17 Tips to Improve your Facebook Live Broadcasts
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Live video broadcasting used to be available only to the big players.
Not anymore, with the likes of Twitter's Periscope and Facebook's Facebook Live!
From your smartphone or computer you can broadcast live from your home or office, and potentially reach millions of people round the world - instantly!
It's an amazing way to reach your existing audience and grow your following. You can deliver behind the scenes or exclusive content, live events, how to videos and much more.
But how can you get started and take things to the next level?
In this article, I've come up with 17 tips and tricks to turn you into a Facebook Live pro!
#1 Broadcast to Yourself
You can set the privacy settings to "only me" when you broadcast to your Facebook profile. This privacy setting is not available on your page
Open up the Facebook app on your mobile device, click the "Go Live" button and set the privacy settings to "only me". No one will watch the broadcast, but when you've finished you can go to your profile and watch the replay.
Even if you plan on broadcasting live to your page, it's a good idea to start by broadcasting to only yourself to your profile.
#2 Check your upload speed.
It's nearly always better to be connected to WiFi for broadcasting Facebook Live, although it depends on the upload speed on your phone's data connection.
If you're at home or in the office, you can check your upload speed from your computer - just visit speedtest.net. You can also check your internet speed on your smartphone by using the iOS or Android apps.
If you have an upload speed of 3Mbps upwards you're good to go!
If you have 1 or 2Mbps upload speed, you'll probably be ok, although the image may pixelate or become choppy.
Unfortunately, you'll struggle if you have under 1Mbps upload speed.
#3 Embrace your fears and just do it!
Don't worry- this is perfectly normal! You might not believe me, but feeling nervous is a good thing!
Just remember, things won't be perfect and things will probably go wrong. This is one of the reasons why people love live broadcasts - the chance that things will go wrong!
Just do it!
#4 Keep it Short
Once you're practised at this, you can extend the broadcasts if it makes sense to do so.
I have seen live broadcasts that last over an hour (and even longer) but they take a lot of work and practice.
Depending on your strategy, it's better to do a shorter broadcast more often, than one long broadcast once every blue moon.
#5 Have a structure
Be aware that it takes time for people to find out you are broadcasting live and tune in.
Also be aware that this video will end up being posted to your profile, page or group and you don't want lots of silence or fluff at the start for replay viewers.
As soon as you start broadcasting, I recommend saying "hello" to your replay visitors (your live viewers are unlikely to join straight away).
Say what you are going to talk about. Then when your first viewers come in, feel free to say hello to them by name as they join.
Do ask your viewers to share the broadcast. This will greatly increase your reach and expand the number of people watching your broadcast.
You can mention that you might not be able to follow all the comments in the broadcast, but that you'll respond to everyone after the broadcast. Don't spend too long greeting people - remember your replay audience - they will get bored if you greet everyone!
Now you're ready to get to your main segment. Repeat your live video title and get on with it!
Once you're ready to go finish, thank everyone for listening. You can remind people that you will respond to their comments and to keep them coming.
Finally say goodbye and wait another 5 seconds. This is important! There is often a lag, and if you don't wait, the broadcast can end part way through your last sentence!
#6 Plan, plan and plan
I recommend planning 3 points to discuss in your broadcast.
If you're demonstrating a product or service, then make sure it works and practice recording it.
If you're giving a tour of your office or a particular place, make sure everyone knows you are going to be broadcasting and do a test run to make sure it's working.
#7 Be spontaneous
Be creative, be fun and embrace your humanity and make mistakes.
Often this is best once you've become practised in the art of live broadcasting
#8 Craft your Live posts
Facebook Live isn't just about the live video. You also get to announce your broadcast with a status update.
Although you can edit this later, it's best to come up with a short snappy headline that sums up what you intend to talk about.
Underneath the headline, You can add a more detailed description and even mention other people or pages if you're going to be referring to them in your broadcast.
Finally, don't forget to categorize your broadcast with relevant hashtags if it makes sense.
#9 Have a Strategy
That's ok, but before it ends up eating up all your time (when you should be running your business) make sure you know WHY you are doing this.
There are plenty of solid business reasons why using Facebook Live to broadcast to your audience is so powerful.
It could be to connect with your audience and give them compelling behind-the-scenes content or special offers.
Or a way to reach your Facebook fans more quickly and effectively (the reach for Facebook Live broadcasts is way higher than other types of posts).
Make a list of the goals you want to achieve and then come up with a list of ideas for your live videos that align with those ideas.
Whatever the reasons, make sure you have a reason and craft your live videos that helps you achieve your goals.
#10 Be frequent and consistent
The only way to improve the quality of your broadcasts is to keep on doing them.
You'll make lots of mistakes, but the more you do them, the better you'll get.
The more you do them, the more visible you and your brand will be to your audience.
At first, you may not have that many live viewers. However, over time more people will get to know you are producing these live videos and your viewership will increase.
#11 Work out the best time
At the start, try broadcasting at different times of the day to work out what is best for your audience.
Think about what your audience will likely be doing at the time of your broadcast - will they be at work, or at home?
You may need to think about time zones too. Since I am based in the UK, if I broadcast in the morning, most of my US audience will be fast asleep.
Keep testing and you'll work out the best time for you.
#12 Be Evergreen
The videos will become permanent posts on your profile, page or group timeline.
You can edit your posts and add more information on what you discussed in the broadcast. This also includes mentioning other pages and profiles.
Not all viewers will see your broadcasts live. Most of the time, there will be many more viewers watching the replay.
Make the video relevant and more powerful to replay viewers as well.
#13 Don't forget comments
I remember when I was a younger phoning up a radio station to request a song and being so excited when they mentioned my name live on the radio! It's the same with a Facebook Live broadcast - people love it when you mention them and interact live on air!
Keep following the comments and interact with them at the start of the broadcast.
Once you get into the flow of your main section, however, it's easy to get distracted.
Try and resist the temptation to reply to each comment as it comes in, but respond to it (if it makes sense to do so) once you've finished each point.
Once your broadcast has ended, plan in some time to respond to each comment as a text reply.
Some of my early Facebook Live broadcasts still get replies today - so remember to keep responding to them.
#14 Audio Matters
We tend to think video quality is everything, but actually, people can forgive bad video if the audio is excellent.
People rarely forgive bad audio quality because they won't be able to hear what you are saying!
Make sure you are in a quiet area when you broadcast.
Even better, invest in a lapel or handheld microphone for your smartphone.
There are various options, but make sure it is compatible with your smartphone. Android users in particular need to be careful because the interface can vary considerably from model to model.
An external microphone can greatly improve the audio quality of your live broadcasts.
#15 Be creative with lenses
Why not purchase a wide angle, fisheye or speciality lens for your smartphone camera and make your live videos more interesting?
Wide angle and fisheye lenses cram more into the picture - getting more of your background into the video.
If you are an iPhone user then the Olloclip lenses are amazing (although a little pricey).
Both iOS and Android users are catered for, however, by doing a quick search on Amazon for smartphone wide angle lens.
#16 Stands and Selfie Sticks
You can make your broadcasts more professional by using a selfie stick (to create more space and stability) or a smartphone holder or stabilizer.
Using one of these devices will greatly increase the stability and quality of your videos and give you more flexibility - particularly if you are giving a behind the scenes tour.
#17 Broadcast from your computer
You can use your webcam (and set up multiple webcams too), share your screen and desktop apps and add extra videos and music.
You can broadcast from your computer and stream in the usual way to your page, profile or group and create some professional content such as how to videos, webinars, shows, interviews and much more.
You can use paid professional software such as Ecamm Live (for Mac), StreamYard (Browser-based - PC & Mac) or Wirecast to do this. Or there is a free tool called OBS Studio.
I've produced a video course on How to Broadcast to Facebook Live from your Computer using the free software OBS Studio. I cover setting up scenes, adding webcams, sharing your screen, apps and windows and a whole lot more. Find out more here.
Over to you!
There are plenty more tips and hacks I could share, and I'll add more to this post over time. But now it's over to you. What Facebook Live tips, tools and hacks do you have? Share in the comments below!
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Those are great lists. Live streaming grows your reach and promote your business. Not only it’s free, it’s amazing how your content are shared with these different social media platforms and grow your audience.
Great tips! I am currently in the infant phase of live video where I’ve just started and just getting ready to walk (not even run yet!). I’m testing Be.Live currently (via AppSumo so it’s the limited version but ample for me) but I’d really like to test Ecamm Live for my next live. They both offer such similar features. Do you have a preference between the two? Thanks!
Hi Carrie, lovely to hear from you. I’d recommend listening to the podcast episodes when we have the co-founders from Ecamm Live on the show (Episode 18) and one of the co-founders of a similar tool to BeLive, StreamYard on the show (episode 24). I’ll be interviewing someone from BeLive in a month or so. But to answer your question. Believe (and StreamYard) is a web app. It runs through the browser. That makes it easier to use (particularly when bringing in guests). The advantage of Ecamm Live is that it makes the full power of your Mac and is… Read more »
Hi Ian, Do you know how to enable 720p HD video on Desktop/Laptop for livestreams from Pages? Livestreams from a personal profile on mobile devices gives the option to ‘upload in HD’ when the livestream is finished. As far as I can tell, there is no HD option from desktop or when streaming from a Page account. (Even though my Macbook Pro camera is 720p). The max. resolution I get is on the recording is 360p. In 2019, that resolution is appalling. I’ve been searching for an answer to this for years. And I’m kinda shocked that no one talks… Read more »
Hi Reece. I totally hear you. From my experience, although you can stream in up to 720p (and some pages have 1080p if the “Facebook gods” have given you the feature) the download quality is very bad, and is indeed 360p.
There is no way around this I’m afraid. The best thing I can recommend is to use a tool such as Wirecast, StreamYard, Ecamm Live or OBS Studio where you can also save the video in HD as well as stream. Yes, it is shocking!
This drives me crazy too Reece. Nobody at FB ever responds when i ask. It just is what it is…all my livestreams broadcast looking like a 90s Betamax video when my gear is full HD/4K and my connection is ultrafast fiber. It’s pathetic, but hey…waddya do?
Someone did a Facebook live for an important event and it was playing lullaby music during the entire video and at times It automatically put little sleep hats on people. Why would it do that?
Well, I suppose it depends on the context. If the live video was to do with kids going to sleep or beds or something like that, it makes sense. Depending on the brand and the subject, it’s a good idea to have a bit of fun and bring a bit of humanity to the videos. But it all depends! As to the tech behind it, you can add filters on live videos which do things like silly hats. You can also use the Snap Camera to add special effects on live videos from your computer. It’s not something I do… Read more »
Hi! How do I correct the distortion my MacBook Pro camera is creating? My bust and hands looked GIGANTIC 😆 Should I just use my iPhone?
Hi Jayne. Lol. I’m not sure what’s happening there. The integrated cameras aren’t always that great. Do make sure you angle your MacBook Pro’s screen properly. You could also lift up your MacBook pro by putting it on some box files or books. So that the camera is level with your face. If your head is significantly above your camera, then it will be looking up at you at an angle and could be giving you a distorted view. Unless something else weird
I have noticed during a Facebook live if I tell my viewers to share the video several times during my live I start having problems with errors and also not being able to see comments. Is there anything I can do
Hi Deanna, that’s interesting and quite disturbing. Facebook has said recently that it doesn’t want us to ask our viewers to share our live videos. So I did know it listens in to our live videos and will potentially reduce the reach if we say things like that. But it shouldn’t give you problems like you are having. It could be a bug or something. I would recommend changing what you say. Instead of asking viewers to share it out, you could use phrases like “do tell your friends that we are live” instead of “please share this out”. Try… Read more »
I love gaming on facebook, but the dealy is 15 seconds .. any ways to change that so i have better interaction with fans.
Hi Mike, it’s not really possible to reduce the delay. It can be anything between 8-15 seconds. Some of the delay can be due to the time it takes for your computer to encode the video. If your computer is a bit old and slow,
How do I broadcast live and at the same time play my music stored in my Iphone? When I start Live in Facebook the music stops.Is there a way of doing both at the same time? I use a cable to connect to my cars apple play by the way. Anyone knows?Thanks
Hi Chris, you can definitely do this more easily if you stream from your computer. Just be careful about streaming music stored on your phone because if it’s copyrighted Facebook could ban you. If you want to stream from your phone, then you’ll need to bring in the music from another source (i.e. not on your phone) and mix it in.
Great tips!
To consider a private broadcasting is the best way to eliminate nervousness and connections.
Thanks, Noah! Yes, private broadcasting has been so helpful to me! Ian
When I start a FB Live more often than not the screen goes dark and tells me to rotate the phone from panoramic to portrait. This is frustrating as often I have the background framed. Stopping the auto rotate function on my phone does not help. I can have the sun hitting me and it happens.
Hi. Before you press the Go Live button make sure you have your phone in the orientation you want to shoot in. Otherwise, you won’t be able to
Great advice!!! I want to see if you have some insight as to why my viewers are lagging at different rates. I still need to check my up load speed but I have a direct sales business and my customers are complaining about others seeing items before they do on the feed. I want to be able to offer them suggestions after I make sure I’m up to par on my end. Thanks in advance!
Hi Thea, There will always be a lag. It’s usually around 8 seconds, but it can sometimes be more. The lag is due to a number of things. First of all, it takes time for your computer to encode the video to send to Facebook Live. Then Facebook Live needs to set things up their end. Then the video needs to be sent to your viewers and finally, their computers need to decode the video. The time on your end can vary depending on the speed of your computer and your internet speed. And it can vary depending on your… Read more »
Hi Ian, thank you for such a huge tool you have provided to the OBS facebook users. Apperently, I can’t OBS using the facebook tool you have provided for some reason it is not taking me to the page where I have to get the stream key.What could be the problem, please? Thank you so very much.
Hi George,
I assume you’re talking about the tool on the top of this post – https://iag.me/socialmedia/broadcast-computer-facebook-live/ What is happening for you? It is working for me and most other people. If you could let me know what is happening specifically, I’ll do my best to help!
I just had my first live feed with another person jumping in with me. Problem is my audio was choppy when I played the replay. I guess during the live session it wasn’t like that and that I can be heard clearly because no one told me that the audio was bad. What seem to be the problem to this? Thanks.
Hi Ace. Sorry, you had issues with the audio. To be honest, there can be loads of reasons as to why the audio was choppy. It’s always best to do a test run first – just stream to your personal profile with the privacy set to “only me”. That way you can troubleshoot the audio more easily. Ian
I have an I phone 6s and when I try to Livestream with another user all I get is static on my end. Audio quality is awful! Help
Hi Christine. That is weird. So, the audio for your live stream is ok when it is just you live streaming. But, when your guest comes in, all you can hear is static? I assume you are using headphones/earphones? Is this the case with all guests, or a particular guest? I’ve not come across this before, but I would check with a few different guests. And I’d reboot your phone in case the audio on your iPhone is glitchy. Let me know how you get on.
Video is choppy – poor quality. None of your tips actually deal with making the stream better. Sure you need a good upload speed, but the video itself FIRST needs to be of good quality. Any recommended streaming apps? External camera to link to phone for uploading a live stream?
Hi Terry, thanks. I’ll need to add more than 17 points! But the quality of the video is mainly determined by the speed and quality of the upload speed. The quality of the video will be downgraded if the speed is too low, or the speed fluctuates too much. You can’t use any external cameras for the main Facebook app. But there are solutions such as Switchboard Live that will allow you to use multiple iPhones and iPads to produce a professional stream. But I don’t think that is what you are looking for. Another option is to use a… Read more »
Hello I always broadcast from https://iag.me/socialmedia/broadcast-facebook-live-wirecast/ using obs but now after I clic BROADCAST ON FACEBOOK LIVE the window won’t open. ¿how do I fix it? thank you
Hi David. Could you try https://iag.me/socialmedia/broadcast-computer-facebook-live/ And if you have any issues, follow the troubleshooting steps in that article. It sounds like your browser is blocking pop-ups. Make sure your browser allows pop up windows from my site, iag.me.
Hello I go to a lot of gigs but the sound quality when i go live is awful, but picture quality is okay, I have my volume at the lowest is this correct , I always check download and upload speeds are enough before going live. Any tips or settings for my phone please
Hi Paul. The issue is that audio recording or streaming quality through your phone’s microphone will never be great quality – especially if the music is very loud. It will just get distorted. The best way is to invest in an external microphone for your phone. I usually recommend the Rode Smartlav+, but that’s a lapel microphone, and probably not so good. You can use the Blue Yeti microphone via a special On the Go (OTG) cable via your iPhone or Android phone too. But that might be too bulky. But check out a microphone that works on your phone.… Read more »
Thanks for taking time to itemize the needful for live videos. I made a life video on my group but now i can only see the like, comment and share section without seeing the number of viewers each time i visit the post. Why is that so and how can i know the number of people that have viewd it or are still viewing it? I await your response. Thanks
Unfortunately, when it comes to going live to a group, Facebook doesn’t give you that kind of data. They give you it if you go live to a page – just not a group. The only data they give you is in the insights section, but it won’t tell you how many views you got. Sorry!
Great tips, Ian! I am a virtual assistant and working on a project for a client who is going to start utilizing FB Live to draw in more business. She wants the do’s and don’ts and I your article gave me so much good information to pass along!
Hi Casey, I’m so glad my article was helpful to you and your client. Let me know how you get on and if I can be of any further help! Ian
Hi there, thank you for the great article. I would like to improve the sound from my iPhone, but the ones that attached to the phone didn’t seem to improve sound. You mentioned putting on, what do you recommend? I am exercising and moving around while I live stream. Thank you, Jen
Hi Jen, Which microphones have you used? The one I really like is the Rode SmartLav+. It’s a lapel mic. You would probably need the extension cable.
Alternatively, you could get a wireless mic, but they are a bit more expensive.
I’ve got a whole gear guide which you’ll find helpful – https://iag.me/subscribe/guides/tech/ Hope that helps.
Facebook Live question:
When you’re monitoring a live stream. How do you kill the audio on the Facebook feed BEFORE actually going live?
Seems to me even if you mute audio previously on your device once you open Livestream to monitor audio comes up.
I’m sure that’s a FB setting issue? I’ve verified sound settings are not set by default as on but it’s still happening on my FB business page where the feed is being monitored.
Wondering if there’s another setting there also?
Hi Sandy, So, are you monitoring the live on your phone? It depends on whether you are using an iPhone or Android phone. You need to make sure that your volume is turned off. Once you properly mute your audio, no audio should sound until you put it on again. If in doubt, watch a Facebook video on your device and then turn the volume right down to mute. Then you should be fine.
Thank you for these helpful tips. I did a Facebook Live video last night for the first time, the video/sound quality was great up until my guests joined the chat, I couldn’t hear them and my viewers complained that my voice had a load echo/static. How can I fix this? Also will I be able to practice with a guest without publishing the live video?
That sounds odd.
So, how did you bring in your guest? Was this via the mobile app or another tool?
Make sure that you are both using headsets so that you get the best audio and avoid feedback or echo.
The best way to test is to go live to your profile and set the privacy to “only me”. If you’re bringing your guest via the mobile app, then tag them into the live video and then you’ll be able to bring them in. Then the only person who will be able to watch it live is your guest.
I brought my facebook live guest in using my cell phone where they have the invite button. I only use my cell phone to connect via the internet. Lives are awesome till I add a guest. Then my end is all static to the point no one can hear me. Would an outside microphone stop that? I honestly don’t know. Headsets did not work.
I’ve never experienced this before. It sounds like it is an issue for all guests, not just one particular one. I wouldn’t have thought a microphone would help. You’ve tried a headset too. I really don’t know what the issue could be. Sorry! It could be a glitch with your phone. Let me have a think.
same exact issues have you figured out how to resolve it?
This article is so helpful! I’ve been using StreamYard to brand my live stream show – it lets me use overlays and backgrounds to customize my show and make it look better than a FB live with no tools. Love your content Ian.
That’s great to hear, Dana. I’ve looked at StreamYard and it’s a handy tool. Have you tried other tools like BeLive or Ecamm Live? I’m wondering how you would feel it compares? Ian
i just want to know about headline in the facebook live videos.how can add headlines in live videos..
Do you mean the title of the video on Facebook? If so, you do it here. But perhaps you mean being able to add a title as an overlay on the actual video? If so, you’ll need to use a 3rd party tool such as BeLive, Ecamm Live, Wirecast or something else. Hope that was helpful.
Awesome post. very useful post for improving facebook live broadcasts. Thank you so much.
Great post. It seems Facebook disabled the video editing function, right? I would like to trim down a video i just broadcasted yesterday, any ideas?
Hi Fedor, I’ve not seen the ability to edit a video (whether that’s live or pre-recorded) in Facebook. So, the only thing you can do, is download the video, edit it, and then re-upload it. But that won’t change the replay of the live video you made the other day.
HI Ian, thank you for your great tips for live-streaming. I’ve been live-streaming weekly for nearly a year. Recently, I’ve invited guests onto the show via split screen on our smart phones. A new issue that I haven’t found a solution for has recently occurred. As soon as my guest joins the conversation via his cell phone, 3 seconds later I hear my own voice coming through my phone. It’s awful. The echo of my own voice is loud enough that it interferes with my concentration. I’ve spent hours searching online for a solution. My last guest tried a headset,… Read more »
Hi Pamela, Thanks for your comment. It’s a common issue, so don’t worry. Unfortunately, going live with a guest through your smartphone is surprisingly buggy. But the big issue is that you’re relying on your guest’s set up. Most modern phones have a decent echo cancelling system. This means your voice should be removed when your guest’s voice is sent back. It sounds that this is not the case for your guest, which is odd. But, I always recommend using a headset. In fact I ask all my guests to do this as it greatly improves the sound. I’ve no… Read more »
I’ve looked for answers to these questions and have yet to find them… I’m hoping you can help with that! As a live music promoter, my Facebook Live videos are different from most. I don’t need a macro lens and my phone has a great wide-angle lens already. Can you tell me if they make lenses that darken the scene (for when a/v guys have the lights so bright on the band or the band is wearing white)? On a regular video I can tone down the brightness, but not when I’m live. Also, my phone automatically “hears” the volume… Read more »
plug audio out from phone to sound card!
Hey Ian! I was wondering what your thoughts were on 3rd party tools for facebook live like streamyard.com and belive.tv ?
Hi Bob, sorry for the delay!
Yes, some 3rd party tools for Facebook Live are great. I’ve used and recommend BeLive – it’s a great tool. So easy to use, and great to highlight comments and bring guests in. I’ve never used Steamyard though.
Hi Ian. Thanks for these great suggestions. I am going to run a small event with a live stream so I’ve started practicing live streaming to make sure it’s good. On Facebook my live stream is playing in 360p although I’m sending an HD signal. The finished livestream is also in 360p – telling me it was recording in low quality. Similar problem in youtube. I’m using the Logitech C920 Pro on a Macbook Pro w/ chrome as browser. Many have had this issue and some have said it’s due to my low upload speed. My upload speed is indeed… Read more »
Hi Matthew, Glad you found this helpful. The finished live streams (i.e. the replay) are always of low quality. They’re often 420-480p even if you broadcast in full HD. I wish FB would sort that out. At the moment, although you can broadcast to FB in full HD (1080p) the max they broadcast in is 720p. The big issue with your set up is your upload speed. 1Mbps is much lower than the minimum (which I’d say is 4 or 5Mbps). You make an interesting point about using hardware to buffer the stream. To be honest, I don’t know of… Read more »
Awesome tips ! Just great…
Great tips!
Amazing tips Ian for Facebook users to telecast live. Recently my friends stop working facebook app and cannot live I searched over internet and tried many websites to find out a solution for my friend’s Phone. Finally I found your page to solve the problem and tried your tips to handle the problem. know the phone o friend working fine with your tips to solve facebook problems. Thanks for sharing such a good post about facebook live problem solution. Now My friend can live easily and can share photos of my carved wooden furniture site and facebook page directly to… Read more »
Ian, thanks for these great tips, but with an upload and download speed of 35Mbs, I can’t understand why the FB Live I just did had so much intense pixelation for long periods of time, and then suddenly back to normal. I’m thinking this is a FB issue?
And for some odd reason, my browser won’t show anything on members.seriouslysocial.me/fblivecourse except a search box. I’m interested in your course, but can’t see the page for it.
Hi Don. So sorry for not getting back to you. You’ve got a great upload speed. Have you checked whether your connection is stable or not? Also, how fast is your computer? Sometimes live videos can pixelate, and the fault lies with Facebook and their servers, but usually it’s down to our network and/or computer.
Thanks for letting me know about the blank page on my course. The link to my course is here – https://iag.me/products/seriously-social-obs-studio/ Where did you see the link you referred to?
Hi Ian
Your tips is very informative I been learning a lot keep it up like you don’t imagine how you’re improving skills people in world on Facebook live broadcast thanks so much
Sincerely,
Wilzor Antoine
Hi Ian,
It’s great to read your post again. I was busy with my projects, that’s the reason I was inactive a bit, specially reading & commenting was completely off.
I completely agree with your points, Using Facebook Live broadcast the proper way is important these days, so I appreciate your efforts for giving these tips. Great work.
~ Donna
Hi Donna, So lovely to hear from you. I always love your comments. It’s often good to be busy, as long as it is productive busy! Have you explored Facebook Live
Great tips! Loved the idea of a private broadcast. Great way to get over nerves and to test connection. I’ve been a periscoper that’s recently moved over to FB live. And I’ve been having technical issues where the stream connects and people come in but I can’t see any comments until after the stream is over. It’s really weird and keeps happening. Ever heard of this issue?
Thanks, Serena! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done private broadcasts. And I still do it before my live shows today – as it is a sure fire way to test that everything is working fine before the actual live show. With the tech issue you mention, people can see you live, and comment, but you can’t see the comments? Are you broadcasting from your phone or desktop? You’re certainly not alone! Loads of people have had similar issues. Facebook Live is getting better and more robust, but boy is it still buggy! I recommend looking at your… Read more »
Thanks so much for the reply Ian! The idea of using a second device is a good one. Think I’ll try to have that as a back up plan. I’m using my iPhone and the tricky part is I’m streaming on the go. I cover events and updates at Disney World and other theme parks here in Orlando. So it’s always a new situation every time. Cell connection, weather, crowds and lots of things can effect outcome. So having another issue besides all that is frustrating. Thanks again for the reply! Really appreciate the follow up. I’m going to go… Read more »
My pleasure, Serena. Feel free to follow or connect with me on Facebook here. Broadcasting from theme parks sounds amazing! I’ve never been to Disney World, but been to some fun ones here in the UK such as Alton Towers and Lego Land. Please share some of your videos with me – would love to see. Because you’re on the go and broadcasting outside, you’re always going to find some frustrations – decent upload speeds for one! But having a backup device might be a useful thing to have. Hopefully Facebook will sort themselves
Yep decent upload speeds are always an issue. I changed carriers to get best service possible. And use speed test to help find a good spot. You learn a lot by trial and error. ? Here’s a few of my streams. One is on my own page and one is for a client. I outsource live coverage to other WDW companies. I followed you on FB. Nice to make a new connection. Thanks again! It’s Tuesday! And I’m LIVE at Hollywood Studios to show you guys the latest construction progress on Grand Avenue and Star Wars Land at Disney World… Read more »
Thanks, Serena. They look great! Loads of views too. Have you thought about getting a gimble to smooth the camera? Something like the SMove Pro?
Thanks for sharing, I love to see what people are doing with live video.
Hello, I do Facebook live shows and am having a problem with Viewers being kicked off and not being able to get back on the live feed. People are sharing the video publicly, is this causing the problem? My upload speed is over 3Mbps. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you
Hi, Kory. Sorry to hear that. Ideally, your upload speed should be higher than 3Mbps – more like 5Mbps or preferably 10Mbps and higher. But, I doubt that is your issue. As long as your stream is still live (even if the quality isn’t that great), people should still be able to watch your stream. They shouldn’t be thrown out of the stream. It sounds to me as if it is a Facebook glitch. Sometimes this has happened to me. I’ve tried to join a stream or and Facebook says there is an issue. Other people are able to join… Read more »
Hi Ian! Quick question about your OBS training. You mention in Video 1 (sample) that it’s laggy because you’re recording. Is that lag something that we shouldn’t expect to see with Live broadcasts (which aren’t being recorded)? Many thanks!
Hi Simon, Good question! It’s laggy because I was recording the screen, and on the screen was the preview of my webcam in OBS Studio. Inevitably there was some lag on my computer with so much going on. In a Facebook Live, you’re just capturing the screen or your webcam and sending that to Facebook, so there shouldn’t be any lag. However, you do need to make sure you have a good upload speed and a fast computer.
Hi Ian! Just heard you on Youpreneur. Question for ya. Which pages *notify* followers that you’re live? A personal page, a business page or a private FB group? I believe that personal pages and biz pages notify followers that you’re live… but people in a private FB group are not notified, right?
Hi Elise, thanks for your comment and so glad you heard me on Chris’ podcast. That was a lot of fun!
What a great question! From my experience, there hasn’t been a distinction in terms of notifications between pages, profiles and groups. However, I haven’t always found that everyone gets notified. Facebook still has a few bugs, and particularly when it comes to Facebook Live. Sometimes I wasn’t sure that anyone was notified, but I can’t be sure. Sorry I can’t give you a definitive answer, but I would recommend doing some tests yourselves and see what you find out.
Very Helpful Post.
Thanks
i tried to broadcast from a social game that was playing music, Facebook stopped it for copyright reason, so i broadcasted muting the music
That’s a great point. So important to make sure you don’t get banned for inadvertently playing copyrighted music! Ian
present time facebook live system very popular in our country, thank you
Thanks! Facebook Live is becoming hugely popular everywhere I think! Ian
Hey Ian – just did my first FB live earlier today for my private members group using your fantastic instructions for OBS.
One thing I noticed was a lag between the video and audio – basically a small lip sync issue. I tested later with my phone and there wasn’t an issue.
Have you had that 0 just wondering if it’s my setup.
Hi Ian, thanks, glad my instructions were helpful. Congratulations on your first FB live! Sometimes there can be a slight lag between video and audio. There are a few things that can improve this… 1) Check your upload speed (should be at least 3Mbps) – http://www.speedtest.net is a good checker 2) Close down as many apps in the background so that OBS has enough processing power to encode your video 3) Check the CPU usage in the bottom right hand corner of OBS Studio. Is it fairly low or high? If it is high this might be causing some issues.… Read more »
What about when going live from an iPhone? I just went live in my group for the first time and the audio was majorly off from the video. Would this also be an upload speed issue?
Hi Mallory, sometimes the audio can be slightly off when broadcasting from a smartphone, but it’s not usually that noticeable and not something I’ve come across often. Usually if the upload speed isn’t high enough the video will pixelate. Have you done a speed test? You can download the Speed Test app from the App Store and check out what your speed is. Ideally you should have 4 or 5Mbps UPLOAD on a smartphone.
Hi Ian, I haven’t had the pleasure of watching any of your Facebook live broadcasts yet but I hope to catch one soon. I’m using Huzza and Smiletime to broadcast from my desktop to Facebook live. I’m much more comfortable sitting at my computer and having others join me on cam. Thanks for the tips
Thanks, Ileane. I need to do more Facebook Live broadcasts! I’ve been away on vacation for the past 3 weeks so I’ve been a bit lazy. I will get back to it though. I really like Huzza. I’ve not used it to automatically broadcast to Facebook Live yet. I know you can use it to connect via OBS Studio as well, which is really cool. I’ve not heard of Smiletime before – sounds interesting. What is it and why do you like it? I’m totally with you- I prefer sitting at my computer as well for live broadcasts. Having said… Read more »