What Is The Best Platform To Start Streaming?

February 18, 2022

Are you new to streaming platforms? Would like to get the benefits that come with live streaming? Several influencers and brands understand how important live streaming is to build a community around their brands. Live streaming provides a channel to get brand messages across to their target audience in real-time.

When you consider it honestly, a great streaming service platform should provide a live broadcast channel where your viewers can watch in real-time. It should be able to provide video content management tools and video hosting services. Monetization, analytics, and other basic embedding tools are some of the features that streaming platforms should provide. On top of these, they should allow your audience to subscribe and get notifications when you are going live.

The lines that follow explore the best live streaming platforms for your next broadcast. These live streaming platforms are popular among distinct demography for targeting your specific audience. Without further ado, here are top platforms you should know about to start streaming:

1. Twitch

As an on-demand streaming platform, Twitch is a popular platform in the gaming community because of its seamless streaming capabilities. Several gamers are now popular household names because of their accomplishments on Twitch since its inception. Although Twitch is expanding its live streaming categories to reach other target demographics, this streaming platform will always be synonymous with gaming.

As a live streamer, you can start live streaming and store your broadcast for replay. The interactive features on Twitch are also robust. As a way to improve community interactions, interactive features like emotes, live chats, subs, and gifts are some of the features available on this platform. Monetization of your live stream is also easier. You can include subscriptions, badges, donations, and ad revenue to monetize your stream.

If you are a gamer and want to monetize your gaming skills, this is the perfect streaming platform for you. If you aim to capitalize on the millions of people that use Twitch daily, you should sign up on Twitch today to start live broadcasting your content. Twitch is constantly adding new categories, asides from gaming, which you can take advantage of going forward.

2. YouTube Live

When it comes to videos, one of the first platforms that come to mind is YouTube. For obvious reasons, YouTube is one of the go-to places for video streaming services. This video-sharing platform boasts over two billion users using its platform every month. On top of this, its live streaming option attracts several viewers to engage and interact with content creators on this platform.

Together with its wide audience, YouTube boasts of having several features like analytics tools, monetization of streams, and live chat interactive features. This way, creators that are streaming their videos live can interact with their viewers in real-time. On top of all these features, YouTube allows its users to save and publish their streams. This makes it possible for users to replay the live broadcast whenever they choose to at their convenience.

One interesting feature that you will appreciate from using YouTube's live feature is its analytics. From here, you can understand more about your audience, where they are streaming from, and other target information that your brand might need to know to make important decisions. The chat feature is another great tool for enhancing communication when you are streaming live.

3. Facebook Gaming

Live streaming via Facebook gaming guarantees you the channel to access its over 2.7 billion monthly active users. Just like YouTube, Facebook gaming section is one of the platform’s top performer. As a new gamer who wants to build a community, this social media behemoth can help you build a community of active viewers and gets your content across to your target audience.

As a live game streamer, you can share your content in real-time on Facebook's gaming category. Streamers on Facebook’s gaming category have similar tools to Facebook Live. It allows you to have an interactive session with your audience while live streaming your content. Real-time communication allows you to respond to your audience's questions while live streaming to improve interaction within your community.

The key features you can be sure of enjoying when using Facebook gaming is stream monetization, schedule love stream capability, analytics, live chat, among others.

4. TikTok Live

Popular among millennials and Gen-Z demographics, TikTok is one of the many platforms popular for short viral videos. This platform is popular for its short (30 seconds) videos that allow its content creators to showcase their craft. However, it also has a live streaming option that you can use to stream your content.

If your content specifically targets millennials and the Gen-Z population, you need to get on TikTok for its huge benefits. Using its live feature provides you with the opportunity to get longer video content across to your followers. Although TikTok does not allow you to record your live videos, you can consider this as an exclusive strategy to get more people to tune in to your live stream when you start streaming.

It has some interesting interactive features that allow you to interact with your audience while streaming. It also notifies your followers when you are going live, so they can tune in to your live stream. Unfortunately, not everyone can go live on TikTok. Only people with 1,000 or more followers can go live. It also provides some monetization options, both for posting content on the platform and for accepting virtual gifts from your users.

5. Instagram Live

Going further from being just a photo-sharing platform, Instagram Live allows users to go live and on-demand. Instagram Live accounts for about 13% of all live streamers on social media. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with your followers while you share your content. When you are going live on Instagram, your followers get notifications, so they can join your live stream.

You get to have a live chat feature that allows you to interact with your viewers. Viewers can also interact with themselves using emojis, texts, and reaction features. In addition, you can add guests to join you in your live stream.

You can monetize your live stream via ads revenue, donation badges, and sponsorship revenue. Unfortunately, you can only go live on Instagram via your mobile device.

Wrapping It Up

You must select the right live streaming platform that fits your specific niche. There are some important factors that you should consider when you are just starting your live streaming journey. On a technical side, you need to understand the different features available to provide the best streaming experience for your audience. You can count on us to help you navigate this area to understand which streaming platform is best for you and how to get the best results out of them.

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