Logo.
Livestreams are YouTube videos broadcast live on demand by a channel.[1] The feature is similar to Twitch's livestreams,[2] and the videos can remain public or be unlisted/made private by the owner after the broadcast concludes.[3] If enabled, they can have a live chat box for viewers to send messages in.[1]
History[]
In 2011, YouTube Live was released due to popular demand by viewers.[4] It was initially for specific users, but was later expanded to all.[5] In 2017, livestreaming from YT Studio mobile app (for creators to manage their channel) was made available, initially only available to users with 10,000 subscribers or more.[6] In 2018, the "Premiere" feature was added, where a video can be broadcast like a livestream after uploaded, (with a two minute pre-roll beforehand, customizable by the uploader).[7][8] In 2021, a feature was added in which creators can now enable 'subscriber-only mode' for viewers sending messages in their live chat.[9]
Length[]
Youtube livestreams are limited to 12 hours,[10] however before Youtube put a limit to the length on livestreams, Youtuber See Jackson Hole started a stream titled "Jackson Hole Wyoming USA Town Square Live Cam - SeeJH.ai", which has been ongoing since December 23, 2018.[11][12]
Initiating a Livestream[]
The livestream welcome popup as of 2025
- To go live, a channel must have 50 subscribers.[13][14]
- On mobile, an Android 5.0+ device or an iOS 8+ device must be used.[13] On the web, either Google Chrome version 60+ or Firefox version 53+ must be used.
- Click create. Then, click webcam.[15]
- On encoder streaming, one is able to share their screen, use external audio and video hardware, and manage advanced production features.[16]
- An encoder or livestreaming software like OBS Studio must be used.[16]
Trivia[]
- The most liked livestream is "lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to", with over 7.5M likes.[17][18]
- If a channel has fewer than 1,000 subscribers, YouTube may limit the amount of viewers on a livestream.[13]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Live. YouTube.
- ↑ Live. Twitch.
- ↑ YouTube Creators (Live). YouTube.
- ↑ Joshua Siegel; Christopher Hamilton. YouTube is going LIVE. YouTube.
- ↑ John C. Abell (April 8, 2011). YouTube Gets Into the Live Stream Business. Wired. Retrieved on December 1, 2021.
- ↑ Agence France-Presse (February 8, 2017). YouTube Opens Mobile Live Streaming to Creators With Over 10,000 Subscribers, Launches Paid 'Super Chat' Feature. NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved on August 6, 2021.
- ↑ YouTube creators can hype prerecorded videos with 'Premieres'. Engadget. June 21, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ↑ Julia Alexander (June 21, 2018). YouTube Premieres hopes to redefine how people watch videos. Polygon. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ↑ Geoff Weiss (May 7, 2021) YouTube Is Beta Testing Subscriber-Only Chat Mode For Live Streams. Tubefilter. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210313171550/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6247592?hl=en-GB
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF9PoyvrRnA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EiC9bvVGnk
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Create a live stream on mobile. Google Help.
- ↑ YouTube Live Streaming & Premieres - YouTube Live. YouTube.
- ↑ Create a live stream via webcam. Google Help.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder. Google Help.
- ↑ Most Liked YouTube Livestreams. Wikitubia.
- ↑ lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to by Lofi Girl. YouTube. February 22, 2020.