Periscope and Meerkat Apps Bring Live Streaming to the Masses
Two new mobile apps allow anyone to stream a live video feed across social media. Meerkat (@appmeerkat) was the first to hit the market, and was a big hit at SXSW recently. Periscope (@periscopeco) is owned by Twitter and launched last week. Both allow you to connect via your Twitter accounts so your followers can watch any live stream you create.
After you log in using your Twitter account, both apps allow you to stream live. Just type a name for your event, and hit the “Broadcast” button. That’s it! The apps show you what feeds are live, and you can also be alerted when those you follow in the app are broadcasting. Follow people, like their broadcasts, and even ask questions and leave comments while the video is streaming. Don’t worry–you can block and report inappropriate users.
While they function very similarly, Periscope looks a little more polished and allows for the replay of broadcasts–very convenient when you aren’t quite ready to watch a stream, or when you want to show students later. You can also save your broadcast to your camera roll for later use. The downside: All video must be shot in portrait (vertical) orientation. UPDATE (9/14/15): The latest version allows you to shoot in landscape mode.
These apps now bring live broadcasting of video to the masses. And the interactivity features make for great new ways to engage your audience.
Here’s a article on Poynter with more on these interesting apps.
http://www.poynter.org/news/media-innovation/331251/how-should-journalists-navigate-meerkat-periscope-kik-and-what-the-heck-is-tarsii/
Has anybody tried these two livestreaming apps/services and High School Cube? We’ve been using HSC this year, and I do like it (they’re constantly making improvements in the past few months), but I’m mostly unfamiliar with broadcasting/streaming apps.
Is there something that I’m missing out on, or are there any other experienced web broadcasters who have a favorite service?