Facebook Live vs Youtube Live – Which is Better for Broadcasting?
Video live streams have become a new norm in internet video consumption. Due to this format’s popularity, increasing numbers of platforms offer the capability for live streaming. The global live streaming industry will be worth $416.84 billion by the year 2030
With this, there are now many more platforms on the market, including big names live Facebook Live Video and YouTube Live. They offer stellar services and give producers the ability to live stream instantly. This increases their audience reach and helps them grow. Furthermore, businesses have also been benefiting from live streams. It’s been found that 29% of businesses livestream every day and 53% livestream every week.
In this article, we’re going to compare Facebook Live and YouTube Live. We’re also going to discuss some of their alternatives, including Mslive. Furthermore, we’re going to tell you why it’s a great idea to use a professional video hosting service and the key features to look out for when choosing one.
Table of Contents:
- Facebook live vs YouTube Live
- YouTube Live Streaming
- Zoom vs YouTube Live
- Professional Live Streaming Platforms
- Why Use a Professional Live Streaming Video Host?
- A Comparison of Facebook and YouTube Live Alternatives – Updated for 2024
- Conclusion
About Facebook Live Streaming
Facebook Live was released in April 2016 to give people the opportunity to broadcast live to their Facebook friends. While many people didn’t initially fully understand the need for this new feature, businesses that adopted it realized it was a cost-effective video marketing strategy and were able to create more excitement around their products and services.
Many people use Facebook regularly, so sharing and watching live video content is a natural extension of the service. Some Facebook live streams reach tens or even hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Facebook updated its ranking algorithm to show more live videos on people’s news feeds. But, if you missed a live video from a friend or someone’s page that you follow on Facebook, live videos remain on the account’s wall after the Facebook live-streaming event has finished.
Many people wonder, “Is Facebook Live free?” The good news is that it is free to use Facebook Live. You can go live from an individual page, from a group page, or within an event.
YouTube Live Streaming
Next, we’ll discuss YouTube in the YouTube Live vs Facebook Live debate. This video streaming platform was created in February 2005. The following year Google bought it for $1.65 billion.
YouTube allows users to upload, view, and share digital videos online. While Facebook works to keep people in touch through multiple uploads and content options, YouTube solely focuses on video.
YouTube is probably the first platform people think of when it comes to video content. But, YouTube Live is simply one of the features of the platform.
About YouTube Live
YouTube Live is a live-streaming service that offers an easy way to reach your audience in real time. Whether you’re streaming a video game, hosting a live Q&A, or teaching a class, YouTube Live tools will help you manage your stream and interact with viewers in real time.
As a Facebook Live alternative, the most significant benefit of YouTube Live is that it offers more functionality. The added functionality puts YouTube ahead in the Facebook Live vs. YouTube Live debate. There’s also a creator studio app which allows you to enhance your videos and engage with your audience wherever you are.
How YouTube Live Streaming Works
While YouTube is free, there are several requirements for streaming on the platform.
To live stream on YouTube, you need a few things. While YouTube Live offers more than Facebook Live, it is harder to get started.
First, you need a YouTube/Google account. Second, you need to “verify” your account. Note that if you want to embed your stream on an external site, you need to link an approved AdSense account to your YouTube account. To live stream on YouTube on a mobile device, you must have at least 1,000 subscribers.
Stream Now
Once you have met these qualifications, there are two ways to get started. “Stream now” is a fast and easy way to begin streaming. This method allows you to use your webcam or another connected camera to start a livestream.
Events
Alternatively, “Events” allows you to pre-schedule a live event, invite people in advance, invite guests, and set up backup streams. “Events” also enable you to use higher-quality cameras connected to encoders.
Upload Guidelines and Specs
Here are the YouTube Live video guideline details:
- Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
- Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 (adds padding to videos with other aspect ratios)
- Max file size: 128 GB
- Max video length: 12 hours
- Total file storage: No storage limit
- Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG4, FLV, AVI, Web M, WMV, MPEG-PS, 3GPP
YouTube’s live stream capacity is generous, but you have to meet specific requirements before you can start live streaming.
YouTube Live Pros and Cons
When comparing YouTube Live vs. Facebook Live, YouTube wins out in searchability and live video SEO.
Pro: Live Video SEO
YouTube videos show up in search results. That isn’t the case with videos from Facebook Lives. Since YouTube is a Google-owned business, videos tend to rank relatively high. Even Bing, Yahoo, and other engines rank YouTube Live videos highly in search results.
Pro: Great Search Functionality
Finding videos on YouTube is also easier than on Facebook. The search functionality is much more powerful. In general, YouTube strives to make videos available forever. Facebook content is technically available forever, but it’s strongly biased toward finding of-the-moment material. Hence, the timeline design of the Facebook stories.
Many videos, including live stream recordings, gain significant views after the fact. A live stream can continue to bring in viewers months or even years after it was initially broadcast.
Pro: YouTube Live API
The service also has a YouTube Live API that allows for programmatic access to their live streaming service. This makes it easy to stream live on YouTube while streaming on other services. Users can also integrate apps with YouTube live streams. This allows one to live stream to YouTube and Facebook simultaneously.
Con: Lack of Control of Content
However, there are a few major drawbacks to YouTube Live. First, you give up control of your own content. That means that YouTube has the ability to promote your content within its platform or stifle it. They can use your content for advertising purposes. They can restrict your content and take it down. It is their platform, so you have to play by their rules.
Cons: Advertising
Anytime you broadcast or upload content via YouTube, YouTube gains access to use your material in its own advertising. You don’t control who advertises on your content and have very limited control over when advertisements are shown. This takes away from your ability to create a custom experience for your viewers.
Cons: Blocked Website
Additionally, YouTube is one of the most blocked websites in the world, especially in businesses and schools. Notably, it is fully blocked in China, and has no chance of being used as a live streaming platform in the Chinese market. Attempting to load the Youtube app or website while in mainland China will return an error. Your content isn’t worth anything if your target audience is unable to access it.
This is a big drawback for many users. For example, with a free B2B platform like YouTube Live, you can’t stream live video on your website while maintaining control of your video content and your brand like you can with professional-grade B2B platforms (e.g., Mslive, IBM Cloud Video, etc.). It is also not the best platform to be able to monetize your content, as who is allowed to participate in revenue sharing is mostly dependent on YouTube itself.
Both YouTube and Facebook Lives have their limitations, which is why it may be advisable to consider other platforms when looking for the best live streaming platform for business.
Zoom vs YouTube Live
Before we dive into the different types of video platforms for businesses, we must mention Zoom. Zoom has grown in popularity this year due to the need for video calling while working remotely.
Many businesses and business professionals see Zoom as a way to share videos with an audience. Many yoga and fitness studios have created virtual classes through Zoom live streaming during the COVID-19 virus.
While this is a fantastic way to keep in touch, Zoom is primarily a video conferencing cloud platform for meetings, webinars, and conferences. Those businesses looking to scale an online video content strategy will need other Zoom alternatives than Facebook Live, Youtube Live, or Zoom. They will need a streaming solution that provides them with control over their content.
Conclusion
As we’ve summarized, both Facebook Live and YouTube Live have their pros and cons. We’ve also distilled some of the best alternatives to these two platforms, shedding light on what more is on offer.
Focusing on B2B private streaming platforms, there are some powerful alternatives. With these, businesses and organizations can live broadcast compelling videos. With features such as white labelling, which enables ad-free streaming or monetizing a live video post fit also for a high-quality mobile live stream, these options are well worth a closer look.
If what you need is a professional-grade, feature-rich and flexible live streaming platform, look no further than Mslive. Mslive continues to lead in live streaming and video content. With Mslive, you can live stream, create a video library, enable white labelling and add a monetization paywall for higher quality service and more engagement.
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