Twitter wants more TV producers and YouTube stars livestreaming on Periscope
So now you can stream stuff from places other than your phone.
Twitter-owned Periscope wants more high-quality video content — the kind of video that’s not usually captured on a smartphone.
So on Thursday it announced Periscope Producer, a way for broadcasters to stream any live-video feed directly to their Periscope following.
That means video producers can capture footage on higher-quality cameras or use editing software to add multiple camera angles, graphics and pre- or post-roll advertisements to their Periscope stream. You can’t do any of that through the app today.
That makes it possible for NBC to stream a local news broadcast directly to Periscope, for example. Louis Vuitton, a beta partner for the new product, used it earlier this month to stream a fashion show from Paris.
“We have been pigeonholed, in a deliberate way, in one type of live broadcast, which is what you can do with your phone,” Periscope CEO Kayvon Beykpour said. “And the reality is [that] this is the kind of content that is already live, [but] not from that side of the spectrum.”
The update is a clear sign that Periscope wants more high-quality content that doesn’t come from your average Periscope user. It’s an update intended for organizations and people already producing TV-style video. That’s (primarily) what people want to watch, and it’s why Facebook pays media organizations, including Recode parent company Vox Media, to use its live product. It’s also why both Facebook and YouTube also offer broadcasters the ability to pump in a stream that’s been captured and edited on something other than a smartphone.
Whether or not broadcasters will use Periscope to distribute their live video is the big question. Facebook and YouTube both have audiences that dwarf Periscope’s, and even Twitter’s, where you can also watch Periscope streams.
But Periscope and Twitter have a live-news element that Facebook and YouTube do not. We’ve already seen that media companies are willing to stream breaking news directly to Facebook, so it’s easy to imagine Periscope now benefiting, too.
Regardless, the update is in line with Twitter’s live video push. But don’t expect to see NFL streams on Periscope anytime soon. Beykpour says those deals are specific to Twitter.
Producer is only open to users approved by the company. If you’re interested in applying to try it, you can do so here.
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