Live streaming Apps is the new fad on social media. Bloggers, influencers, gamers, and politicians are all streaming live from their social accounts. It is a great way to connect to your followers, answer their questions or announce something. Brands are using live streams as a marketing strategy to get more engagement to their posts.
As much as this is a great new tool, you can have technical glitches if your service isn’t great. Even if you use Optimum TV packages, your stream can be down if you don’t choose a good platform. It is about more than just your internet connection. There are way too many streaming apps online, so you have to choose the one that works best for you. Here are a few of the top streaming apps in 2021:
#1: YouTube Live
It will not be wrong to say that YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming apps available online. The fact that it is free is just a cherry on top. The app now also features a live streaming feature. You can stream in 4K with 60fps through your webcams or mobile phones.
There are various options and YouTube promo available for personal and business accounts on the platform. The most advantageous factor for streaming on YouTube is that users can get to your stream through just a simple Google search. The integration helps a lot with visibility and enhances your user base.
#2: Facebook Live
Facebook is probably the biggest social media app with a massive user base. Brands often stream live through their Facebook pages to enhance their user’s experience. The app allows you to have full control over the audience of your stream after it ends. You can choose to keep it as a post on your page, so the live stream will not disappear.
The app sends a notification to people that follow your page every time you go live. Facebook has a very engaged user base, and the response to the notification is instantaneous. You can also interact with the users watching your stream through comments and reactions.
#3: Instagram Live
The audience on Instagram mostly uses their phones to stay connected with the world. Facebook has a great web mode as well, but Instagram users do not prefer it. Hence, the users who want to watch or create a live stream on the go can use Instagram.
Bloggers, influencers, and brands also use it for marketing purposes. A lot of digital sales start and end through a live stream. Moreover, the app also enables two people on different devices and different places to stream together. The screen splits down in the middle, and you can collaborate with other people and stream together.
#4: Twitch
Twitch started off as the go-to app for streaming esports and gameplay. Many famous and influential gamers like Ninja started streaming their games on it. It is a full-house for multiplayer entertainment but has grown to be a great streaming site. You can stream non-gaming things on it as well, and the ad-free experience can be better than Facebook or Instagram.
Although the basic user account is free, you will have to pay to get a turbo account. The nominal fee will allow you to create unlimited streams for your users. It opens up an all-new horizon, and you can capture the interest of many existing users. Amazon owns the streaming site, and it is the leading platform for gaming streamers. People can come together to play and react to your game, making it a fully immersive experience.
#5: Periscope
Twitter owns Periscope, and you can use the platform to live stream to your Twitter followers. You will have to manually set up the stream for Twitter since it is not native. Periscope allows you to stream content to Twitter and Periscope TV at the same time. Hence, you can attract more viewers through multiple platforms. Twitter does not have a built-in streaming feature, so this is the only way to do it.
You can store and replay your streams on Twitter feeds and Periscope account as well. So, the stream doesn’t necessarily end when you stop. Your followers can always go to your feed and rewatch it. It also allows real-time reactions and notifies you every time a new user joins your stream.
#6: LinkedIn Live
The Microsoft-owned app launched its live-streaming feature in 2019. Since they were already late to the party, there was a lot of catching up to do. The company now claims that they receive seven times more reactions on their platform compared to native streams. There is a catch, though, as not everyone can stream on LinkedIn. You have to have more than 120 connections and cannot stream out of mainland China. Moreover, you have to make original content and posts and follow the professional community policies.
#7: TikTok Live
TikTok is a force to be reckoned with in the world of social media. The app has made Instagram make a run for its money and is becoming increasingly popular since 2020. Initially, the platform allowed users to only post 15-second videos, but now they are rolling out 3-minute videos.
If you are over 16 years old and have above 1000 followers, you can live stream on TikTok. The platform has a whole army of young adults, and the audience is unlike any other medium.
#8: Clubhouse
For beginners, Clubhouse can be a great app as it is strictly audio-based. You do not have to worry about video and can take your time becoming comfortable with streaming live. It began its journey with an invite-only policy like Orkut and attracted people because of the exclusivity. It was easier to get connected with like-minded people because each audio stream had a topic. Moreover, the audio-only streams took the world by storm as it was something entirely new.
After Clubhouse’s success, Facebook and Twitter also introduced audio-chat-based streams. Although Audio Rooms and Spaces made an appearance, Clubhouse will always be the pioneer audio streamer.