Press release from Facebook.
MANILA, Philippines – Facebook Live gets an upgrade.
Facebook upped their game last year when they launched the Live Video feature, rivalling Twitter's Periscope, and giving their users the chance to experience and share moments as they happen. People have used live video in creative ways to connect and interact with each other all over the world.
On Thursday, April 7, 2016, Facebook announced several new features to improve users live streaming experience.
Live for Groups and Events
Facebook rolled out the ability to go live in Facebook Groups and Facebook Events.
Live in Groups allows users to broadcast just to the people in the Facebook Group. Live in Events lets users go live from events like birthday parties or concerts to allow those who RSVP-ed but can't make it to join the fun.
Facebook also launched a host of new features on the live videos themselves.
Interactive Features: Live Reactions, Replay Comments, Live Filters
Live Reactions makes it easy for viewers to express their feelings in real time during a live broadcast. Using the same reactions launched in News Feed, viewers can select Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, or Angry, and the reactions animate on top of the video.
Accroding to Facebook, users comment 10 times more on Facebook Live videos than on regular videos. In order for people watching a broadcast that is no longer live to feel “in” on the action, comments will replay as they happened during the live broadcast when people watch it later.
Want a different feel to your video just like you do with your Facebook or Instagram photos? Facebook also released 5 filters for your live videos. This can be applied with just a swipe. In addition, users will now have the ability to draw or doodle on a video while live.
Discover more live videos: Invite Friends, Live Video Destination and Live Map
Another new feature is the option to send an invitation to friends to watch a live video. With just a tap on the 'X' icon, viewers can select the friends they want to invite. Invitees will receive a push notification.
Facebook is also rolling out a dedicated place on their mobile app so users can discover other live videos – by friends, the most talked about or by topics that you're most interested in. From that place, they can also search live and non-live videos as well as go live themselves. Simply tap on the new video icon in the app to navigate to this new space.
Finally, for those who want a visual way to explore public live broadcasts that are happening around the world, Facebook is releasing Live Map on desktop. The Facebook Live Map gives users a window into what's happening in the world at that moment.
These features will be rolling out on iOS and Android over the coming weeks. Which one are you the most excited for? – Rappler.com/Fidji Simo