17 Tools for Live-streaming Video

Live-streaming video offers individuals and brands a direct way to engage and connect. With so many of us working remotely, there’s never been a better time to use live-streaming. There’s a variety of platforms, from simple social network streams to advanced productions.

Here is a list of tools for live-streaming video. There are services from social networks as well as live-streaming platforms to produce and broadcast solo or multi-source video. All of these tools have features to interact with your audience. Several offer options to monetize content. Most of the tools are free or relatively inexpensive.

Facebook Live

Facebook Live lets you broadcast to your Page, group, profile, or event using the Facebook app. If you’re using a connected camera and encoder, schedule a live stream up to one week in advance in Live Producer. At the scheduled time of your live broadcast, a post containing your live stream will automatically be published, and followers receive a notification. If you’re using Live Producer, bring guests into your broadcast by using third-party platforms such as Be.Live and Stage Ten. Video conferencing software providers also allow you to broadcast live to Facebook with multiple participants. Price: Free.

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YouTube Live

YouTube Live lets you reach your audience in real-time. Broadcast from your webcam or from the YouTube mobile app if you have at least 1,000 subscribers. You can also use an encoder to capture content (such as gameplay or multi-camera) and send it to YouTube Live. When you stop streaming, an archive of your live stream is automatically uploaded to your channel. Live streams can be public, private, or unlisted. Price: Free.

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Periscope

Periscope, owned by Twitter, lets you broadcast live video and interact with people through hearts and comments. Instantly share your live videos to Twitter and other social networks. Periscope Producer enables live video creators to stream quality broadcasts from external sources, including streaming software, hardware encoders, and professional cameras. The Super Broadcaster program allows approved broadcasters to exchange their star balance earned from Super Hearts for cash. Price: Free.

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Instagram Live Stories

Instagram Live Stories are live videos in Instagram Stories. Share a live video to connect with your followers in real-time for up to one hour. Once ended, the live video is no longer visible in the app unless you share a replay of it to your story. Live video replays include all the likes and comments from your original event. Price: Free.

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Twitch

Twitch, an Amazon subsidiary, is a live-streaming service that focuses primarily on video games, along with creative content on esports, music, and life. Videos can be viewed live or on-demand. Twitch Extensions let developers create live apps to interact with streams and interactive experiences such as mini-games. Monetize content through bits, subscriptions, ads, and sponsorships. Price: Free.

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Be.Live

Be.Live is an app to produce live-stream content for Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Add your logo and overlaps during your show. Show viewers’ live comments on the screen. Invite up to 10 guests with your permanent link and show up to four people on screen. Define when your stream can go live and reschedule any time. Price: Free for three shows per month. Paid plans start at $24.99 per month.

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Restream

Restream allows you to stream live to 30-plus social platforms at once. Use the scheduler to stream your recorded videos live. Read and reply to messages from multiple streaming platforms on one screen. Get insights on live stream performance across multiple platforms. Price: Free plan with watermark. Paid plans start at $16 per month.

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StreamYard

StreamYard is a live-streaming studio in your browser. Interview guests, share your screen, and much more. Have up to six participants. Stream to multiple platforms simultaneously. Broadcast to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Periscope, Twitch, and custom RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) outputs. Type a call-to-action and add it to your live stream in a single click. Price: Free with StreamYard branding. Paid plans start at $20 per month.

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Stage Ten

Stage Ten enables the simple production of live video. Easily drag and drop feeds from webcams, smartphones, screen share, studio cams, and RTMP to create professional live streams. Add overlays, and mix real-time video and audio clips into your live show, or go “live-to-tape” and broadcast later. Stream to your Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch channels, as well as your own site, with multi-platform distribution. Price: Free with one destination. Paid plans start at $19 per month.

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Switcher Studio

Switcher Studio lets you connect multiple iPhones and iPads to create dynamic multi-camera live videos, complete with text, graphics, editing, and effects. Swap angles live or show multiple views at once with picture-in-picture and side-by-side layouts. Stream directly to multiple channels, including Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Microsoft Stream. Price: Plans start at $39 per month.

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Socialive

Socialive is a platform to capture, create, and distribute video. Simply drag and drop to organize your story. Click to add layouts and graphics and start your broadcast. Stream live or on-demand, simulcasting to social media, internal channels, and your website. Live stream from the field, and it appears instantly in your central library. Contact for pricing.

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Crowdcast

Crowdcast is a video conferencing platform to run live video Q&As, interviews, courses, summits, and webinars. Engage your audience with polls and chats. Use screen share for a presentation or to demo a product. Capture leads with a built-in registration page. Run paid events with Stripe integration, add additional security, limit seats, and more. Stream your live events to Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Periscope, and other live video platforms. Price: Plans start at $20 per month.

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Zoom

Zoom, the video meeting platform, also offers video webinars. Up to 100 live video panelists can share their webcam and interact with the audience. Broadcast across social channels with Facebook Live and YouTube integrations. Engage your audience with chat, Q&A, and polling. Track audience engagement and which viewers show the most interest. Monetize your webinars with PayPal integration via Zapier. Price: Plans start at $12.49 per month, plus add-ons.

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Vimeo

Vimeo lets you create unlimited live events, stream to unlimited viewers, and simulcast to your favorite social platforms. Use live Q&A and polls, live graphics, audience chat, auto-archiving, and studio encoding software. Access live support while you set up and stream events, and get live and post-event analytics. Live-streaming is available in Vimeo’s Premium plan, with enhanced options for security, dedicated support, enterprise content delivery, and monetization. Price: Premium plan is $75 per month. 

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Bambuser

Bambuser has offered mobile live streaming for a while. But it recently launched Live Video Shopping, which enables mobile live-streaming directly on retailer websites. Promote your products and have your audience add to cart without leaving the stream. Interact in real-time with your audience members and include them in the conversation. Contact for pricing.

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IBM Watson Media

IBM Watson Media, formerly Ustream, allows content owners to stream live content to audiences from video players embedded on a website or from behind a restricted content portal. To live stream, utilize broadcast software, hardware encoders, apps, or browser-based solutions — with access to real-time analytics, individual viewer tracking, and stream monitoring to gauge performance. Your live stream is auto-archived afterward and can be downloaded by you for editing or trimmed directly in the cloud. Price: Plans start at $99 per month for 100 viewer hours.

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Dacast

Dacast is a video streaming platform — live or on-demand. The enterprise option allows you to upload, transcode, organize, monetize, and analyze your video content. Customize a video player with your logo and brand style. Deliver 1080-pixel video to all devices. Use embed codes to easily share a video or live stream on any web page or social media platform. Price: Plans start at $19 per month.