YouTube to support live video streaming in its mobile apps

Global video sharing platform has taken the next step to support mobile live streaming feature, embedded into the core YouTube mobile app. Users will just need to hit the big red capture button in the corner, take or select a photo to use as a thumbnail, and they can broadcast live to fans and chat in near real time.

“We’ve been offering live streaming on YouTube since 2011 before it was cool. Millions of people around the world tuned in to watch the Royal Wedding in 2011. One-sixth of the Internet watched Felix Baumgartner leap from space live on YouTube in 2012,” the company said in its blog.

YouTube also claims to be the first ever to broadcast a 360-degree live stream during Coachella. “Over 21 million people tuned in to watch Coachella on YouTube this year,” the blog post states.

YouTube is launching the feature today at VidCon with five selected publishers—The Young Turks, AIB, Platica Polinesia, SacconeJolys, and Alex Wassabi. YouTube notes that as mobile live streaming is built right into the YouTube app, it will have all the features regular videos have—”you’ll be able to search for them, find them through recommendations and playlists and protect them from unauthorized users”.

But YouTube is not the only player in this field. First, it was Meerkat, which was hugely successful but pivoted for multiple reasons including the competition from Twitter’s Periscope. Facebook also offers live video streaming for select publishers, while Tumblr recently announced its own ‘Live Video’ integration. YouTube, however, did not specify as to when the service will be available to the public, and what will be the mobile live streaming fares. It’s a wait-and-watch game.