August 14, 2017
A new Instagram feature lets users team up to broadcast live videos, opening up all kinds of possibilities for collaboration.
The latest update is one in a string of changes to both Facebook and Instagram, intended to encourage more people to use live video on their platforms. While it’s only being tested on a small percentage of ‘grammers so far, it will be rolled out more widely over the coming months.
The idea is that videos will be more collaborative, and perhaps encourage more tentative users, as they can pair up with friends. To add friends, users just need to tap a small icon on the screen, and then select their partners. Viewers can like and comment in the same way as usual, and guests can be added and removed at any time during the broadcast.
While on a personal level this should make Stories more engaging, and encourage adoption, it’s the possibilities for brands and celebrities that will be the most interesting. Picture live streams between brands and influencers, collaborations between musicians on opposite sides of the world, or multiple events taking part in different place – say, Pride celebrations in lots of different cities with the same sponsor, or Thanksgiving parades across America. It could also be a new way to showcase that ever-popular behind the scenes content.
Whatever the use, it does make Live broadcasting even more inviting. If it’s as successful as anticipated, it’s likely the feature will also be introduced to the newly updated Facebook Stories. Maybe then people will actually start using it. Maybe, it’ll also be another nail in the coffin for poor old Snapchat, too.