livestreams

Livestreams are real-time broadcasts of video and audio delivered over the internet to an audience as the event happens. They differ from on-demand videos by their live nature, though many streams are automatically archived as video-on-demand after ending. Livestreams are used in entertainment, gaming, education, news, events, and business, and are hosted on platforms such as YouTube Live, Twitch, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and enterprise systems. Viewers often participate via chat and live reactions during the broadcast.

Technical workflow: a camera and microphone are captured, encoded into a stream, and sent to an ingest server (often via RTMP). The CDN then distributes the feed to viewers, who watch with adaptive bitrate protocols such as HLS or DASH. Low-latency options like WebRTC or SRT support interactive streams. Popular software tools include OBS, XSplit, and Wirecast.

Features include overlays, live chat, alerts, polls, and moderation. Monetization typically relies on ads, subscriptions, tips, sponsorships, and merchandise. Accessibility can be addressed with captions and transcripts. Because streams occur in real time, copyright and licensing issues may arise when copyrighted material is broadcast; platforms provide guidelines and takedown mechanisms. Effective moderation helps prevent harassment and misinformation.

Platforms vary in terms of policies, monetization, and audience reach, influencing how creators plan content and engage viewers. Technical challenges include bandwidth requirements and reliability. As streaming technology evolves, trends such as low-latency delivery, multi-camera productions, and interactive features expand livestreaming’s roles in education, marketing, entertainment, and events.