins featured let users personalise their stream with baubles like donation alerts and music requests. And if there’s something you want that isn’t featured in the store, XSplit lets you build it yourself. In addition, editing videos are easier with XSplit, allowing users to tweak videos easily with the inbuilt editing tool. XSplit beats other platforms when it comes to keeping up with followers on a spectrum of networks. Apart from its own chat function, it also enables users to stream to Facebook and Twitter directly.
Wirecast
Wirecast is a streaming tool designed to let you capture an infinite number of content pieces, across cameras, desktops and web feed. Wirecast’s media comes with a certain sheen, thanks to its myriad editing features, and the platform is used across sectors like entertainment, sports, worship, education and gaming.
Key Features
Wirecast lets you add animated titles, transitions and lower thirds to video content. Plus, with its capacity to support multi-format coding, it marries streaming services with CDNs like Periscope and Facebook Live. The platform also offers users a feature to produce and automate playlists, even during a live run. It does this by altering the duration of each frame, to match the music with the video. Wirecast also extends this feature to capture highlights for replays following a live session. Twin this with Streamhash, and you’ll have a special product. Streamhash will augment the features offered by Wirecast, with its unique dual server, customisation options and immersive display.
Airparrot 2
Airparrot 2 is a wireless beaming software that sends a screen or media files to logged in recipients. The platform detects users who have tapped into your network and employs Quick Connect to link to any device powered by Reflector 2. Airparrot allows for the sharing of videos, audio and presentations, amongst other media.
Key Features
Airparrot is equipped to transmit content wirelessly to multiple receivers, across a variety of devices. The platform even allows you to beam audio and video around your own house to AirPlay-enabled devices or speakers. The content streamed by Airparrot is supplied through 5.1 surround sound, creating a cinematic experience in the comfort of one’s home or office. For businesses, the most important feature that Airparrot provides is mirroring, which is possible by using a Reflector to mirror your screen on any other device. Airparrot enables compatibility among all devices. The application of AirParrot extends from pint-sized schools to multi-million dollar corporations.
With those five options, we think we’ve got you sorted to take your first step into live streaming. Your live streaming ecosystem is already ready and waiting. All you must do is tap it.
