Facebook has started to roll out some new features that help streamers plan and promote their live broadcasts. The Facebook update includes live video scheduling, the option to share scheduled streams and even create pre-broadcast lobbies. The feature will gradually become available in the coming weeks.
Currently, live-streaming on Facebook can be bothersome for both the streamer and the viewers, especially so if you like following multiple streams. Broadcasters can only announce when they will start streaming without any links to share, or just instantly broadcast without an audience. This way, viewers can either miss out on part of the stream before they know it’s live or just forget when it’s supposed to start.
The new live video scheduling promises to address these issue and more. First of all, creating a schedule for your broadcasts allows time for the viewers to decide what stream they will watch. The streamers can create a link to a future broadcast up to a week in advance. By helping their viewers plan their video watching habits, the streamers can get more viewers in turn.
The initial link will be available until the stream is finalized. This feature allows broadcasters to promote the respective stream using the link ahead of time so they don’t have to bother with it when the camera starts rolling.
When content creators schedule a stream using the live video scheduling, they automatically trigger a news feed post. Users receiving that respective post can choose to receive a one-time reminder a few minutes before the stream goes live.
Another new useful feature for streamers coming to Facebook is the possibility to create pre-broadcast lobbies. Currently, some streamers prefer to wait until there’s a certain number of viewers before they start talking or doing the things they want to. When the feature will be released, anyone who is committed to watching the stream can join a lobby three minutes ahead of its start.
The live video scheduling and other features coming with the Facebook update will be gradually released in the upcoming weeks. However, only content creators with verified pages and developers of Live API third-party tools will be able to use the features at first. No details on a full user release at this point.
What do you think about the new stream scheduling features?
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