Facebook plans to rollout a live streaming video feature that is set to operate very similarly to early entrants in the space like Meerkat and Periscope.
Facebook users will soon be able to use a redesigned status menu to select “live video” and instantly stream directly from their smartphone’s camera. The new feature displays the number of live viewers, the names of friends watching the stream, as well as any real-time comments. Users will also be able to subscribe to their favourite streams so a notification is sent out when a broadcast begins.
Similar to video game live streaming platform, Twitch, videos are saved to the broadcaster’s timeline unless it is manually deleted.
Earlier this year Facebook tested video streaming by allowing celebrities and other public figures to live stream directly from their profile pages. Facebook live streaming is set to be first tested with a small amount of iPhone users in the U.S. before rolling out on a global scale.
Following the launch of Twitter’s Periscope, competing live streaming service, Meerkat, shifted its social focus from Twitter to Facebook. Meerkat automatically posts a news story about Meerkat streams when they’re started. It’s likely that Facebook’s new native live streaming feature will effectively kill Meerkat, making the platform significantly less relevant.
Video has become a priority for Facebook over the last years resulting in the social network’s video stats skyrocketing to 8 billion daily views with 500 million users.
Facebook’s new livestreaming feature will compete directly with with Twitter’s Periscope.
The social network is also launching a new collage feature that combines photos and videos into scrolling, moving collages.
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