What is Live Streaming? (Definition & Examples) |

The live streaming (or livestreaming) has grown so widespread that 30% of internet users watch a live stream each week. We can both watch and create live streams on many various devices and apps, and it's easier than ever before to begin.

In this article this article, we'll explain what you need to know concerning live streaming.

• We'll explain the concept of live streaming (including a technical explanation).        
  
• Here are some live streaming statistics and landmarks.        
  
• We'll talk about advantages and practical instances that live streams can provide.        
  
• And we'll share what you'll require to make your individual live stream.        
  

What is live streaming?

Quick live streaming definition

Live streaming refers to the process of presenting to your audience on video in real-time. In the past, this was limited to media outlets which had the ability of broadcasting live to their audience. But in the past few years, live streaming technology has been a major feature on the internet, and more and more people are creating and consuming this live experience right in their own homes, with no need for a costly television studio.

What is live streaming... technologically

Coding
Technically speaking, the camera is able to input raw digital images. They are however too big to stream efficiently. An encoder (software or hardware) reduces the video's size in real-time into codecs (ie. h.264). This reduces the size of the file enough to stream and standardizes the format so that any device could understand it.

Compression
The video is split into I-frames and P-frames as well as B-frames. I-frames function a little similar to a standard JPEG image. They contain an complete frame of the image with all its details.

P-frames and B frames work in a different way. They are only capturing the portion of the video that changes by tracking motion vectors. This results in a smaller file, easier to compress, and more efficient for playback. In the case of a YouTube video where someone talks against a static background, most of the background's pixels do not change.

• P-frames (Predictive frames) can only encode the motion and changes in the body of the speaker's face as well as body movements by reviewing previous frames.        
  
• B-frames are also better than B-frames, as they are able to reference previous frames as well as future ones to make an entire picture.      
  

Internet speed
Naturally, live streaming also requires a constant flux of data. It is referred to as the bit rate, how much data your device will stream each second.

• 720 (HD) video will require 2-4 Mbps        
  
• 1080p needs 4 to 6 Mbps        
  
• 4k is a requirement of 15-25 Mbps        
  

In the case of live streams the upload speed has to match the data that your stream sends.

Your viewers don't actually need the identical speed. The quality of video players is reduced if connections are slow or even buffer (downloading two to three seconds earlier) in order to make streaming smooth. Also, we use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)--this copies your files in real-time to a server which is close to the viewer since it takes information time to travel longer distances.

    Latency

No video is truly live. At the very least, there is two seconds of delay. We refer to this as latency.

Live Statistics streaming

• 30 percent of Internet people watch a live stream every week.      
  
• One of the most frequently live streamed video are breaking news (34 percent) and live sports (29%).      
  
• 91.7% of the internet's viewers around the world view live streaming throughout the month.      
  
• 52% Of TikTok subscribers prefer to view live streaming.      
  
• Smart TVs are by far the most sought-after spot for watching live streaming (35.3 percent of the streaming content).      
  
• 28% of all online videos watched on the internet are streamed live.      
  
• The most long live streaming of all time was over 624 hours, provided by Zhejiang Luyuan Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. in China.        
  
• The record for live streaming for most viewers is held by the Spanish streaming channel Ibai, with 3.44 million Twitch users for the channel La Velada del Ano (3).      
  

Live streaming was the first step to make it feasible (Timeline)

It's impossible to cover all aspects in this article, but here's an overview chronology of technological developments that make live streaming possible.

In the 1990s, technology allowed "packets" from media sources to stream and be rendered before a complete download.
1993 - 1993 - The MPEG-1 standard for compression is published, enabling practical video streaming
1995: The company Starlight created the first video streaming from satellites.
1995- First internet radio: Radio HK.
1995 The year 1995 RealPlayer is launched, making it the first mainstream stream media player. The program was later added as an option for Windows 98 installation.
1996: The Real-time Transportation Protocol is created, which creates an infrastructure for transmitting audio & video over networks.
1998- Starlight announced the first web conference products.
1999 - Victoria's Secret fashion show becomes one of the first major live stream shows, attracting the potential of 1.5 million viewers.
2002 2001 Flash Player adds video capabilities which makes embeddable video feasible.
2007 - The launch of Justin.tv (later rebranded as Twitch) that featured Justin Kan wearing a camera all day long. It would grow into several channels, allowing people to broadcast.
2009 - Both Ustream as well as Live stream are launched
2011 - YouTube introduced live streaming to its services. The service was first introduced in 2005 (fun information: the very first video was called "Me at the Zoo). Facebook began live streaming in 2015, Periscope in 2015, as well as Instagram in 2016.

The benefits of live streaming

Live Streaming is a method of delivering energy.

• Super interactive  viewers cannot only view in real time, but they can usually communicate, ask questions and give feedback in other ways.      
  
• Completely unfinished Aside from edited video which content creators may be compelled to improve, live streaming can't really do this (at least not yet). As a result, live streams appear natural and are more enjoyable.    
  
• Less time-consuming: There might some preparation and set-up however, live streaming is often less work as opposed to, for instance, working hard on creating a produced video-which could need editing, scripting, re-shooting, etc.    
  
• Lower production costs  Commonly, it's a lower lift to start and then launch.      
  
• The repurposing  The user could cut and modify the live stream to various purposes and formats following the fact, as well as creating a recorded version from it.      
  
• The urgency of live streaming is a bit more important. Although it's possible that someone uploads a video after the event an event, being able to watch live feels really special and boosts uptake.    
  

What are you required to live stream

There's an awesome overview in this video, if you're beginning to learn about stream live!

But otherwise, here's an overview of live streaming for creators .

To live stream, you need:

1. AV source

The best part about live streaming today is you probably don't need any extravagant equipment. Modern smartphones have everything needed to operate live streaming.

Here are some possibilities for video choices:

• Smartphone video: Most phones can create at least HD videos, while some newer ones shoot in 4k. Be aware that the smartphone's camera on the front and back might be different quality. But either is probably fine for a live stream. It's easier to stream direct using your mobile.    
  
• Webcam: A few computer streamers prefer using either the built-in webcam of their computer or an external webcam. This is for live streaming done on a desktop or laptop.    
  
• Professional cameras: Established streamers often employ professional cameras such as DSLRs to stream live. These cameras can be linked to a laptop or phone and can send a higher-quality video and permitting you to select the lenses you like best and style.    
  

Sound is essential! There are a few options available:

• Phone or Computer built-in mic (not suggested) Phone and computer microphones are close to your mouth during a live stream, and are often poor quality sound recorders. You should pick from the choices listed below.    
  
• Wireless or Bluetooth headphones put the microphone close to your mouth, enhancing sound quality and reducing background sound. Any headset is usually an improvement over your device's built-in microphone.    
  
• Lapel mic The lapel microphone clips to your shirt or collar and picks up the sound closer to your mouth. This makes the sound more high-quality. It is wired as well as wireless as well as some of the higher-end mics have features such as noise canceling.    
  
• Shotgun microphone  A shotgun microphone is a distance from you (often clips to the top of a camera) and pics up an omnidirectional voice signal from your vocal.      
  
• Condenser mic for your desktop  A lot of streamers are now using desktop condenser microphones like Blue Yeti. Blue Yeti, which plugs directly into your PC and captures audio out of your lips.      
  

Here are some more Live streaming tips for you to boost your streaming game.

2. Streaming software (optional)

Streaming software doesn't have to be required because you can live stream directly to major platforms. However, streaming software could be beneficial for those seeking:

• For sharing the screen of a computer, be it in a slideshow format or as part of gaming.        
  
• to use multiple cameras (ie. different angles).    
  
• To add overlays, images, logos, cards, or chat box.        
  
• Mix in audio streams (e.g. music).    
  
• In order to stream on multiple platforms at once (e.g. YouTube + Facebook plus LinkedIn). ).    
  

To illustrate this, we talked about the StreamYard platform in our article on Zoom Alternatives. It can do a variety of these things.

3. A platform for live streaming

This is pretty self-explanatory. It is necessary to have a streaming platform that supports streaming, such as YouTube or Twitch.

You can try it ! Mighty makes it super easy to run a live stream using your smartphone or Mighty application, or you could even create an app that you can brand and stream from. It's also easy to make money from it or charge per stream or create a membership with streaming included in.

Live streaming has benefits for businesses

If you run a business and want to grow, then you must understand the power in live streaming. Your live streams won't appear as perfect or polished as that promotional video you put into it, however live streaming has something more unique. Like we mentioned above it builds a sense of intimacy between your customers and yourself which is authentic and unscripted this is a major advantage for your company. In addition, live streaming holds the potential to be really spontaneous and surprising (in the best way) ).

Here are the additional live streaming benefits for a business:

• Event organizers can host events without the need for space or place Live streams enable businesses to host virtual events and conversations without having to be in the same place.    
  
• Provide educational opportunities. Live streams can be a way to give the value of education, particularly through instructing! Businesses can use live streams (especially with a webinar format) to inform customers about their products and create brand awareness.    
  
• Viewers can view the live stream from any location: Anyone anywhere in the world is able to watch a live stream with an internet connection and a gadget. This brings your audience closer to them and allows you for them to get in touch with you.    
  
• Make money from events and tickets Business can design high-end digital goods such as live streams as sources of revenue, selling tickets and gating them.    
  

Don't use your live stream to sell. Give your customers something of value, educate them and inspire them to engage them. This is what makes live streaming beneficial to your business.

We are awestruck by live streaming so we've included live streaming capabilities to our various plans.

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Live streaming demonstrations

There are some huge historical live streams. These include:

• Michael Jackson's memorial service is among of the live streams that were watched by the most people in its time (2009).      
  
• In 2012 NASA live streamed the Mars Curiosity landing. There are still regular NASA live stream on space.    
  
• The 2014 gaming season saw users on Twitch were playing Pokemon together with commands from chat. The number of players was estimated to be 1.16 million users played and 55 million were watching.    
  

These are amazing! Live streaming can be a powerful tool to bring humans together. In fact, we host our own live stream, People Magic Summit, with top creators and community leaders (this year's attendees included celebrities like Marie Forleo, Nathan Barry and Amanda Goetz). Replay sessions can be viewed here!

Here are some more generic examples of what live streaming might look like:

• The Mighty Network host announces a weekly challenge on a live stream each Monday.        
  
• A performer goes live on IGTV or TikTok and performs a mini-concert for viewers.        
  
• A gamer is a player who plays Roblox or Fortnight and streams the game to viewers.        
  
• Colleges offer a virtual course which is taught over a live stream.      
  
• A thought-leader interviews one of the users on LinkedIn live about an upcoming book release.        
  

You can now read: 11 of the Top Strategies for Community Engagement