Today at its VidCon keynote address, YouTube announced that its mobile app will be getting updated with a brand new live streaming option, allowing users to easily stream video from their iPhones directly from the YouTube app.
YouTube mobile live streaming will be baked right into the core YouTube mobile app. You won’t need to open anything else, just hit the big red capture button right there in the corner, take or select a photo to use as a thumbnail, and you can broadcast live to your fans and chat in near real time.
The feature will work similar to Facebook Live and Periscope, with streamers having the ability to see live comments from viewers. However, YouTube's live streaming will take advantage of the company's live streaming infrastructure, which it has been enhancing since its debut in 2011. Mobile live streaming has become increasingly popular since Meerkat launched in 2015, and has been used to document a variety of events, from NBA Final press conferences to the sit-in at the House of Representatives.
YouTube opened up live streaming in 2013, after two years of testing the service with big events like the Royal Wedding and Felix Baumgartner's leap from space. The video platform then began expanding it to verified accounts and creators with at least 1,000 subscribers.
Live streaming will launch today for select YouTube creators The Young Turks, AIB, Platica Polinesia, SacconeJolys, and Alex Wasabi, and will be rolling out to all users in the near future.
YouTube for iOS is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
See? It works both ways. This will be a successful feature for Google.