Live streaming: how to do lives on Facebook and YouTube

Trying to create increasingly attractive content for their followers, many companies and entrepreneurs began to invest in live broadcasts, or as many people know them out there, lives.

The formula was created to be a complete success: content that is easy to produce, totally interactive and a format that, according to research carried out by Cisco, will be responsible for more than 80% of online traffic in the coming years (the study indicates the year 2019, but these numbers can already be reached in 2018).

If you are an entrepreneur who wants to be in tune with the main trends, at this moment, you must be thinking: “¡Great, I’m going to do a live broadcast, now!”, but don’t rush! Despite not being a very difficult thing to do, recording live without any preparation can be a real backfire.

Instead, we suggest you make a list of topics you want to address and read our tutorial to create content that is engaging and interesting for your followers. Shall we start?

What is a live broadcast?

A live broadcast is a service that allows a profile, page or channel to communicate with its followers by video, in real time, without the need for the viewer to download the content or sign up for it, as in the case of .

The difference between live streaming and streaming services like Youtube and Netflix, for example, is that, on live, the video is seen at the same time it is recorded, which allows the content producer to interact with the audience, respond to comments, etc.

Despite being content made to be consumed instantly, those videos can also be kept on the timeline for other people to watch later.

Why do a live broadcast?

Is live streaming interesting for your business? Below, we show you some reasons to invest in this format.

Video attracts more

With a change in Facebook’s algorithm, the content began to be delivered to less than 2% of its total audience. Who wanted to appear in the timeline of his followers, had to .

In this way, the number of “likes” on the posts fell drastically, as well as the number of shared posts. Contrary to this trend, the only format that saw an increase in the number of shared posts was video.

Data from YouTube, the world’s largest streaming platform, also shows that the average viewing time increased by 70% in Brazil in 2016 alone. From this information, we can conclude that video is an essential format for any that it is worthwhile, and that it will continue to boom in the coming years.

Video brings you closer to your audience

On the live stream, your they have the opportunity to get to know you better, which makes the dialogue more dynamic and personalized. During the live, you can also clarify doubts in real time, which optimizes the time of your support team, which can often be made up of just one person. Which brings us to the next topic.

Video builds trust

When you show that you are interested in your customer’s experience and open yourself up to the dialogue, with unlimited questions, cuts and edits, you increase the level of trust that customers have in your product.

What precautions should you take on a live broadcast?

Live streaming doesn’t require much investment, you just have a camera that records in HD (high definition), an internet network, and that’s it. You are now ready to start! But of course, if you want to make your content more professional, you have to take some precautions.

Lightning

To make your broadcast live, you can opt for natural light or artificial lighting, but in both cases it is necessary to take some precautions so that the images do not come out blurry, dark or grainy.

In the case of natural light, there are some more favorable times for recording, such as the period between 8 and 10 in the morning, when the sun is weakest and the light does not cast harsh shadows on the face of the person who is recording. .

Another equally interesting schedule is from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. But at that time you can have a problem, because the sun can go down before the end of the transmission, making the lighting uneven.

Now, artificially lit environments are more predictable and controllable. Artificial lighting schemes can be set up using equipment you have at home and moved around, in case you want to produce different effects on your audience.

We talked a bit more about that in the post about .

Audio

Many people do not mind watching poor quality videos, but the same cannot be said for audio, as this factor compromises the understanding of the matter.

In edited videos, you can activate the subtitle option and transcribe the script. But in the case of the live broadcast, if the viewer does not understand what you are saying, the only solution for him is to leave the live.

And you don’t solve anything by changing places. Even if you are recording in a quiet environment, the camera picks up all external noise, and since it is a live recording, you will only see the result of this interference after the transmission has started.

The solution to this problem is simple: you will only need a lapel microphone and a USB cable connected to your computer or cell phone. But don’t worry, the investment will not exceed 15 euros. With this, your transmission will gain a lot in quality.

stable internet

It seems basic, but many people forget this essential detail. With a bad internet connection, your stream is interrupted all the time, the audio can be cut off, and you don’t even know it because you’re too busy recording.

Of course you can do a live broadcast using a 4G internet package. But, we recommend that you only start the live if you have access to a stable, secure network and preferably with good speed, at the end of the day, you must put the experience of your viewer first.

How to make a live broadcast on Facebook?

There are two ways to make a live broadcast on Facebook: by the page itself or by using encoding software.

The advantage of using software is that you can insert graphic resources into the video, show your computer screen or share images that make your live broadcast more interesting for whoever is watching.

In general, when the issue addressed is simpler, a live made by the page solves the problem. But if your intention is to make a of product, we recommend that you use more advanced resources to enrich your explanation and neutralize possible .

In case of doubt, we share the step by step for the two types of transmission. Thus, you have more information to decide which is the best format for your business and, mainly, which one will be more accepted by your audience.

transmission through the page

1. On your Facebook page, click the option Update Status > Live Video.
2. On the next screen, select the camera you will use for your broadcast, front or rear, if you are recording with the cell phone.
3. If your camera is locked, the following message will appear. Make sure to activate the camera on your laptop.

4. All in order? The image to be transmitted will appear at the bottom of the screen. In this tab you can put a title for your transmission and make a brief description of the subject that will be addressed. Then you just have to click on Broadcast live.
5. You’ll see a 3-second countdown before the broadcast begins.
6. When you want to close the interaction, just click Close Broadcast. By doing so, you will receive a summary of all comments and users who participated in your live.
7. After closing the stream, the video remains on the page’s timeline. You can delete it or leave it hidden only for those who follow you.

Transmission with encoding software

1. The first step to transmit with a software is the same as the previous tutorial, but here, instead of choosing the camera where you want to record, select the option Publishing Tools.
2. Copy and paste the links below into the encoding software you will be using. Here at we recommend OBS Studio, as it is a very complete tool and it is also free.

3. Meanwhile, in the OBS, in the tab Settingselect the option streaming and paste the server url and the transmission key originated by Facebook in the previous step.

It is worth remembering that the stream key is valid for seven days and after the video preview, you have up to five hours to start your stream, if you do not do it in that time, you will need to create another key.

We also recommend that you do not share these links with anyone, as they allow other people to broadcast live on your page.

4. Next, define the title of your live, add a brief description and click on broadcast live.
5. With the software, you will be able to include images or share your computer screen during the transmission.
6. To close, just click Close Transmission.
7. If you want to do the live broadcast at another time of day, instead of broadcast liveclick Program.

In scheduled start time, Complete with the expected date and time of the live, so your followers will receive notice that you plan to do a live broadcast and can be scheduled to watch it from the beginning.

How to make a live broadcast on YouTube?

1. Access the website:then click on Download OBS Studioif you haven’t downloaded the program yet.
2. On YouTube, click on your profile picture and go to CreatorStudio.

3. In the side menu on the left of the page, click Live broadcast. The resource is only released for those who already have a registered channel on YouTube, if you have not yet confirmed your account, it will be necessary to complete the registration process.

4. The streaming panel resembles the video upload screen. In it you will find fields such as the name, description and category of the transmission, and you can also define whether it will be public or private.
5. go to Encoder Configurationclick To show and copy the code that is originated by YouTube.
6. In the OBS, select Settings > Stream > Service > YouTube. Paste the code in Stream Key and click Okay.
7. With this software, you will be able to create scenes, which are nothing more and nothing less than what you want to show during your live broadcast. You can display a PowerPoint slideshow, a photo album, the image captured by your webcam, and much more. To add scenes, just select the command Scenes > + > add scene.
8. To define what the software will capture, select Sources > video capture device. If you wanted to add multiple fonts, remember to give them another name so you don’t get confused.
9. in the list of Sources The webcam you have installed will appear…