Dive Brief:
- Facebook has rolled out a number of updates to its API, including two that affect Facebook Live, the social media giant's live streaming video service.
- The update allows Facebook Live broadcasters who use the API to restrict who can view live streams by age, gender and location. Facebook will also allow for continuous live streaming video, a feature that might be valuable for businesses like zoos, aquariums and museums, the company said in a blog post.
- Another important update to the API will allow brands with Pages to access new metrics, including breakdowns by organic/paid, source, time and lifetime user demographics.
Dive Insight:
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have made live video a point of emphasis this year. Consumers are increasingly migrating online to view videos, while mobile devices have enabled users of all stripes to broadcast live from their smartphones.
Facebook has altered its algorithm to make video content more prominent on users’ news feeds, and has been aggressively promoting its Facebook Live streaming video feature. Facebook recently announced the signing of 140 media companies and celebrities to Facebook Live contracts to help seed the new streaming video feature with professional content.
By allowing Facebook Live API users to target viewers, Facebook is giving content providers a higher level of control over their audience. The Graph API update includes the Facebook Live restrictions, the availability of continuous live streaming video, expanded metrics for brand Pages, and improved design of ad placements.
Another change that will be coming soon to Facebook Live? Advertising and monetization capabilities.
“What you can expect us to do over the next couple months is experiment with a lot of different models that are going to be appropriate for certain creators for certain kinds of formats and try to figure out what works, but really explore a variety of things,” Fidji Sim, Facebook’s video product lead, told an audience at VidCon.