How Successful is Live Video?

Major tech companies, such as Facebook, think that live video will be immensely popular in the future. This is largely based on evidence that Internet users are increasingly consuming information through videos as opposed to articles or other sources. Facebook’s live video option, for example, could prove particularly successful for political news sources, by offering an easy-to-access, alternative video feed. It could also work well for musicians, who could record low-key sessions, similar to NPR’s Tiny Desk sessions. Live video seems to work especially well for sites like Buzzfeed, which targets a younger audience.

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What is Live Video Like?

Facebook’s live video stream is comparable to Facebook introducing live television. Only this live video is more casual and awkward than live television: it is often an “anything goes” type of approach that may include informative discussions, blogger or fitness trainer Q&A sessions, or even sitting in on a business meeting. It decreases the distance between those who make the video and those who view the video — an appealing option for viewers who increasingly distrust major video and news networks.

The Future of Live Video

As camera technology improves on devices, this should help to increase the video quality of live video. New production equipment is in the works, as well, and new video software should allow for multiple camera angles and screen graphics. All of this should help live video to improve across devices, from PCs to laptops to mobile devices.

Recently, Twitter signed a deal with the NFL to broadcast one live NFL game per week, which has proved to be popular. This could encourage more live video deals with Twitter, and even Facebook or Instagram. The most popular options could end up being reality TV shows, sports events, or concerts. Then too, more commercials and advertisements will come, so that Facebook and businesses can further use Facebook for advertising purposes.

YouTube Live also wants to change how you watch live TV or events by allowing you to watch those shows or events on their site. YouTube is already used for web shows, subscription services, and even illegal videos, all of which shows that live video could be immensely popular on the site in the future.

One service that stands out among the others, however, is Periscope. The Twitter-owned video streaming app first launched last year in 2015, and has become known to the public through Twitter’s streaming of NFL football games on Thursday nights and for a June 2016 incident in the United States House of Representatives in which Periscope was used to document a sit-in protest over firearm legislation.

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Notable instances aside, what really sets Periscope apart from competing streaming services is how the platform serves almost as a medium between YouTube and traditional television. Like YouTube, users can watch and record video and interact through comments and likes on the video page. Like your standard television program, all of these streams happen in real time, and there are thousands of streaming channels to choose from based on location, length, and subject matter. Additionally, Periscope videos can be accessed even if you missed the live recording of the video — the stream’s highlights are stored after broadcasts and can be accessed by Periscope users at any point.

Best of all, users have full control on whether they want to broadcast to all of Periscope, or just to a few close friends. Much like the photos posted to your Instagram account, video streams on Periscope can be linked to other social media pages like Twitter and Facebook in real time or as archived video.

So why wait to show off your surfing day at the beach, your weekend at Coachella, or your family barbecue with those you care about? Download the Periscope app today and show the world what you’ve got. And if your battery needs a little extra help to get through hours of streaming, download PowerPRO by PSafe for your Android phone.