When Live launched, Facebook only offered access to the video streaming service feature to celebrities with verified pages.
However, that might all soon change as the social media giant recently confirmed that Live will be available to all Facebook users with verified profiles in the very near future, TechCrunch reports.
That will set the new streaming video service up as a tool for small business owners, among others.
Facebook Live runs almost the same way as Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope.
Facebook, however, boasts a few different benefits than Meerkat and Periscope. First, Facebook Live broadcasts are saved and available for future viewing.
This is definitely a smart move by Facebook, considering the saved broadcasts will add to its ever growing video library that makes lucrative video ads seem more natural in the News Feed. On the other hand, Periscope broadcasts are only available for 24 hours, while Meerkat doesn’t save live streams at all.
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Furthermore, Live could be considered a more practical and efficient live streaming option because users already have a larger built-in following.
While Periscope has a decent head start in the members’ column, having surpassed 10 million active accounts and 2 million users on Android and iOS in just four months, Facebook is betting on its 1.2 billion current active monthly users and the already massive following of celebrities and public figures to leapfrog competitors.
Celebrity users who have already made use of the Live feature can start a broadcast, which then automatically shows up in News Feeds of fans who have liked their pages.
Fans are allowed to like, share, or leave real-time comments that overlay on the video feed. Live also shows the real-time number of viewers who are watching the broadcast. When the service goes public, any Facebook user with a verified page or profile will be able to broadcast their own live streaming videos the same way.
By the way, if you are wondering whether or not your Facebook page is “verified”, all verified accounts have a blue badge next to the profile or page name. Facebook verifies public figures, global brands and businesses, celebrities, and media.
Facebook’s much anticipated move to allow verified profiles access to Live brings the live streaming service closer to universal access. This could, of course, see the platform transform into a spontaneous journalism tool, overshadowing the trend that has only just begun on Periscope.
When Facebook opens the floodgates to the verified masses, there could be a lot more experimentation leading to even more functions being introduced and more creative ingenuity . More first-person adventures, real-time contests, DIY project walk-throughs, nerdy tech and other news discussions. Many more creative ideas will surface, perhaps redefining social media as we know it.
Image: Facebook
Facebook is doing some cool things and I like this move. Add in the report that they recently had 1 billion users access Facebook in a single 24 hour period and it’s obvious they’re dominating right now.
Thank you for your well written piece on facebooks app Live.
I agree that facebook is making the right move by allowing small business and others to use the Live app.
However with Periscope allowing every person to use its app free, they now have over 13 million users in just 5 mouths.
Also were it is good that facebook lets you save your broadcasts.
You can also save your periscope’s to youtube, instructions here https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLIuOsX-eSOlU_rOOHHdhyln3Cjak93T8r&v=TcCXSa7RjsE
jane