Facebook Live Video Streaming (Photo : Twitter)
Facebook Live will have several updates to its features that would now allow users to schedule their streams, set up a waiting room and even broadcast their faces with MSQRD filters.
The social network giant announced the changes to their Facebook Live feature at VidCon. It would seem that Facebook is aggressively expanding more into the online video industry.
Live streaming has been around for quite some time now through Twitter's Periscope, YouTube live streaming and Amazon's Twitch. Facebook recently implemented their own version of live streaming but with just the basic features.
Now, Facebook will be implementing changes that would make the process of live streaming easier and more convenient for both the streamer and the viewers. Facebook Live will now allow a streamer to broadcast his or her stream together with just two people, TechCrunch has learned.
The new feature would be useful in remote interviews for people who are applying for telecommuting jobs. Since more people have Facebook accounts than Skype, it would make it easier for the applicant and the interviewer to conduct the interview.
Pre-scheduling Facebook Live streams will also be made possible. Subscribed viewers will be given a notification before the streamer would start their live videos.
Viewers can also wait in a virtual waiting room which would benefit the streamer as they would know how many people are tuned in to their streams even before they started. Previously, people had to rely on status updates to know whether a user would be streaming soon or not.
Facebook will also allow users to stream with the MSQRD app integrated so that they can make funny faces and whatnot during their Facebook Live videos, Engadget reported. MSQRD was bought by the social network giant earlier this year and this could have been in one of their plans when they acquired the app.
One caveat is that only verified users will be able to use the new features. There have been some users streaming to make money by showing their naked bodies or by streaming live events illegally.
Facebook Live is slowly gaining traction among average users and celebrities. The new features would push the live video format more in the social network.
