live streaming business plan

How to Start a Live Streaming Business

Live streaming business owners make money by broadcasting live video gaming footage on popular platforms while making use of ad revenue. Popular websites like Twitch.TV and Smashcast (formerly Azubu) create great platforms for gamers to share their content. By acquiring a large following, (500+ average for Twitch.TV) the player becomes qualified to become a partner for the live streaming site. The streaming site will pay based on the internet traffic for the individual’s channel. Live streaming channels also solicit donations from their fans.

You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas .

Learn how to start your own Live Streaming Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a live streaming business by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Live Streaming Business
• Form your Live Streaming Business into a Legal Entity
• Register your Live Streaming Business for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Live Streaming Business
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Live Streaming Business
• Get Live Streaming Business Insurance
• Define your Live Streaming Business Brand
• Create your Live Streaming Business Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your live streaming business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Live Streaming Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your live streaming business?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a live streaming business.

A high-speed Internet connection costs about US$50 to $100 per month. You will also need a gaming computer for about $1,000, with a high-resolution monitor(s) that costs around $350 each and game players with controls (Xbox, Wii, Sony PlayStation) for each type of game you want to play, which are around $300 to $400 each.

There is a 30-day free trial for Twitch.TV and after that, there is a monthly subscription fee of $5.99 to $10.99 per month depending on the features desired.

What are the ongoing expenses for a live streaming business?

The ongoing expenses are a high-speed Internet connection, updating gaming equipment and a computer with a high-resolution monitor(s), and buying the games (although sponsored streamers can get games for free). This is about fifty to several hundred dollars per month.

Popular streamers also typically hire one or more assistants to help manage the workflow of communicating with fans, talking with sponsors, updating website information, setting up paid appearances, and organizing attendance at conventions and gaming tournaments. Assistants make about $250 per week for part-time help.

Who is the target market?

The customers are video game enthusiasts who want to learn how to become better players by watching how professionals play certain games.

How does a live streaming business make money?

The revenues come from advertisements, profit-sharing from channel subscription fees, sponsorship, in-person appearances at events, and earnings from winning game tournaments.

Streamers who have enough followers to qualify as partners are allowed to have a subscription button on their individualized web page within the streaming system. Subscribers to their streaming channel pay a monthly fee of $4.99 for that certain channel and get to have special features as well. Around 50% of the $4.99 goes to Twitch.TV, while the other 50% is paid to the streamer.

Viewers can also give donations to the streamers they like. Streamers who are top-rated, with lots of followers, can get fees from sponsorship just like professional sports players.

How much profit can a live streaming business make?

Professional streamers, who have enough subscribers (500+) to become partners, make US$3,000 to US$5,000 per month for full-time streaming. This means playing at least 40 hours each week. Additionally, they earn a portion of the advertising revenues which equates to about $250 per 100 subscribers for each month. The highest paid and most popular streamers make over $300,000 per year.

How can you make your business more profitable?

In addition to having a streaming presence, it is important to create a following by posting videos on a YouTube channel. There are two video gamers in the top ten YouTube channels and they earn millions of dollars per year. Here are the latest figures reported by Forbes of the top ten highest paid YouTubers that are also gamers (at least part-time):

Mark Fischbach who goes by the name Markiplier on YouTube brought home a cool US$5.5 million during 2016 for his video commentaries on video games, along with his other eclectic content.

The Swedish PewDiePie who shows video snippets of himself playing video games and his comedic sketches was the top earner on YouTube during 2016 with an astounding US$15 million in revenues. He had over 13 billion views on YouTube during 2016 and lots of profits from his best-selling book, entitled “ This Book Loves You .” He also promotes mobile games. His latest game is “ Tuber Simulator .” It is the number one mobile game app in the Apple app store. It was so popular it crashed the servers due to the excessive demand.

Streamers who also become YouTube celebrities can make a lot of money from advertisements, sponsorship, endorsements, public appearances, and winnings in professional gaming tournaments.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your live streaming business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a Live Streaming business

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Review Federal and State licenses and permits on the U.S. Small Business Administrative website.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Intellectual Property Agreement

This live streaming company will operate through a partnership with a larger streaming platform which initially requires a prerequisite membership account to be able to post live streams.

• By agreeing to the Terms and conditions of the Streaming Site (I.E Twitch ), you are agreeing to allowing users to view your intellectual property (Live Stream) even after the time that you post it.
• Once the Partnership is established, this agreement holds a higher priority due to money being exchanged for a advertising space on the page where the video meets a minimum average number of viewers.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Live Streaming Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Live Streaming Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a live streaming business

Social media is an effective way to promote your gaming skills. Joining Internet associations of video gamers and participating in game forums are great ways to establish a network of friends that like the same games. Another good strategy is to play games online with as many people as possible, in order to to get good at them and build up a following of those who respect your gameplay.

How to keep customers coming back

Making success as a streamer is about being popular on the Internet. Be respectful of your audience and play the games when you announce in advance that you will on the times that you say you will.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

One prerequisite for a successful live streaming business is to have top-level gaming skills in order to gain a following of viewers who will take time out of their day to watch and learn gaming styles from the streamer.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a live streaming business?

Each day a professional streamer needs to answer the comments and emails from fans and make updates on Twitter. Then, the streamer needs to update news and perhaps make a posting of previous game play on social media. After this, the streamer plays video games live for the audience to watch according to a preannounced schedule. The streamer may play continuously for many hours (up to 18 hours in a row).

The average gaming session is at least four hours long. It is best to play continuously to keep viewers interested and take as little time out for intermissions as possible. The most popular streamers usually eat and go to the bathroom without stopping the gameplay. The typical times of day for gameplay start in the afternoon and continue until late at night or even until the next morning.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful live streaming business?

The ability to play the video games extremely well is critical, along with the ability to make interesting comments that keep viewers intrigued. Moreover, having excellent skills at becoming an influencer on social media will help bring more viewers to your streaming channel. It helps to be very friendly with popular streamers. Some of the nicer ones will help smaller streamers gain an audience by making recommendations to their subscribers to check out the newbies’ streams.

What is the growth potential for a live streaming business?

Using Twitch.TV as our example, there are about 14,000 professional streamers on the system. Each month, Twitch.TV has about 100 million unique visitors. Dividing those visitors by the number of streamers, shows there are about 7,000 visitors per streamer. This number continues to grow each year.

Not sure if a live streaming business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a live streaming business?

Successful live streamers are highly strategic and effective gamers. This allows them to excel above the competition. Others may be less adept gamers but capitalize instead on their unique personality traits, including a humorous voice, or offering clever commentary on their games.

How and when to build a team

The time to add an assistant is when the maintenance of the fan communication is interfering with the time needed to play the games online. Most streamers get one of their friends to help them as they become more popular.

If a streamer becomes a top earner there is plenty of money to share with an assistant. Working as a professional streamer, playing your favorite videos games with your best friend helping you is a dream job for many people. You have to be very good and stay motivated to be your best because the competition from other excellent game players is severe.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• Application for Twitch Partnership/ requirements to become a twitch partner (qualify for subscription/advertising payments)
• Learn about more Online Business Ideas

Real World Examples

• How Individual, large scale streamers help small-scale streamers grow in popularity.
• Profile of a Successful Denver Streamer

Further Reading

• How to set up a profitable live stream

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

We earn commissions if you shop through the links below.  Read more

Live Streaming Business

Back to All Business Ideas

How to Start a Live Streaming Business

Written by: Carolyn Young

Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.

Edited by: David Lepeska

David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.

Published on June 2, 2023 Updated on March 13, 2024

Investment range

$1,550 - $3,700

Revenue potential

$18,000 - $70,000 p.a.

Time to build

0 – 3 months

Profit potential

$16,200 - $63,000 p.a.

Industry trend

Live streaming now accounts for 17% of all internet traffic, which has made the live streaming industry worth nearly $60 billion globally. To start a live streaming business, you simply need to choose what kind of content to stream and a platform, such as Twitch, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, TikTok Live, and Amazon Live. Popular content includes live game streaming and live shopping, but any interesting content can lead to revenue from ads, subscriptions, affiliate links, or even tips.

If you consider yourself an entertainer, you could start your own live streaming business and get in on a growing market.

But first, you’ll need to understand the business. Luckily, this step-by-step guide has you covered with all the information you need to start a lucrative live streaming business.

Looking to register your business? A limited liability company (LLC) is the best legal structure for new businesses because it is fast and simple.

Form your business immediately using ZenBusiness LLC formation service or hire one of the Best LLC Services .

Step 1: Decide if the Business Is Right for You

Pros and cons.

• Growing industry
• Get creative and have some fun
• Multiple potential revenue streams
• Need a large following to make money
• Competitive industry

Live streaming industry trends

Industry size and growth.

• Industry size and past growth – The global live streaming industry was worth $59.14 billion in 2021.(( https://www.zippia.com/advice/live-streaming-statistics/#:~:text=80%25%20of%20live%20stream%20viewers,17%25%20of%20all%20internet%20traffic. ))
• Growth forecast – The global live streaming industry is projected to reach $223.8 billion by 2028.

Trends and challenges

• Live stream shopping is projected to become more popular in 2023.
• Live streaming platforms are adding more and more features, and allowing streamers to get paid subscribers.
• As the live streaming industry grows, it’s becoming increasingly competitive.
• A large amount of bandwidth is required for live streaming.

How much does it cost to start a live streaming business?

Startup costs for a live streaming business range from $1,500 to $4,000. Costs include a computer, equipment, and a marketing budget.

You’ll need a handful of items to successfully launch your live streaming business, including: 

• Smartphone, tablet, or webcam
• Tripod 
• Wi-Fi Connection

How much can you earn from a live streaming business?

How much you earn will increase as your subscribers increase. Your profit margin should be about 90%. 

In your first year or two if you get around 200 subscribers, you can probably bring in $18,000 in annual revenue. This would mean $16,200 in profit, assuming that 90% margin. 

As you gain traction, you might have 3000 subscribers. With annual revenue of around $70,000, you’d make a tidy profit of $63,000.

What barriers to entry are there?

There are a few barriers to entry for a live streaming business. Your biggest challenges will be:

• Breaking into a competitive market
• Getting enough followers to make money

Related Business Ideas

How to Start a YouTube Channel

How to Start an Ecommerce Business

How to Start a Podcast

Step 2: hone your idea.

Now that you know what’s involved in starting a live streaming business, it’s a good idea to hone your concept in preparation to enter a competitive market. 

Market research could give you the upper hand even if you’ve got the perfect product. Conducting robust market research is crucial, as it will help you better understand your customers, your competitors, and the broader business landscape.

Analyze your competitors 

Research live streaming businesses to examine their content and customer reviews.

• Make a list of live stream businesses that offer similar content. 
• Review your competitors’ content – features, pricing, and quality – and marketing strategies
• Check out their online reviews and ratings on Google, Yelp, and Facebook to get an idea of what their customers like and dislike.
• Identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. 

This should identify areas where you can strengthen your business and gain a competitive edge to make better business decisions.

Why? Identify an opportunity

There are three primary live streaming app types:

• Live Broadcasting Apps: These popular apps let users stream live video and sound. They’ve given rise to many internet stars. Examples include Twitch, YouTube Live, Livestream, and Periscope.
• Audio Streaming: These apps offer real-time audio streaming over the internet. Pandora, Spotify, and Apple Music are notable examples.
• Video On Demand (VoD) Streaming: Users can schedule and watch TV shows online at their convenience. Hulu, YouTube TV, and Amazon Prime Video are common in this category.

You’re looking for a market gap to fill.  For instance, maybe the market is missing a comedy live stream, or an electronics shopping live stream.

You might consider targeting a niche, such as game streaming.

How much should you charge for live streaming services?

Your services will be your content, but then you need to look for ways to monetize it. You can get subscription fees, ad revenue, and affiliate commissions. Once you have a large number of subscribers, companies will likely reach out to you to promote their products.

Your prices will be completely dependent on what advertisers and affiliates are willing to pay.

Who? Identify your audience

Your target market will depend on the type of content you intend to offer, so you should choose your platform accordingly. If your content is designed to appeal to millennials and younger groups, you might choose Instragram Live.

Build a live streaming app

After you have definied your audience and chosen a monetization strategy, here are the steps that you need to take to create a live streaming app:

• Prioritize quality over cost; users expect high-quality streams.
• Inferior performance can result in app abandonment.
• Ensure a standout user experience in a competitive market.
• A minimalist design often trumps a cluttered interface.
• An MVP contains only essential features, allowing for easier user feedback.
• Streaming Protocol: Decide between RTMP (high-definition but with delay) and WebRTC (real-time, speed-focused).
• Streaming Platform: Platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) are recommended for content-streaming.
• Content Delivery Network (CDN): Selection affects stream availability and performance, with options like AWS CloudFront.
• Post-launch, monitor user behavior analytics.
• Adjust functionality based on insights and user feedback.

Step 3: Brainstorm a Live Streaming Business Name

Your business name is your business identity, so choose one that encapsulates your objectives, services, and mission in just a few words. You probably want a name that’s short and easy to remember, since much of your business, and your initial business in particular, will come from word-of-mouth referrals.

Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:

• Short, unique, and catchy names tend to stand out
• Names that are easy to say and spell tend to do better 
• Name should be relevant to your product or service offerings
• Ask around — family, friends, colleagues, social media — for suggestions
• Including keywords, such as “live video” or “live stream”, boosts SEO
• Name should allow for expansion, for ex: “Stream Verse” over “Chef Stream”
• Avoid location-based names that might hinder future expansion
• Use online tools like the Step by Step Business Name Generator . Just type in a few keywords and hit “generate” and you’ll have dozens of suggestions at your fingertips.

Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these. 

Find a Domain

Powered by GoDaddy.com

Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead and reserve your business name with your state, start the trademark registration process, and complete your domain registration and social media account creation. 

Your business name is one of the key differentiators that sets your business apart. Once you pick a name, reserve it and start with the branding, it’s hard to switch to a new name. So be sure to carefully consider your choice before moving forward. 

Step 4: Create a Live Streaming Business Plan

Every business needs a plan. This will function as a guidebook to take your startup through the launch process and maintain focus on your key goals. A business plan also enables potential partners and investors to better understand your company and its vision:

• Executive Summary: Provide a brief summary of your live streaming business, highlighting its unique value proposition and target audience.
• Business Overview: Describe the nature of your live streaming business, its mission, and the types of content or events you plan to stream.
• Product and Services: Explain the specific live streaming services you will offer, such as event coverage, gaming streams, educational webinars, or entertainment content.
• Market Analysis: Analyze the live streaming industry, identifying trends, viewer demographics, and the demand for different types of content.
• Competitive Analysis: Identify competitors in the live streaming space, their strengths, weaknesses, and what sets your streaming business apart.
• Sales and Marketing: Outline your strategies for attracting viewers and content creators, including social media marketing, partnerships, and advertising.
• Management Team: Introduce the key team members responsible for running and growing the live streaming business, highlighting their relevant experience.
• Operations Plan: Describe the technical aspects of live streaming, including equipment, software, streaming platforms, and scheduling.
• Financial Plan: Present financial projections, including startup costs, revenue forecasts, expenses, and monetization strategies for your live streaming business.
• Appendix: Include any supplementary materials, such as sample streams, testimonials, or partnerships, that support your live streaming business plan.

If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.

Step 5: Register Your Business

Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — it’s the prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.

Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s complete, you’ll have your own business! 

Choose where to register your company

Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you are planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to live streaming businesses. 

If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state. 

Choose your business structure

Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your live streaming business will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely. 

Here are the main options:

• Sole Proprietorship – The most common structure for small businesses makes no legal distinction between company and owner. All income goes to the owner, who’s also liable for any debts, losses, or liabilities incurred by the business. The owner pays taxes on business income on his or her personal tax return.
• General Partnership – Similar to a sole proprietorship, but for two or more people. Again, owners keep the profits and are liable for losses. The partners pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.
• Limited Liability Company ( LLC ) – Combines the characteristics of corporations with those of sole proprietorships or partnerships. Again, the owners are not personally liable for debts.  Here’s how to form an LLC .
• C Corp – Under this structure, the business is a distinct legal entity and the owner or owners are not personally liable for its debts. Owners take profits through shareholder dividends, rather than directly. The corporation pays taxes, and owners pay taxes on their dividends, which is sometimes referred to as double taxation.  Read how to start a corporation here .
• S Corp – An S-Corporation refers to the tax classification of the business but is not a business entity. An S-Corp can be either a corporation or an LLC , which just need to elect to be an S-Corp for tax status. In an S-Corp, income is passed through directly to shareholders, who pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.

We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization , and answer any questions you might have. 

Form Your LLC

Choose Your State

We recommend ZenBusiness as the Best LLC Service for 2024

Step 6: Register for Taxes

The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number , or EIN. You can file for your EIN online or by mail or fax: visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN. 

Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate in a calendar year (January–December) or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.

The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist , and taxes can be filed online.

It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you are completing them correctly.

Step 7: Fund your Business

Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:

• Bank loans: This is the most common method but getting approved requires a rock-solid business plan and strong credit history.
• SBA-guaranteed loans: The Small Business Administration can act as guarantor, helping gain that elusive bank approval via an SBA-guaranteed loan .
• Government grants: A handful of financial assistance programs help fund entrepreneurs. Visit Grants.gov to learn which might work for you.
• Friends and Family: Reach out to friends and family to provide a business loan or investment in your concept. It’s a good idea to have legal advice when doing so because SEC regulations apply.
• Crowdfunding: Websites like  Kickstarter  and  Indiegogo  offer an increasingly popular low-risk option, in which donors fund your vision. Entrepreneurial crowdfunding sites like  Fundable  and  WeFunder  enable multiple investors to fund your business.
• Personal: Self-fund your business via your savings or the sale of property or other assets.

Bank and SBA loans are probably the best option, other than friends and family, for funding a live streaming business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept.  

Step 8: Apply for Business Licenses and Permits

Starting a live streaming business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.

Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits. 

You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more. 

You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package . They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.

This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.

If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.

Step 9: Open a Business Bank Account

Before you start making money, you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account .

Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your live streaming business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.

Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account. 

Step 10: Get Business Insurance

Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.

Here are some types of insurance to consider:

• General liability: The most comprehensive type of insurance, acting as a catch-all for many business elements that require coverage. If you get just one kind of insurance, this is it. It even protects against bodily injury and property damage.
• Business Property: Provides coverage for your equipment and supplies.
• Equipment Breakdown Insurance: Covers the cost of replacing or repairing equipment that has broken due to mechanical issues.
• Worker’s compensation: Provides compensation to employees injured on the job.
• Property: Covers your physical space, whether it is a cart, storefront, or office.
• Commercial auto: Protection for your company-owned vehicle.
• Professional liability: Protects against claims from a client who says they suffered a loss due to an error or omission in your work.
• Business owner’s policy (BOP): This is an insurance plan that acts as an all-in-one insurance policy, a combination of the above insurance types.

Step 11: Prepare to Launch

As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business. 

Essential software and tools

Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks.  

• Popular web-based accounting programs for smaller businesses include Quickbooks , Freshbooks , and Xero . 
• If you’re unfamiliar with basic accounting, you may want to hire a professional, especially as you begin. The consequences for filing incorrect tax documents can be harsh, so accuracy is crucial.

Create a website

Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism. You can create your own website using services like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace . This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech-savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.

Your customers are unlikely to find your website, however, unless you follow Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices. SEO will help your website appear closer to the top in relevant search results, a crucial element for increasing sales. 

Make sure that you optimize calls to action on your website. Experiment with text, color, size, and position of calls to action such as “Watch Now”. This can sharply increase purchases. 

Here are some powerful marketing strategies for your future business:

• Leverage Social Media Trends: Utilize popular hashtags, challenges, and trends on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to increase visibility and reach a wider audience.
• Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers or personalities in your niche to co-host live streams, tapping into their established fan base for increased exposure.
• Engage with Your Audience: Foster a sense of community by actively responding to comments, asking questions, and incorporating viewer suggestions during live broadcasts to build a loyal and interactive audience.
• Offer Exclusive Content: Create a subscription or membership model that provides exclusive access to premium content, encouraging viewers to become paying subscribers for extra perks.
• Cross-Promote on Multiple Platforms: Extend your reach by simulcasting on various platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, ensuring you capture diverse audiences where they are most active.
• Optimize Video Titles and Descriptions: Craft compelling and descriptive titles and video descriptions, incorporating relevant keywords to enhance discoverability through search engines and platform algorithms.
• Run Contests and Giveaways: Generate excitement and attract new viewers by organizing contests and giveaways during live streams, encouraging participation and sharing for broader exposure.
• Scheduled Programming: Establish a consistent streaming schedule to create anticipation among your audience, making your live sessions a regular and eagerly awaited event.
• Utilize Email Marketing: Build an email list of subscribers interested in your live stream content, sending regular updates, sneak peeks, and highlights to keep them engaged and informed.
• Invest in High-Quality Production: Enhance the production value of your live streams with professional equipment, clear audio, and engaging visuals to create a more immersive and enjoyable viewer experience.

Focus on USPs

Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that sets it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your live streaming business meets their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire. 

Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Signature USPs for your live streaming business could be:

• Delivering captivating and interactive live streams that keep viewers entertained and coming back for more.
• Offering exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content, special events, or private live streams for dedicated subscribers or members.
• Collaborating with other live streamers, influencers, or experts to bring diverse perspectives, cross-promote audiences, and enhance the live stream experience.

You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain. But your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running a live streaming business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been working in live streaming for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections. 

The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in live streaming. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership. Online businesses might also consider affiliate marketing as a way to build relationships with potential partners and boost business.

Step 12: Build Your Team

If you’re starting out small from a home office, you may not need any employees. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various roles. Potential positions for a live streaming business include:

• Camera Person – film live videos
• Marketing Lead – create and implement marketing strategies

At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need. 

Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed , Glassdoor , or ZipRecruiter . Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent. 

Step 13: Run a Live Streaming Business – Start Making Money!

Are you ready to start entertaining? The popularity of live streaming is growing by the day, so it could be a great time to start your own live streaming business. If you’re successful, there’s really no limit to how many followers you could get and how much money you could make.

Now that you understand the business, you’re ready to hit the record button and get your live streaming business on the air!

• Live Streaming Business FAQs

Yes, a live streaming business can be profitable. By monetizing their live stream videos, content creators can generate revenue through various means, including sponsorships, brand collaborations, advertising, donations, subscriptions, merchandise sales, and premium content offerings. The profitability of a live streaming business depends on factors such as audience size, engagement, content quality, market demand, and effective monetization strategies.

During a typical day at a live streaming business, content creators focus on creating and delivering engaging live stream videos to their audience. This may involve planning and preparing content ideas, setting up equipment and lighting, interacting with viewers through live chat, conducting live broadcasts, and engaging in real-time conversations with the audience. Additionally, content creators may spend time editing and repurposing recorded live stream videos, promoting upcoming streams on social media platforms, and managing collaborations or sponsorships.

The growth potential of a live streaming business can be significant. The popularity of live streaming continues to rise, with a growing audience and increasing demand for live content. As a content creator gains a larger and more engaged following, opportunities for monetization and collaborations with brands or sponsors can expand. The growth potential depends on factors such as content quality, niche specialization, consistent engagement with the audience, effective marketing, and adaptability to evolving trends and platforms.

A live streaming business operated by a content creator who monetizes their own live stream videos falls under the category of an individual or personal brand business. The content creator builds and monetizes their personal brand by providing live stream content to an audience, leveraging their unique personality, expertise, or entertainment value to attract and engage viewers.

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• Decide if the Business Is Right for You
• Hone Your Idea
• Brainstorm a Live Streaming Business Name
• Create a Live Streaming Business Plan
• Register Your Business
• Register for Taxes
• Fund your Business
• Apply for Business Licenses and Permits
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get Business Insurance
• Prepare to Launch
• Build Your Team
• Run a Live Streaming Business - Start Making Money!

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Case studies.

Live Streaming for Business: How to Get Started [2022]

Live streaming is one of the most talked-about video trends in the last few years. By providing remote participants and globally-dispersed employees with access to company events and other venues, businesses can maintain a transparent and supportive corporate culture.

In the following article, we cover everything there is to know about live streaming for business, including benefits, business use cases, how to begin, tools and hardware, and best practices. Read it and become a live streaming master!

What Is live Streaming and How Does It Work?

Before we delve deeper, let us start from the very beginning: so what exactly is live streaming ? Live streaming refers to the broadcasting of a live video over the internet or intranet to a remote audience.

It’s essential to distinguish between “standard” video streaming and live streaming. Unlike standard video streaming, live streaming doesn’t make use of pre-recorded files that are delivered to viewers on-demand. Instead, it employs different technologies that allow a live video session to be compressed, encoded, and decoded, among other things, allowing viewers to watch it in the right format and with minimum interruptions.

Although live streaming is widely used in sports and social media, it is rapidly gaining traction in business environments, where it serves a professional purpose and is considered to be a powerful tool. For example, 73% of B2B businesses using live video reporting positive results to their return-on-investment[1].

Live Streaming Benefits and Opportunities for Your Business

What makes a business live stream so effective? By choosing to live stream your company event, you also:

Create Trust and Transparency

Live streaming is the ideal medium to foster transparency. In many large organizations, size is a double-edged sword: It intensifies organizational benefits but also organizational challenges, thus affecting communication, performance, and competitive advantage.

The larger the organization, the more difficult it is to keep employees up to date on company information. Live streaming and webcasting provide the opportunity to share company news, raise and answer questions, and discuss important events.

In challenging times, live streaming can also support employees, reassure them, and serve as a direct channel to leadership and decision-makers. Given its emotional qualities, it’s no wonder live streaming is projected to double in growth to a $70 Billion industry by 2021.

Live streaming can also be more economical than in-person events, in more than one way. Firstly, and as the old saying goes, time is money. When an event is held on-site, everyone who attends it is missing a day or so worth of work. Depending on their job function, this lost time may be worth a lot of money.

Other typical event-related expenditure includes site-related expenses such as refreshments, venue rentals, advertising, and marketing materials.  In comparison, live streaming requires fewer resources. Attendees can take part in the event from wherever they may be, thus saving themselves valuable time, which can be invested in other projects.

As for event organizers, they save time and considerable expanses otherwise spent on setting the scene for the event.

Reach Your Audience Wherever It May Be

Unlike an in-person event, a live stream doesn’t require physical attendance. Using a link and a stable internet/intranet connection, remote participants can watch the event and even take part in it from the comfort of their home.

This practice allows companies to become more accessible and accommodating and, thus, reach wider, global audiences, be it employees or stakeholders.

Moreover, the capacity of a live stream is far more flexible than that of an in-person event. Using the right solution, thousands and even tens of thousands of concurrent users can access the stream, wherever they may be.

Make Your Event More Accessible

Live streams can be easily shared with other viewers, regardless of whether the event is internal or public. Usually, a public event would include a dedicated “share” button as well as a link that’s available to all viewers.

In the case of an internal live streaming event, the administrator can simply send employees and stakeholders a link to the stream.

They can also enable a host of security options to restrict access from unauthorized viewers. For example, require prospected viewers to enter their password upon redirection to the stream.

Boost Employee Engagement

A large part of a live stream’s appeal lies in the combination between the qualities of a live, on-site event, such as live interactions with the speaker/s along with those of a virtual session, mainly convenience and ease-of-use.

This combination can be harnessed to increase engagement rates and improve live and on-demand session viewing. Companies can even monitor their engagement rate in real-time via live streaming analytics, allowing them to determine their key strengths and pain points.

A testimony to the effectiveness of live streaming is LinkedIn’s new live streaming feature, which was launched in early 2020. According to the company, the new feature has expanded the brands’ reach, resulting in 7X more reactions and 24X more comments vs. standard video posts[3].

Best Ways to Use Live Streaming for Your Business

While the advantages of a live broadcast are countless, many companies are still contemplating how to effectively incorporate streaming into their everyday business activities. To answer this question, we’ve outlined the most popular use cases below.

You can also download the following free case study , where we explain how Volkswagen uses movingimage’s next-level enterprise video platform and live streaming technology to accelerate its internal video communication processes.

Live Streaming Updates and Announcements

As previously mentioned, live streaming is the ultimate transparency enhancer: it allows organizations to share important updates and raise awareness of selected topics.

Frequently, messages delivered via other means are lacking in terms of interactivity and immediate feedback. Not to mention, such messages are often overlooked by recipients due to the volume of messages they are exposed to daily, a phenomenon that resembles the infamous “banner blindness” that is prevalent in social media and web portals.

In contrast, live streaming encourages active listening, allowing attendees to take in more information and process messages more effectively.

Live Streaming Events

Live streaming allows companies to virtualize their otherwise on-site events. Thanks to advanced video technologies such as those used by movingimage for its webcasting product , hundreds and even thousands of viewers can participate in live-streamed events and enjoy a buffer-free, high-quality video experience without sacrificing their convenience and safety.

For example, in 2020 and due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Apple hosted its first-ever virtual event. Unlike an on-site event, a virtual, live-streamed event can deliver the output to any number of concurrent viewers.

Therefore, organizers must not limit on the number of participants. Rather, they can scale up or down depending on the number of attendees at any given moment.

Live Streaming Shareholder Meetings

Live streaming is an excellent tool to support shareholder communication, including quarterly meetings, annual general meetings, and product reviews .

Today’s corporations make every attempt to provide their stakeholders with a transparent, consistent, and up-to-date review of business activities and value. A good example is Berkshire Hathaway’s AGM, where Warren Buffett’s viral speeches draw tens of thousands of economics enthusiasts every year.

Live video sessions enable companies to sustain a high standard of two-way interaction while cultivating collective success. In the long run, such efforts pay off: according to a Thomson Reuters Extel survey, the top 10 European companies with the best shareholder communications outperformed the market by 28.8%.

Live Streaming Q&As

Live streaming Q&A is a terrific two-way interaction channel, through which employees and stakeholders can refer questions and queries to the speaker via a dedicated chatbox. It enables attendees to actively participate, share feedback, and be heard.

While live streaming Q&A isn’t necessarily suitable for all corporate video use cases, it’s a fundamental part of others, including crisis communication and change management.

As many enterprises can attest, inclusiveness is an effective way to cope with trying times. For example, in March 2020, following the outbreak of COVID-19, most businesses experienced unprecedented workforce disruption.

Turning to virtual communication channels, such as live streaming Q&A, proved itself efficient for business continuity. It enabled organizations to reassure employees, instruct them, and answer their questions.

Live Streaming for Internal Communication

Internal corporate communication is critical to disseminating business information, building relationships, and maintaining corporate culture.

As previously mentioned, live streaming is highly-engaging and resonates better with employees than most media as it enables executives and team members to engage with one-another in an authentic, personal manner.

Therefore, and as more modern companies employ a remote workforce, live streaming is increasingly becoming an integral part of internal communication.

Live Streaming a Product Launch

Launching a new product via live streaming is an incredible way to build anticipation. Don’t believe us? Just ask Apple, a company known for its spectacular keynote events.

Apple is only one example as more companies—from tech giants to car manufacturers—are starting to tap into the potential of live-streamed product launches. After all, a product launch is a critical event in every product’s lifecycle, and live streaming is not only trending but is also a great educational tool.

A whopping 80% of consumers would rather learn about a new product via videos, and 63% watch live streaming content regularly[4].

Live Streaming a Webinar

Webinars, whether video presentations, lectures, or even workshops, are interactive, business-themed events that have become a predominant marketing practice over the past few years. Their key strength lies in their versatile function.

For instance, they allow companies to generate new leads and nurture relationships with existing customers at the same time.

Though a webinar can take place in many forms, live streaming renders it more personal, thus helping build closer relationships with attendees. Speakers can incorporate Q&As and presentations into the webinar to further enhance its value.

What Do You Need to Begin Live Streaming?

The answer to this question consists of four simple steps:

• Planning your live video strategy
• Choosing the right live streaming platform for your business
• Picking the right live streaming hardware
• Sticking to live streaming best practices.

Plan Your Live Video Strategy

Your broadcast holds tremendous potential. Did you know that video enjoyment increases sales intent by 97% and brand association by 139%[5]? Yet, to be able to realize that potential, you must create a live streaming business plan.

Whether you want to use live streaming for internal or external communication—there is no way around a live video marketing strategy. Make sure your concept is cohesive and aligns with your content marketing plan and be sure to define metrics to determine your success, be it leads or employee engagement.

To improve your focus, ask yourself the following questions: what is the goal of my live stream (see examples above)? What is my target group? How can I best promote my streams? Will I be using any interactive features? How should I start the broadcast?

Remember, it’s crucial to capture viewers’ attention within the first thirty seconds of a video. It takes 73% of consumers less than 30 seconds to decide if they will watch a video till the end[6].

Live Streaming Solutions and Tools

By far the most important part of your preparation is choosing the right live streaming solution. Companies of all sizes must choose a streaming provider that can accommodate their needs as well as guarantee a high-quality video output.

Though many associate live streaming with YouTube, when it comes to a live streaming platform for businesses, YouTube is far from ideal: it can’t scale as well as a professional online video streaming CMS , isn’t as secure, and is lacking some business-crucial features.

The business-appropriate alternative to YouTube is a live video streaming software such as an EVP ( enterprise video platform ) as it can cover a variety of enterprise use cases, including live streaming. For example, one of movingimage’s products, movingimage LiveStream Pro , is a business-level live video streaming solution that offers, among other things, metadata, eCDN and CDN delivery, Q&A, and post-live features.

Post-Live Features

movingimage LiveStream Pro’s post-live features allow you to modify your Livestream following its live broadcast. These include slide synchronization, presentation updates, video chapters, 3rd party CMS embedding, on-demand mode, and more.

Q&A Feature

movingimage LiveStream Pro’s interactive Q&A feature allows you to connect with remote viewers and establish a two-way communication channel through which remote viewers can refer questions to the speakers in real-time via a dedicated chatbox.

movingimage LiveStream Pro’s metadata fields include, among other things, a video’s title, its description, and keywords. These parameters can be used within the platform to search for corresponding as well as related video content.

eCDN and CDN Delivery

movingimage LiveStream Pro’s supports video delivery via both Content Delivery Network (CDN) and Enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN), allowing you to distribute live and on-demand video content regardless of network conditions.

Live Streaming Hardware

In its simplest form, live streaming requires only three things: a video camera, a microphone, and a stable internet connection. That is, as little as a smartphone and Wi-Fi.

Holding a professional live stream in your company, however, requires a little extra.

Here’s an overview of the most important elements of a live streaming setup:

Video camera

Choosing the right video camera/s for streaming is essential because the differences between a standard and high-quality outputs are instantly noticeable. Generally speaking, high-quality gear comes with a price.

Pay attention to the resolution, the setting options and connections (HDMI, XLR, SDI), as well as the lighting conditions on-site.

Much like a video camera, usually the higher the price tag is, the better quality the product offers.

For example, built-in microphones that are available in smartphones are not suitable for a high-quality stream.

Most USB or 3.5mm microphones already offer a noticeable improvement in sound quality, only surpassed by more professional XLR microphones.

If you want to use several video or sound sources in your live stream, there is no way around a professional mixer. A mixer offers you the possibility to switch between different angles or microphones at the push of a button.

Video encoding describes the process of compressing video files to reduce their size, change their resolution, or to ensure compatibility with different playback devices.

Encoders are available as either hardware or software and can differ significantly in their functionality and performance.

Live Streaming Best Practices

Follow the below live streaming best practices to get the most out of your live stream.

Test your equipment

Nothing is more frustrating than a technical hiccup in your live stream. A test-run is, therefore, an absolute must before every live broadcast.

Test all audio and video signals, hardware and software. Also, make sure you have a backup plan ready, just in case.

Choose the right location

There are no second chances in a live video. From the light to the background noise to people in the background. Leave as little room for interruptions as possible.

Have a clear goal and call-to-action

No matter which goal you wish to achieve through your live stream, make sure to focus on it. From conception to implementation, you shouldn’t lose sight of your goal. At the right timing, a clear call-to-action is a powerful tool.

Advertise your live stream in advance

Inform your customers, employees, or stakeholders about your upcoming live stream through the appropriate channels. Use the communication before your event to learn more about your audience and to increase interest in your event.

Let a professional help you

Take your stream as seriously as you want your audience to! There is an immense difference between different live streams. Non-professional streams are easily recognizable and may result in lower success rates.

Ask a video expert to help you before and during your live stream, regardless of its purpose! Contact us to take your live stream up a notch !

Live Streaming FAQ

What is a live streaming platform.

A live streaming platform enables real-time transmission of video content and offers additional functions for processing, scaling, and monitoring a broadcast.

Can I record my live streams?

You can record your live stream using the appropriate solution. For example, movingimage Enterprise Video Platform automatically records your live streams, allowing you to access them, edit the broadcast, enhance it with subtitles, and upload it for VOD purposes.

Is live streaming safe for business?

Modern enterprise video streaming platforms like movingimage offer a variety of security measures, including SSL encryption, geo-blocking, and token authentication to ensure that your videos and live streams are accessed by the right people, at the right time.

[1] https://99firms.com/blog/live-streaming-statistics#gref [2] https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-adds-live-streaming-for-company-pages-and-new-invite-to-follow-o/570458/ [3] https://techjury.net/blog/live-streaming-statistics/#gref [4] https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/10-stats-video-marketers-need/#:~:text=Video%20boosts%20sales%2C%20as%20well,association%20by%20a%20whopping%20139%25. [5] https://sociallysorted.com.au/social-video-statistics/

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Related business ideas, discover your perfect domain, live streaming mini business plan, expected percent margin:, earnings expectations:, actions to hit those numbers:, content creation:, community management:, monetization:, marketing and growth:, not what you had in mind here are more ideas, grab your business website name, step 1: determine if the business is right for you, breakdown of startup expenses, breakdown of ongoing expenses, examples of ways to make money, step 2: name the business, step 3: create a business plan, tips for writing a business plan, step 4: obtain necessary licenses and permits, apply for licenses and permits, maintain licenses and permits, seek professional advice, step 5: choose a platform, ease of use, compatibility with other services, audience size, content type, step 6: set up your equipment, setting up your equipment, testing your equipment, troubleshooting, step 7: promote your business, tips for promoting your business, step 8: monitor your business, step 9: evaluate and adjust, tools to help, monitor performance, make changes, explore more categories, take the next steps.

How to Start a Streaming Service

Starting a streaming service can be very profitable. With proper planning, execution and hard work, you can enjoy great success. Below you will learn the keys to launching a successful streaming service.

Importantly, a critical step in starting a streaming service is to complete your business plan. To help you out, you should download Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template here .

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here

14 Steps To Start a Streaming Service :

• Choose the Name for Your Streaming Service
• Develop Your Streaming Service Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Streaming Service
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Streaming Service (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Streaming Service with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Streaming Service
• Buy or Lease the Right Streaming Service Equipment
• Develop Your Streaming Service Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Streaming Service
• Open for Business

1. Choose the Name for Your Streaming Service

The first step to starting a streaming service is to choose your business’ name.  

This is a very important choice since your company name is your brand and will last for the lifetime of your business. Ideally you choose a name that is meaningful and memorable. Here are some tips for choosing a name for your video streaming service:

• Make sure the name is available . Check your desired name against trademark databases and your state’s list of registered business names to see if it’s available. Also check to see if a suitable domain name is available.
• Keep it simple . The best names are usually ones that are easy to remember, pronounce and spell.
• Think about marketing . Come up with a name that reflects the desired brand and/or focus of your streaming service.

2. Develop Your Streaming Service Business Plan

One of the most important steps in starting a video streaming service is to develop your business plan . The process of creating your plan ensures that you fully understand your video streaming market and your business strategy. The plan also provides you with a roadmap to follow and if needed, to present to funding sources to raise capital for your business.

Your business plan should include the following sections:

• Executive Summary – this section should summarize your entire business plan so readers can quickly understand the key details of your streaming service.
• Company Overview – this section tells the reader about the history of your streaming service and what type of streaming service you operate. For example, are you a music streaming, video streaming, or a live streaming service? 
• Industry Analysis – here you will document key information about the video streaming industry. Conduct market research and document how big the industry is and what trends are affecting it.
• Customer Analysis – in this section, you will document who your ideal or target customers are and their demographics. For example, how old are they? Where do they live? What do they find important when purchasing services like the ones you will offer?
• Competitive Analysis – here you will document the key direct and indirect competitors you will face and how you will build competitive advantage.
• Marketing Plan – your marketing plan should address the 4Ps: Product, Price, Promotions and Place.
• Product : Determine and document what products/services you will offer 
• Prices : Document the prices of your products/services
• Place : Where will your business be located and how will that location help you increase sales?
• Promotions : What promotional methods will you use to attract customers to your streaming service? For example, you might decide to use pay-per-click advertising, public relations, search engine optimization and/or social media marketing.
• Operations Plan – here you will determine the key processes you will need to run your day-to-day operations. You will also determine your staffing needs. Finally, in this section of your plan, you will create a projected growth timeline showing the milestones you hope to achieve in the coming years.
• Management Team – this section details the background of your company’s management team.
• Financial Plan – finally, the financial plan answers questions including the following:
• What startup costs will you incur?
• How will your own video streaming service make money?
• What are your projected sales and expenses for the next five years?
• Do you need to raise funding to launch your business?

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

3. choose the legal structure for your streaming service.

Next you need to choose a legal structure for your video streaming app and register it and your business name with the Secretary of State in each state where you operate your business.

Below are the five most common legal structures:

1) Sole proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is a business entity in which the owner of the streaming service and the business are the same legal person. The owner of a sole proprietorship is responsible for all debts and obligations of the business. There are no formalities required to establish a sole proprietorship, and it is easy to set up and operate. The main advantage of a sole proprietorship is that it is simple and inexpensive to establish. The main disadvantage is that the owner is liable for all debts and obligations of the business.

2) Partnerships

A partnership is a legal structure that is popular among small businesses. It is an agreement between two or more people who want to start a streaming service together. The partners share in the profits and losses of the business. 

The advantages of a partnership are that it is easy to set up, and the partners share in the profits and losses of the business. The disadvantages of a partnership are that the partners are jointly liable for the debts of the business, and disagreements between partners can be difficult to resolve.

3) Limited Liability Company (LLC)

A limited liability company, or LLC, is a type of business entity that provides limited liability to its owners. This means that the owners of an LLC are not personally responsible for the debts and liabilities of the business. The advantages of an LLC for a video streaming service include flexibility in management, pass-through taxation (avoids double taxation as explained below), and limited personal liability. The disadvantages of an LLC include lack of availability in some states and self-employment taxes.

4) C Corporation

A C Corporation is a business entity that is separate from its owners. It has its own tax ID and can have shareholders. The main advantage of a C Corporation for a streaming service is that it offers limited liability to its owners. This means that the owners are not personally responsible for the debts and liabilities of the business. The disadvantage is that C Corporations are subject to double taxation. This means that the corporation pays taxes on its profits, and the shareholders also pay taxes on their dividends.

5) S Corporation

An S Corporation is a type of corporation that provides its owners with limited liability protection and allows them to pass their business income through to their personal income tax returns, thus avoiding double taxation. There are several limitations on S Corporations including the number of shareholders they can have among others.

Once you register your video streaming service, your state will send you your official “Articles of Incorporation.” You will need this among other documentation when establishing your banking account (see below). We recommend that you consult an attorney in determining which legal structure is best suited for your company.

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4. Secure Startup Funding for Your Streaming Service (If Needed)

In developing your streaming service business plan, you might have determined that you need to raise funding to launch your business. 

If so, the main sources of funding for a streaming service to consider are personal savings, family and friends, credit card financing, bank loans, crowdfunding and angel investors. Angel investors are individuals who provide capital to early-stage businesses. Angel investors typically will invest in a streaming service that they believe has high potential for growth.

5. Secure a Location for Your Business

There are a few things you’ll want to take into account when choosing a location for your streaming service. You’ll need to consider the bandwidth required to support all of your users. Additionally, you’ll need to make sure that your chosen location has good internet connectivity. Finally, you’ll need to think about the cost of setting up and running your streaming service in that location.

6. Register Your Streaming Service with the IRS

Next, you need to register your business with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which will result in the IRS issuing you an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Most banks will require you to have an EIN in order to open up an account. In addition, in order to hire employees, you will need an EIN since that is how the IRS tracks your payroll tax payments.

Note that if you are a sole proprietor without employees, you generally do not need to get an EIN. Rather, you would use your social security number (instead of your EIN) as your taxpayer identification number.

7. Open a Business Bank Account

It is important to establish a bank account in your streaming service’s name. This process is fairly simple and involves the following steps:

• Identify and contact the bank you want to use
• Gather and present the required documents (generally include your company’s Articles of Incorporation, driver’s license or passport, and proof of address)
• Complete the bank’s application form and provide all relevant information
• Meet with a banker to discuss your business needs and establish a relationship with them

8. Get a Business Credit Card

You should get a business credit card for your streaming service to help you separate personal and business expenses.

You can either apply for a business credit card through your bank or apply for one through a credit card company.

When you’re applying for a business credit card, you’ll need to provide some information about your business. This includes the name of your business, the address of your business, and the type of business you’re running. You’ll also need to provide some information about yourself, including your name, Social Security number, and date of birth.

Once you’ve been approved for a business credit card, you’ll be able to use it to make purchases for your business. You can also use it to build your credit history which could be very important in securing loans and getting credit lines for your business in the future.

9. Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits

The licenses and permits that are required to start a streaming service vary from state to state. In general, you will need a business license, a sales tax permit, and a tax identification number. You may also need other licenses and permits depending on the type of streaming service that you plan to offer.

10. Get Business Insurance for Your Streaming Service

The type of insurance you need to operate a streaming service depends on the scope of your operation. 

Some business insurance policies you should consider for your streaming service include:

• General liability insurance : This covers accidents and injuries that occur on your property. It also covers damages caused by your employees or products.
• Workers’ compensation insurance : If you have employees, this type of policy works with your general liability policy to protect against workplace injuries and accidents. It also covers medical expenses and lost wages.
• Commercial property insurance : This covers damage to your property caused by fire, theft, or vandalism.
• Business interruption insurance : This covers lost income and expenses if your business is forced to close due to a covered event.
• Professional liability insurance : This protects your business against claims of professional negligence.

Find an insurance agent, tell them about your business and its needs, and they will recommend policies that fit those needs. 

11. Buy or Lease the Right Streaming Service Equipment

To start a video streaming business, you’ll need some basic equipment. You’ll need a computer to run the streaming software, as well as a microphone and webcam if you plan on doing any live streaming.

12. Develop Your Streaming Service Marketing Materials

Marketing materials will be required to attract and retain customers to your streaming service.

The key marketing materials you will need are as follows:

• Logo : Spend some time developing a good logo for your video streaming service. Your logo will be printed on company stationery, business cards, marketing materials and so forth. The right logo can increase customer trust and awareness of your brand.
• Website : Likewise, a professional video streaming website provides potential customers with information about the services you offer, your company’s history, and contact information. Importantly, remember that the look and feel of your video streaming website will affect how customers perceive you.
• Social Media Accounts : establish social media accounts in your company’s name. Accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or other social media networks will help customers and others find and interact with your own streaming service.

13. Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Streaming Service

To run a streaming service business, you need software that can manage and monitor your streaming servers. You’ll also need software to encode and transcode your video content, and to create and manage your playlists. Additionally, you’ll need tools to help you analyze your streaming data and optimize your service. There are a number of software packages that can meet these needs, so it’s important to choose the one that best suits your business.

14. Open for Business

You are now ready to open your streaming service. If you followed the steps above, you should be in a great position to build a successful business and know everything you need to about how to start your own streaming service. Below are answers to frequently asked questions that might further help you with how to create a streaming service.

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How to Start a Streaming Service FAQs

Is it hard to start a streaming service.

No, it is not too hard to start a streaming service because there are many solutions available online that allow you to create your own streaming service like Netflix . White label services make it easy to set up and manage your streaming service, and they provide all the features you need to get started. Plus, they offer a variety of templates and themes that you can use to create a custom streaming service that fits your brand and style.

How can I start a streaming service with no experience?

If you're looking to start a streaming service but don't have any experience, there are a few things you can do. First, you can research the industry and learn as much as you can about it. You can also look for online courses or tutorials that can teach you the basics of streaming services. Finally, you can reach out to professionals from other streaming service providers for advice and guidance.

What type of streaming service is most profitable?

The most profitable video streaming platform is likely one that offers a wide variety of content, including recently released films, older films, and television shows. This type of business attracts both casual viewers and more dedicated fans, who are willing to pay for access to a large selection of programming.

How much does it cost to start a streaming service?

It can cost up to $1,000 to start a streaming service, depending on the features and quality you want. You'll also need to factor in the costs of marketing and advertising your new service.

What are the ongoing expenses for a streaming service?

The ongoing expenses for a streaming service can include costs for licensing, bandwidth, and customer service. For larger video streaming services, the costs for marketing and content acquisition can also be significant.

How does a streaming service make money?

Video streaming services make money by charging a subscription fee on their video streaming apps or movie streaming website . This allows them to maintain a library of content. In addition, companies may also sell advertising space on their platforms. Another way a streaming service can make money is by offering content on a pay-per-view basis. This allows users to purchase or rent individual titles rather than paying for a subscription. Finally, some streaming services generate revenue through partnerships with other companies, such as cable providers. By teaming up with these companies, the streaming platform can offer its content to a wider audience.

Is owning a streaming service profitable?

Owning a streaming service can be profitable because it may be accessed by a large number of people at any given time. This allows more people to be exposed to the service, which in turn can lead to more subscribers and revenue. Additionally, owning a streaming service with in demand content can help build brand awareness and loyalty, which can further increase profits.

Why do streaming services fail?

There are many reasons why streaming services can fail. One reason is that the companies that own the streaming services may not be able to keep up with the increasing demand for their service. Some streaming companies may also not have enough money to pay for the licenses to stream certain TV shows and movies. Lastly, sometimes there are problems with the technology that supports the streaming service, resulting in a poor experience for end users.

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Live Streaming for Business Ultimate Guide

Live streaming has become essential for businesses of all sizes and across industries. It is a way to connect with customers in real time through engaging content and allows businesses to reach new audiences globally.

I have been working in video marketing for over five years, and during that time, I have seen the industry evolve dramatically. The landscape has changed dramatically since the early days of creating short, low-resolution videos with limited creative control to today’s high-definition streaming services and sophisticated editing software.

With this technology’s increasing popularity comes the need to understand best practices and strategies for making the most of every stream. This guide will provide all the information you need to start live streaming for your business , from setting up the right equipment to using data-driven insights to increase engagement and reach more viewers.

What is Live Streaming?

Live streaming is a digital technology that allows real-time audio and video broadcasting over the internet. It has become an increasingly popular way to communicate with others, whether for entertainment or educational purposes.

As a result, this technology has become an innovative way for businesses to reach a wider audience with their message. It enables companies to broadcast live video content over the internet, allowing viewers to engage with brands in an interactive way.

It also allows businesses to collect valuable analytics data and gain insights into customer behavior. This data provides organizations with valuable information that can help them further their communication strategies to meet customer needs better.

Platforms Where You Can Live Stream

Live streaming has quickly become one of the most popular ways to watch content and share experiences. According to a study conducted in 2022, 23.7% of users regularly watch live content on social media.

From sports events to music concerts, live streaming platforms are being used to broadcast events and experiences in real-time.

Here are some of the most popular live streaming  social media platforms businesses can utilize :

TikTok is a global platform for creating, sharing, and discovering short videos. It is particularly popular among teenagers and young adults looking for a fun way to stay connected with their friends and express themselves through creative content.

TikTok offers impressive features that stand out from other live streaming platforms. With its innovative lip-syncing, dance challenges, and interactive video editing tools, TikTok allows users to create entertaining and highly personalized content.

Twitter is the most popular and widely used platform for live streaming. It is a social media platform that enables users to Tweet out messages, images, links, GIFs, and videos to their followers.

This platform allows anyone to easily broadcast live streams and enables remote viewers to interact through comments and tweets while watching the stream.

As one of the most popular streaming platforms in the world, YouTube is a major media outlet for both professional and amateur content creators. The site enables anyone to upload videos, create a personalized channel, and build an audience through subscriptions, likes, shares, and comments.

YouTube offers a variety of services for both live streaming and on-demand viewing. It also provides tools that allow content creators to monetize their work by receiving advertising revenue from the site.

Additionally, it has become increasingly popular as a platform for influencers to market products or services through sponsored video ads or endorsements. 

Facebook is another one of the most popular platforms for live streaming. Using Facebook Live allows users to broadcast events and activities to viewers across the globe.

Additionally, Facebook supports features like interactive questionnaires and surveys to increase viewer engagement throughout the stream.

Individuals, businesses, and organizations can use it for various purposes, including marketing, communications, customer service, and event coverage. Many entertainers, musicians, and organizations have used Facebook Live to reach millions of people with their content.

Instagram is one of the most widely used photography-based social media platforms. It allows users to share photos, videos, and stories with friends and followers.

In addition to its photo and video-sharing capabilities, Instagram offers an innovative live streaming option. Its Live feature lets people instantly broadcast their content, making it the perfect platform for engaging with their audience.

Live Streaming Benefits

Live streaming technology has revolutionized the way people interact and receive content. It offers a vast range of benefits that make it more accessible and cost-efficient than ever before.

With live streaming, businesses can use different platforms to   reach their target audience  effectively  and  efficiently . It offers unique benefits unavailable with traditional broadcasting by allowing users to access real-time entertainment, news, sports, and other events without delay or interruption.

Some of these benefits include the following:

• Increased conversions
• Increased engagement
• Live streams are memorable
• Enhanced reach and visibility
• Improved customer relationships

Increased Conversions

Live streaming can help increase conversions by providing customers with an interactive experience to learn more about your products and services. It gives customers a unique platform for direct communication with their favorite brands.

Interacting directly with viewers through live streams can result in a higher sales conversion rate as viewers are more likely to take action when presented with a product or service during the stream.

Additionally, by targeting specific audiences through targeted advertisements or promotions within the stream, businesses can better target potential customers more likely to convert at higher rates.

Increased Engagement

Live streaming has become a popular way to  increase customer engagement  with customers, partners, and prospects. It provides an interactive platform where viewers can watch their preferred content and participate in conversations online, making them feel more connected to the brand they support.

By providing real-time interactive experiences, companies can draw in viewers and create a platform for meaningful conversations between customers and the business .

Consumers are more likely to be engaged with a brand if they feel like their voices are being heard, which can be facilitated through interactive streaming. This ensures that the customer is at the center of the conversation, leading to greater brand loyalty and revenue growth.

Live Streams Are Memorable

Live streaming offers an incredibly memorable experience for everyone watching. It provides users with an immersive experience and allows content creators to reach a larger audience.

The platform’s immediacy makes every live stream unique, giving it a sense of urgency and relevance. With the right technology, live streams can become highly engaging events that leave participants feeling connected and inspired .

Live streams offer a personalized way of connecting with the event and its hosts by allowing viewers to watch, interact, and engage with the content in real-time.

Enhanced Reach and Visibility

Live streaming is an innovative way for businesses to increase their reach and visibility. It gives companies more control over the viewing experience and allows them to tailor content to specific viewers.

This enhanced reach allows companies to target new demographics and interact with current customers directly . As a result, users are exposed to more information than ever and can quickly gain insights that were once only available through more laborious methods.

Additionally, with the help of analytics tools, companies can refine their content by getting more profound insights into viewer behaviors and preferences.

Improved Customer Relationships

Live streaming technology has become a powerful tool in helping businesses improve customer relationships. It provides new opportunities for two-way communication, allowing for direct interaction between consumers and businesses.

This process makes it easier for customers to get their questions answered quickly and allows them to provide immediate feedback on products or services .

Additionally, live streams open up the possibility of holding interactive events, which can provide valuable insight into customer needs and preferences. By incorporating live streaming into customer relationships, businesses can create a more meaningful connection and improve customer engagement.

Live Streaming Drawbacks

Although live streaming provides businesses with many advantages, it has its fair share of drawbacks. These drawbacks can make it challenging for companies to ensure that their message is heard clearly.

Additionally, live streaming requires an upfront investment in technology, making it cost-prohibitive for some businesses.

Here are some of the main disadvantages of live streaming:

• Privacy issues
• Technical errors
• No video scripts
• Keep your audience entertained for longer

Privacy Issues

When businesses broadcast live, they give viewers real-time access to their content. This can present privacy issues for companies as viewers can see and hear everything shared.

This lack of personal boundaries regarding streaming can be concerning for many, as personal information may be at risk of being exposed without consent. Privacy settings may also be bypassed or hacked, further exposing sensitive information.

Additionally, since these streams are public, anyone can join them, leaving participants vulnerable to trolls, cyberbullying, and other unsavory behaviors.

Technical Errors

Live streaming requires a reliable connection, which can be difficult to obtain depending on the environment. This can result in technical errors or even complete drops in transmission.

These issues are often much more pronounced in live streams than pre-recorded video because the content is sent in real-time, sometimes over unreliable networks. Certain viewers may also find watching difficult due to their slower internet speeds or lack of appropriate technology.

Additionally, the quality of the stream can suffer if bandwidth or other technical limitations are present. All these factors can lead to an unsatisfactory experience for viewers who expect high-quality streaming.

No Video Scripts

One of the most significant drawbacks of live streaming is that it doesn’t always provide an environment suitable for scripting. This can be problematic since scripting is often necessary to ensure the message is expressed clearly and effectively and provide a more polished presentation.

Without good scripting, there can be pauses in the broadcast that detract from its overall quality or even miscommunications that could confuse viewers or cause them to disengage. It also helps with consistency so that each stream has a similar structure and flow, allowing the presenter and viewers to become familiar with how it works.

Additionally, scripted streams allow for better preparation on the presenter’s part, giving them time to practice delivery, think through any potential issues that may come up during transmission, and plan out their visual cues or graphics in advance.

Keep Your Audience Entertained for Longer

Live streaming has the potential to keep viewers engaged for more extended periods, but it is up to the presenter to make this happen. The key is to ensure that each stream offers something unique and captivating that will entice viewers to stay around until the end.

This could mean adding fun elements like polls or interactive games, creating compelling content, or simply engaging viewers by talking directly to them and ensuring their questions are answered by the end of the stream.

Additionally, the presenter should be conscious of their pacing and ensure they don’t move too quickly or slowly through the material. These efforts can help create an enjoyable experience to watch so that viewers are encouraged to return for subsequent streams.

How to Create a Live Stream Video

Creating a live stream video requires careful planning, preparation, and factoring in the technology needed to complete the task. Video streaming app development services provide all the necessary features and allow companies to build their own custom software products that reflect their brand .

These are the steps necessary to create a successful live stream video:

• Create a script outline
• Post a teaser
• Ensure video quality
• Stream the video
• Engage with your community

Step 1: Create a Script Outline

Creating a script outline for a live stream video is an essential step in the production process that should be taken seriously. It helps you plan what will be said and done live and provides structure and flow to the entire event.

Begin by developing a theme or idea you want to communicate through the stream. Think about what topic or topics you want to cover, how long each part of your video should be, and any other vital points you want to include.

From there, determine what content should be included, such as interviews, segments, or on-screen graphics. Additionally, organize the content logically, so it flows cohesively from one segment to another .

Step 2: Post a Teaser

Posting a teaser before your live stream video can build excitement and anticipation around the content.

Teasers typically include short snippets of the footage expected to be included in the upcoming live stream, along with details about what viewers can expect from the experience. This gives them something tangible to look forward to and encourages word-of-mouth promotion.

The key to crafting an effective teaser is providing enough information to create intrigue but not so much as to give away all the surprises. An effective teaser will hook your audience and prepare them for your live stream video.

Step 3: Ensure Video Quality

To ensure a high-quality video stream, it is essential to consider the quality of both your hardware and internet connection. When setting up your live stream, use higher bitrate settings and a higher resolution camera.

Additionally, ensuring you have enough bandwidth to support the stream is vital. However, you should also select a reliable streaming service with built-in tools for adjusting quality and frame rate.

Also, ensure the audio and video equipment is correctly set up for optimal results. Lastly, test the stream before going live using various devices, browsers, and network connections to identify potential issues.

Step 4: Stream the Video

Once you’ve set up the equipment and tested the live stream, it’s time to go live. Use a streaming platform that offers reliable service and technical support for unforeseen issues or problems.

When hosting your video, choose a platform with analytics capabilities to measure your campaign’s success. Also, have a backup plan if the primary platform experiences technical difficulties.

This can include switching to a different hosting service or using pre-recorded video as a fallback option. With proper preparation, creating a successful live stream video is easy.

Step 5: Engage With Your Community

Live streaming gives you a unique opportunity to connect with and engage your community in real-time, which is essential for creating a successful live stream video.

Make sure to give viewers a chance to interact with you by providing comment boxes or allowing them to ask questions during the stream. Include call-to-action buttons at the stream’s end that link to your website or social profiles to further engage viewers.

You can also use polls and surveys to get feedback from viewers and gain valuable insights into who watched once the stream is over. Engaging with your audience can create an interactive experience that captivates viewers and keeps them returning for more.

Live streaming for businesses is quickly becoming necessary in today’s digitally-connected world. Not only does it provide an avenue for businesses to broadcast their events and messages to the masses, but it also helps to create more meaningful interactions with customers by providing them with up-to-date information from a reliable source.

Live streaming can help businesses build better customer relationships, increase customer engagement and loyalty, and boost their bottom line. With the right tools, businesses can easily integrate live streaming into their existing digital marketing strategies, allowing them to reap its many benefits.

Are you a small business owner? Do you have any questions about live streaming for businesses? Let us know in the comments below!

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How to Live Stream Successfully: A Preparation Checklist for Marketers

Updated: January 18, 2024

Published: May 25, 2020

Raise your hand if you’d rather watch a video to learn something new than read about it.

Go ahead — you’re not alone. 59% of executives say they’d rather watch a video than read text , too. And really, that number makes sense — we are a society of video streamers. (I mean, hello, Netflix.)

But if you’re not sure how to run a live stream event on social media, fear not. We’re here to make sure you don’t just hit the “Live” button on Facebook and stare at the camera like a deer in headlights. Instead, we’ve come up with a comprehensive checklist to help you plan your first — or next — live stream.

Keep reading, or jump to a section: 

Choose a Type of Live Stream

Create a storyboard, pick your platform, other tips for successfully live streaming.

How to Live Stream Successfully 

1. first, get clear on your audience.

There are several ways to figure out who your audience includes, and what they want. For the simplest and most direct path, consider using the jobs-to-be-done approach.

Popularized by Clay Christensen, Karen Dillon, Taddy Hall, and David Duncan in Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer , it’s based on the idea that customers don’t buy products — they buy completed jobs that products help bring about.

For example, if you need to hang a picture on a wall, you could buy a hammer, hand-held drill, or use a brick to do the job.

Either tool could help you get a nail into the wall, but a hand-held drill will be the easiest, quickest, and most effective way to get the job done. And once done, there’s a greater probability that the nail or screw will stay in place forever.

The jobs-to-be-done approach also challenges you to zero in on what your audience really wants by focusing on what problems they are trying to solve.

Think about the kind of information you can present to them in a live stream to address those problems. Once you have a list, stress test or validate each job-to-be-done with these questions:

• Is this job critical to my audience living out an improved experience (e.g., hanging a picture on a wall)?
• If I presented a live stream with helpful information on solving this problem, would it move my audience one step closer to solving the problem?

Answering “yes” to these questions mean that you’re good to develop what will be an impactful live stream.

In this example, a live stream about the importance of using the right tools would make sense. It should address how using the wrong nails can damage a wall, create more work than necessary, take more time, and cost homeowners more money than it should.

Note: A critical job can be based on a secondary job-to-be-done. Looking at our primary job, the need to hang a picture on a wall, your audience will need to know how to pick the right kind of nail or screw for the job.

2. Focus on One Big Idea

The most impactful live streams are built around one big idea. A single idea is easier to relate to because it serves as a theme with which your audience can associate. As you consider what yours will be, make sure it stays within the scope of the topic.

Make it as narrow as possible. Narrowing your focus showcases thought leadership, expertise, and real value — qualities your audience will appreciate.

There are different types of live streams for different brand goals. Here’s a breakdown of seven, each with examples:

1. Launch a Product

Use your live stream as an opportunity to get in front of a captive audience and show them what makes your product worth the investment. Dormakaba’s Switch Tech live stream shows just how comprehensive a product launch can be.

Switch Tech is a new access system that uses Bluetooth technology to eliminate the need for physical keys. Their stream dives into the history of the product and includes an insightful product demo.

6. Share Tutorials

Run your audience through steps on how to perform a specific task or achieve a goal. ThinkMedia’s tutorial is a deep dive with practical steps to help YouTubers net their first 1,000 subscribers.

And once you have contact information for your registrants, Conley reminds us, “you can email the people on that list on the day of, and remind them when it’s going to go live.”

Don’t rule out using social media to promote live streams on other platforms, too. Some of them, like YouTube, allow you to link your social accounts and push content in multiple places. And if your guests are active on social media, leverage that by including links to their handles in any related content, and ask them to promote the event with their own networks.

4. Do A Dry Run

In the world of live streaming, we do dry runs to avoid technical missteps. Improv can be hilarious, but not when it means you’re verbally unprepared or your equipment stops working and you don’t have a backup plan.

5. Prep Any Guest Speakers

Is there anything worse than a moment of awkward, dumbfounded silence?

As part of your dry run, make sure your guests are prepared for any questions they might be asked. Don’t over-rehearse, but do what you can to prevent catching them off-guard.

6. Test Your Audio and Internet Connection

You might want people to talk about your live stream, but not if all they’re going to say is, “We can’t hear you.” Make sure all of your audio equipment is working both during your dry run and on the day of the stream. Having an extra microphone and batteries on hand probably won’t hurt, either.

Make sure your network can handle a live stream, too. If you’re streaming high-quality video, for example, you'll want to test your WiFi connection ahead of time. 

7. Set Up Social Media Monitoring

If you’ve watched any Facebook Live feed, you've seen that the comments roll in fast. So while it’s awesome to invite and answer viewer questions, it can be overwhelming, especially if you personalize your responses .

That’s why it’s a great idea to dedicate someone to monitoring social media, comments, and questions during the live feed.

That task can be made a bit easier with something like a branded hashtag created specifically for this live stream. For platforms with built-in comment feeds, for example, you can ask your viewers to preface any questions with it — that can help qualify what needs to be answered.

You could even take that a step further and use the hashtag throughout the planning process, making sure to include it on your landing page, thank-you page, and promotional messages leading up to the event. That helps to create buzz around the live stream. And if you use HubSpot's Social Inbox , here’s a great place to take advantage of its monitoring feature, which lets you prioritize and reply to social messages based on things like keywords or hashtags.

Keep Streaming

Embracing live streaming as a key component of your digital strategy can unlock tremendous opportunities for engagement and growth. Regular practice and thorough planning are not just recommended but essential, guaranteeing continuous improvements in both delivery and overall success.

As you embark on or continue your live streaming journey, remember to always place your audience at the center of every decision. Understand their needs, preferences, and the unique value you can provide. By doing so, you not only foster a stronger connection with your viewers but also elevate the impact of your live streams, making them an indispensable tool in your arsenal for effective communication and marketing, and brand growth.

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The video experts blog

How to develop a live streaming strategy to grow your business.

Video content is more important than ever before for brands looking to catch the attention of potential customers from their competition.

But for brands to really stand out, it’s essential they go beyond the tried-and-true pre-recorded videos. Instead, more marketers are turning toward live streaming to help give their brands an edge with viewers. With a variety of tools at their disposal, 28 percent of marketers surveyed said they planned to invest more time, money, and resources into producing live streaming content in 2020.

With more than a quarter of brands saying they planned to boost their online video content, it’s become more important than ever for brands to take live streaming strategy seriously. 

Instead of just taking shots in the dark when creating live video content for your brand, taking the time to think through how that content fits into your larger video content catalog, as well as how you can most strategically use live streaming to reach your business goals, is key to not wasting your time and money.

Table of Contents

Why video is more important than ever.

• Branded Video Content
• Live Streaming Video Content

Video on Demand

• Over-the-Top Video

Why a Content Strategy is Important for Video Marketing

How to create a live streaming strategy.

• What is the Key Strategy for Distributing Your Video Content?

Live Streaming

Increasingly, users are making video content a key factor in their impressions of and the likelihood they’ll buy from a particular brand.

According to predictions by Cisco , global video traffic will make up about 80 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2021. That’s a lot of opportunities to build your brand’s audience at all levels of the sales funnel — awareness, consideration, and action.

But whether or not brands use video isn’t just about how much video content they create ; it’s also about the quality of the video created.

Putting up a grainy, poor-quality live stream just to say you’ve done it, without any consideration as to how that video fits into the rest of the content your brand creates, can do much more harm than good. High-quality live streaming video — not over-produced content — that serves a clear purpose in your brands overall messaging is going to get many more watches, shares, and reactions than the content you just throw in because you feel you need to.

4 Different Types of Video Content

A well-rounded branded video strategy isn’t reliant upon one type of content over another; instead, your overall video strategy needs to include each of the four main types of content, with a clear strategy for each type.

The four main types of video content all brands need to consider are:

• Branded video content
• Live streaming video content
• Video on demand
• Over-the-top video

Each type of video content serves a unique purpose, and understanding the differences between the types is key to building the right video strategy.

1. Branded Video Content

The phrase “branded video content” may feel as if it can encompass all video content put out by brands, that’s not exactly the case.

Branded video content, instead, is the content that’s specifically meant to be used to sell your company’s offerings or instruct employees. This type of content includes things such as company explainer videos, how-to instructional videos, and employee training videos.

Depending on how much content you have in this area, your videos may be hosted on an internal server, or they can be hosted externally on a professional video server.

This type of content typically is carefully planned and heavily edited, presenting a polished, finished video to your audience.

2. Live Streaming Video Content

Live streaming content is distributed and viewed as it’s made. This type of content can include live event coverage, podcast streams, and short videos posted to platforms such as Instagram.

Creating a live streaming video doesn’t have to be a complicated undertaking. Sometimes, the content you present will be more organized and planned, such as when you live stream a conference or other virtual event.

Other times, however, live streaming is spontaneous and unpolished, presenting a more “real” or immediate picture to your audience.

Because of the nature of live streaming, which requires a large amount of bandwidth to send the video out to viewers, live streaming video utilizes a professional server.

3. Video on Demand

Video on demand, or VOD, can be used to distribute both planned, edited videos as well as recorded live videos. This model allows your users to access any piece of content they want at any time.

VOD content can be distributed via satellite or cable connection and is available at any time, day or night. This type of content is typically associated with pay-per-view video services, but can also apply to subscription-based video distribution models.

Live streamed content, however, cannot, by definition, be considered VOD content. In order for a user to catch content that is live, they must watch it as it is created. That content can be captured and recorded for later VOD release.

4. Over-the-Top Video

Like VOD, over-the-top video (OTT) allows viewers access to video content at any time they want to view it. 

Unlike VOD, however, OTT requires the use of an internet connection. You still get access to pre-recorded content whenever you want it, but the means of getting that content is different than VOD.

Many people consider OTT content to also be VOD because viewers are able to see video whenever they want it, but the means of distribution between VOD and OTT differ.

Streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix are OTT providers, as are company websites that allow users to view a library of videos at their leisure.

What is Live Video Marketing?

Live video marketing is a form of content marketing that focuses on the creation, distribution, and promotion of live video content and how that content can support business goals.

Like all marketing efforts, live video marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. To be effective, you must have an idea of the types of live content you want to create, when and how you’ll distribute them and how those pieces of content fit into your overall marketing strategy.

Marketing a business online requires a careful, data-driven strategy when it comes to the content you create and use to promote your brand.

Without a strategy for your video marketing, you will expend a great deal of time, energy, and money producing content that your viewers may never watch or that actually do more harm to your efforts than good. 

Think of your video marketing content strategy like the map you take on a road trip: You have clear start and endpoints, and you create a guide for how to get there, but you’re also flexible enough to adapt your itinerary as the mood arises. 

Your business’s video marketing content strategy is what you’ll use to get you from your starting point — where your business is now — to your final destination — where you want your business to be in the future.

Each step of your video content marketing strategy is a waypoint along that journey, as you create and release a new video. But, your strategy has to be flexible enough that you can adapt it, adding, deleting, and moving video plans around, as the need arises.

What is a Live Streaming Strategy?

A live streaming strategy is the portion of your video content marketing strategy where you create the roadmap for your business’s live streamed content. 

The way your live streaming strategy begins is with the end: Determine where you want your video content to take your business, and how you’ll measure your success at reaching that goal.

Perhaps you want your online courses to have more paid students. Or, you’d like to bring in more weekly viewers to your worship service, and you’ll measure that by the number of people who watch your live streaming Sunday service. Maybe, you want to increase the number of people who sign up for a consultation appointment to discuss your business’s high-end software product.

Once you understand the goals you have for your live streaming strategy, you need to create the overall plan for the videos you’ll create, when you will create them and how you will distribute and promote that content.

This strategy should include longer, more planned pieces of live streamed content such as live events , conferences, and podcasts, as well as shorter pieces such as contest draws, interviews, and other content. Each piece of content also needs plans for who will create it, how it will be promoted, whether it will be recorded for later on-demand streaming, and how the stream’s success will be measured.

When crafting your live streaming strategy, it’s important to remember that you need to create content that reaches people at all stages of the buyer’s journey for maximum effect.

For those who don’t already know much about what you have to offer, content that introduces your brand and what you do is crucial to your strategy. Viewers in the consideration phase who may know your brand or know the solution you provide need help understanding why they should choose you, so content that answers key questions, shows off your brand personality, and highlights the differences between your company and your competition. And for those who are in the process of making a final decision, sales-oriented content and content that shows them exactly what they can expect from working with you is key.

No matter how intense or bare-bones your overall live streaming strategy is, the key is to keep your overarching business goals in mind. As long as the content you create helps move you toward those goals, you can’t go too wrong.

Options for Distributing Live Content

Choosing the most effective method for distributing your live content is essential to execute your strategy effectively.

The first method for distributing your live content is to live stream it. This option gives the video to your audience as it’s made, without editing or polishing.

Live content can be longer, more complicated pieces such as lectures, worship services, and question-and-answer sessions, or shorter pieces such as quick announcements and short tutorials.

The platform you choose to use when distributing your live streamed content largely depends on its length and its purpose within your content strategy.

For the shorter pieces of live streamed content, especially those designed to draw in new followers or entice people to make a purchase within a short period of time, platforms such as IGTV and Facebook Live may be better suited. 

Longer live streams require more bandwidth than some of the free platforms allow, meaning professional live streaming platforms may be a necessity.

If you want your live streamed content to be available to be played on an OTT platform, you will need the means to record the content as you live stream it.

For this, you will likely need some sort of professional capture and storage platform that can simultaneously live stream and record your content.

Public vs. Professional Live Streaming Tools: Which Is Better?

Because live streaming has become a much more popular method of content distribution, there are a variety of tools available to content creators.

These tools fall into two categories: public and professional.

Each type of live streaming platform comes with its own benefits and drawbacks, and the method you choose to distribute your content may vary even depending on the type of content you’re streaming.

Public Live Streaming Platforms

Publicly available live streaming platforms, including IGTV and Facebook Live (for shorter content pieces) and YouTube and Twitch (for longer live streams), are widely used by brands and individual creators across the globe.

These tools are generally easy to use, with very low learning curves. This makes them attractive to users who are new to live streaming.

However, what these types of platforms offer in ease of use and low cost, they lack in overall control of the content.

When a user uploads a video to Twitch, for example, that content no longer belongs to that user. Instead, it belongs to the platform. 

That means the platform and its algorithms determine how that content is promoted, how it is monetized, and even whether or not it is accessible after certain periods of time.

When you include live streaming as part of your overall business growth plan, being able to control the content you share, as well as how you make money from that content, is important. Giving up control to another company means you miss out on something in the exchange. 

These public platforms are best suited for:

• Businesses that don’t have any budget to give to live streaming
• Creators who only want to make short videos that don’t require a lot of bandwidth
• Companies that aren’t concerned with preserving their video content for future release

Professional Live Streaming Platforms

On the opposite end of the spectrum are professional live streaming platforms. 

These platforms can range from easy to use and simplistic to feature-rich and complicated, and everything in between. They also cost money to purchase or gain access to, making them less accessible to small creators and startups than the public tools.

Professional live streaming platforms offer more bandwidth than many of the public options, allowing for longer live streams suitable for creators who want to stream events and lectures. Additionally, many professional platforms provide the option of recording a live stream, giving you the ability to preserve your live streaming content and offer it to viewers on demand through other means.

Choosing a professional platform that offers white-label capability also means that you retain control over your content and how you make money off it.

If you want to save your content and distribute it on your website, charging money for every view, you can do that with a professional platform. This means that content creators and brands have much more control over how the content they create is used and, ultimately, more control over their business’s success.

Professional streaming platforms are best suited for:

• Brands that have the budget to allot to live streaming and video hosting
• Companies that want extra features and tools to accompany their live streams
• Creators who want to be able to save their streamed video content for later
• Brands that routinely create long-form video content, including educational institutions, places of worship, and live event broadcasts
• Businesses who want control over how their content is stored, viewed, distributed, and monetized

With live video streaming on the rise — growing by more than 72 percent from the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019 — it’s more important than ever for brands looking to break through to begin looking for ways to make live streaming work for them.

With the creation of a careful, calculated live video marketing strategy, businesses can go from clueless about live streaming to making the exclusivity and excitement of live video work for them. By taking the time to plan a live video marketing strategy, including the types of videos to be created, how they’re to be promoted, the right platform for distribution, and a connection to the brand’s overall business goals, live streaming can help skyrocket your brand.

And with feature-rich, affordable Dacast, named Best Small/Medium Business Platform by the 2019 Streaming Media Readers’ Choice Awards, you get complete control over your content, the ability to record live video for on-demand use, and more, all free for 14 days . 

Ready to get started? You won’t have to sign a long-term contract or give us your credit card number to start your trial. 

start my free trial

Still have questions about live streaming strategy, Dacast as a streaming provider, or online video in general? Feel free to contact us , or drop us a line in the comments below. We will get back to you.

And for live streaming tips and exclusive offers, you’re invited to join our  LinkedIn group .

Thanks for reading!

Emily Krings

Emily is a strategic content writer and story teller. She specializes in helping businesses create blog content that connects with their audience.

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Live streaming for business: faqs and the answers.

Table of contents

How is live streaming good for business, 1- fostering viewer engagement -, what do you need to start with business live streaming, plan your video streaming strategy -, choosing the right live streaming platform to suit your business needs -, obs studio -, xsplit broadcaster -, follow live streaming best practices -, decide live streaming channel-, decide on the live streaming format -, promoting on social media -, do testing -.

Do you know? If you search for “live streaming for business” on Google, the most frequently questions asked are:

Considering the spectrum of benefits gained from a business live stream, live streaming videos are undoubtedly the next big thing for businesses. Whether it is a fitness industry, educational, e-commerce, or banking sector, streaming videos in real-time have amplified business reach, lead conversions, and targeted revenue generation.

Business live streaming is immensely popular for promoting direct client engagement. In this blog, we will discuss some of the frequently asked questions on business live streaming, like why is live streaming good for business, how to start with business live  streaming, and which live streaming platform is best?

  How is live streaming good for business?

Just imagine what would you do if you get a chance to meet your target audience and interact with them in person. Wouldn’t it be easier for you to create real-time connections and solidify brand image?

Live streaming is bringing this to life by becoming the digital bridge between businesses and their customers and has become an integral part of business marketing activities.

  Three good reasons why businesses should  start a live stream

Here are some benefits of business live streaming that are powerful enough to pitch in.

1- Fostering viewer engagement –

Recently, New York Magazine surveyed a group of people. The result shows around 80 percent of respondents were interested in business live videos rather than going through business blogs.

  In the digital world, people have a hunger for live videos.  By hosting a live event, businesses can gain direct access to their target audience.

  A good live stream session includes several interactive elements like live polls, quizzes, chat, and Q&A. All these sections result in an interactive and result-worthy business live stream.

  2- Improve brand value –

One of the biggest advantages of live streaming for business is that your blog subscribers, social media followers, and clients, will have the opportunity to interact directly with corporate representatives. Live stream allows access to audience’s queries right away. It builds a strong business image among the audience, making them believe the company is trustworthy, which leads to conversions and a strong B2C relationship.

  3- Great way for product or service launch events –

The pandemic has forced businesses to stop having offline product launches or feature release events and now businesses have adapted the live stream event option. In this way, they didn’t lose their audience traction, got the client’s attention and targeted attendees while  saving a huge amount of money, which tends to be spent on the event menu, accommodations, arrangements, manpower, and other factors. 

Business live streaming has helped businesses find the most successful method of product or service launch. As an  additional feature, it also generates targeted revenue and grows the community around businesses.

  What do you need to start with business live streaming?

If you are completely new to the live streaming world, then it is natural to be nervous about things such as –  how to get started, how to excel in business live streaming, what to do in live streaming, etc. Live streaming holds immense power to turn back the clock on business success. To start  live streaming for your business, follow the  simple steps below –

Plan your video streaming strategy –

Live video streaming has tremendous power to drive instant sales. With the best streaming strategy, you can run a successful live stream without any hassle.

Livestream removes the restrictions on the number of attendees’ participation by allowing an unlimited number of viewers to join your live stream.

So what is the role of a video streaming strategy in a successful live stream? We can say without a proper strategy, it’s not going to give the 100% result, you expected or sometimes can be a complete fail.

A good video streaming strategy includes

• Plan live streaming content specifically developed for target audiences. Take some time to get to know your audience, their content choices, their interest areas, and their pain points, and then plan the content that can add value to their lives.
• To make the content interactive, during the live stream you can share your real-time experience and expertise, with which the audience can connect.
• You can also include quizzes and polls to improve audience engagement.
• Strive to respond to as many questions and comments as possible, whether or not they are related to your business. It makes the audience feel valued.
• In live streams, there is always a space for repurposing content. You can convert your live stream content into infographics, blogs, social media posts, or pdfs and share them with your audience.

Choosing the right live streaming platform to suit your business needs –

The golden rule to succeeding in live streaming is getting the support of a professional live streaming platform. It makes you feel at ease and professionally handles the business live stream.

The best benefit businesses can get from live streaming software is the ability to expand their business reach without any extra monetary or manual labor. But does professional streaming software cost a lot? Thankfully, no. The good streaming software is not necessarily expensive, and the best thing about some of the excel streaming software is that it is absolutely free.

The streaming market is growing, and the demand for high-quality streaming software has skyrocketed. Streaming software developers are working day and night to showcase their product by challenging themselves to have better UI support, quick setup, and high-class performance.

Now let’s have a look at some of the best live streaming software available-

OBS Studio –

OBS Studio is an open-source streaming software. It supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Some of the top features supported by OBS studio:

• Real-time audio/video capturing and mixing
• An intuitive audio mixer
• Support hotkeys
• Configuration options
• User-friendly UI

XSplit Broadcaster –

XSplit is considered one of the best free streaming software packages that offer unlimited customization.

The best features supported by XSplit software include:

• Multi-stream
• Scene presets
• Noise suppression
• Media slideshow
• Chroma key threshold

Wirecast –

The Wirecast live streaming software is best for Facebook Live. This streaming solution handles end-to-end streaming.

The best-in-class features supported by Wirecast include

• Wider device support
• Live scoreboards
• 8-track audio output

Follow live streaming best practices –

Choose the social media platforms where you want to live stream. You can choose live streaming on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, etc.

Decide on the live streaming format –

Are you going to live stream an event? Or a simple Q & A, a product launch/declaration meeting, or a panel discussion. Businesses need to decide the format of the live stream beforehand.

Promoting on social media –

Without proper promotions, it will be difficult to gain audience attention. If a business wants maximum engagement along with lead conversions, it needs to do a good job of promoting and advertising their upcoming live streaming event.

  Do testing –

Before going live with your audience, it is always best to start a demo live stream. This way, you will get to know the functionalities, operations and also get the video quality checked.

  Conclusion

In the age of live streaming, if a business is not actively hosting live streams on social media, chances are there, it may lose its future leads. Live streaming for business holds immense power of solidifying a business’s revenue by exploiting the business lead generation.

So, if you are looking for a professional live streaming platform, Muvi Live could be your go-to partner.  The enterprise-grade live streaming services provided by Muvi sets it apart from the others. Some of the advanced and most buzzed live streaming features supported by Muvi Live are- DRM protection, Ultra low latency video streaming, Live DVR control, Live analytics, Multi CDN, Multi bitrate HD encoding, Live webcast, and many more.

Success comes to those who try! Try out Muvi Live’s 14-day free trial, where you get complete access to its CRM and explore Muvi Live’s supremacy over others.

  Start your free trial now!

Written by: Amita Kumari

Amita is a content writer with Muvi marketing team. She has over 5+ years of experience in content creation and development. Passionate by heart, she likes to cook, write, sing and do yoga to pass time.

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The Complete Guide to Live Streaming: Technology, Tips, and Future Insights

The way we consume content has undergone a significant transformation. The days are gone when scheduled TV programming dictated our viewing habits. Today, the power to choose what to watch and when to watch it lies in the hands of the viewer. This shift is evident in the rising popularity of live streaming, a medium that allows instant global access to content.

Statistical data underscores this change. Reports show that the live-streaming industry is set to surpass $184 billion by 2027. This growth is impressive; it indicates a future where live streaming becomes a mainstay in daily entertainment and information consumption.

As we witness this remarkable expansion, it’s clear that understanding live streaming is crucial. Whether you’re a content creator, a marketer, or someone who loves to watch and connect with others, live streaming offers endless possibilities.

In this guide, we’ll dive into live streaming, its benefits, and how you can be part of its exciting future.

What is Live Streaming?

Live streaming is the real-time broadcasting of video content over the internet to a global audience. Unlike pre-recorded videos, which are edited and uploaded as complete video files, live streams allow viewers to watch events as they happen. This technology has changed how we share and consume media, enabling people worldwide to connect with events, performances, and conversations the moment they occur.

Live streaming breaks the barriers of distance and time, allowing anyone with internet access to be part of an experience as it unfolds. It’s a powerful way for individuals and organizations to reach out to many people, engage with audiences directly, and share moments that matter in real time.

History of Live Streaming

Live streaming began in the 1990s with the development of media players. These players let users watch videos and listen to audio in real time. This changed how we enjoy entertainment. The first live stream was a music concert. It marked a big step for music streaming. Soon after, RealNetworks, Inc streamed a baseball game on RealPlayer. This showed the world that live sports could be enjoyed on computers.

In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton’s webcast marked a crucial moment in live streaming. This broadcast from George Washington University used Excite@Home Network’s technology. By 2005, YouTube’s rise opened new doors for video streaming. YouTube Live’s first event 2008, clarified that live events could reach a global audience. Twitch’s launch in 2011 expanded live streaming to video games, attracting millions.

Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram later added live streaming. This boosted its popularity for communication, entertainment, and marketing.

Live streaming has evolved significantly. The introduction of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) revolutionized content streaming. Today, using multiple CDNs is common, showing their importance. Multistreaming, or broadcasting on several platforms at once, is now a trend. It lets viewers choose their preferred platform for live events.

Latency, the delay in live video, was a big challenge. But new technology has reduced this delay, improving the viewer experience. Prerecorded video is also popular, allowing creators to prepare content in advance. This is helpful for complex live streams.

Monetization models have emerged, helping creators make money from live streams. This includes ads, subscriptions, and viewer donations.

From its start to now, live streaming has grown immensely. It’s a key part of internet culture and entertainment. Live streaming lets us enjoy music, games, shows, and more in new ways.

How Live Streaming Works: Technology Behind It

When someone starts a live stream, their device captures video and audio. This is the same as recording a video file. But instead of saving it, the device turns the video into digital data. This data can travel across the internet.

Understanding how live streaming functions is essential for anyone looking to dive into this digital form of broadcasting. Let’s break down the technology behind live streaming into clear steps.

The initial step in live streaming is capture. This involves recording the video content that will be streamed live. It can be anything from a person speaking to a camera, a live event, or a game being played. The capturing device could be a simple webcam, a professional video camera, or a smartphone. The key is that the device must convert real-world visuals and sounds into digital data. This digital data is then prepared for encoding. Young people often use their phones to capture live moments and share them with friends or a global audience. For example, someone might record a concert they attend and want to share the experience with people watching online.

After capture, encoding is the next critical step. Encoding is converting the captured video file into a format suitable for streaming. This is necessary because the original video file is usually too large to be sent over the Internet efficiently. Encoding software or hardware compresses the video, reducing its size while trying to preserve quality. This software can run on a computer or a dedicated device. Personal details like the user’s name and the stream’s title are often added during encoding. The encoded digital data is now ready to be distributed to the origin server.

Transmission:

Transmission is sending the encoded digital data to an origin server. The origin server is the central hub from where the live stream will be distributed to viewers. The data is sent over the internet, and this process must happen quickly to maintain the “live” aspect. The faster the transmission, the less delay between the actual event and the audience watching it. This is crucial for virtual events or ongoing conversations happening in real time. Transmission requires a stable and fast internet connection to ensure the stream does not buffer or drop.

Distribution:

Once the origin server receives the encoded video, distribution begins. The server manages the incoming stream and prepares it to be sent to various platforms and viewers. This step is like a TV station broadcasting a signal to different neighborhoods. In the case of live streaming, the neighborhoods are the various devices and platforms where viewers will watch the stream. The server ensures the stream is available in different formats and resolutions, suitable for various devices and internet speeds.

CDN Delivery:

Content Delivery Network (CDN) delivery is crucial in ensuring that the live stream reaches a broad audience without delays or buffering. CDNs are networks of servers worldwide that deliver content to users based on their geographic location. When viewers want to watch a live stream, the CDN delivers it from the server closest to them. This reduces the distance the data travels, minimizing latency and improving the viewing experience. CDNs are essential for popular streams that have thousands or even millions of people watching simultaneously.

Decoding is the reverse process of encoding. Once the live stream reaches the viewer’s device, it must be decoded. This means the compressed digital data is unpacked and converted into a video file that the device can play. The viewer’s media player handles this process, whether it’s a built-in player on a social media platform or a separate application. The media player takes the data from the CDN and decodes it in real time so that the viewer can watch the live broadcast without any noticeable delay.

The final step in the live-streaming process is playback. This is when the decoded video file is displayed on the viewer’s device, allowing them to watch the live event. Playback can occur on various devices, including computers, smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. The viewer’s internet connection and device capabilities can affect playback quality. For a smooth experience, the device must process the video file quickly and display it without lag. This allows viewers to enjoy live broadcasts and feel like they are part of the event, no matter where they are.

Benefits of Live Streaming

Unlike other forms of media, live streaming creates an immediate connection. Viewers can watch events unfold the moment they happen. This immediacy can make people feel like they are part of the event, even if they are far away.

One of the key benefits of live streaming is the ability to reach and expand an audience. Creators are not limited to those in their immediate location. Instead, they can connect with viewers across the world. This global reach is a powerful tool for individuals and businesses looking to grow their brand or customer base.

Live streaming apps and platforms also support interaction. Viewers can talk and share their thoughts during the stream. This ongoing conversation can build a community around the content. It helps creators to engage with their audience in a way that pre-recorded videos cannot.

Another advantage is the potential for monetization. Live streaming can be a source of income for creators. Through ads, sponsorships, and viewer donations, streamers can earn money. This has led to new careers and business models in the digital age.

Live streaming offers unique benefits. It helps creators share their voices, engage with an audience, and even build a business. It’s a powerful tool that continues to grow and evolve.

Future of Live Streaming: Statistics and Market Insights

Live streaming is not just a passing trend; it’s a growing force in the entertainment and marketing industries. Particularly, gaming platforms have seen a massive surge in viewership. In the third quarter of 2022 alone, these platforms recorded an impressive 7.2 billion hours of content watched. This shows the scale of live streaming’s appeal, especially among young people who enjoy watching games and other live events.

Professionals are also embracing live streaming. In 2022, 40% of marketing managers and directors anticipated that virtual events would become crucial to their strategies. They understand that live streams can reach a global audience, making them a powerful tool for engagement.

Looking at the market’s financial potential, the numbers are striking. The live-streaming market was valued at USD 38.87 billion in 2022 and is projected to skyrocket to USD 256.56 billion by 2032. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28% from 2023 to 2032, it’s clear that live streaming is reshaping how we consume content.

Consumer preferences further highlight the importance of live streaming. A vast majority, 80%, would rather watch live videos from brands than read a blog. This indicates a shift in how people want to connect with content and creators. Additionally, 67% of viewers have bought tickets to events after watching similar ones via live stream, demonstrating its potential to drive real-world action.

Twitch, a leading platform, commands a dominant market share of 91.5%. This shows the platform’s success in engaging audiences with live broadcasts.

By 2030, the industry is expected to reach an astonishing $534 billion . As technology evolves, live streaming will continue to offer interactive, personalized, and immersive experiences. These insights suggest a bright future for live streaming, with significant opportunities for growth and innovation.

The Top Live Streaming Platforms

Twitch is a leading platform in the live streaming space. It started mainly for gamers to share their gameplay. But now, it includes a variety of content. Artists, musicians, and talk show hosts also use Twitch. It has become a place for communities to gather around shared interests.

The latest reports show Twitch boasts over 140 million, monthly active users. This large audience shows how popular the platform is. Each day, around 2.5 million people are watching streams at any given moment. This creates a vast, engaged audience for streamers.

The platform also reports over 9 million unique creators streaming each month. These creators can connect with fans in real time. They share experiences and build relationships with their viewers. Twitch offers tools for streamers to interact with their audience. This includes chat, subscriptions, and emotes.

Twitch’s success comes from its focus on community and interactivity. It allows viewers to be part of the action. They can chat with the streamer and other viewers. This makes the experience more personal and engaging.

The platform continues to grow and evolve. It adds new features to support its users. Twitch has become more than just a website for streaming games. It is a diverse and dynamic community for live content. It’s where anyone who is passionate can find an audience and create a space for themselves.

YouTube Live

YouTube Live stands as one of the leading platforms in the live-streaming arena. Launched in 2011, it has become a go-to space for diverse content creators. From gamers to educators, many have found a home on YouTube Live. It offers a seamless way to reach a global audience in real-time.

The platform boasts significant numbers, with over 2 billion logged-in monthly users. A portion of these users actively engage with live streams, making it a bustling hub for live content. YouTube reports that the number of channels earning six figures per year grew by more than 40% annually. This growth indicates a thriving environment for creators and businesses alike.

YouTube Live’s success lies in its integration with the larger YouTube ecosystem. Viewers can easily transition from watching pre-recorded videos to joining live broadcasts. The platform also provides tools for creators to interact with their audience. These include live chats, super chats, and channel memberships. Such features enrich the live streaming experience for both viewers and streamers.

Creators appreciate the platform’s robust analytics. These insights help them understand their audience better. They can see who is watching, from where, and for how long. This data is crucial for tailoring content and growing a channel.

Facebook live

Facebook Live is a powerful feature on the Facebook platform that allows users to broadcast live videos to their friends and followers. It has become a popular tool for individuals and businesses to connect with their audience in real-time. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users on Facebook, the potential reach of Facebook Live is massive.

Introduced in 2015, Facebook Live has seen a rapid increase in usage. Statistics show that live videos on Facebook can produce six times as many interactions as traditional videos. This interaction is a key reason why so many choose to livestream on Facebook. It allows for immediate feedback and engagement from viewers.

The platform is also user-friendly. To start a live stream, one only needs a Facebook account and a device with a camera and internet connection. This simplicity has encouraged diverse content, from casual chats and Q&A sessions to professional webinars and virtual events.

Facebook Live streams can be viewed on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. This accessibility means viewers can tune in from anywhere, provided they have an internet connection. For content creators, Facebook provides insights and analytics. These tools help them understand viewer behavior and refine their streaming strategies.

Moreover, Facebook Live integrates with the platform’s other features. For example, events can be scheduled, and notifications can be sent to alert followers about upcoming live streams. This integration helps creators to build anticipation and increase viewership for their live broadcasts.

Instagram Live

Instagram Live stands out as a prominent player in live streaming platforms. It operates within Instagram, a social media giant with over 1 billion active users monthly. This feature allows individuals to broadcast videos to their followers in real-time. The interactive nature of Instagram Live means viewers can comment and send reactions during the stream, fostering a dynamic and engaging environment.

The platform’s user base is diverse, with many young people who favor visual content. Instagram Live taps into this preference by offering users a space to share moments instantly. The simplicity of starting a live stream directly from a smartphone enhances its appeal, making it accessible to a wide audience.

Statistics show that Instagram’s potential for reaching a global audience is vast. Reports indicate that 500 million accounts use Instagram Stories daily, with live videos as a component of this feature. The integration of live streaming with Stories amplifies the visibility of live content, as it appears right at the app’s top when users log in.

Instagram Live is a powerful tool for influencers, celebrities, and businesses to connect with followers. It provides a platform for real-time interaction, whether for casual conversations, product launches, or live Q&A sessions. The immediacy of live streaming on Instagram Live can translate into higher engagement rates, as people often spend more time watching live videos than pre-recorded ones.

LinkedIn Live

LinkedIn Live is a unique option among the top live-streaming platforms. It targets professionals and businesses. This platform allows users to broadcast content to a network of connections. This network is often focused on career development and industry insights.

As a live streaming service, LinkedIn Live offers a space for interactive and professional content. It’s a place where industry experts can share knowledge. They can also host Q&A sessions, product demos, and more. This platform is not open to all users for broadcasting. LinkedIn selects members based on certain criteria. This includes having a good record of sharing content that interests their network.

Statistics show that LinkedIn Live streams lead to seven times more reactions. They also lead to 24 times more comments than standard video posts on LinkedIn. These numbers highlight the engaging nature of live content. They show how it can foster professional conversations.

LinkedIn reported having over 774 million members across 200 countries as of 2021. This vast user base presents a significant opportunity for live streamers. They can reach a global audience of professionals. This is especially true for those looking to expand their professional network. It’s also great for those wanting to establish themselves as thought leaders.

TikTok has emerged as a powerhouse among live-streaming platforms. It boasts a vast user base, with over 1 billion active users worldwide. This platform caters primarily to the younger demographic, with a significant portion of its audience between 16 and 24. TikTok’s live stream feature lets users broadcast in real-time, instantly connecting creators and viewers.

The app’s design focuses on short, engaging videos. Yet, live streams on TikTok offer a different experience. They allow for more extended interactions. Creators can share moments as they happen. Viewers can comment and participate, creating a dynamic virtual space. This interaction is a vital part of TikTok’s appeal.

The platform’s algorithm also plays a role in its live-streaming success. It tailors content to user preferences. This means live streams have a better chance of reaching interested viewers. TikTok’s live streaming is for more than just entertainment. It’s a tool for influencers and brands to engage with their audience. They can showcase products, host Q&A sessions, and more. TikTok’s live streaming feature continues to grow, shaping the future of real-time online interaction.

Twitter (X)

X or Twitter, a platform known for its short, real-time posts, has also stepped into the live-streaming arena. It allows users to share live video content directly through tweets. This feature offers a unique way to engage with followers and join the global conversation as events unfold.

As of the latest reports, Twitter boasts over 330 million active users. A significant portion of these individuals engage with live streams. These streams cover a wide range of topics. The content is diverse, from breaking news and sports events to entertainment and personal broadcasts.

The platform’s live streaming service is integrated with its main app and website. This makes it accessible to a vast audience without additional software. Twitter’s live streaming capability immediately allows people to broadcast their message to the world. It also allows viewers to interact with the streamer through comments and reactions in real-time.

Twitter’s contribution to live streaming reflects its commitment to instant communication. It enhances user experience by offering another dimension to online interaction.

Streaming Website

Creating your own streaming website is a viable option for those who wish to have a personalized platform. This approach allows for greater control over content and audience engagement. Building a streaming website has become more accessible thanks to video hosting services. These services simplify the process of setting up a live-streaming platform. Castr is one such service that is both popular and robust. It offers a range of features that cater to the needs of streamers. With Castr, users can host and manage video content with ease. This makes it an excellent option for anyone looking to establish their streaming presence online.

What Equipment You Need for Live Streaming

Stable internet connection:.

A stable internet connection is vital for live streaming. It ensures your video reaches viewers without buffering or disconnects. Aim for a high-speed connection with a reasonable upload rate. This rate is key because it affects how quickly your stream data reaches the internet. Wired connections are more reliable than wireless ones. They provide a consistent speed and reduce the chance of interference. Check your internet speed before you start streaming. This will help you avoid technical issues during your live broadcast.

Streaming Software:

Streaming software is the tool that sends your live video to the internet. It can mix audio and video, add graphics, and switch between scenes. Some popular streaming software includes OBS Studio and Streamlabs. These programs are often free and work on various devices. They let you customize your stream. This makes your content more engaging for your audience. Choose software that matches your computer’s capabilities. This will help you stream smoothly.

Microphone:

Good audio is crucial for keeping viewers engaged. A quality microphone captures clear sound and reduces background noise. There are different types of microphones, like USB or XLR. USB mics are easy to use and connect directly to your computer. XLR mics need an audio interface or mixer. They offer better sound quality. Consider the acoustics of your room. This can affect the microphone’s performance. A pop filter can also improve sound by reducing plosives.

A camera captures your video for the stream. Webcams are a common choice for beginners. They are affordable and simple to use. For higher quality, consider a DSLR or mirrorless camera. These provide better image quality and more control over settings. Make sure your camera is compatible with your streaming software. Check if you need additional equipment, like a capture card, to connect it to your computer.

Audio Mixer:

An audio mixer lets you control sound levels from multiple sources. This is useful if you have more than one microphone or audio input. Mixers can adjust volume, balance, and tone. They can also add effects to your audio. This makes your stream sound professional. Choose a mixer that fits the audio sources you plan to use. This will help you manage your live stream’s sound effectively.

Video Encoder:

A video encoder converts your video into a digital format for streaming. Hardware encoders are separate devices that offer high-quality encoding. Software encoders run on your computer and can be more flexible. They may be part of your streaming software. Encoders can affect your stream’s resolution and frame rate. Choose an encoder that supports the quality you want for your stream.

Your computer is the center of your live-streaming setup. It runs your streaming software and processes video and audio. A powerful computer can handle high-quality streams without lag. Look for a computer with a strong processor, enough RAM, and a good graphics card. Make sure it has the necessary ports for your equipment. A solid-state drive (SSD) can also speed up your computer’s performance.

Good lighting makes your video look professional. It helps your camera capture a clear image. You can use natural light or invest in lighting equipment. Softbox lights or LED panels are popular choices. They provide even lighting and reduce harsh shadows. Position your lights to highlight your face or subjects. This will improve the visual quality of your stream.

A tripod holds your camera steady during your live stream. It prevents shaky footage. This makes your video more pleasant to watch. Tripods come in different sizes and styles. Some are compact and portable. Others are larger and more stable. Choose a tripod that can support the weight of your camera. Make sure it’s adjustable. This will let you find the best angle for your stream.

Building a Streaming Website:

You can create your own streaming platform. Video hosting services make this easier. They handle the technical side of streaming. This lets you focus on creating content. Castr is a popular video hosting provider. It is robust and supports high-quality streams. With Castr, you can reach a global audience on your terms. This is a great way to expand your reach beyond social media platforms.

How to Make Money Live Streaming

When you livestream, you can earn money through ads. Advertisers pay to show their ads to your viewers. This can happen before your stream starts, during, or after. The more people watch your stream, the more you can earn. You share in the revenue generated by these ads. Platforms like YouTube and Twitch have programs for this. You need to meet certain requirements to join. Once you do, ads can be a steady income source. Remember, viewers might like only a few ads. Balance is key.

Donations and Tips

Viewers can show their support by giving donations or tips. This is direct support from your audience. They can tip you during a livestream as a token of appreciation. Platforms have features like ‘Super Chat’ on YouTube, where viewers pay to highlight their messages. Some streamers use third-party services like Patreon. These allow fans to donate regularly. Tips can vary from a few dollars to large amounts. It all depends on how much your viewers enjoy your content.

Sponsorships

Companies pay streamers to promote their products or services. This is called a sponsorship. As a streamer, you talk about the sponsor during your livestream. You might wear their brand, use their products, or mention them. In return, they pay you money. Sponsorships can be a big part of your income. But, you should choose sponsors that match your content and values. Your viewers trust you. Keep that trust by being honest about sponsorships.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing means you promote products and earn a commission. You share links to products during your stream. If someone buys through your link, you get a percentage of the sale. Many companies have affiliate programs. Amazon is a popular option. You can recommend products related to your stream. For example, you can link to gaming gear if you stream games. It’s important to promote things you believe in. Your viewers will appreciate your genuine recommendations.

Merchandise Sales

Selling merchandise is another way to make money. You can create your brand of products. T-shirts, hats, and mugs can have your logo or catchphrases. Fans who love your content might buy them. You can sell merchandise through your website or a service like Teespring. This requires some investment. You need to design and make the products. But it can be a fun way to connect with your audience. Plus, it can bring in extra income.

Paid Subscriptions

Some platforms offer paid subscriptions. Viewers pay a monthly fee to support you. In return, they get special perks. These can include exclusive content, badges, or emotes. Twitch has a subscription model like this. Subscriptions give you a predictable income each month. It also builds a closer community. Your subscribers are your most loyal viewers. They are investing in your content. Make sure to give them value for their money.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is asking a lot of people for small amounts of money. It’s often used to fund a specific project. You might have a goal, like upgrading your equipment. You can use platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundMe. You tell your viewers about your goal. Then, they can contribute to help you reach it. Some creators offer rewards for different donation levels. Crowdfunding can be a great way to involve your community in your growth.

Exclusive Content

You can offer exclusive content for a fee. This could be unique videos, behind-the-scenes looks, or tutorials. Fans pay to access this content. It’s usually hosted on a separate platform. Patreon is a popular choice for exclusive content. Viewers who want more from you can get it here. It’s a way to deepen the connection with your audience. Plus, it’s a direct way to earn money from your most dedicated fans.

Virtual Gifts

On some platforms, viewers can send you virtual gifts. These are fun, digital items that fans buy with real money. For example, on TikTok, viewers can send you coins. You can turn these virtual gifts into money. It’s a playful way for viewers to show support. It can add an interactive element to your streams. Virtual gifts can be a surprising source of income, especially if you have a lot of engaged viewers.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Working with other creators can help you make money. You can collaborate on content. Or, you can partner with a joint venture. This can attract more viewers. More viewers can mean more income from all the methods we’ve discussed. Collaborations can be with other streamers or brands. It’s important to collaborate with people who share your interests. This keeps your content authentic. Partnerships should be with those who add value to your streams.

How to Be a Successful Streamer

1. choose your platform.

Selecting the right platform is a crucial first step for a streamer. Consider where your potential audience spends their time. Some platforms cater to gaming, while others are better for general content. Research each platform’s features and community. This will help you understand where you can grow your audience best. Make sure the platform aligns with your content style and goals.

2. Set a Stream Schedule

Consistency is key in live streaming. Set a schedule and stick to it. This lets your audience know when to tune in. A regular schedule builds a routine for both you and your viewers. It also shows commitment. Be realistic about how often you can stream. Share your schedule on your channel and social media.

3. Invest in Quality Equipment

Good equipment can improve the quality of your stream. Viewers prefer clear video and audio. Start with a good microphone and camera. As you grow, invest in better lighting and a reliable computer. High-quality equipment helps you stand out. It also makes the streaming experience better for your audience.

4. Master Your Communication Skills

Being able to communicate well is vital. You must talk to your audience and keep them engaged. Practice speaking clearly and confidently. Learn to tell stories and share experiences. Good communication keeps viewers coming back. It also helps in building a community around your stream.

5. Find Your Niche

Your niche is what sets you apart. It’s the specific content you’re passionate about. It could be a game, a hobby, or a topic. Your niche should be something you’re knowledgeable and enthusiastic about. This passion will show in your streams. It will attract viewers who share your interests.

6. Promote Your Stream

Promotion helps more people find your stream. Use social media to share when you’re going live. Create engaging posts that encourage people to watch. Collaborate with other streamers to reach new audiences. Participate in community events. Promotion is an ongoing process. It’s essential for growth.

7. Learn from Successful Streamers

Watch and learn from streamers who have succeeded. Note what they do well. Observe how they engage their audience. Study their streaming schedule and how they promote their streams. Don’t copy them, but learn strategies that could work for you. Adapt these strategies to fit your style.

8. Engage with Viewers

Interaction makes your stream more personal. Respond to comments and questions. Acknowledge viewers by name. Create interactive segments in your stream. This could be Q&A sessions or viewer polls. Engagement builds a connection with your audience. It makes them feel valued.

9. Be Authentic

Authenticity is attractive to viewers. Be yourself on stream. Share your true thoughts and feelings. Viewers can tell when you’re not being genuine. Authenticity helps build trust with your audience. It also makes your content more relatable.

10. Monetization Strategies

There are several ways to make money streaming. You can use ads, sponsorships, or subscriptions. You can also receive donations from viewers. Choose monetization methods that work for you and your audience. Be transparent about monetization with your viewers.

11. Learn from Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is learning from them. Analyze what went wrong. Make changes to improve. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Mistakes are opportunities to grow. They help you become a better streamer.

12. Stay Positive and Patient

Success in streaming only happens after a while. Stay positive even when growth is slow. Be patient and keep working on your channel. Celebrate small victories. A positive attitude will help you overcome challenges. It also makes your stream more enjoyable for viewers.

13. Have Fun!

Streaming should be enjoyable. Have fun with it. When you’re having a good time, your viewers will too. Fun streams are more engaging. They can turn viewers into loyal fans. Enjoy the process of creating and sharing content.

Live streaming has revolutionized how we connect and share experiences in real-time. Whether you’re a content creator looking to engage with a global audience or a business aiming to expand your reach, live streaming offers endless opportunities. Having the right platform is key to truly harnessing the power of live streaming. Castr stands out as a robust and user-friendly video hosting service that simplifies the complexities of streaming. With its array of features tailored to enhance your live-streaming experience, Castr is the perfect partner to help you grow your audience and monetize your content. Don’t wait to tap into the potential of live streaming. Try Castr today and take the first step towards transforming your streaming journey.

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Live-Streaming for Business: How, When, and Why You Should Use It

Live-streaming is one of the best ways to reach your target audience, as well as engage with additional people who only recently discovered your company.

Jonha richman, share article.

Technology has taken over the art of communication. The first television was invented in 1927 ; today, it’s possible to watch a live event on a palm-sized device using the internet. In a study done by Livestream, 81 percent of audiences watched more live videos in 2016 than in 2015. Additionally, more than 80 percent of respondents now prefer live videos over blog content and social media posts.

You no longer need a fancy satellite and heavy television set in order to watch a live event on the other side of the world. With live-streaming being so accessible, anyone with access to a mobile device and the internet can go to YouTube, Facebook, or a number of other sites and enjoy a live video. This technological advancement enables companies to reach a huge audience base around the world, improve exposure, and boost sales. In this article we’ll cover why you should use live-streaming, and when and how you should use it.

Why Use Live-Streaming for Marketing?

It Encourages Trust and Transparency

People prefer to buy from brands they trust. Customers generally associate trustworthiness with quality and excellent service. One way to build trust with your audience is by creating a live video to showcase company transparency.

A stellar example of using video to portray transparency is Patagonia and its “ Footprint Chronicles ” project. In this video series, they showcase each step of the supply chain process. If any part of the manufacturing process needs to or could improve, Patagonia openly admits to it directly and invites feedback and ideas from customers.

Your company can follow Patagonia’s example. Use live-streaming to show candid moments and processes, or other ways you can magnify your company’s transparency to audiences outside of your consumer base. When you share your stream on social media, your posts could earn positive comments or a lot of likes, both of which further the impression of a trustworthy brand.

It is Cost Effective

One of the best aspects about live-streaming is that it’s cost effective. Before it was invented, most businesses relied on television and broadcasting to showcase live reports or videos. This was, of course, costly: Estimates for a one-minute commercial aired on television in Los Angeles, for example, is roughly $17,000 .

Today, any business with a strong internet, a high-definition camera, and a social media account can broadcast live. Many popular sites, like YouTube and Facebook, allow users to broadcast live for free, though there will likely be advertisements. For companies wanting a more professional investment in live-streaming, services run a few hundred dollars per month depending on the level of service.

It Encourages Engagement

Because of social media, it’s easy for companies to get feedback from customers and fans through likes, favorites, and comments, especially on your live-streaming video. Facebook reported that “people comment more than 10 times more on Facebook Live videos than on regular videos.” Dunkin Donuts saw massive success with its first live video on Facebook: “It generated nearly 40,000 views and more than 5,000 interactions on social media.”

It Can be Shared Easily

Recent data gives estimates of 1.65 billion active social media users worldwide. About 95 percent of active social media users ages 18 to 34 follow a brand with a social media account. With live-streaming, you can reach out to and engage your customers. Take Buzzfeed for example: This website actively makes use of Facebook Live to promote its news.

Social media makes up a majority of digital marketing campaigns, especially because it allows for easy sharing. It’s all about quick, repeated exposure to both your audience and people who are similar to the members of your primary audience. Facebook helps live videos see more exposure by showing when a user’s friend reacts to or makes a comment on a stream, as well as by suggesting live-streams. Furthermore, once the live-stream has concluded, the broadcaster can save the video and post it to their Facebook page.

One company hosted a small live-streamed event: Twenty people watched. Then they posted the video to their page and asked viewers to share the video, and 16 did. Thanks to the shares, “the live stream had a total reach of over 3,000 people and over 800 views.” Use the sharing options on social media, ask your followers to share, and you can use your live-stream to help expand your audience.

It is Entertaining for Viewers

There’s something about a live-stream that people enjoy. It makes them feel like they are in the middle of the action and part of an active, engaged audience. From exotic animals giving birth to sports events, concerts, interviews, and special events, live-streaming allows your viewers to feel like they’re in on the action. Viewers can feel a sense of camaraderie , especially in the comments section, and get in on the action with contests, polls, and when their comments and questions are acknowledged by the presenters.

The Best Situations for Live-Stream Videos

Customer Service

One of the best ways to use live-streaming is to help solve customer concerns . SocialMediaToday recommends making appointments with customers and walking them through a process or demonstrating a product or service. You can also beta test new offerings live to a pre-selected group of customers, who can give your reps immediate feedback. Using live video for customer service makes your customers’ lives easier and can also give them a good impression of your brand. The more personal the interactions your customer service representatives have with the people they serve, the better.

Updates, Announcements, or Demonstrations

If you want to introduce a new product or announce breaking news about your company’s future, there is no better way than doing it via live-stream. This encourages real time engagement with customers and future prospects. Give regular customers or subscribers exclusive access to live-streamed videos of your event before the general public in order to solidify the connection and demonstrate appreciation, as well as adding incentive for viewers to tune in. Furthermore, live-streaming is great when you can give demonstrations of your products and services. For example, demoing a product allows the audience a quick and visual understanding of how to properly use it, having viewers respond gets their questions answered instantly.

Live Events

The most common type of live streaming is during events. Show your viewers what is happening and give them a preview of the topics that are being covered. A common practice for conferences is to record speakers, presentations, or anything of relevance to the audience. Combine this with live-streaming and connect the video to social media so viewers feel like they are there in person.

Concerts are another event that practices live-streaming. Coachella, for example, allows you to feel like you are in the middle of the action. Live-streaming helps your brand get exposure without sounding like an advertisement, which is more likely to earn engagement and shares from your viewers.

Behind the Scenes

What’s it like to work for your company? How is your product made? What’s your process for designing packaging for a new product? Live-streaming works as a great introduction to the behind-the-scenes action at your company. This type of video enhances your brand’s trust and transparency with customers.

The Grammy Awards hosted a behind-the-scenes stream to massive success: It lasted nine hours and reached 7 million view sessions. For an event this large, it took 100 people to make the live-stream happen. However, it’s important to ensure your live video doesn’t introduce your viewers to any company secrets or compromise your relationship with vendors. A professional football player used Facebook Live to share his team’s excitement after a victory, only to incur a fine after finding out he’d violated the NFL’s social media policy.

How To Use Live-Streaming in Your Marketing

Always Have a Plan—And Back-Up Plans

As a part of your marketing plan , create a strategy for your live-streaming campaign. It should feel impromptu: The less staged a video, the more appealing for the viewers. When you film, keep everything natural. It also pays to be flexible with your plans. Spontaneity is a big factor when live-streaming, so if an unexpected event occurs, welcome it! Doing so humanizes your brand and makes you more relatable.

Connect with Influencers

Live-streaming better connects viewers to the influencers or personalities who represent the brand. Tough Mudder , a company that promotes sports and extreme races, live-streamed a training event with fitness expert Coach T. Mud. Those who knew about Coach T. Mud were able to connect with him and feel like an active participant. Additionally, introducing a larger audience to Coach T. Mud was a great way to get people to participate in a race because it featured an actual personality to embody the brand.

Live-streaming is one of the best ways to reach your target audience, as well as engage with additional people who only recently discovered your company. Through these interactive videos, it’s possible for you to break the barrier between your brand and its customers by allowing them to have an avenue where they can see a more human side to your business. When you create your marketing plan, be sure to consider using live-streaming as one of your strategies.

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Series Streaming Platform Business Plan

Series streaming platform business plan presentation, free google slides theme and powerpoint template.

Heat up the streaming wars with this business plan template for a new platform! Get ready to persuade investors thanks to its minimalist style. With this presentation you'll be able to address all the basics you need to make sure your proposal is persuasive and looks professional and great. Because streaming is all about visuals, and you need to show that you have great visual taste, so be ready to get some subscribers and keep creating content!

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
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• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the free resources used

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Free trial details

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• Plan Pricing

What comes with a subscription?

How to get a hulu + live tv free trial.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Good news, cord-cutters: Hulu + Live TV now offers a free trial for its streaming bundle. You can try the ad-supported tier for three days to see if it's worth the monthly fee.

• Check out the free trial at Hulu

The bundle has become one of the most competitive live TV options available amongst the best live TV streaming services . In an age when more and more people are cutting the cord and looking for cable alternatives, Hulu's live package has risen to the top of the pack based on the sheer number of perks that come with a subscription. Subscribers get access to over 90 live TV channels, as well as ESPN+, Disney+, and regular Hulu.

We'll explain everything you need to know about Hulu + Live TV, including free trial details, pricing, plan comparison, and what a subscription includes.

In a rare move, Hulu has made its Hulu + Live TV streaming bundle available to try for free for three days. In addition to more than 90 live TV channels, this ad-supported plan comes with ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu's on-demand catalog.

The free trial lasts for three days. Hulu + Live TV requires your payment info, but you won't be charged until the three-day trial ends. Once the trial ends, you'll be automatically charged $76.99 for your first month. If you don't want to get charged, you must cancel the subscription before the three days are over. 

Who's eligible?

The free trial is available to new users and some returning subscribers. If you canceled your Hulu subscription over a year ago, you can sign up again and get the free trial. 

Plan pricing

Hulu + Live TV plans start at $76.99 a month for the ad-supported tier. Users can upgrade to a "no ads" plan for $89.99 a month, which grants access to ad-free versions of Disney+ and regular Hulu. With this plan, ESPN+ and the live TV channels will still be ad-supported. For a full breakdown of plans and prices, check out our Hulu + Live TV guide .

As mentioned above, subscribers get access to ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu, and over 90 live TV channels. This means that you can catch the latest episodes of The Bear, the newest Marvel series, and live baseball games all under one subscription. Exact channel availability varies from region to region (you can double-check what you're getting when you input your zip code), but most subscriptions come with everything from CNN to TNT to the NFL Network. Our Hulu + Live TV channels guide has a lengthy roundup of the networks you can expect to find with a subscription. We've also compared alternative options that we've tested ourselves in our roundup of the best live TV streaming services .

If you're interested in trying out Hulu + Live TV and qualify for the free trial, head over to the Hulu website to sign up for the free three-day trial. If you realize that it's not for you, you just need to cancel before the three-day trial period is over, and you won't have to pay a thing.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

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The Best Streaming Services in 2024

After testing almost every streaming service out there, we hand-picked the best ones for this list.

*Last updated 3/18/24

Finding the right streaming service can be overwhelming, especially when certain content is exclusive to one platform. If you’re wondering where you might fit a streaming subscription into your budget and want a quality entertainment experience in return, we’re here to provide guidance. We’ve reviewed every major and minor streaming platform available and picked the top streaming platforms below to help you decide which one is the best choice for you.

• Apple TV Plus
• Paramount Plus
• Amazon Prime Video

Best for Bundled Services

Price Range: $7.99 – $24.99 per month

Simultaneous Device Streams: 2

Free Trial: 30 days

• Access to on-demand content
• Disney Plus and ESPN Plus included with bundle
• Huge library of licensed and original content and anime from Crunchyroll
• Hulu Originals
• Cheapest plan includes ads
• Only two simultaneous streams

Hulu is the best all-around service because it includes all of Hulu’s original and licensed content, as well as access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. That means you can watch live sports, Marvel series from Disney Plus, and select Crunchyroll anime titles all with one subscription. While the price can seem like a lot compared to other streamers, Hulu does provide enough content to be worth the price of admission.

Editor’s Note: Don’t confuse Hulu for its live TV service, though! We’re only covering on-demand streaming services here.

Read our Hulu review .

Best for Premium Content

Price Range: $9.99 per month

Simultaneous Device Streams: 6

Free Trial: 7 days

• Share one subscription with five people
• 3 months free with Apple device purchase
• 4K HDR and spatial audio included
• Access to premium TV shows and MLS
• Smaller on-demand library
• Only one plan available

Apple TV Plus is one of the newer entrants into the crowded streaming space, but it’s already made a name for itself with series like “For All Mankind” and “Severance.” An Apple TV Plus subscription is perfect for the passionate soccer fan, as it provides a significant discount on the MLS Season Pass , which is only available to stream from the Apple TV app. With support for premium features such as Ultra HD and spatial audio, Apple TV Plus is for those who like to enjoy content in as high a resolution as possible.

Read our Apple TV Plus review .

Get Apple TV Plus →

Best On-Demand Library

Price Range: $6.99 – $22.99 per month

Simultaneous Device Streams: 2 – 4

Free Trial: None

• Largest on-demand library
• Smart recommendation feature
• Ultra HD (4K) support
• Offline viewing
• Constant price hikes
• No password sharing

While Netflix isn’t as invested in creating premium original content as before, there are still plenty of reasons to subscribe to the streaming giant. Netflix has been stockpiling its content reserves with licensed content, making it possible to enjoy shows and movies other than Netflix originals. Despite the streamer raising prices and cracking down on password sharing, you can’t deny that Netflix’s sheer variety of content will keep you from getting bored.

Read our Netflix review .

Get Netflix →

Best for Network TV and Live Sports

Price Range: $5.99 – $11.99 per month

Simultaneous Device Streams: 3

• Access to NBC and Bravo shows
• 50 always-on channels
• Watch Premier League live or on-demand
• Growing list of original and licensed content
• On-demand titles come and go
• Meager selection of 4K content

Peacock is more niche than the other entries above since most content is pulled from NBC archives. That said, it’s a strong archive. The ability to watch “The Office,” “Parks & Rec,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “Superstore” is worth the subscription. Whether you’re a fan of these classic sitcoms or not, Peacock’s original content is still growing. Series such as “Poker Face,” “Killing It,” and “Bupkis” are entertaining enough for those looking for something new. It’s also the best place to watch Premier League games.

Read our Peacock review .

Get Peacock →

Best for Newly Released Movies

• Latest theatrical releases
• Full UEFA Champions League coverage
• Premium plan includes SHOWTIME
• Lack of original content

Although every “Star Trek” series and film is available on Paramount Plus, that’s not the only reason to subscribe to this streamer. Paramount Plus is one of the best places to watch soccer, with access to the greatest soccer competition on Earth besides the World Cup: the UEFA Champions League. It’s also one of the few streamers to get first dibs on theatrical releases. Another reason is Taylor Sheridan’s deal with Paramount Plus, a partnership that’s brought series like “Tulsa King,” “1883,” “1923,” and “Special Ops: Lioness” to fruition.

Read our Paramount Plus review .

Get Paramount Plus →

Best for Exclusive Content

Price Range: $8.99 – $14.99 per month

• Included with Amazon Prime subscription
• Live Thursday Night Football games
• Premium original content
• Rent or purchase movies and TV shows
• Ad-free is an additional $2.99 per month
• On-demand library is middling

Most people forget they have Amazon Prime Video because it’s included as part of their Prime subscription. While it’s not home to the greatest selection of content, original or otherwise, it’s decently stocked with series like “The Boys,” “Invincible,” “Fleabag,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “Gen V,” “The Wheel of Time,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” and others. For fans of the NFL, Amazon Prime Video is the only place to watch Thursday Night Football .

Read our Amazon Prime Video review .

Get Amazon Prime Video →

Best for Warner Bros. Properties

Price Range: $9.99 – $19.99 per month

• Ultra HD (4K) support with top plan
• Premium selection of licensed and original content
• DC and Studio Ghibli films
• Curated content has gone by the wayside
• Troubling pattern of removing original content

Now just Max (rebranded from HBO Max), this streamer has gone through it in the last few years. Despite shedding some original series, Max has a sizable library of films, series, and animated content. For fans of DC, there’s no better place to catch up on live-action and animated projects starring DC’s wide cast of characters and villains. While Max is still behind other streamers in regards to live sports, sports fans can add B/R Sports at an extra cost to watch NBA, NHL, NCAA March Madness , and MLB games.

Read our Max review .

Best for Watching New and Classic Films

Price Range: $10.99 – $11.99 per month

• Award-winning shows and movies
• Newly released movies
• Offline viewing via Paramount Plus plan
• Pricer than other streamers

From newly released films to premium TV series like “Yellowjackets” and “The Curse,” SHOWTIME has something captivating to watch for everyone. For those who want to beef up their current subscription to Hulu or Apple TV Plus, selecting SHOWTIME as an add-on is a great way to do just that. For those interested in what Paramount Plus has to offer, it’s possible to access SHOWTIME with a premium subscription for $11.99 per month.

Read our SHOWTIME review .

Get SHOWTIME →

Best for National and Regional Sports

Price Range: $10.99 – $14.99 per month

• Live and on-demand access to most domestic major sports leagues
• Affordable when bundled with Hulu and Disney Plus
• Access to international soccer leagues
• Only place to watch Formula 1 without an F1 TV subscription
• Some live sports require a live TV subscription
• Limited and inconsistent Ultra HD (4K) support

While more streamers are adding live sports options to their catalog, ESPN Plus is still a hub for all things sports. When bundled with Hulu and Disney Plus, the cost of ESPN Plus is affordable, making it easier than ever to catch up on everything from college football to Formula 1. Besides live and on-demand sports coverage, ESPN Plus has a library of sports documentaries and series that will keep sports fans entertained even when there’s no game to watch.

Read our ESPN Plus review .

Get ESPN Plus →

Best for Free Movies

Price Range: $0.00 per month

Simultaneous Device Streams: N/A

Free Trial: N/A

• Varied selection of TV shows and movies
• Available to stream from most devices
• No option to remove ads
• Content can be hit-or-miss

Tubi is free. You sign up and it remains free no matter how often you use it. The catch is there are nonremovable ads — they have to make money somehow. But, according to Tubi, there are fewer ads on the streamer than on cable TV. Surprisingly, Tubi has a decent selection of TV shows and movies. You might have to look deeper to find something that you like, but it’s worth it. Remember, it’s completely free!

Read our Tubi review .

For a bird’s-eye-view of the best streaming services, take a look at the chart below.

While we couldn’t include every streaming service on our list, there are a few that deserve an honorable mention, like the ones below:

• Crunchyroll : This is the best streaming platform for anime fans, with the biggest selection of anime in the U.S.
• F1 TV: Motorsport fans can watch live Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3 events, with access to a huge archive of races that goes back decades. 
• Disney Plus : For fans of Marvel, “Star Wars,” and Disney characters, Disney Plus is the top choice. 
• The Criterion Channel: This streamer is a go-to for film buffs, with a rotating selection of classic and independent films that are hard to find elsewhere. 
• PBS : This is for the history fans out there — all the Ken Burns documentaries are available to stream. 

At CordCutting.com, we’ve spent more than 100 hours reviewing every streaming platform available. Across the team, we’ve also watched thousands of on-demand content across different streamers to determine which provides the most value for your money. The top 10 streamers above are based on the selection of content, price, features, and availability.

You can also watch our videos for hands-on reviews of the streaming services mentioned.

How do I choose which streaming service is best for me?

It depends on the type of content you’re interested in and what your budget is. If you want a large library of content, Netflix and Max — both of which offer affordable ad-supported plans — are two great options. However, if you want to also watch live TV and sports, Peacock might be a better pick.

What’s the difference between streaming services and live TV streaming?

A streaming service offers a library of original and licensed content that’s available to watch on-demand. A live TV streaming service is similar to traditional cable, as it offers access to various live channels, which may sometimes be available on-demand. Peacock is one service that includes both.

What’s the cheapest streaming service?

Tubi is the cheapest streaming service because it’s free to watch. As for affordable options, Netflix, Max, Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount Plus all offer ad-supported plans.

What device do I need to watch streaming services?

Most streaming services, even Apple TV Plus, are available on most streaming devices , phones, tablets, and TVs. If you don’t have a smart TV, a streaming device such as an Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, or Roku can provide access to streaming platforms.

What’s the best streaming service if I travel frequently?

If you travel often and don’t always have access to high-speed internet to stream, then services such as Netflix, Max, and Paramount Plus are good options because they allow users to download content for offline viewing. Keep in mind that offline viewing is typically offered as part of more premium plans, which cost more.

USPS commits to rerouting Reno-area mail despite bipartisan pushback and mail ballot concerns

The USPS announced on Tuesday it will continue with its plan to reroute Reno-area mail processing to Sacramento, a move that drew bipartisan ire from Nevada lawmakers while raising questions about the rate at which mail ballots can be processed in a po...

LAS VEGAS -- The USPS announced on Tuesday it will follow through with its plan to reroute Reno-area mail processing to Sacramento, a move that drew bipartisan ire from Nevada lawmakers while raising questions about the rate at which mail ballots can be processed in a populous part of a crucial swing state.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has cast the permanent measure as a cost saving move, but federal, state and local lawmakers have complained about a lack of transparency in the process that could slow mail throughout the region.

Under the plan, all mail from the Reno area will pass through Sacramento before reaching its destination — even from one side of the city to the other.

Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, the state’s top election official, previously said moving operations could slow the processing of mail ballots, and “has the potential to disenfranchise thousands of Nevada voters and would unquestionably impact the results of Nevada’s elections.”

In the Tuesday statement, the USPS said “the business case” supported moving the processes to California, because most of the mail processed in Reno is destined elsewhere. The Reno facility will stay open as an area that prepares mail before it’s sent out. USPS will invest $13.4 million in the facility, mostly for renovations, per the agency.

“This plan for the Reno facility will help USPS achieve the core goals of our Delivering for America plan: financial sustainability for our organization and improved service reliability for our customers,” spokesperson Rod Spurgeon said in an emailed statement.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, who opposes the restructuring, previously told reporters that USPS officials indicated their tentative plan was to begin the rerouting in January, after the 2024 election. But in a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press, Spurgeon said there is no set date for implementation.

Lawmakers have expressed concerns that mail service can be caught in traffic delays even in the best of weather by the hour-long round trip drive over the Sierra Nevada, which lies between Reno and Sacramento. The area is also known for harsh blizzards throughout much of the year, including one in March that dumped up to 10 feet of snow and provided ammo for critics of the move.

Northern Nevada’s congressional delegation — which includes Rosen, Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei — sent a letter to USPS opposing the move and have long spoken out against it.

Other opposition came from Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and the Washoe County Commission, which includes Reno.

In a statement following the announcement, Rosen said she was “outraged that out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats think they know what’s best for our state.”

“Let me be absolutely clear: this fight is not over,” she said in the statement. “As a member of the committee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service, I will continue to fight against this ill-advised decision and explore all available options to prevent it from being implemented.”

Lombardo said his administration, along with Nevada’s congressional delegation, will “continue to fight against mismanagement in Washington for timely and efficient mail services for Nevadans.”

Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Follow Stern on X, formerly Twitter: @gabestern326.

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