Live Streaming – Time to Go Live

Streaming destinations

This is an important consideration and I’m sorry to say there isn’t a standard answer. So much is dependent on the purpose of the stream. If, for example, it’s a private corporate event, then going out over a social network wouldn’t be a good choice. If, however, you’re streaming a fitness instructor giving an online class, then a destination like Facebook might be ideal.

There are many streaming platforms, and the ones I use the most regularly include Facebook, YouTube, Periscope, Twitch and Vimeo. YouTube and Vimeo in particular are two great choices that both let you create private streams and embed them within a website. Whilst YouTube is free Vimeo does charge £70 a month for its premium unlimited live streaming service although this comes with a number of professional benefits, including allowing you to overlay logos and other on-screen graphics.

I often spend time discussing platforms with clients and working with them to decide what will work best. As a word of warning, however, I do recommend that anything you work with them on to create material for social channels is just that, namely social. I personally resent scrolling through Facebook and being hit with advert after advert. The key to social streaming is engagement, so stick with something that offers great content and where your audience can get involved. If it’s a product launch, for example, have something like a competition element within the format where people will be encouraged to engage with you for the chance to win the product that’s being demonstrated.

Simulcasting/Multistreaming

Often a single streaming destination isn’t enough, but fortunately there are companies such as Restream.io, who will take the single video stream from your computer or encoder and then distribute it live to multiple destinations at the same time. By using this service you can stream to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Periscope and many other social and streaming video services simultaneously, thus vastly increasing your audience.

Don’t forget the basics, however, and without a good internet connection all your planning will be in vain. The internet is the