Are you running a small business and want to grow your brand? Not sure which live streaming tool would be best for you and your business? In this blog post, we’ll learn about the best live streaming tools you can use to boost your business.
Live Streaming Tools for Business
In the digital age, it is no surprise that many businesses, both big and small, turn to live streaming for additional marketing efforts. However, many small business owners seem to be lost when it comes to effective and budget-friendly live streaming tools.
BeLive offers a wide range of live streaming and branding features, but we understand that each business has different needs. With this said, we’ve compiled a list of the best live streaming tools currently available on the market.
OBS
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is a free, open-source live streaming software that you can easily download to your computer. Content creators and business owners prefer this platform due to its customization features. These include:
- Video and audio inputs
- Editable layout and visuals
- RTMP for streaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram
OBS is recommended for those with prior technical knowledge aiming for a more customized look for their streams or pre-recorded videos.
One catch is that OBS requires a computer or laptop with higher specs to prevent lags or any possible technical issues.
Zoom
Zoom is an easy-to-use telecommunications tool that can be used for private meetings, webinars, or conferences – think of it as your own personal virtual workspace.
With Zoom, you can:
- Live stream to social media platforms (Facebook/YouTube)
- Invite up to 300 guests
- Use presenter view/spotlight
- Create breakout rooms (to divide participants into smaller groups during meetings)
- Make screen annotations
- Link to Facebook and other social media platforms for live streaming
If you’re a small business owner who does virtual meetings frequently and would like to venture into live streaming, give Zoom a try.
However, Zoom does not include the ability to display on-screen text updates such as titles, crawlers, and user comments. This means participants within the call can interact with the speaker, but comments from the public will have to be manually checked through a different tab.
Zoom offers the following plans:
- Basic (Free) – 40-minute meetings for up to 100 participants, unlimited meetings
- Pro ($149.90/year) – 30-hour meetings for up to 100 participants, social media streaming, and 1gb of cloud storage.
- Business ($199.90/year) – includes all features on Pro, up to 300 participants, ability to record transcripts, add company branding, etc.
- Zoom United Business ($350/year) – phone functionality (includes all the phone features of Zoom United Pro, unlimited calling within Global Select, etc.), host meetings up to 300 participants, record transcripts, add company branding, etc.
eCamm Live
eCamm Live is an all-in-one live streaming studio exclusively available for Mac users. However, it’s now compatible with other operating systems like Windows. eCamm Live already integrates to 4 live streaming platforms, so no need to worry about setting up stream keys to schedule or connect your video to Facebook or YouTube.
With eCamm, you can:
- Add logos, titles, lower thirds, and graphics
- Share your screen
- Upload and share video clips
- Do split-screen interviews with guests
- Use a green screen to change your background
- Connect an external camera (DSLR) for high-quality video
There is no free version of this tool but you can avail of the free trial once you sign up for eCamm. To continue using the product, you may subscribe to a plan starting at $15/month.
Restream
Restream allows its users to stream to multiple destinations at once. Like OBS, Restream offers multiple branding options. The only difference is that with Restream, no technical expertise is required to run your live streams.
With Restream, you can:
- Multistream to 30+ social media platforms simultaneously (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, etc.)
- Add logos, titles, lower thirds, graphics, and other on-screen updates
- Share your screen, play videos, and other multimedia content
There is no free trial to test out Restream features but you can try its features as a free user. Restream offers the following subscriptions:
- Free – stream with the Restream watermark
- Standard ($16/month) – stream with the Restream watermark to one custom destination, record six hours of video and store it for 15 days, and stream to public Facebook pages and groups.
- Pro ($41/month) – stream to 3 custom destinations, add custom graphics, upload videos, record 10 hours of streaming time, and store it for 15 days.
StreamYard
StreamYard promises an easy live streaming experience for first-time streamers due to its simple and straightforward interface. They offer the following:
- Up to 10 participants on screen
- Simulcast to Facebook, YouTube, and 6 other platforms
- Custom RTMP outputs
- Custom graphics for branding
StreamYard is recommended for solopreneurs or medium-sized businesses.
Like Restream, StreamYard also doesn’t offer a free trial for its features. Instead, you can try streaming with the company’s logo on the Free subscription or purchase a package. The 3 types of subscriptions include:
- Free – stream with the StreamYard logo with up to 6 participants on screen, branding, on-screen comments, and more.
- Basic ($20/month) – stream to 3 destinations, custom branding and graphics, record 4 hours of streaming, ability to multi-stream to 3 destinations, and more.
- Professional ($39/month) – record 8 hours of streaming in Full HD (1080p), multistream to 8 destinations, and more.
StreamYard was acquired by Hopin, a digital events company, in January 2021. Though TechCrunch reported that the brand and product will be retained, changes in its products and process may still be implemented in the future.
BeLive
BeLive is an easy-to-use web-based live streaming tool built for sales and repurposing, benefiting business owners who are looking to maximize their digital marketing options. As a Facebook Live Solutions partner, BeLive allows you to schedule your shows in the studio without worrying about stream keys and integration. Plus, it’s the only live streaming tool that can stream in 1080p on the platform. With BeLive, you can:
- Add branding (background, overlay, theme, logo)
- Support up to 10 guests in the lobby
- Display comments
- Simulcast to Facebook and YouTube
- Share your screen and upload multiple images at once
- Upload videos with up to 500Mb
- Play longer clips through the integrated YouTube video player
- Create an agenda for improved broadcast flow
- Set a countdown timer
- Stream in Full HD (Pro Plan)
- 90-day storage (Pro Plan)
- Multicamera (Pro Plan)
Recent feature updates have also made the tool more useful for business owners to promote their products directly from the studio.
The most noteworthy new features include:
Live Sales
If you’re looking for a way to advertise your products and send a link to viewers to purchase them, then BeLive’s Live Sales feature is for you! Make sure to promote your show before going live and get the most out of this experience.
Apart from boosting your sales, you may also use this feature to share files with your audience, use it for fundraising purposes, promote a webinar or your other social media sites, and more!
Video Editor
Repurposing your videos is crucial when it comes to expanding your reach and engagement, but it’s too tedious for busy entrepreneurs. That’s why BeLive integrated the Video Editor within the studio itself. With the Video Editor, you can:
- Trim unwanted footage at the beginning or end of your broadcast
- Cut out specific parts for repurposing or promotional use
- Determine the highlights of your broadcast through user engagement and activity (comments and reactions)
With this feature, there’s no need to download the entire broadcast. It is now possible to share the trimmed clip directly to Facebook or YouTube. This will save you a ton of post-production time and cost.
When you sign up with BeLive, you are granted 14 days of free access to Standard+ features. After the trial, your account will automatically revert back to free. To continue using paid features, you may subscribe to the following packages:
- Free – broadcast with BeLive logo and limited features
- Standard+ plan for $29.99/month (pay only $24.99/month for annual billing)
- Pro plan for $44.99/month (pay only $37.50/month for annual billing)
Which live streaming tools fit your needs as a busy small business owner? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
