With the virtual space taking over people’s lives, it will be a daunting task to be ignorant of the sector for anyone who plans to establish business with the people.
The feature of live stream takes a notch higher up in the world of virtual communication. Providing an online platform to host a live video, the live streaming software increases the interaction of the brand/company/personalities with their potential consumers. This helps them increase their engagement and promote themselves to a broader range of audiences spanning across regions.
Though the technologies nowadays have indeed made the live streaming option quite accessible, if you want to do it on a larger scale, you will have to rely on streaming software that ticks some boxes.
What does the Live Streaming Software do?
If you are looking for one word to the question, it would be professionalism.
Even with your limited experience in the field, you will be able to successfully stream videos of HD quality with this software’s help, which has things ready for you.
The live stream software handles two things at large:
Encoding:
Just as the name suggests, it involves encoding the digitally shot video and converting them to a stream that can be streamed live on the designated platform. Through compressing and decompressing your recording footage, they convert them into a format that can be streamed on the internet platforms. There are two types of encoders- software and hardware. Owing to the software’s preference (both performance flexibility and price), we’ll only limit the list in the software section.
Edit in live videos:
This is the customization part of your videos. The purpose of streaming is to engage the audience. A successful video streaming should have the right mix of graphics and editing (like switching between cameras for better visuals, adding photos/charts/videos between the live stream, browsing through multiple pages during streaming…etc.).
These two factors are what make your video look professional and competitive in the market.
Top 5 Live Streaming Software that you can choose from!
#1. OBS Studio
This is a free and open live streaming software that supports RTMP broadcasting (Real Time Messaging Protocol) is one of the best and most popular choices in the streaming software.
The most obvious reason is that it is free, but the package it offers is not less than the other software with the paid version. With multiple scenes, transitions, and advanced controls, the OBS is one platform that you can use, availing of the advanced features without investing your money.
But it has a few downsides. The first and most prominent one would be that its advanced features pose a problem for the streamers to navigate through it, especially if you are a beginner streamer. i.e., you would have to invest time in learning how to go about it. But the advantage is that there are multiple videos on YouTube and a community forum on OBS.
One more downside to the list is that there is no customer support for you to clarify or get help.
#2. Streamlabs OBS/ SLOBS
This software includes the base programming of the open-source OBS. This goes along saying that it has better features and advantages added to the basic OBS version. It has better graphics, widget options, built-in scenes and is much easier to handle than the OBS,
Since it just includes base programming, the chances of updates seen in OBS will take time to appear in the SLOBS. Another downside is that since it is a relatively recent software program, it is not well established yet. Thus, bringing in guests can pose some difficulties for you.
So, do you switch or not? Well, it depends on the usage and your experience. Hence if you are just starting into the live stream and want to jump over the hurdles of OBS, then SLOBS might be an option to try out.
#3. Wirecast
Available in two variants Wirecast Studio and Wirecast Pro, this streaming platform supports both local and RTMP destinations.
The free version of Wirecast Play is too basic to use and has a limited sharing option. Thus, it is not a competition against the OBS.
It is easy to use and has tons of features like multiple effects, resizing videos, adding audios, multiple camera inputs, and camera sharing features. It has multiple preset options. Thus, it is easier for you to click the recommended option to get a great result for each streaming platform. The software is much easier to set up, and the subsequent use is also easy to understand and saves you the complexities of manually going and adding things like in OBS.
The downside is definitely the price. While OBS is free, this popular version will cost you an investment. Moreover, it will hog the system. Thus, if you want to stream a video that requires high data, you must reconsider Wirecast based on the device you have and the service you buy.
But with easy controls, Wirecast gives an easy approach to the daunting task.
#4. Vmix
Be it live streaming using one camera or multiple cameras, Vmix is one of the best streaming platforms.
Advanced features, accessible customizable features, and easy navigation make it a better-preferred platform than the OBS. This will be your go-to platform if you are looking for a more professional business-like setup.
Its initial setup gives a little trouble to start with but once set in, the features are easy to search and manage during the live streaming. It has a good guest feature, owing to its popularity; thus, it is easy to bring in guests in your live sessions and interact with them.
There are a lot of variants available based on the pricing. However, the basic free version is quite restricting without giving you much flexibility. However, if you can invest, the Vmix is a good option for you to choose.
#5. Xsplit Broadcaster
Much in line with the predecessors, this software is also designed to give you a professional, business-like video setup. Still, at the same time, you can also use it for streaming games and is also useful for content creators in general.
The software is organized, thus helps you search by and navigate through the tools. It also provides you all-time customer support, which allows you a lot while browsing through it.
Available in multiple price ranges to suit your convenience, Xsplit Broadcaster does give you a great result though it may fall short in many aspects while competing against the other well-known shots. It may also confuse you a bit regarding the setup, but once after the initial hurdle, it has many features that better it.
Must have accessories/components for you to stream your videos.
To secure a good quality live streaming setup, you must invest in more than the software.
For starters, a good quality audio recorder and a well-secured internet connection is a mandate. Since things can go wrong pretty easily during live-stream, the audio and streaming quality is one of the top areas where problems mainly occur.
You must also choose the streaming destination of your choice. Generally, all the software comes with basic features to stream in multiple platforms like YouTube, Facebook, twitch..etc., simultaneously.
Going on, depending on the use and frequency of usage, you can upgrade your cameras, recording mics, and even the computer to suit the heavy load.
Conclusion
OBS Studio beats almost all the other software programs regarding encoding. By providing features that are comparable to all, the OBS Studio is a good choice if we can ignore the learning aspect of it. And if by chance you master it, all other software will be easy for you to handle. You can consider it a good investment of knowledge and experience if you have enough time to do trial and error.
