Whether it’s a televised global sports event, a late night talk show, or a music festival, the live format has always been popular. In recent years, celebrities, influencers, brands, and even politicians have all started leveraging the unpredictable magic that comes with live broadcasting through streaming on social media.

Despite the phenomenon not being new, it isn’t always clear how to best conduct a live stream. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a guide on how to go live with Detail on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Why you should go live  

Live streaming on social media is one of the most effective ways for businesses, coaches, trainers, creators, and more, to reach a wider audience. Since it’s not included in many marketing strategies across industries, you have an opportunity to get in early and stand out from the crowd. But if that isn’t enough to convince you, here are a few more reasons to give it a try.

Social media algorithms love it

Right now, social media platforms like Facebook prioritize live content in their feeds, which comes as no surprise since live videos lead to discussions amongst viewers, and gain up to six times more interactions than regular posted videos. 

Give your audience what they want

If you thought social platforms loved a good live stream, wait ‘til you find out that 82% of audiences prefer live video over social posts from a brand.

Build relationships

Being able to engage with your audience in real-time helps build trust and relationships. The unrehearsed and raw format of a live comes off as more authentic, and creates a personal connection with your audience. It also creates a sense of immediacy that doesn’t exist around evergreen content that generally leads to more interactions and engagement.

It’s inexpensive

Your audience expectations around quality and production value are often lower so you don’t need a full production studio to go live.

Sure you might want to host the best quality live stream and invest in the best gear, but it’s still cheaper than hosting a live event, and you have the opportunity to widen your reach. 

There’s no long production time

HubSpot found that it takes about two hours to write a 500-word blog post that takes about 3-4 minutes to read. Video marketing coach, Amy Landino, spends four hours from start to finish to complete videos that are only five to ten minutes long. You can literally pick up your phone and go live for 30 minutes, and the production time for that content would still only be 30 minutes.

8 tips to make your live stream better

1. Promote your live stream in advance. Instagram allows you to schedule a live stream and give your followers the option of setting a reminder, and you can add a countdown sticker to your stories. You can also schedule a stream on LinkedIn, Youtube and Facebook to build anticipation. 

   
   

2. Figure out the best time to go live. Showtime is whenever your audience is active online. This will vary depending on your content and industry so it’s worth doing a little research.

   
   

3. Don’t limit yourself to one channel. If you have an audience on both YouTube and Facebook, maximize your reach by going live on both platforms. 

   
   

4. Make sure you’re in a well lit and quiet space so your audience can hear and see you without distractions. Check out some of our previous tips on lighting.

   
   

5. Engage with your audience. After all that’s why they’re here. Host a Q&A, respond to comments, give shoutouts, or ask them questions. 

   
   

6. Invite others to join. Leverage other people's platforms and host a joint live that could help you reach new audiences. 

   
   

7. Save and share your stream on your social media. You can share highlights to promote your other content and give people a sneak peak into what your live streams look like. 

   
   

8. Always do a test run so you can troubleshoot and fix mistakes before you have an actual audience. Audiences might turn off if there are too many technical issues! 

How to go live using Detail iOS or iPadOS

Learn how to start a live stream using just your iPhone with the Detail video app.

Set up your streaming space

Create a suitable environment for streaming:

• Add ambient lights such as Philips Hue for background lighting

• Position a softbox to provide balanced lighting

• Mount your iPhone on a stand for stable video

Open Detail and access streaming settings

1. Launch Detail on your iPhone or iPad

2. Create a new project

3. Tap the Live Streaming button in the top right corner

4. Select your streaming platform: YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, Instagram, Any RTMP-supported platform

Connect your streaming keys

1. Obtain the Stream Key from your chosen platform

2. Enter the Stream Key in Detail's streaming settings

3. Choose the appropriate server location (Amsterdam for European users)

Stream key instructions

Start your live stream

1. Press Go Live after configuring your settings

2. Note that RTMP streaming has a 10-15 second delay

3. Your stream begins broadcasting to your selected platform

Your live stream will not record automatically, and if you want to record your live stream, you can tap the record button.

How to go live with Detail Studio for Mac

Detail Studio makes live streaming as simple as two clicks and helps you create a more dynamic experience for your viewers by letting you add cameras, switch between angles, share your screen, and record your stream in high-quality.

Use Detail Studio as your camera on your favorite streaming platform like Twitch, YouTube Live, or Instagram. As of April 2023, we don't have direct RTMP streaming in the app anymore, but you can select the Detail Camera extension as your camera in any streaming platform and stream and record high quality video.

Setting up your stream in Detail for Mac

Start by connecting your iPhone, iPad or camera, then add each camera or angle you want as a separate Scene.

If you’d like to share a screen or a window during the live stream, you can add these to a Scene, the same way you add a camera. 

You can also customize your Scene with titles, images and filters — perfect if you want to start your stream with a welcome message, or switch to a Scene with titles or text on it while you’re live.

Conclusion

Okay, so now you know how to live stream like a pro and share your story in an exciting way. Going live might not feel natural at first but keep in mind that it is a great way to connect with your audience and strengthen your brand. Download Detail for iOS and iPadOS or Detail Studio and start going live on social media today.