What is YouTube Live?

What is YouTube Live

YouTube Live is a live-streaming service. It allows users to stream events that are happening around the world in real-time. Not only can you view these streams, but if you have a camera and an internet connection, you can broadcast your own event through the LIVE service.

This might be something as simple as filming yourself playing guitar or painting a picture, or it could be broadcasting your perspective of breaking news while covering said news for traditional media outlets. The possibilities are endless.

What makes YouTube live streaming unique from other live streaming services is its user base and community feel. Often, people gather together on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to discuss the videos they watched online. This free flow of thoughts acts as a catalyst for interactions between people who otherwise would never meet or interact with each other.

YouTube Live allows these unique kinds of interactions to happen during live events around the world. The YouTube community can come together to view broadcasts and discuss them in real-time, even if it is happening halfway around the globe. Because YouTube users are so diverse and widespread, their viewership options are endless.

Downsides of YouTube Live

Three factors can quickly summarize the lack of interest in this feature:

Downsides to live videos

First, of course, is the fact that you can’t go back and edit mistakes. For example, if someone is streaming themselves playing a game and they make a mistake, there’s no way for them to rewind it without having to start over.

No matter how good their internet speed is or how many data packs they buy, anything before the live video cannot be changed after it has happened. The past can never be rewritten.

This crucial downside not only scares away viewers but also content creators. People on Facebook will realize this feature isn’t long-lasting because people are unwilling to risk putting something out on an unstable platform due to fear of making mistakes while streaming. It could ultimately lose the platform viewers if their content creators leave.

Competition from other platforms

Another thing to consider is that YouTube Live video streaming doesn’t have much competition compared to similar products on other sites.

For example, Facebook has its own live streaming service. You can even do it directly from your mobile device without downloading extra software, making it more convenient for people already using the social media app regularly.

On top of this, Facebook has 1.8 billion users, so there’s no reason anyone would choose to use YouTube Live over their product when they can’t edit mistakes after posting, making it seem like a gamble.

Technical difficulties

The technical side of live streaming is also a downside because of the technical requirements to broadcast. Of course, most platforms require either a live stream key or an API key, but YouTube Live is different and requires both to use their platform.

This makes it so that you know basic programming knowledge before even attempting to go live on this platform. It’s not something regular users can do.

At its core, YouTube Live seems like a great way to share your content with the world without going through traditional media sources such as television networks and newspapers, but many downsides make it hard for people to try it out. It has no real competition, and the tools needed to do it correctly aren’t within most users’ capabilities. However, an experienced live video streaming solution can help you deal with this challenge and make the establishment of your broadcast easy as pie. 

Benefits of YouTube Live

But aside from the advantages, many benefits come alongside YouTube Live. If you’re interested, try it! Here are some proven benefits:

  • You can interact with your followers and audience.
  • You can use the event to promote an upcoming product release.
  • It’s a great way to build rapport and trust with people who view your videos regularly.
  • YouTube rewards popular live broadcasts by promoting them more on the site (exposure).

Why Should Businesses Leverage YouTube Live?

Here are three compelling reasons why brands should consider leveraging the power of YouTube Live:

High Engagement and Brand Awareness

Today, millennials prefer live content over any other format. They also would instead view videos on social media than traditional TV. Additionally, they would rather watch a live stream than read an article or blog post – that’s incredible engagement!

This shows just how well-suited YouTube Live is for reaching today’s generation. It also proves how impactful streaming can be for generating brand awareness and buzz about your products.

Authenticity

YouTube Live provides an opportunity for brands to connect with their audience in the most authentic way possible. Gone are the days where customers wanted to be talked at or marketed too aggressively.

Millennials today crave authenticity and transparency, which is precisely what live video streaming delivers. The first rule of being a social media influencer is that there are no rules.

Less Competition

While this may seem unlikely, some digital marketing experts believe it to be true. They say that live video streaming is becoming less and less popular as its novelty wears off. The younger generation is not drawn to live video, while older audiences don’t understand it.

As social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram begin to add more and more live capabilities (due to competition from Snapchat), they will draw attention away from platforms like YouTube Live. While there may be some truth in this theory – overall engagement rates have been on the rise for quite some time now.

So you should proceed with caution when choosing where your brand invests its marketing dollars!

The Bottom Line: Is YouTube Live Good for Business?

Live streaming offers a unique opportunity for brands because it allows them to engage with their audience in real-time. It’s an exciting new development that makes YouTube feel less “old-fashioned” and can help create a sense of community between the user, brand, and content.

Additionally, there’s potential to monetize live streams by running ads against them just as they would pre-recorded ones (although what you’re showing will determine how many ads you can get away with, and YouTube’s monetization rules still apply).

One of the main benefits here is that live videos offer an element of spontaneity which isn’t possible through pre-recorded ones.

Marketers regularly claim that this technology could change the way we think about content:

  • Because it’s happening in real-time, the traditional video lacks a sense of authenticity and relatability (imagine seeing a brand deal with a problem or answer questions while streaming.
  • It might make customers more likely to support them).

Brands like Red Bull have already experimented with “near-live” footage from extreme locations such as skydiving and base jumping to demonstrate the risk and promote adrenaline.

However, such options should be approached carefully (and preferably in consultation with a lawyer) because the legal implications of hiring a presenter to engage in dangerous activities can be severe.

Live streaming also helps brands reach new audiences. Facebook has seen enormous success from this area, with many people tuning in when they would never have visited its site otherwise. Streaming is becoming an essential part of the content that YouTube has dedicated TV channels.

The critical point is that live video allows you to involve viewers in real-time and create a near-unforgettable experience that will stay with them for longer.