Live streaming tools has become one of the world’s most appealing ways of the video translation. You can stream your fitness session, gaming etc. to build an audience base. If you are running a business, the live video might help showcase your product. In this guide, we talk about the best live streaming tools to help you improve your live streams and gain more viewers.
The more customers you attract through your live streams, the more money you can raise.
These live streaming tools can improve the quality of your streams, engage more with the audience and much more. Some of the most popular live streaming tools include OBS studio, Twitch, Restream etc.
To broadcast any activity online, the company/ team requires specialized software apps that can enable smooth and lag-free streaming along with collaboration.
Live streaming tools have become an essential tool for any company to help you work and collaborate online. Share on XThe Need for Live Streaming Tools
Live streaming software may be useful when you need to create professional live videos. Companies can use direct communications with consumers via live streaming. Most of the live streaming platforms also support several third-party integrations.
Here are just some of the reasons why live streaming tools are helpful:
High-Quality live Streams
A CDN acts as a global distribution system that distributes the data to your server and has a robust infrastructure, friendly CDN (content delivery network).
There are strong chances that if you stream directly on your own, the servers can be blocked.
Wider Audience Potential
You can send invitation to as many people as you want to attend your event through live streaming. The cloud ability of the streaming resources you select is related to the only constraint of live streaming. You can make content available to people who you won’t otherwise reach through live streaming of your case.
Richer Content Use
Live broadcasting is not limited to the live streaming of video and audio. You may use a range of content and multimedia formats, including photographs, text, and live chat. You may also provide access to multiple types of presentation.
Ease and Convenience
A common misconception about live streams is that the average citizen can pull it off too hard and technically. Instead, it can be disappointingly easy to watch online.
The video/audio facilities, an Internet connection, an encoder, and a trustworthy streaming network are everything you need.
YouTube Live videos transform online videos into an interactive experience.
Customer Support
The use of live streaming platforms makes sure if complications happen, that you have others to help. A secure live streaming platform supports continued customer service. If you stream yourself, Google or the knowledge you already know would be your only help.
Analytics Tracking
You must evaluate the ROI (Return on Investment) on your live streaming video. You can see essential indicators such as subscribers, interaction, and actions for several online live streaming platforms. This data can help you define your loyal customers more precisely.
Mobile Viewing
Many of your clients can now connect smartphones and other mobile devices and use them daily. In most formats, you can move the content via a dynamic HTML5 player to mobile devices and tablets. This technology allows viewers every time or anywhere to watch your live stream.
Affordability
Most of the live streaming tools are available online that also connects well with third-party software. Most of these live streaming tools are open source and also support third-party integration.
Completely Ad-Free
Most of the live-streaming platforms provide an ad-free experience so that intrusive advertisements do not annoy audiences. Some live streaming tools are white-label software that does not allow any kind of advertising.
Your live stream player has control buttons that enable you to personalize your content to suit your needs.
Payment scheme included
You can charge a certain amount to viewers for watching your live stream if you want to make money. A pay-per-view program or annual membership is also available for purchases from subscribers. Several payment plans are available, and you can choose the one according to your needs.
Five companies using live streaming tools in the right direction
1. Buzzfeed: watermelon explosion, one rubber band at a time
Buzzfeed is the master of audience awareness with its engaging video titles. They asked a little while ago: how many rubber bands would you need to smash a watermelon?
And afterwards, they produced a live stream! At the end of the episode, more than 800 K of live audiences gathered this dumb food experiment! Quite impressive.
Key brand marketing ingredient:
It is the excitement and the uncertain conclusion! It is one of the cases you can’t turn away – you just must see how it ends.
Like daring adventurers, with each new rubber band, you win a little bit. Buzzfeed used these feelings of apprehension and excitement.
The streaming setup:
Buzzfeed was most likely to stream to the Facebook Live application with a smartphone on a tripod. They created a video using some zooming from a single angle.
2. Target and Gwen Stefani: the first-ever live music video
In the Grammy Awards 2016, Target produced and filmed the first live music video in the company of artist Gwen Stefani. The film was an advertising break lasting 4 minutes.
Key brand marketing ingredient:
This video has everything: fantastic choreography, excellent camera work, a shift of pictures . It’s a stunning, intense creation, and a world record is broken!
It took three days for the film to get rehearsed which featured 250 cast and crew members including 40 actors in 11 separate classes.
On the Grammys day, they had only one chance (no pressure!) to get things better. This whole effort cost 12 million dollars, but you remember the quality of your video advertisements.
The audience does not see any flagrant advertising message; the video is a cool music video first and foremost.
The streaming setup:
This multi-camera system of high-end cameras in the entire world is very complicated. Anyone can only guess the amount of machinery behind the scenes involved.
A team made this video of AV professionals; the lighting is excellent, and the artists look incredible.
With cameras and cables in mind, they planned each set and each shot carefully, and all the video signals were gathered in one mixing unit.
They gave separate input for a clean audio track from Lab.
3. Get active with Kohl’s: tone it up!
Kohl’s organized a workout about two years ago on Facebook Live and streamed it.
Key brand marketing ingredient:
This video is powerful and appealing to the viewer. The (Kohl’s) brand does not pressure the audience aggressively for sale – it delivers genuine value free of charge.
Furthermore, they created the video using several different angles, excellent light, and a lovely package. The video has 38 K views to date which can be a success due to the importance it brings.
The streaming setup:
We saw three cameras in the setting: one mounted to a tripod pointing and zooming into the scene, the second – a sizeable cranial camera on the side of the room, while the third moving camera caught the participants’ close-ups.
Two outlets are available: one is shifted to the coach by the portable mics, the other is the music track for workouts.
Both the video and audio signals are then bound and transmitted via the Internet using a mixing and encoding unit.
4. Martha Stewart and The Home Depot: Christmas DIY
Martha Stewart, the DIY queen herself, teamed with The Home Depot to produce a life lesson about how to make Christmas decorations.
Key brand marketing ingredient:
This video is a graphic and accessible educational text. Martha Stewart is well known to explain how to produce food and where from where to find the ingredients.
The spectator can see just how Martha (no camera tricks!) performs the job in real-time, and the final effects are visible.
The video is famous not only during the live stream but also as VOD content. The video has more than 590 K views from here on.
The streaming setup:
This video featured a high-quality camera, in which the operator rotated and zoomed in.
The sound originated from the two lavalier microphones on the hosts that were presumably sent first to an audio mixer.
The stream included some b that led to us believing Martha was broadcasting this video with the aid of streaming apps.
5. Royal Caribbean – #ComeSeekLive
Royal Caribbean orchestrated an ambitious takeover: it allowed world-famous live streamers, such as Dan Moore, to take over the periscope channel completely and stream their exploits live.
Since these influencers were already very famous, the Royal Caribbean Channel attracted all their followers.
Another significant part of this initiative was the editing of the live streams on digital billboards by Royal Caribbean in New York that made it look like watching the real live stream and showed you what you missed.
Key brand marketing ingredient:
The Sense Of Losing Out, a production of the Royal Caribbean, was a perfect one to explain the journeys they had lost. They were able to do it reliably and openly: a blunt, unmodified conversation with real adventure experts.
Viewers might connect, ask questions, and even provide some details about what the power was going to do next for someone they respect.
Individual influencer has been able to attract followers in all others, while Royal Caribbean has been able to demonstrate millennia that cruises can be delightful and adventurous. The advertisement has, therefore helped everyone involved: the public, the influencers, and the brand. Win-win-win!
The streaming setup:
Influencer takeovers on Instagram Live and Periscope are increasingly common. 22 “episodes” were broadcast from smartphones to Periscope in this specific effort.
If you can see, the content of the videos is not unexpected, but this rough and unmodified feeling makes these videos very strong and entertaining. You sound ‘absolute.’
Yet we’ll see more and more sources of content as technology gets better. In the meantime, with live streaming tools, you can now get high-quality streams.
What equipment do you need to live stream?
These seven streaming requirements help you live stream, display images on a screen and capture high-quality audio with multiple cameras in a live stream.
1. Laptop
Although exact technological specifications vary with the device that you use, today almost every modern laptop computer is working. Check for something using an Intel i7 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, an SSD, and as many USB ports as possible.
2. Camera
Simple USB webcams are the most convenient and inexpensive cameras for independent artists and small brands to stream live.
A fast scan of Google can say that your live streaming needs should be based upon the new, largest, and the most common camera.
If you don’t transmit your webcam on your desk or a secure surface or use a digital camera, you might buy a tripod as well.
3. Microphone
Audio quality in live streaming is one of the most critical and well-overlooked products.
There are some different methods for recording audio based on the budget and playback system.
You may use convection microphones with a top table while the stream includes people seated behind a desk or a table – a fixed system where people don’t move around too much.
These microphones are fantastic since the background noise is not too high.
4. Audio Mixer
You can use multiple microphones and other audio sources on your stream with an audio mixer. You may also change the microphone volume of each person so that everyone is at the same pitch. The new streamer has an infinite number of mixer solutions to remember.
For a novice, the primary consideration? How many you have inputs. Estimate the number of people on microphones that you might like to provide at once, to decide how much feedback you need.
5. Software
The machine is the place of the enchantment.
It helps you to take the inputs of your multi-camera and create a seamless stream of scenes and transitions for diffusion. You can even take the logo or other logos and add them to the live video.
6. Internet Access
You’ll need a strong internet connection with adequate bandwidth to create a reliable live stream in no time. You can use a wired network at all times to ensure that there is proper bandwidth! Check the pace before you go live after you’ve paired.
It is best to retain a transfer speed varying between 3 and 5 Mbps while you can go live with less bandwidth.
7. Streaming Channels
Producers and live content advertisers alike have several choices to pick.
You’ll need to use third-party tools with live streaming web applications to stream on YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitch and Periscope.
What is the best tool for live streaming?
If you are a content producer new to live streaming or a company owner who go live, you should be confident there is a perfect option for you.
But how do you determine which streaming software is the right choice? So what are the different options? Do you need to share your screen while streaming? After reviewing the applications and the criteria, you have to determine for yourself.
Even if you don’t have any experience of the live stream, these tools can help you get better with time.
But here is the best live streaming tools in 2024 in no special order:
- LiveReacting
- OneStream.live
- StreamYard
- Restream.io
- Castr.io
- BoxCast.com
- Livestorm.co
All of these live streaming tools include simple live streaming and recording features. It includes RTMP loading, various video outlets and configurations, Chroma buttons, live swapping, and custom switches.
However, any program has its benefits, drawbacks, and perfect cases to consider before the selection takes place. Some of these live streaming tools also offer a free version or a free trial.
To respond to the question – what’s the best streaming platform for 2024? As a live streamer, the solution can depend on your needs. There are several considerations to determine the tools to use. Perhaps what is ideal for one person is not suitable for another. Make sure to review the software pricing and feature of live streaming tools and settle on the best solution.
Use the free trial models to find out what all is about and tools. Some of the devices even offer a free version with basic functionality.
Is Periscope still a thing 2024?
The viewers’ commitments are reasonably small when it comes to live streaming. You may leave a floating heart icon in Periscope, but there is no way to add to a current. Today, Twitter has implemented a change in Periscope, which enables the audience to call on the microphone to broadcast via a video stream.
Yeah, Periscope is always there to respond to your first question.
The streamer must send the microphone to each person to get a response to your second question, and it’s not an unimaginably bad, all-in-all audio call. The functionality tends to be a way to enhance connections with the public of a streamer.
The comment structures on all of these live channels become an undeclared text wall for individual viewers, even though the streamer can keep up with them. Hence, the dialogue simply goes in whatever direction the presenter feels.
The new update seems to build it up a little by adding conversations with unknown participants to a regular periscope stream. In September Periscope began a function that permitted users to provide audio messages alone. It is a fascinating way to go through a kind of live podcast.
This feature offers a type of talk radio atmosphere which helps a listener to become part of what’s going on or contribute to the broadcast.
Twitter believes that its testing functionality is vital, so it needs to see how people respond to distribute to both iOS and Android devices. You should connect to the streams on the web, but you can’t yet enter.
Popular Live Streaming Tools:
1. LiveReacting
LiveReacting is one of the best tools that help users seamlessly and conveniently enrich their live videos. Users can gain more views and connect supporters and friends through immersive models, visuals, and components during the stream.
SMM, advertising companies, influencers, and advertisers who want to attract crowds have LiveReacting built wonderfully. Users can prepare and post a pre-captured video as life with the pre-captured video feature; this is an ideal alternative for those who are not confident in hosting a live stream in real-time.
The app help users to begin producing live streams for a Facebook event using a countdown timer. Users can also increase their sense of urgency and increase their purchases. In a live video session, it is an immersive real-time game.
LiveReacting help users discover the tastes of the audience with the immersive Facebook Live Poll feature and raise brand recognition during the stream.
Features:
Event Scheduling | Multi-camera feed | Broadcast Recording |
Live Polling | Free Video Annotations | Audience Engagement |
Multistreaming | Customizable Branding | YouTube live streaming |
Integrations:
NA
Pricing:
- A free trial is available
- Small: $14.99 /Month For individual freelancers or business owners
- Medium: $29.99 /Month for SMB and SMM professionals
- Large: $99.99 /Month for brands, companies, and SMM professionals
- Enterprise: $249.99 /Month For companies and brands to publish multiple times a week
2. OneStream.live
OneStream is a streaming utility based on a cloud. It helps users to organize and view pre-recorded videos concurrently via more than 40 social media platforms, including Twitch websites, Facebook Live, Twitter Live, Instagram, and many more.
You can use this app to broadcast pre-recorded videos live up to 60 days beforehand.
You can directly send the saved videos on Dropbox, Google Drive, cloud, or OneDrive to allow bandwidth savings.
OneStream provides multiple streaming opportunities to help you catch a live stream on your computer later on or to film yourself with the video.
No configuration or installation is required, and because this app meets your live streaming needs, you can concentrate on making healthy, innovative, and engaging videos. It is a cloud-based tool to live stream recorded live video to Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Periscope using third party app.
Features:
Event Scheduling | Multi-camera feed | Broadcast Recording |
Audience Analytics | Free Video Annotations | Audience Engagement |
Multistreaming | Customizable Branding | YouTube live streaming |
Integrations:
- Google Drive
Pricing:
The pricing for OneStream starts at $10.00 per month. OneStream has three different plans:
BASIC | $10.00 per month. |
STANDARD | $45.00 per month |
PROFESSIONAL | $99.00 per month. |
StreamYard is one of the best livecast tools that helps you to share your screen, meet friends, and chat with others about something during the live stream. It’s a great way to grow supporters and people instantly.
You can choose multiple platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitch and Livecast YouTube and another social platform where users can watch your Livecast streaming.
It is one of the best live streaming tools to stream professional Live Interviews and to make immersive and entertaining seminars for up to ten participants on the web.
StreamYard helps people to take a step past answering questions and feedback.
3. StreamYard
It allows users to type out an action call quickly, and the app can connect it immediately with a single click to the live stream. By picking multiple colours, images, videos, and GIFs with just a couple of clicks, users can please their viewers. It enables users to include customized graphics and icons in a matter of minutes. The platform manages all the complicated aspects to maximize the material and concepts of its users.
Features:
Q&A | Audience Analytics | YouTube live stream |
Stream on multiple platforms | Broadcast Recording | Event Scheduling |
Audience Engagement | Video Monetization | Third-party tools integration |
Customizable Branding | Free Live Chat |
Integrations:
Major social platforms like Youtube, Facebook etc.
Pricing:
Pricing starts at $25,00 a month. StreamYard has two plans:
- Basic at $25 / month.
- Professional at $49 / month.
Restream is one of the most reliable streaming platforms available in the market that consumers concurrently go live on over 30 social networks.
It lets consumers reach out and monetize their audience to millions of people worldwide in no time.
Anybody from amateur and professional players, the public, politicians, celebrities, or business corporations may use the site to stream.
By using a Restream multi-streaming feature, users can access a larger population.
The app also offers the possibility of watching live videos captured with the Scheduler tool to make sure the user stays free of charge.
4. Restream.io
Users may use the free built-in chat feature to communicate with viewers on a single screen and maximize their interaction with viewers. One of Restream’s main features is that it helps users to measure their progress by having a sense of live steam output on many channels.
Brands can make their product available to a broader audience through this site and live to stream, affecting nearly two million streamers. Restream offers a perfect forum for companies to access a comprehensive distribution network.
Features:
Event Scheduling | Audience Engagement |
Video Monetization | Customizable Branding |
Audience Analytics | Broadcast Recording |
Free Live Chat | Automatic Setup of YouTube Events |
Integrations:
- Discord
Pricing:
The pricing for Restream starts at $19.00 per month. Restream has four different plans:
Standard (For individuals) | $19.00 per month |
Professional (Individual) | $49.00 per month |
Premium (For companies) | $99.00 per month |
Business (For companies) | $299.00 per month |
5. Castr.io
Castr.io is an easy to use tool that helps users embed video clips, prepare and rewind them to go live. News & sports channels, live broadcasting of church and religion, educators and teaching, recording of athletic activities use this app. You can use a third-party app to log into your Instagram to get stream URL and key.
Features:
- Audience Analytics and Engagement
- Event Scheduling
- live stream on YouTube and Facebook simultaneously
- Broadcast Recording
- HD Video quality
Integrations:
- Facebook API
- Zoom
Pricing:
The pricing for Castr starts at $100.00 per month. Castr has three different plans:
- 14 days of free trial is available
- 1TB Plan at $100.00 per month.
- 2TB Plan at $150.00 per month.
- 5TB Plan at $320.00 per month.
6. BoxCast.com
BoxCast is one of the best live streaming tools available in the market that is easy to use for organizations. It helps businesses, churches, schools, communities, etc. to create on-the-go video-conferencing facilities.
The tool can obtain videos from a variety of sources, like any RTMP supporting camera, video blender, or encoder.
The app provides a comprehensive editing feature that allows for cloud video editing. Users can render expert video mixing from the device dashboard, install custom designs.
The BoxCast advanced hardware compression, which works better for Live Video Encoding, enables users to view videos in resolution of up to 1080 pixels. Through transmitting videos using just one-third of the available bandwidth, the BoxCast Flow method eliminates latency and thereby saves data without losing the content quality. The program fixes most issues by tracking the parameters involved in the life cycle of video streaming. Moreover, you can integrate several third-party tools that help you stream in no time.
Features:
Stream directly to YouTube Live | Customizable Branding |
Multi-camera feed | Video Monetization |
Video Annotations | Audience Engagement |
HD Video quality | Event Scheduling |
Integrations:
- Wirecast
- Zoom
Pricing:
The pricing for BoxCast starts at $99.00 per month. BoxCast has three different plans and offers 14 days free trial:
Free Trial | 14-days |
Essential | $99.00 per month |
Growth | $149.00 per month |
Experience | $199.00 per month |
7. Livestorm.co
Livestorm is an open-source Webinar software which facilitates the hosting of products/services fascinatingly. By holding live workshops, you can enhance the customer training process and offer feedback. This webinar allows you to build and exchange live lessons with your unique masses online.
Through your favourite browser, your viewers can conveniently attend your webinars on the internet or smartphones. Using landing page builders’ tools and email using having to use email routing features, you can develop beautiful landing pages. Livestorm is among the best streaming platforms can easily and without uploading something hosting webinars.
Features:
Live Chat | Social Sharing | Polls (Voting) |
Stream on YouTube | Invite via Email | Screen Sharing |
Online Payments | On-demand Webinars | Automated Webinar |
Attendee Management | Stream on YouTube | Multi-Presenter |
Integrations:
Slack | Instapage |
MailChimp | Salesforce |
Pipedrive | Google Analytics |
Pricing:
The pricing for Livestorm starts at $39.00 per month and offers a free plan with limited features. Livestorm has two different methods:
- Free plans
- Meet Premium at $39.00 per month.
- Webinar Premium at $109.00 per month.
Tools | Pricing | Features summary |
---|---|---|
Livereacting | Paid plan starts at $14.99/mo | What is good? Simple instructions and seamlessly connect with your social media account. Offers features like customizable branding , multi-camera feed, polling options What is not good? Some people may find limitations to design layout and customizable options for screen size. |
OneStream.live | The paid plan starts at $25/mo | What is good? Good option for YouTube live event and supports about 40 social m edia channels. Customer service is very responsive and it is a cloud based. What is not good? It may take some time to get started with this tool. |
StreamYard | The paid plan starts at $25/mo | What is good? Very easy to use even for newbie. Doesn’t overwhelm you with feature set. What is not good? It allows only 10 users per stream |
Restream.io | The paid plan starts at $19/mo | What is good? It is easy to get started and navigate . Allows you to schedule pre-recorded videos. What is not good? Unwantedly expensive than its counterparts. |
Castr.io | Paid plans start at $100/month | What is good? Affordable, reliable and easy to use. Helpful support. |
BoxCast.com | Paid plans start at $99/month | What is good? Allows you to post on Facebook as well as Youtube simultaneously . Available for all business sizes. What is not good? Can be expensive to some |
Livestorm.co | Paid plans start at $39/month | What is good? Easy to use and highly compatible. Free plan is quite interesting. What is not good? People find it confusing to differentiate between moderator and administrator that may be slightly problematic if there are many parallel panels. |
Our Experience:
There are a variety of live streaming tools available in the market that help you stream in no time.
These tools have become an essential tool for any company that help you work and collaborate online. The easy to use a feature of these tools do not require any core technical experience to operate.
Live streaming is a perfect opportunity for people who do not directly attend your event to get interested and also to pay for your case.
If you are searching for a social media alternative that can be viral or reliable, you can go live with high-quality advanced live streaming tools.
The detailed comparison of live streaming tools in this blog will help you choose the best tools for live stream.
Questions asked while looking for live streaming tools:
For small companies, what can live streaming do?
Anyone with a smartphone can go live anytime they want to engage with their viewers. Earlier, millions of businesses could invest in trying to give their consumers a video message live. There are several live streaming tools that help you go live whenever and wherever you want.
However, it’s worth being very sceptical when you engage with your viewers in the live stream. After all, the group of viewers is only as large as the number of people who follow your business through social media.
What is the most popular streaming platform?
Nowadays, the most popular streaming platform is Twitch, but there’s competition in the form of YouTube live stream Gaming, Xbox etc. You can stream to twitch using PC, Mac, Xbox, or PlayStation.
When do I have to live stream?
You can stream live on social platforms or take help of a web application to broadcast events/ speaking events online. You will need a camera, a laptop/smartphone, and you are all set to stream live! The more you do live sessions, the more you will get experience in handling the issues that arise in the live stream.
Will I move my current assets to the Advanced Video Streaming Platform?
Not only can you move your libraries to the VOD platform and use your full spectrum of features for your current assets when you want and buy a package.
Do I need to be technologically competent to begin streaming live?
To start live streaming on social platforms, you don’t have to be very tech-savvy. Generally speaking, you should be useful if you know how to build an account for an online site, turn in the camera, and do an online search. But you can have plenty of things to learn from as you start moving to new, fascinating items, including the use of a green screen.
What are the main benefits of live streaming?
Based on how you do it, the main advantages of live broadcasting differ. For example, if you turn to your viewers for live streaming, the benefits can range from enhanced dedication to strengthened customer satisfaction through increased loyalty.
Corporations may also connect with their workers via live stream. For boarding, preparation, and also assistance for general staff, live streaming may be useful. In this case, the beauty of real-time streaming is that you get genuine viewers who later turn into your clients.
What varies live streaming from a regular video?
It has some consequences that live videos are not a pre-recorded recording viewers can look at them. You can’t make errors as much as you can’t delete them in the post-production process. Pre-production is even more critical as it all has to be planned and ready to go live.