Just in case you don’t know, one of Youtube’s focus point is (and remains) to find new and innovative ways that allow creators and viewers interact, with each other and the videos being shared and watched. This focus what brought about the birth of live streaming on Youtube. And impressively, Youtube have not detoured from such focus point ever since it began offering live streaming services as far back as 2011.
The 2011 Royal Wedding, Felix Baumgartner leap from space in 2012, the 2016 U.S. presidential debates and the 360-degree Coachella live stream (which had over 21 million people tuned in) are all popular events and happenings that have been live streamed on Youtube and that have successfully garnered the attention and interest of millions, if not billions, of viewers onto the video sharing platform.
In a bid to further enlarge its coast and broaden its horizon to the widest, Youtube is rolling out mobile live streaming feature to all creators with more than 10,000 subscribers – popular YouTubers will certainly be the first hands on the feature. This means as a Youtube user; you will be able to live stream events to YouTube straight from your mobile phone.
And with Youtube blatantly stating in the official statement released on Tuesday that “the rest of you will have it soon!”, Users with less than 10,000 subscribers could make use of as much patience as they could get. You know what that means? Go get a seat! Yes, you read that right. LOL.
“It’s a launch that’ll put the power of live streaming in the hands of hundreds of thousands of talented creators, giving them a more intimate and spontaneous way to share their thoughts, lives, and creativity.”, Youtube said.
The Mobile live streaming has been incorporated directly into the YouTube mobile app. To live stream, all that’s required of you is to launch the YouTube, hit the capture button, and boom, you are live! Youtube have made users understand that streamed videos will possess the same features as regular YouTube videos. You can search for them, they will be accessible whenever you want to re-watch, and can also be found via recommendations or playlists, and protected from unauthorised use.
Super Chat, a live stream monetization tool, was also introduced alongside the mobile live stream. Comparing it (Super Chat) to “paying for that front-row seat in the digital age”, it enriches the pockets of video creators and publishers. Super Chat lets any fan/viewer watching a live stream video get a creator’s attention by purchasing chat messages that are highlighted in bright colours and pinned to the top of the chat window for up to five hours.
It is well worthy of note that Facebook also offers mobile streaming services. Although barely less than two years in the streaming game, it has helped cement the foot of live streaming onto a land of acceptance and popularity.
