10 Best Live Streaming Software: UPDATED
This is a guide to determine the best Live streaming software to communicate with audiences, whether for business or pleasure. However, for newcomers, locating the best live streaming software can be difficult. In this lesson, we’ll look at some of the important features that make live streaming software suitable for beginners.
Considerations for selecting a streaming software
- User Interface: A decent live streaming program should, first and foremost, have a straightforward user interface and tutorials for easy navigation.
- Customization: Some let you personalize the images, overlays, notifications, transitions, and other components of your broadcast. Branding choices allow you to tailor your live broadcast by including logos or watermarks. You may utilize many customization choices and templates to make a stream that is both distinctive and polished.
- Multi-Streaming: Some enables you broadcast to numerous platforms at the same time, to reach a larger audience and boost your interaction. Some streaming software integrates with a variety of platforms. Screen sharing capabilities allow you to exchange stuff such as presentations or films during a live stream.
- Compatibility: Before selecting the finest live streaming software, it is critical to evaluate the software’s compatibility with your operating system. Some live streaming applications may function properly on Windows but not on Mac or Linux, and vice versa.
- Pricing: Depending on the functionality and quality offered, streaming software can range in price from free to pricey. There are several streaming programs that are available for free.
It’s also helpful if the software offers general tips for a smooth streaming session, including connection and content preparation.
Key features like multiple scenes, guest appearances, and peer-to-peer interaction can enhance your live stream and make it more engaging for viewers.
Look for software that offers these features as well as customizable options to fit your specific needs.
Best free live streaming software options for video creators
Restream
Restream is a live video platform that allows you to create and multistream live videos to multiple social channels at the same time¹. You can use Restream Studio to host interviews, Q&As, product launches, webinars and more with your guests and audience. You can also customize your live videos with logos, overlays, backgrounds and call-to-actions. Restream supports various streaming software such as OBS, XSplit and vMix.
Pros of Restream:
- Simultaneous multi-platform streaming: Restream allows you to stream to multiple platforms simultaneously, which can save you a lot of time and effort.
- User-friendly interface: Even for new users, the Restream interface is simple to use and navigate..
- Unified chat management: You can handle all of your chat messages from several platforms in one location with Restream.
- Performance analytics: Restream gives you access to comprehensive performance information so you can monitor your development and enhance your streams.
- Reliability: Restream has a solid uptime record and is a dependable platform.
Cons of Restream:
- Pricing: Restream can be expensive for some users, especially those who need access to the more advanced features.
- Customization options: Restream has limited customization options, so it may not be the best choice for users who need a lot of control over their streams.
- Occasional technical glitches: Some users have reported occasional technical glitches with Restream, such as dropped frames and audio issues.
- Video editing tools are very limited: Restream does not have robust video editing tools, so you may need to use a separate video editing software if you need to make edits to your streams.
Restream Pricing
- 💰 Free plan available with 2 channel multistreaming and basic graphics.
- 🚀 Standard plan at $16 per month (billed annually) offers 5 channel multistreaming, custom graphics, and more.
- 🎥 Professional plan at $41 per month (billed annually) provides 8 channel multistreaming, Full HD streaming, and more.
Restream has a 7-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
FAQs about Restream, pricing, streaming quality, and customization available on the page.
Switcher Studio
Switcher Studio is a video platform for creating, sharing, and monetizing livestreams and recorded videos on iPhones and iPads.
Switcher Studio allows you to broadcast straight to numerous live video and social media networks, as well as embed videos on your website. You may also use branding, images, sound effects, prepared films, and other elements in your videos.
Create, Share & Monetize Your Livestreams with Switcher Today!
Pros of Switcher Studio based on user experience:
- Easy to use: Switcher Studio is designed to be easy to use, even for beginners. It has a simple and intuitive interface, and it doesn’t require any prior knowledge of video production.
- Affordable: Switcher Studio is a very affordable live streaming solution, especially when compared to traditional hardware-based switchers.
- Versatile: Switcher Studio can be used to live stream from a variety of different devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and PCs. This makes it a very versatile solution for a variety of different live streaming needs.
- Feature-rich: Switcher Studio includes a variety of features that are essential for professional live streaming, such as multiple camera switching, overlay graphics, and picture-in-picture.
- Monetization: Rich Monetization features which supports gated content, subscriptions, and donations for monetization.
- Community: Tight and supportive global community on social media
Cons of Switcher Studio based on user experience:
- Some users have reported performance issues: Some users have reported that Switcher Studio can be laggy or unresponsive, especially when using multiple cameras or complex overlays.
- Limited customization options: Switcher Studio doesn’t offer as many customization options as some other live streaming solutions. For example, you can’t create your own custom overlays.
- Technical support can be slow: Some users have reported that technical support for Switcher Studio can be slow.
- Inability to save scenes.
- Necessary for wifi synchronization; requires a strong Access Point free of other devices.
Switcher Studio Pricing
- 💰 Free 14-Day Trial: You can try Switcher Studio for 14 days for free.
- 💲 7-Day Pass: Get a 7-day Pass for $25.
- 📊 Two Plans: Choose from two plans, Business at $99/month and Business+ at $299/month (currently 20% off).
- 💻 Business Plan: Business Plan offers 50 video uploads with no limits on video length, 20,000 viewed minutes per month, and standard customer support.
- 🏢 Business+ Plan: Business+ Plan includes 100 video uploads with no limits on video length, 200,000 viewed minutes per month, and priority customer support.
- 📊 Enterprise Plan: Enterprise Plan offers advanced and custom solutions for established teams with unique video commerce needs.
🌟 Positive Reviews: Switcher Studio has a 4.6 out of 5 rating based on 1.8k reviews on the Apple App Store.
FAQ: Find answers to common questions about the free trial, viewed minutes, sales fees, and more.
Onestream
Onestream live streaming is a service that allows you to create and simultaneously live stream real-time and recorded videos to 40+ social networking networks and the web. It can be used to:
- Broadcast to Facebook Live, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, and many more platforms.
- Schedule pre-recorded videos for live social media streaming up to 60 days in advance.
- Begin multistreaming over social media using any streaming technology such as OBS, Zoom, Ecamm, Webex, Wirecast, XSplit, and so on.
- With Live Spaces, you may live broadcast on your own website.
- Customize your live streams with unique logos, overlays, banners, backdrops, and more.
Invite guests, exchange material, use virtual effects, and record live feeds.
Do you want to give it a shot?
Based on the user reviews of OneStream that I found from the web, here are some of the pros and cons of the software:
Pros of Onestream:
- OneStream is a powerful and flexible platform that can handle various financial operations such as consolidation, planning, reporting, and analytics.
- OneStream has a user-friendly interface that is easy to understand and operate.
- OneStream Live offers a mobile app for on-the-go live streaming.
- OneStream has a great customer support team that is responsive and helpful.
- OneStream has a single, extensible solution that can be customized to meet the specific needs of different businesses.
- With OneStream Live, you can concurrently produce, plan, and multistream live and pre-recorded videos on the web and other social media platforms.
- OneStream has a marketplace feature that offers additional applications and solutions that can be integrated with the platform.
Cons of Onestream:
- OneStream can be expensive for some businesses, especially if they only use a small percentage of its features.
- OneStream can be complex to implement and configure, and may require guidance from an experienced consultant or user.
- OneStream can have some performance issues when dealing with large volumes of data or multiple users.
- OneStream can have some compatibility issues with other software or systems, such as Microsoft Excel or SAP HANA.
Pricing of Onestream
- 💰 Flexible Pricing Plans available, including Free, Basic, Standard, and Professional options.
- 📊 Monthly and Yearly billing options with up to 20% savings on yearly plans.
- 🎥 Different plans offer varying features such as multistreaming destinations, studio participants, streaming quality, and storage space.
- 👥 Core features like Multistreaming and Custom RTMP Destination are included in all plans
❓ FAQs answer common questions about using OneStream Live.
Best for Social Media
XSplit Broadcaster
XSplit Broadcaster is a popular video broadcasting software that offers both free and paid versions. The free version includes basic features such as screen recording, video editing, and live streaming to various platforms including YouTube Live, Twitch, and Facebook Live. XSplit Broadcaster’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to use even for beginners.
Based on the user reviews of XSplit Broadcaster that I found from the web, here are some of the pros and cons of the software:
Pros of XSplit Broadcaster:
- XSplit Broadcaster features an elegant UI that can be tailored to your needs and is very straightforward to use.
- Many features and plugins available in XSplit Broadcaster, like transitions, notifications, music, interactivity, and more, can improve your broadcasting experience.
- The integration of XSplit Broadcaster with several platforms and services, like Facebook, Spotify, Elgato, Restream, YouTube, Twitch, and more123, is excellent.
- Because of its stability and dependability, XSplit Broadcaster can manage high-performance streaming without crashing or lagging.
- The customer service staff at XSplit Broadcaster is excellent; they are friendly and quick to respond.
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Cons of XSplit Broadcaster:
- XSplit Broadcaster can be expensive for some users, especially if they only use a small percentage of its features
- XSplit Broadcaster can be complex to set up and configure, and may require guidance from an experienced user or consultant.
- XSplit Broadcaster can have some compatibility issues with other software or systems, such as Microsoft Excel or SAP HANA
- XSplit Broadcaster can have some bugs or glitches, such as failing to save sound settings or losing recordings.
Best for Broadcasting and Gaming
Twitch
Twitch is another medium chosen by gamers who wish to exhibit their gaming abilities through live streaming.
Twitch is a communicative livestreaming platform for content that includes gaming to entertainment to sports to music.
Twitch Broadcaster is a software that allows you to stream your gameplay and commentary on Twitch, the leading live streaming platform for gamers. Based on the user reviews that I found from the web, here are some of the pros and cons of Twitch Broadcaster:
Pros of Twitch:
- Twitch Broadcaster is easy to use and has an intuitive interface that can be customized to suit your preferences.
- Twitch Broadcaster has a lot of features and plugins that can enhance your streaming experience, such as transitions, alerts, music, interactions, and more
- Twitch Broadcaster has a great integration with various platforms and services, such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Spotify, Elgato, Restream, and more
- Twitch Broadcaster is stable and reliable, and can handle high-performance streaming without lagging or crashing
- Twitch Broadcaster has a good customer support team that is responsive and helpful.
Cons of Twitch:
- Twitch Broadcaster can be expensive for some users, especially if they only use a small percentage of its features
- Twitch Broadcaster can be complex to set up and configure, and may require guidance from an experienced user or consultant
- Twitch Broadcaster can have some compatibility issues with other software or systems, such as OBS Studio or X-Split
- Twitch Broadcaster can have some bugs or glitches, such as failing to save sound settings or losing recordings
Wirecast (telestream)
Telestream is a popular paid option that offers a wide range of features including multi-camera switching, graphics overlays, and social media integration.
Based on the user reviews of Wirecast Broadcaster that I found from the web, here are some of the pros and cons of the software:
Pros of Wirecast:
- Wirecast Broadcaster is a powerful and flexible platform that can handle various live streaming operations such as transitions, alerts, music, interactions, and more
- Wirecast Broadcaster has a user-friendly interface that can be customized to suit your preferences
- Wirecast Broadcaster has a great customer support team that is responsive and helpful¹².
- Wirecast Broadcaster has a great integration with various platforms and services, such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Spotify, Elgato, Restream, and more
- Wirecast Broadcaster is stable and reliable, and can handle high-performance streaming without lagging or crashing
Cons of Wirecast:
- Wirecast Broadcaster can be expensive for some users, especially if they only use a small percentage of its features
- Wirecast Broadcaster can be complex to set up and configure, and may require guidance from an experienced user or consultant
- Wirecast Broadcaster can have some compatibility issues with other software or systems, such as OBS Studio or X-Split
- Wirecast Broadcaster can have some bugs or glitches, such as failing to save sound settings or losing recordings
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is another popular free live streaming software option that is widely used by online creators. It offers advanced features such as customizable transitions, filters, and audio mixing capabilities. OBS Studio also supports multiple sources and scenes which allow users to switch between different layouts during their live stream. OBS Studio has a free option but also has a paid version with additional features such as virtual camera output and noise suppression.
Best Price – Open Source
Streamlabs OBS
Is a more recent addition to the list of free live streaming software solutions, but it has swiftly garnered favor among online artists due to its simplicity and interaction with Streamlabs widgets. This software gives users access to a variety of overlays, notifications, chatbots, and other features that improve the overall viewing experience of viewers watching the live stream.
Stream Labs offers a Free Starter Plan and an Ultra Plan at $19/month
YouTube Live
Because of its large audience reach, YouTube Live is one of the most popular sites for presenting live videos. The YouTube Partner Program allows producers to make money by displaying advertisements on their videos.
YouTube live streaming is entirely free. You must fulfill all of their conditions in order to live stream. Video streaming allows users to watch videos online without having to download them. Movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, and other types of video material may be streamed.
Facebook Live
Ad Breaks is a similar program on Facebook. It provides live broadcasting possibilities to qualified creators who match certain criteria. Facebook Live enables users to effortlessly communicate with their social media followers.
Is YouTube Live superior than Facebook Live?
Which is better, Facebook Live or YouTube Live? When you want to expand your audience organically and have a lot of control over who sees your videos, YouTube Live is the way to go. When you already have an audience to broadcast material to and want others to find them on the Facebook app, Facebook Live is superior.
Monetizing your Livestream with Switcher Studio
You appear to be interested in monetizing your livestream using Switcher Studio. Switcher Studio is a multi-camera live streaming program that allows you to create professional-looking live videos and stream them to your preferred platform. Switcher Studio may also be used to broadcast to Uscreen, a video monetization platform.
You may monetize your live videos in a variety of ways, including affiliate marketing, selling items, broadcasting live pay-per-view videos, selling sponsorships, and building a subscription service. Each of these strategies has advantages and disadvantages, so you must select the one that best fits your goals and audience.
If you want to learn more about how to successfully sell your live videos, see How to Monetize Live Video Successfully.
Picking the right equipment for live streaming
Video content has never been more popular, and live streaming is an excellent way to engage with audiences in real-time. However, to ensure that your live stream is of high quality, you need the right equipment. In this section, we’ll discuss the essential equipment needed for live streaming.
Video Cameras
The first and most important piece of equipment for live streaming is a video camera. A good camera will capture high-quality video that will keep your audience engaged throughout the broadcast. When choosing a camera, you can opt for mobile cameras or professional-grade video cameras depending on your budget and needs.
Mobile cameras are affordable and easy to use but may not produce the best quality video. On the other hand, professional-grade video cameras provide exceptional image quality but come at a higher price point.
Sony ZV-1 Digital Camera for Content Creators, Vlogging and YouTube with Flip Screen, Built-in Microphone, 4K HDR Video, Touchscreen Display, Live Video Streaming, Webcam
Video Inputs
To connect your camera to the streaming software, you’ll need a video input device such as a capture card or HDMI converter. These devices allow you to transfer the signal from your camera into your computer or laptop where it can be processed by the streaming software.
Source Streaming
If you’re planning on using multiple cameras during your broadcast, source streaming is necessary. Source streaming allows you to switch between different camera inputs during a broadcast seamlessly. This feature ensures that viewers get different angles of the event without interrupting their viewing experience.
Choosing The Right Equipment
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The type of equipment you choose depends on factors such as budget, location of shoot and intended audience size.
For instance, if you’re planning on broadcasting from a remote location with limited access to power outlets or internet connectivity options, battery-powered cameras would be ideal. If you’re targeting a large audience base such as corporate events or concerts, investing in high-end professional-grade cameras would be worthwhile.
Conclusion
To summarize, the world of live streaming has gone a long way in recent years, and there are now lots of choices accessible for producers wishing to share their material with the world. Whether you’re a video artist, gamer, or social media user, Here’s a live streaming program out there that can help you reach your goals.
When it comes to selecting the correct tool for your purposes, there is no shortage of possibilities, ranging from free solutions like OBS Studio and ffsplit to more powerful premium tools like Restream and Switcher studio.
And, with so many aspects to consider – from simplicity of use and features to compatibility and cost – it’s critical to do your homework before making a purchase.
Of course, selecting the correct software is only one piece of the equation; other factors include investing in a high-quality camera or microphone, as well as ensuring a solid internet connection.
Finally, success as a live streamer needs not only technical expertise but also creativity, effort, and the ability to connect with your audience. You can, however, produce fascinating content that connects with people all around the world by utilizing the correct tools and keeping loyal to your vision.
