Over the last 10 years, the majority of social media sites have launched their own live streaming platforms. Think Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. They all have the ability to live stream. Each platform has its own pros and cons depending on what you’re streaming and how much control you require.
Facebook and Youtube are really popular because you can easily stream from an external encoder to their sites for free. The fact that they’re free and highly compatible with the majority of devices means that the vast majority of live streams are carried out using these platforms. However they do have their own drawbacks. Facebook for instance has very little technical support, and so if they decide to take their streaming servers down for maintenance, the chances are, you won’t get any warning and you won’t be able to rectify the issue before it’s too late. Whilst Youtube have better support available, both Youtube and Facebook have strict copyright algorithms in place which will either mute or completely cut your stream if any copyrighted material is detected. That includes background music or performances, regardless of whether you have the necessary licenses in place.
When using material like this, we always suggest using a custom player. At Crosscut we used Wowza which allows us to supply clients with an embed code for a player they can put onto their website. The positives of this is very good compatibility, greater technical control over the stream and no issues with copyright. The downside however is the lack of notifications for followers. You will need to share their page to your followers in order to gain an audience.
We also look at each stream on a bespoke basis and suggest the best way to ensure high quality delivery and highest engagement based on your requirements. Get in touch today to find out more.
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