How to broadcast live video over the internet, is a question we often get asked here at ManyCam. In other words, how can “I” stream live video online? Here, we define what a live broadcast actually is and walk you through the fundamental concepts of broadcasting live video over the internet.
What is a live broadcast?
Generally speaking, a live broadcast is a live transmission, almost immediate (without a significant delay) of many types of media.
Being able to do a live broadcast used to be somewhat exclusive, because of the equipment and investment it required. There were live radio, television and news.
But, nowadays, we can find many different kinds of broadcast, including broadcasts done straight from smartphones with internet access.
Now, along with live radio, television and news, we have internet television, podcasts, live streaming, sales, courses and so many more.
How to broadcast live video over the internet
To broadcast a live video over the internet, also known as live streaming, is simply to share a video in real time using the internet. Needless to say, there are countless services, platforms and equipment.
The absolute basic setup for a live video broadcast would be:
- Internet connection
- Without an internet connection, you won’t be able to go live and share your live stream with the world.
- Camera, webcam or smartphone (and microphone)
- To capture image and sound, you’ll need a camera and a microphone, that will be connect to the computer
- If you plan to use a smartphone, you won’t need a computer because it has a proper software by default
- Computer & Encoder
- In the computer, an encoder software will receive the information from the camera and translate it into the video in a format that the live streaming platform can understand.
- Platform
- The computer will send the information to the live streaming platform or provider, which will then, distribute the live broadcast across the web.
Platforms and Apps
There are many different live streaming platforms or providers and apps. Since the increased popularity of live streaming, we’ve seen a constant rise on the offers of this kind of service.
A few platforms to take into account are YouNow, Vimeo and Periscope. But for now, let’s focus on the most popular ones: Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
Facebook is the number one social media platform out there and, with Facebook live, it became even better. It has more than 2 million users around the world and more than 100 million hours’ worth of video are watched every day.
Here is an example of how to go live on Facebook:
YouTube
YouTube is the go-to platform when it comes to video and almost 5 billion videos are watched there every day. It also reports that mobile video consumption rises 100% every year.
Here is how to broadcast live video on YouTube:
Twitch
When it comes to gaming, Twitch is the biggest live streaming platform out there. With more than 15 million daily active users, Twitch is a great platform to find a specific audience for your live broadcast.
What to broadcast live?
Just as important as the technical aspects of a live broadcast, there is also the “what to broadcast” or “why broadcast”.
Everyone has great moments to share with friends and family, and why not with the world? One of the most shared kinds of live videos are the personal ones, where people talk about their experiences, showcase their talents or give the audience a sneak peek into their worlds.
There are also business-related live broadcasts, with product launches and updates, a behind the scenes of the office, webinars, events, interviews, talks and so on. Live streams have proven to be an amazing marketing strategy for any kind of businesses.
In summary, to broadcast live video over the internet, all you need is to choose your platform or use ManyCam to stream to multiple platforms.
Then, choose what your live broadcast will be about and with that basic setup in hand, you can go live and share your great moments with the world.
You can even do it with your smartphone and an internet connection.
Are you ready to broadcast live video today?
Here are other blog posts that you might like:
7 Most Common Live Streaming Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them
Live streams started out as something completely spontaneous, mostly done on mobiles, with no need for high quality image and audio. Fast forward to a few years and live stream has become an elaborate and powerful communication tool. So, to make sure you get better results out of your broadcasts, watch out for these 7 most common live streaming mistakes. (Continue reading)
8 Live Streaming Ideas Everyone Should Know
As one of the most versatile ways of presenting content to your audience, video marketing is more important than ever. If you want to get people to know you and get your message across, help them with something or sell products and services, you need video. (Continue reading)
