Are you interested in Live-Streaming on Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms?
Do you want your live streams to have a professional look?
In this article, you’ll discover three tools to help you create professional quality livestreams on Facebook, YouTube and more.
Why Use a Live Stream Tool to Create Professional Quality Videos?
If you are a business owner you may know the importance of live-streaming video as part of your overall marketing strategy. However, you may be asking yourself since it is so easy to live-stream does the quality really matter or should I just be getting content out to my audience?
The answer is YES! Quality really does matter! In fact, this article shows that 67% of viewers say quality is the most important factor when watching a livestream.
Just because you can live-stream from your mobile phone doesn’t mean you should. Mobile networks are unreliable which makes your live-stream susceptible to buffering, dropped stream and poor audio quality.
We have gathered three tools to help you create high-quality live-stream videos at an affordable price.
#1 Streamyard.com
The first tool is StreamYard.com which is a live video production tool in your browser. There are no downloads and you don’t need anything other than a computer with a mic and camera to get going.
StreamYard allows you to have up to 6 participants, no login requirements and they offer a free version to get started. If you really want to improve the quality of your live-stream you can upgrade to the Basic plan for $20 per month which allows you to add your own logo and overlays.
StreamYard also offers a Facebook community which lets you ask questions, learn more about upcoming features, and meet fellow StreamYard users!
Getting Started with StreamYard
Getting started with StreamYard is to do you simply enter your email address and they will send you a code which you enter to get connected. Then you will need to connect the account you want to stream to Facebook profile, page or group, YouTube or RMTP server.
Depending on where you are live-streaming to your options will vary when you “Create a Broadcast” for Facebook the options are public and testing for YouTube there is also unlisted and private. Enter the title for your broadcast and you are ready to start broadcasting.
ProTip: Highlight your guest by hovering over their tile and clicking the full screen button
Going Live on StreamYard
Once you have entered the broadcast studio you have a variety of options for the live-stream. This your main control panel for the live stream allowing you to adjust settings, choose your screen sharing view, see your comments, upload banner images, adjust branding colors and privately chat with guests.
The right side of the broadcast studio allows you to see and share comments during the live-stream. The basic package allows you to create on-screen banners (up to 120 characters) prior to the broadcast and save them for future broadcasts on the same destination. In addition, you can upload your brand colors, logo (150×150 px) and overlay (1280×720 px).
StreamYard created a simple guide to share with your guests.
StreamYard Pricing Options:
You can get started with StreamYard for FREE, but if you want to improve the professional quality of your live-stream the Basic Option allows you to customize your branding, logos and overlays for $20 per month.
PLUS — Referrals — Everyone you refer gets $10 in credit. Once they've spent $25 with us, you'll get $25 in credit. The best part? There's no limit to how much you can earn!
ProTip: Remember to greet your viewers as they join you live. 👋
StreamYard offers additional information and instructions for getting started with their service here.
#2 BeLive.tv
BeLive.tv has been a staple in live streaming community for a long time focused on Facebook Live, but they have added Twitch to their live stream platforms recently. BeLive.tv has recently become a Facebook Live Video Solutions Partner.
Getting Started with BeLive.tv
First, you need to sign up for a BeLive account via your desktop browser (Chrome ONLY). You can either sign in to your Facebook or Twitch account or create a new account.
Once you are connected you will see a connection button to begin broadcasting.
From this point, BeLive wants to “Get to Know You” and what you plan to broadcast. This is where you declare what your live content will be about: marketing, health, gaming, science, personal development, etc.
You also need to determine what you the purpose for using BeLive is: Promoting Business, Entertaining, Education, Monetization or Other.
Once you’ve determined these options you need to decide which best fits your broadcast.
At this point you need to decide which best fits the objective of your live broadcast will be it solo broadcast, an interview with someone, talk show style on Facebook or Twitch.
Pricing Options with BeLive.tv
You can test it out with a free 14-day trial of all the features. The free service gives you up to 20 minutes broadcast, twice a week for FREE. If you need more time than that then upgrade your package and get even more benefits!
Do you want to learn more about how to do a facebook live split-screen interview you can learn more here.
Join the BeLive Community Facebook page to learn more & be a part of the community at BeLive community
Pro Tip: Wear earbuds to avoid echoes.
#3 Ecamm Live
Ecamm Live is everything you need for a professional live stream video. However, there is a learning curve. You’ve got everything included you need: support for multiple cameras, Blackmagic HDMI capture devices, and Syphon inputs such as your Canon DSLR. A live camera switcher lets you direct the show in real time.
Support for saved scenes means you can compose scenes in advance, complete with on-screen titles and split screens.
Ecamm is only available for Mac users, apologies to Windows users.
Getting Started with Ecamm Live
Ecamm Live is a powerful tool for a live streamer, but you may need to take your time getting to know this tool. Download the Free 7-day trial and test out what Ecamm Live has to offer!
Here’s what it looks like once you’ve downloaded the application & added a scene image to get started:
This is where the magic happens! You are able to add scenes/backgrounds, videos, share websites, add overlays, adjust sound levels, monitor & respond to comments & reactions from your favorite social media platform.
After you have everything uploaded you want to share on your live stream you click where you want to go live, who you are posting as, who you want to see this & if this is scheduled or you want to go live NOW!
Pricing Options with Ecamm Live
Ecamm offers 2 pricing options the Standard ($12/mo) & Pro ($20/mo). The Pro option includes virtual webcam, live video monitoring, automatic Facebook Page crossposting & VIP Tech support. However, most users can most likely use the standard option for their needs.
Going Live with Ecamm Live
Ecamm Live lets you stream live to Facebook, Periscope, YouTube or Custom RMTP stream (Webinar or Twitch). You can have your stream be private, unlisted or public depending on what your business needs are. You can schedule the stream to go live immediately or schedule it for a future date and time. Comments from the broadcast will appear on Ecamm Live.
Ecamm Live uses Skype for guests and you can invite up to 5 people to participate in your live broadcast. They offer the option for overlays, animations & countdowns. In addition, you can add pre-recorded video to display on your live show. Feature picture-in-picture and share your desktop.
It’s all about the images with Ecamm Live
Choose multiple cameras, microphone inputs, graphics via scenes:
Ecamm has you covered with camera support!
COMPARING THE 3 TOOLS:
StreamYard vs. BeLive.com vs. Ecamm Live:
StreamYard doesn’t require login information – simply an email & a login code is delivered to your email address. BeLive requires guests to login via Facebook which can be a drawback if your guest doesn’t want to connect via Facebook. If you are a guest using StreamYard you are able to screen share versus no option on BeLive. The StreamYard interface is extremely intuitive and easy to use. StreamYard allows for up to 6 participants versus 5 guests on BeLive.
BeLive closely integrates with Twitch and there is a mobile app. BeLive also offers a mobile application which StreamYard has plans to offer in the future. BeLive has been a staple in the live streaming community for years due to its ease of use & it has a wide network of existing users.
Ecamm Live is great, but it’s only for Mac Users. If you’re looking for fancier features like green screens or customization of layouts, Ecamm Live might be a good choice. If you’re looking for ease of use, we recommend StreamYard. I’ve heard some users say that they like StreamYard because there is no Skype integration required (this is the case with Ecamm Live).
We recommend you check these tools out yourself to determine which will work best for your needs and budget.
Additional Tools & Resources for Live Streaming:
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