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

And hype is always a adept thing. After all, there are over 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, so anything you tin can practice to draw attention to yourself is great. YouTube Live allows yous to build buzz with special guests, interactive Q&As and the thought that, well, anything could happen.

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

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What is YouTube Live?

YouTube Live is also the second most popular livestream site, falling simply behind Twitch. Only while Twitch is known for gaming streams, YouTube Live'due south users offering all kinds of content, including music performances, vlogs, cooking classes, makeup tutorials, instructional videos, comedy performances and much more.

Some quick history:

  • YouTube first 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 Alive in 2011. The plan 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 inverse over the years, but information technology's now available for all desktop users and mobile accounts with 1,000 subscribers or more.

You may not have considered livestreaming in your marketing plan, but you admittedly should. Later on all, thirty% of all cyberspace users claim to watch at least one live video stream a week. That'southward nearly one and a one-half billion people you lot could be reaching with your livestream.

Why go alive on YouTube?

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

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

Turn a video into an effect

Hype is a driving force online, and you can make some amazing waves if you lot treat your YouTube Live video stream similar a virtual issue. Afterwards all, there are no meliorate ways to create FOMO than by building fizz with a inaugural clock and plenty of promotional posts across your social media channels.

Best of all, unlike Twitch, your YouTube Alive stream can be paused while it's running, and then viewers actually get the all-time of both worlds with live vs. video content.

Tap into a large audition

In that location are over ii billion active users on YouTube, and while they're likely on the site for a specific reason, they'll also be served content that the algorithm expects them to notice interesting.

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

Engage your viewers in real time

In the past, a back-and-along conversation with your audience might have looked something like this: Encourage them to leave a comment, then 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 existent time and directly engage with your audition. You tin even encourage more than activeness in the chat past enabling the Super Chat feature. This is also a great manner to abound your subscriber base of operations.

Create great content without overthinking it

Because it'due south alive, audiences don't necessarily expect the slick, professional wait of standard YouTube content. But it's still possible to make your stream look more than polished with the right equipment, overlays and camera piece of work. This means that you lot can make your alive video as fancy or downwardly-to-globe equally yous want.

Best of all, you lot can skip the agonizing edits before releasing your content. One time you become live, it's out there!

How to start streaming with YouTube Alive

That all sounds good — simply you lot might be wondering how to go live on YouTube. It's actually incredibly simple. But follow our pace-past-step guide.

Enable your channel

Before you can livestream, you need to verify your YouTube aqueduct — don't worry, information technology'southward not equally complicated every bit getting a YouTube verification bluecoat. Go to www.youtube.com/verify to add together your telephone number and receive a verification lawmaking.

That'south it; your YouTube account has been verified! (If only it were this simple on other sites.)

Afterwards verification, it will take 24 hours for your account to be activated for livestreaming. One time activated, you can livestream from desktop with whatsoever number of subscribers, but you need to have at least ane,000 subscribers to livestream from mobile.

From there, you tin follow these steps:

On desktop

1. Become to world wide web.youtube.com/dashboard.

two. Click the Create button in the top correct corner.

3. Select Go Live. You'll be taken to the YouTube Live Control Room (see beneath).

welcome to the new YouTube Live control room

On mobile

1. Open the YouTube app.

two. Click the plus icon on the bottom of the app.

3. Tap Go Live.

Choose how you lot want to stream

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

Desktop

If your livestream has a simple premise, your figurer's congenital-in camera (or, fifty-fifty better, an external camera that y'all've set up) volition certainly do the trick. An aesthetically pleasing room every bit a backdrop can go a long style.

How to stream from desktop

ane. Go to www.youtube.com/dashboard on your browser.

two. Click the camcorder icon in the pinnacle right corner.

3. Click Get Live, and so select Webcam.

iv. Add your championship and privacy settings.

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

create stream and add details category and thumbnail

6. Click Next. YouTube will automatically take a webcam thumbnail photograph. You can retake it or upload an image afterward.

7. Select Go Alive.

8. To stop, select End Stream at the bottom.

Mobile

Streaming from a mobile device is technically no different than streaming from your calculator'due south webcam, but mobile is groovy for more down-to-world, laid back "hang out" streams. A vertical video streamed on selfie way is perfect for showing off a new haircut or sharing some hot gossip with fans. Still, it'll probable be too crude around the edges for, say, a lengthy academic word.

How to stream from mobile

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

2. Select Go Live.

3. Add together your title and privacy setting.

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

5. Press Evidence Less to exit and select Next. Take a picture or upload a thumbnail.

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

7. Select Go Live.

8. To end, click Finish and so Ok.

Encoder streaming

Encoders are far and abroad the best option for livestreaming, although there's certainly a learning curve involved. Using streaming software like OBS or Streamlabs (or plenty of others — YouTube's listing of approved encoders is available hither), you lot tin can create custom backdrops, add overlays and custom emotes, easily monetize your stream and maintain a high quality of audio and video throughout.

social is your superpower OBS interface

Example of an OBS interface.

How to stream with an encoder

1. Research the best encoding software for your needs and computer specs. Follow their instructions to set up your stream. A list of YouTube Live verified encoders is available here.

2. Select the camcorder icon.

3. Click Go Live, and then select Stream. If yous've streamed earlier, select Re-create and create to use the previous settings. Otherwise, select New Stream.

4. Add your title, description, category and privacy settings, then upload a thumbnail. You can besides schedule your stream and enable monetization. Click Create Stream.

5. Get to Stream Settings and copy your stream central. You tin can use the aforementioned stream key for future streams. You can also customize and salve multiple stream keys.

half-dozen. Paste the stream cardinal into the relevant field on your encoder (it will depend on the software).

7. Go dorsum to your YouTube dashboard and click Go Live.

8. To end the stream, click Finish Stream.

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eight tips for using YouTube Live

1. Set a goal

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

After all, if y'all want to appoint your audience with a live product unboxing, you lot'll need to become, well, a box with a product in it. Ultimately, knowing why you lot're doing it will help you figure out how to get there.

ii. Be prepared

In one case you've outlined your strategy, you can brand a checklist and start prepping for the testify.

Will you be working solo or with a team? If it's a team 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).

Practice yous plan to have guests? If then, you'll need to decide how you'll feature them and make sure they have an accurate time to call in.

Speaking of time, it's not a bad idea to make a loose script for the stream, even if it's merely betoken-class notes. That mode, you can avoid expressionless air.

3. Consider your content

In addition to post-obit a theme, y'all'll besides want to make certain that your YouTube Live content is age-appropriate (you'll be able to select whether or not it'due south suitable for kids when yous're setting upwards) and that it meets YouTube's Community Guidelines.

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

iv. Promote like crazy

There'due south no perfect fourth dimension to stream, but you'll be able to become an guess thought by looking at your YouTube analytics and figuring out when people have been watching your videos the most. One time you pin downward a time, promoting your stream needs to become your obsession.

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

Note: Once you've gotten into the swing of things, you should consider streaming at the same time each week. That volition build an organic following and establish your aqueduct as 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 betwixt a mediocre stream and a fantastic, professional person-seeming broadcast tin often comes down to packaging. If you desire to stand out, you lot should definitely invest in the look of your bear witness.

That includes everything from an first-class thumbnail image (ideally 1280 ten 720, with a minimum width of 640 pixels) to overlays and backdrops if you're using an encoder. You may need to spend some time (if you're doing it yourself) or greenbacks (if you rent a designer), but a polished look volition set yous apart.

6. Know your gear

You can make a YouTube Alive video past pushing a button and talking into your web photographic camera, just at that place are all kinds of ways you tin better on that, and they'll make the departure.

Consider upgrading your webcam, investing in audio equipment (even an entry-level USB microphone volition improve your dialogue a great deal), purchasing ring lights or other lighting gear, sourcing a green screen, etc. Y'all should likewise test your internet speed (at speedtest.net, for example). If possible, use a wired ethernet connection for consistent speeds.

Note: Different Twitch, which maxes out at 1080p, YouTube Live can 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 Alive is the appointment potential, and you should certainly maximize it by engaging your audience as much equally possible.

Gear up questions to enquire during the stream, keep an eye on the chat so you can acknowledge commenters, or even create polls for your viewers to vote on. These are all great ways to keep your audience engaged, making them more likely to invite their friends back the side by side fourth dimension.

viii. Loosen up a little

People lookout man alive Tv shows like SNL for the flubs just as much every bit the jokes, if not more. That same mentality applies to livestreaming.

While you lot should certainly be as prepared as possible, you should also program to roll with the punches and take some fun with it. Don't diss yourself, only if something goes wrong (and chances are, it probably volition), take a laugh nigh it. Accept information technology easy and take fun, and your audience volition too.

YouTube Alive video ideas and examples

There's pretty much no limit to what you can do with YouTube Live. Hither are but a few examples of interesting things people are doing with the service.

Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker

Dearest comedian Tim Heidecker didn't merely get-go a podcast like everyone else. Instead, he'south keeping busy with Office Hours Live, a show that's livestreamed on YouTube, then released every bit an audio podcast afterwards.

In that location's plenty of audience interaction — including a call-in section — likewise equally celebrity guests who play characters and exercise $.25. It'south a testament to all that can be done with YouTube Alive.

Big Rig Travels

There is no shortage of fascinating livestreams of day-in-the-life moments, and Big Rig Travels is one of the all-time if you desire to head out on the road and experience like yous're making some deliveries.

lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to

Some users have turned YouTube Live into a haven for music lovers, even launching full-fledged radio stations. The most well-known, by far, is LofiGirl, whose playlists with calm, relaxing animations helped popularize the genre of "lo fi beats to relax/study to."

The kickoff iteration of the account was temporarily banned after streaming for over xiii,000 hours, making information technology one of the longest YouTube videos in history.

Angela Anderson

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

Luthiers Question Time

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

LOCK HORNS (Banger TV)

Banger Television receiver'southward Lock Horns series shows that you lot tin can make YouTube magic happen past just setting up 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's a highly engaging show.

That Thing You Practise Watch Party

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

The film's entire cast showed upward to watch the film, and they simply timed the stream with the start of the motion picture, significant fans could queue it up with the flick itself, and no i would have to worry about whatever copyright violations. That'south an idea anyone can utilize for their YouTube Alive videos.

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With files from Katie Sehl.

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