Live streaming is everywhere. Brands are live streaming product launches, Q & A’s, contest reveals, and so much more. So, why is live streaming so popular? People love watching live streams. It makes them feel more connected with the brand because it is personal. It’s easy for people to tune into a live stream and type in a question. It creates a bond between them and the brand. It’s also easy for a brand to host a live stream. It doesn’t need any editing like a video does, it’s a great way to get engagement and there are tons of affordable software for live streaming to make it easier for any type of brand. 

To get you started on your quest to find affordable software for live streaming, we’ve collected 13 paid and free tools that your business can use to host and broadcast your event online.

Software for Live Streaming

The below tools and software (presented in alphabetical order) were chosen based on their free tier offers, paired with their ability to work on multiple platforms, such as mobile and desktop. Let’s get into it! 

Brightcove

This live streaming platform is commonly used by mid sized business owners as well as by large enterprises. Brightcove extends its support to mobile web applications, iPhone as well as iPad.

Key Facts:

  • It offers awesome video management tools with video marketing options.
  • It can hold a huge video library online which includes social media sharing features.
  • You are able to access more than 100 templates, playlists and import video options.
  • Pricing starts at $99.00/month.

Facebook Live

Facebook is great at finding new ways to keep us connected at all hours of the day. One recent development is its live stream functionality. Using Facebook Live, you can share what is happening in the moment it’s happening.

Facebook Live allows you to not only host pages but also host attendees and fans who go live at your event and broadcast their individual experience straight from their mobile devices. The tool lets you choose your audience, receive real-time feedback in the comments section of your stream, and track how many viewers your live stream brought in at various points.

Facebook Live is an easy to use live streaming tool that is great for event planners looking to jump right into streaming without the complexities of traditional live streaming platforms.

Instagram Live

Instagram Live is a feature on Instagram Stories that allows users to stream video to followers and engage with them in real-time. When users broadcast live video streams on their accounts, a ring highlights their profile picture in Instagram Stories to alert followers that they can view the live stream. People can add comments, ask questions, and join your Live. It lasts for 24 hours on your stories and you can also download it to add to YouTube, or to post on IGTV. Instagram Live also allows you to go live with another person so it is great for doing interviews or collaborating with other brands or individuals. Check out this blog to learn how to go live on Instagram. 

IRIS (Bambuser)

Bumbuser helps users to live stream all impressive videos directly from their DV camera, Computer’s webcam and mobile phone. IRIS can be used to live stream videos directly to Myspace, WordPress, Twitter, and Facebook, etc.

Key Facts:

  • It allows users to live stream all events for free and this free service is completely social media-friendly.
  • You will be able to get integrated online storage, sharing buttons and geotagging with this platform.

Live

Live is a live streaming app that works on Windows and Mac computers, iOS devices, and internet-capable cameras (including GoPro). This app lets users run simultaneous streaming sessions; you can host a Facebook Live session and YouTube stream at the same time through a central dashboard, making it easier to reach multiple audiences concurrently.

So far, Facebook and YouTube live streaming are offered for free. Live’s simultaneous streaming feature is offered for a one-time $9.99 payment.

This tool is great for businesses looking to broadcast their event over multiple channels through a single program, rather than managing multiple live stream services.

Livestream

Livestream is a widely used live streaming platform that can accept inputs from cameras, smartphones, webcams, and camcorders. This platform offers a large variety of media players, video tools, sharing features and embedding options so that you can easily stay connected to your potential audience.

Key Facts:

  • Livestream offers a perfect solution for software, hardware, and production products so that end to end communication can be achieved.
  • Users can easily upload videos directly from their iPad or iPhone to all popular websites like Twitter and Facebook etc.
  • There is a chat option to easily boost engagement.
  • You can subscribe to a basic plan for $42/month.

Periscope

If you are looking for a live streaming application that is perfectly integrated with Twitter, Periscope is your friend. Periscope is loved by users for its intuitive interface and video replay feature.

Key Facts

  • Once you go live then you will start receiving notifications about followers, comments and new joining.
  • You can set video replay settings for all your broadcasted videos so that viewers can enjoy them later.
  • You can access replays continuously for 24 hours and can delete them anytime.
  • Users are able to broadcast videos to the targeted audience as well as on Twitter.
  • It is available for free.

Twitch

It is a popular live streaming platform as well as an on-demand video platform that assists users to watch anything they like directly from their console and PC. It provides access to all-powerful platforms for the fastest live streaming. Twitch is most popular among gamers, but recently more non gaming brands have been using twitch to broaden their live streaming network.

Key Facts:

  • It is rated as an interactive live streaming platform that offers amazing services.
  • The basic account is available for free and it can be created directly from Facebook.
  • For the turbo account, you need to pay $4.99 every month.
  • Users will be able to enjoy the ad-free experience on this platform.

USTREAM:

This platform allows users to broadcast their live events as well as shows online. There are a multitude of social media buttons that can easily be accessed for fast interfacing and make video sharing much simpler. You can watch as well as search for any video content online using this tool even without login.

Key Facts:

  • It is popularly used by marketers, teams, and broadcasters.
  • It hosts more than 2 million videos live per month and the list also includes some big names like BusinessBlueprint.com and NASATV.
  • Users can add graphics, guests, and presentations without facing any complexity over the interface.
  • You are able to get impressive online support for all troubles which stay available 24×7 hours.
  • The paid plan starts with a payment of $99/month.

XSplit Free

Marketed as broadcasting software for both live streaming video and video gameplay, XSplit is a solid choice for broadcasting your next event.

Although XSplit offers several paid options (with enhanced features such as professional broadcasting tools and custom script plugins), the free option offers everything you need to set up a live HD broadcast in a pinch.

If you ever decide to upgrade, the personal package is $4.95 per month, while the premium package clocks in at $8.95/month.

XSplit is great for event professionals looking for tools and plugins to clean up the audio and video of their live streams.

YouNow

Marketed toward a younger, indie crowd, YouNow is a versatile, free app for your computer, Android, iPhone, iPad, and now-vintage iPod.

Going live on YouNow exposes your event to a younger crowd and lets you add a personal touch by using the handheld broadcasting capabilities on your smartphone or tablet.

Creating and hosting your event broadcast is as simple as creating a searchable hashtag, taking a snapshot, clicking to share, and hitting the “Go Live” button. Another way to think of the service is as video Twitter, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice!

This tool is great for event planners looking to get more viewers because it has easy search capabilities through hashtags as well as versatility with the number of compatible devices.

YouTube Live

YouTube Live is a free tool offered to all Google and YouTube users that allows up to ten broadcasters to participate simultaneously. Once you go live, anyone with the link can view your live stream.

Other features include viewing invitations, chat room capability through live comments, and event scheduling.

This platform is perfect for live stream events looking for a simple setup with a massive audience potential thanks to YouTube’s video streaming market share.

Key Takeaways

These services offer unique benefits and a wide variety of pricing to meet brands demands. If you are just starting to live stream, choosing a free app to get the hang of things will make it easier. But, if you are looking to upgrade your software for live streaming, using a paid app with features that target your needs will really help you boost your live streaming strategy. If you are not already, give live streaming a try. It’s fun, simple and a great way to have a more personal connection with your audience. 

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