Some Actionable Tips to Improve Your Live Streaming Quality

A picture can say more than a thousand words! In today’s digitalized world, images or videos are more likely to be remembered or preferred in comparison to text or words. You see scientifically the human brain tends to encode images dually whereas when it comes to the text, that’s certainly not the case. In other words, if you see some image or a video you are more likely to remember it in both ways in the form of a picture as well as a word. 

And maybe that’s the reason why more and more businesses have started incorporating lots and lots of videos to strengthen their online presence. Not to mention, streaming does give a quick boost in popularity and engagement. 

Right from providing relevant product-related information to your customers to conducting training sessions, introducing or launching new product campaigns, and business updates, a short video can get you covered significantly. So what’s the issue? Well, creating such videos can be pretty daunting, and tiresome especially if you are a non-techie. 

Fret not, the following post can give you pretty actionable insights into how to enhance your live streaming quality on your website and give a cutting-edge over your competitors. However, first and foremost, you need to understand what Live streaming is and why all of a sudden people are gushing about the concept.

Live Streaming - What and Why!

Many of you, especially the non-techies, believe that live streaming is mainly for entertainment purposes. Well, what you might not know is that it is one of the best methods for transferring data via the internet. Live streaming is when the video is recorded as well as watched in real-time. Unlike the ones before, where people record the video then store and then upload it. Everything right from TV broadcasts, Video streaming games, and social media videos can be live streamed. Some of the most popular and known live-streaming applications include Skype, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts. Some precious stats and figures to consider:

• The online platform industry is exploding by 8% and more
• The live Streaming industry is about to cross $247 billion 
• ¾ internet users watch online content on a daily basis
• Video content increases revenue by 49% and more 
• Multistreaming is the game changer for 2023

First and foremost, one needs to understand the working of live streaming. It starts with the capturing of raw video data through a camera of a device, be it a computer, laptop or tablet or even a mobile device. Then the video is compressed and encoded. In simple words, compression means you are adding furniture to your existing living space. Now here you don’t have to change everything again and again. You can create a basic layout and then keep changing one piece at a time. Similarly, every frame is not supposed to be rendered, but rather a few parts of it. 

Then the encoding is done, i.e. converting into different files such as H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1 and so more. Earlier what happened was longer videos took ample of time to download and share. Streaming videos are generally divided into small segments which take a few seconds. Next comes CDN, this one is basically a distributed network of servers that cache on behalf of the original one. CDN also tends to save the live-stream video so that users can find the video from the cache. 

Lastly, each device decodes and decompresses the video on a dedicated app or player. So you can sit back and enjoy the video play. Some of the most interesting things that can be done using live streaming include: 

• Virtual events
• Online education, training classes
• Sports Coverage
• Concert Streaming
• Marketing
• Church Service Streaming 
• Local Government Project Streaming 

It may quite interest you to know that live video tends to hold the attention of customers as much as 20 times longer than on-demand content. Well, to make things better and amazing, I would shed some light on some of the best tips and tricks to keep in mind when working on live-streaming videos. 

Actionable Insights to Consider For Enhancing Live Streaming Quality and Performance of your Online Presence

#1 High-Quality Equipment is a must!

Though this tip might seem costly in the beginning but trust me it can be quite beneficial and cost-effective. All you have to do is think of the bigger picture. The streaming equipment has the potential to make or break your situation. You see producing high-quality content for your viewers means you are keeping them in high esteem. Try opting for full HD or 4K cameras, and better editing equipment or softwares. You see if the video is originally recorded of poor quality then nothing much can be done about it but if the video is captured in high-quality then you can engage your customers right away. 

As per the settings are concerned. 

#2 Professional Online Platform

Another interesting hack that must be taken into account is using a professional online platform. Yes, it is pretty important to choose the right platform since this will be your base or fundamental thing that assists you in managing and hosting the video content. Some of the best ways to maintain high-quality streams include: 

• CDN - CDN basically stands for content deliver network where basically these online video platforms tend to distribute the content. 
• Resolution - Another aspect is to look around for OVPs that allow you to broadcast in 1080p HD. 
• Support and maintenance - Lastly, of course, 24/7 support is important. In case, there is an issue, you can find someone who can troubleshoot your live stream problem right then and there. 

In addition, you need the best and most trusted internet connection. Of course, broadcasting streaming videos is no child’s play. You need a strong internet connection that offers relevant speed as well. To check the internet speed, you can conduct different speed tests. Further, I would like to mention some tips on how to enhance the internet connection. 

• Use wired ethernet connection
• If using Wi-Fi, move close to the router
• Close unnecessary web browsers and applications
• Remove other devices, basically you have free your device up 
• If nothing works, you need to purchase a faster internet plan. 

#3 Conduct Dry Runs 

Last but certainly not least is to conduct dry runs. Now let’s say there are two sisters Sonia and Tanya, both are of the same age, and height but with different complexion. So it’s not necessary that if one dress looks nice on Sonia, it might work for Tanya as well. Similarly, when it comes to video streaming what had worked for your competitor might not work for you. So you have to keep doing the trial and error method and see what actually works for you. Keep on testing it again and again and make sure you do it in different settings. 

In addition to all these, you should also consider some of the biggest mistakes individuals make especially when it comes to live streaming. After all, it’s way better to be safe than sorry. 

Final Thoughts

Live streaming videos can be your trump card, especially in today’s cut-throat competitive times. So one should never take this lightly. I hope you did find the following post worth reading. The key is to try and try with different settings and equipment and see what really works for you. So what are you sitting tight for? It’s time to communicate with your audiences in a better and more effective manner. So that’s all for now! In case, if there is something you would like to add, feel free to reach out in the comment section below.