Dive Brief:
- Google is a launching mobile live streaming video offering on YouTube for creators with at least 10,000 subscribers, per a company blog post. The feature will roll out for everyone soon according to the post.
- To start a live stream users just have to open the YouTube app and hit a capture button and mobile streams can be searched for, found via recommendations or playlists, and protected from unauthorized use.
- Another new feature for YouTube creators is Super Chat which lets fans pay to have their messages stand out by appearing in bright colors and pinned to the top of the chat window for up to five hours.
Dive Insight:
The news points to the burgeoning landscape around supporting online influencers, who are attracting large audiences. Marketers' interest in influencers is also growing as they look for ways to engage consumers in more authentic and organic ways, while those who have already taken the plunge are looking to ramp up their investments this year.
YouTube also saw live video postings grow 130% last year while views were up 80%, per a Financial Times report.
Although YouTube has supported live streaming video since 2011, the mobile version of the platform did not have the feature. Over the last year, Facebook has taken hold of the space with its Facebook Live streaming video feature, even surpassing YouTube for live streaming, and its accompanying major marketing push that includes linear TV spots.
In a way YouTube is playing a bit of catch-up, but it’s also telling that the mobile live stream rollout along with the new Super Chat feature is focused on the platform’s creators. They are getting access to mobile live streaming first and Super Chat is a new way to earn revenue from fans.