Facebook is giving a small group of iPhone users a chance to try its new live video sharing tool, which previously was only available to public figures and celebrities.
The streaming video tool is Facebook’s response to similar apps such as Meerkat and Periscope, which is owned by Twitter Inc. What Facebook hopes will set its app apart from its competition is the sharability. The app gives you the ability to share your video with only a select group of users through a status update and it will not disappear once the stream is done.
Over the last several years, Facebook has been pushing video as a focal point of its editorial and advertising strategy. The social media company is hoping to give users more real-time capabilities to compete with Twitter on this front.
Facebook says the live video sharing capability “lets you show the people you care about what you’re seeing in real time – whether you’re visiting a new place, cooking your favorite recipe, or just want to share some thoughts,” the firm said on its website.
The tool also has all of the hooks that people have come to expect from them such as how many people are following a video, a subscription to get a heads up when someone is streaming, and real-time commenting.
The tool will be added on to the status update portion where you would normally add photos or video. Now there will be an icon that allows you to start streaming.
“To share live video, tap on Update Status and then select the Live Video icon. You can write a quick description and choose the audience that you want to share with before going live. During your broadcast, you’ll see the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are tuning in, and a real-time stream of comments,” Facebook said on its website. “When you end your broadcast, it will be saved on your Timeline like any other video, which you can then delete or keep for your friends to watch later.”
Facebook has yet to say who will get access to its new product or how they will select them.
