YouTube Live is a crucial way to stand out on the world's most popular video app (and second about popular website, just behind Google). Sure, at that place'due south something to exist said about meticulously edited content, but YouTube's livestream functionality can build a different kind of hype that's not available on normal uploads.

And hype is e'er a good thing. Afterwards all, there are over 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, so anything y'all can practise to draw attention to yourself is great. YouTube Alive allows you lot to build buzz with special guests, interactive Q&Every bit and the thought that, well, anything could happen.

Read on for tips and advice to achieve the best possible YouTube Live stream.

Free YouTube Growth Checklist: Find out how one YouTuber grew his channel to most 400,000 followers in 4 years and how you tin can proceeds 100,000 followers a year too.

What is YouTube Live?

YouTube Live is too the second most popular livestream site, falling simply backside Twitch. But while Twitch is known for gaming streams, YouTube Live's users offer all kinds of content, including music performances, vlogs, cooking classes, makeup tutorials, instructional videos, comedy performances and much more.

Some quick history:

  • YouTube start experimented with live streaming in the late 2000s, including a U2 concert in 2009 and a Q&A with Barack Obama in 2010.
  • They officially launched YouTube Live in 2011. The program was initially simply available to select partners and was used for streaming the Olympics and Felix Baumgartner's jump from space in 2012.
  • The program has changed over the years, merely it's now available for all desktop users and mobile accounts with ane,000 subscribers or more than.

You lot may non accept considered livestreaming in your marketing program, but you lot absolutely should. After all, xxx% of all internet users merits to watch at least 1 live video stream a week. That's nearly one and a half billion people you lot could be reaching with your livestream.

Why go live on YouTube?

YouTube Live video is a fantastic style to set yourself apart and offer unique, rewarding video experiences.

Here are some corking reasons to participate in YouTube Live videos:

Turn a video into an consequence

Hype is a driving force online, and you can make some amazing waves if yous treat your YouTube Live video stream similar a virtual issue. Subsequently all, at that place are no ameliorate ways to create FOMO than by building fizz with a countdown clock and plenty of promotional posts across your social media channels.

All-time of all, unlike Twitch, your YouTube Alive stream can be paused while it's running, so viewers really become the all-time of both worlds with live vs. video content.

Tap into a big audience

There are over two billion agile users on YouTube, and while they're likely on the site for a specific reason, they'll besides be served content that the algorithm expects them to detect interesting.

That means if you've got a live video that fits perfectly into their niche, you'll likely find some new eyeballs if you livestream regularly on YouTube. Plus, algorithms mostly favor live video.

Engage your viewers in real fourth dimension

In the past, a back-and-forth chat with your audition might have looked something similar this: Encourage them to go out a annotate, so sift through them all (and beware of trolls) before either replying with text or in another video.

But with YouTube Alive, you can read the chat in real fourth dimension and directly appoint with your audience. You tin can even encourage more activity in the chat by enabling the Super Conversation feature. This is besides a nifty way to grow your subscriber base.

Create great content without overthinking information technology

Because it'south alive, audiences don't necessarily await the slick, professional await of standard YouTube content. Only it's still possible to make your stream look more polished with the correct equipment, overlays and camera piece of work. This means that you tin make your live video every bit fancy or downwards-to-world equally you want.

Best of all, you can skip the agonizing edits before releasing your content. Once you go live, it's out there!

How to start streaming with YouTube Live

That all sounds good — but you might be wondering how to go live on YouTube. It's really incredibly elementary. Simply follow our footstep-past-step guide.

Enable your channel

Earlier you tin livestream, you demand to verify your YouTube channel — don't worry, it's not every bit complicated as getting a YouTube verification bluecoat. Go to world wide web.youtube.com/verify to add together your phone number and receive a verification code.

That's information technology; your YouTube account has been verified! (If just it were this uncomplicated on other sites.)

Afterwards verification, it will have 24 hours for your business relationship to exist activated for livestreaming. Once activated, yous can livestream from desktop with any number of subscribers, but you lot need to have at to the lowest degree 1,000 subscribers to livestream from mobile.

From at that place, you can follow these steps:

On desktop

1. Go to www.youtube.com/dashboard.

2. Click the Create button in the pinnacle correct corner.

3. Select Go Live. You'll be taken to the YouTube Live Control Room (run into below).

welcome to the new YouTube Live control room

On mobile

1. Open up the YouTube app.

ii. Click the plus icon on the lesser of the app.

iii. Tap Go Alive.

Choose how you desire to stream

pick the type of stream built-in webcam or streaming software

Desktop

If your livestream has a unproblematic premise, your computer's built-in camera (or, even better, an external camera that you've set) will certainly do the play a joke on. An aesthetically pleasing room as a backdrop tin can get a long mode.

How to stream from desktop

ane. Get to world wide web.youtube.com/dashboard on your browser.

two. Click the camcorder icon in the peak correct corner.

iii. Click Go Live, then select Webcam.

4. Add together your title and privacy settings.

5. Click More options to add a clarification, enable or disable live chat, monetization, promotion and more than (see below).

create stream and add details category and thumbnail

vi. Click Next. YouTube will automatically take a webcam thumbnail photograph. Y'all tin retake it or upload an paradigm afterward.

7. Select Go Live.

viii. To stop, select End Stream at the lesser.

Mobile

Streaming from a mobile device is technically no different than streaming from your computer's webcam, simply mobile is great for more than downwardly-to-earth, laid back "hang out" streams. A vertical video streamed on selfie fashion is perfect for showing off a new haircut or sharing some hot gossip with fans. Still, information technology'll likely be too crude around the edges for, say, a lengthy bookish give-and-take.

How to stream from mobile

1. From the YouTube app, select the camcorder icon.

2. Select Go Live.

iii. Add together your championship and privacy setting.

4. Select More Options to add together a clarification. Select Show More to enable or disable live chat, age restrictions, monetization, promotion disclosures, and more.

5. Printing Show Less to exit and select Next. Accept a picture or upload a thumbnail.

6. Tap Share to share the link on social media.

7. Select Go Live.

8. To stop, click Terminate so Ok.

Encoder streaming

Encoders are far and abroad the all-time option for livestreaming, although in that location'south certainly a learning curve involved. Using streaming software like OBS or Streamlabs (or enough of others — YouTube's listing of approved encoders is available hither), yous tin can create custom backdrops, add together overlays and custom emotes, easily monetize your stream and maintain a loftier quality of audio and video throughout.

social is your superpower OBS interface

Example of an OBS interface.

How to stream with an encoder

1. Inquiry the best encoding software for your needs and calculator specs. Follow their instructions to fix upwards your stream. A list of YouTube Live verified encoders is available hither.

2. Select the camcorder icon.

3. Click Go Live, then select Stream. If you've streamed before, select Copy and create to utilise the previous settings. Otherwise, select New Stream.

4. Add your title, description, category and privacy settings, and so upload a thumbnail. You tin also schedule your stream and enable monetization. Click Create Stream.

5. Go to Stream Settings and copy your stream cardinal. You can utilise the same stream central for future streams. Yous can also customize and save multiple stream keys.

six. Paste the stream fundamental into the relevant field on your encoder (it will depend on the software).

7. Become back to your YouTube dashboard and click Get Alive.

8. To stop the stream, click End Stream.

Free YouTube Growth Checklist: Find out how one YouTuber grew his aqueduct to nearly 400,000 followers in 4 years and how you can gain 100,000 followers a year likewise.

Get the checklist!

eight tips for using YouTube Live

ane. Fix a goal

Why do yous, specifically, want to stream video on YouTube Alive? Yeah, you. If you can spend a few minutes mulling over the goals of your YouTube Live stream, you'll be able to plan exactly what to do.

Later all, if you desire to appoint your audience with a live product unboxing, y'all'll demand to become, well, a box with a production in information technology. Ultimately, knowing why y'all're doing it will help you figure out how to get at that place.

two. Be prepared

One time you've outlined your strategy, you tin make a checklist and showtime prepping for the bear witness.

Volition you be working solo or with a team? If it's a squad effort, figure out each person'due south role in the stream. This can include everything from a cameraperson to a chat moderator (in the unpredictable world of live video, a moderator is always a good person to have on your side).

Do you plan to have guests? If then, you'll need to determine how you'll feature them and make sure they take an authentic fourth dimension to call in.

Speaking of fourth dimension, it's not a bad thought to make a loose script for the stream, even if it's merely point-course notes. That manner, you tin can avoid dead air.

3. Consider your content

In addition to following a theme, you lot'll as well want to brand certain that your YouTube Live content is historic period-appropriate (you'll exist able to select whether or not it's suitable for kids when yous're setting up) and that it meets YouTube's Community Guidelines.

If you violate YouTube's policies, you'll get a strike that prevents you lot from streaming for 14 days.

iv. Promote like crazy

There's no perfect time to stream, just y'all'll be able to get an estimate idea by looking at your YouTube analytics and figuring out when people have been watching your videos the most. In one case you pivot down a time, promoting your stream needs to get your obsession.

Hype it upward across all of your social media platforms. Make ads, posters, IG stories and videos to plug the stream. Place a imprint on your YouTube folio or make a trailer for the stream. Link it everywhere. Act similar it's the consequence of the century — and really believe that it is.

Annotation: Once you've gotten into the swing of things, you should consider streaming at the same time each calendar week. That volition build an organic following and establish your channel equally a trusted source of info and entertainment.

The Raptors Show with Will Lou Friday March 25

Source: Sportsnet on YouTube

5. Invest in aesthetics

The difference between a mediocre stream and a fantastic, professional-seeming broadcast can often comes down to packaging. If you want to stand out, yous should definitely invest in the look of your testify.

That includes everything from an excellent thumbnail image (ideally 1280 x 720, with a minimum width of 640 pixels) to overlays and backdrops if you're using an encoder. You lot may need to spend some fourth dimension (if you're doing it yourself) or cash (if you hire a designer), but a polished look will ready you apart.

vi. Know your gear

You lot can brand a YouTube Live video past pushing a button and talking into your spider web photographic camera, merely there are all kinds of ways you can improve on that, and they'll brand the difference.

Consider upgrading your webcam, investing in audio equipment (fifty-fifty an entry-level USB microphone will improve your dialogue a nifty bargain), purchasing ring lights or other lighting gear, sourcing a green screen, etc. Y'all should also test your cyberspace speed (at speedtest.cyberspace, for case). If possible, use a wired ethernet connectedness for consistent speeds.

Notation: Unlike Twitch, which maxes out at 1080p, YouTube Alive tin actually support 4K streams, outputted at 2160p. If you've got the hardware for it, you can make your stream look incredibly high-res.

7. Address your audience

We've established that one of the best aspects of YouTube Live is the appointment potential, and yous should certainly maximize it by engaging your audience as much every bit possible.

Set questions to inquire during the stream, keep an eye on the chat then you tin acknowledge commenters, or even create polls for your viewers to vote on. These are all nifty ways to go on your audience engaged, making them more than likely to invite their friends back the adjacent fourth dimension.

8. Loosen up a little

People spotter live TV shows similar SNL for the flubs just as much as the jokes, if non more. That same mentality applies to livestreaming.

While you should certainly be as prepared as possible, you should besides plan to whorl with the punches and accept some fun with information technology. Don't diss yourself, but if something goes wrong (and chances are, information technology probably volition), have a express joy almost it. Have it easy and have fun, and your audition will likewise.

YouTube Live video ideas and examples

There's pretty much no limit to what yous tin can do with YouTube Live. Here are just a few examples of interesting things people are doing with the service.

Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker

Honey comedian Tim Heidecker didn't just start a podcast like everyone else. Instead, he's keeping busy with Function Hours Live, a show that's livestreamed on YouTube, then released as an audio podcast afterwards.

There's plenty of audience interaction — including a call-in section — every bit well as celebrity guests who play characters and do bits. It'south a attestation to all that tin be done with YouTube Live.

Big Rig Travels

There is no shortage of fascinating livestreams of day-in-the-life moments, and Big Rig Travels is 1 of the all-time if you want to caput out on the route and feel like yous're making some deliveries.

lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to

Some users accept turned YouTube Alive into a oasis for music lovers, even launching total-fledged radio stations. The most well-known, by far, is LofiGirl, whose playlists with at-home, relaxing animations helped popularize the genre of "lo fi beats to relax/written report to."

The first iteration of the business relationship was temporarily banned after streaming for over 13,000 hours, making information technology one of the longest YouTube videos in history.

Angela Anderson

Your livestream doesn't demand to exist flashy or complex. Angela Anderson has clustered a large, dedicated audience who tune in to watch her incredibly soothing, 2-hour painting sessions.

Luthiers Question Fourth dimension

If y'all work in a highly specialized niche, there's probably an existing market for you to corner on YouTube. Crimson Guitars uses its weekly alive sessions to answer pressing questions from guitar gearheads. (And if y'all're wondering, a luthier is someone who makes stringed instruments. The more you lot know!)

LOCK HORNS (Banger Television receiver)

Banger TV'south Lock Horns series shows that you can make YouTube magic happen past merely setting upward a camera in your office. Special guests come in to debate hyper-niche heavy metal subgenres, and despite the lack of digital bells and whistles, it'southward a highly engaging show.

That Thing You Practise Sentry Party

At the outset of the pandemic, many celebrities banded together for clemency livestreams, table reads and watch parties. The That Matter You Practise political party is a perfect example of a stream done right.

The picture show's unabridged bandage showed up to sentinel the pic, and they simply timed the stream with the start of the movie, meaning fans could queue information technology up with the movie itself, and no one would have to worry about whatsoever copyright violations. That'due south an idea anyone can use for their YouTube Live videos.

Manage your YouTube presence with Hootsuite. It's elementary to manage and schedule YouTube videos equally well every bit quickly publish your videos to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—all from one dashboard. Endeavour it gratis today.

Get Started

With files from Katie Sehl.

Grow your YouTube channel fast with Hootsuite. Easily moderate comments, schedule video, and publish to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Try it for Free