“Professional streams can be created with the desktop and difficult setup only!”. Sorry, not in 2021! You can create professional-looking mobile live streams hassle-free and engage with your audience the same way you use desktop broadcasting setups.
It’ll definitely take some of your time to achieve a professional look, but it will cost you much less than creating your own studio with all those cameras, mics, and mixers. Streaming video from mobile phones is a great and affordable option for those who’re craving mobility and don’t want to spend thousands on setups.
Mobile Streaming App
To choose a streaming app for going live, you need to decide which live streaming platforms you’re going to broadcast: Facebook, YouTube, Linked In, Instagram or Twitch. All of these platforms offer mobile streaming, but often it’s very limited in terms of features. In some cases, it’s not even possible to broadcast if you don’t meet certain criteria (for example, YouTube requires you to have at least 1k to be able to create a live stream from your phone).
That’s where the apps for mobile streaming come in handy. For example, with Be.Live Mobile App, you can stream on YouTube without having 1000 subscribers (yay). These apps often allow you to simulcast your broadcast to multiple destinations (with the Be.Live Mobile app, you can go live on five destinations) or have useful features that can help you create professional and engaging live shows. It definitely makes them a more exciting option for content creators than the original apps created by platforms.
Be.Live Mobile App is literally the best app for mobile streaming since it can do things that can’t be done by any app out there. Here is the list of the features which will skyrocket your broadcasting experience:
- Streaming to 5 destinations at the same time;
- Showing your audience’s comments IN THE STREAM;
- Inviting a guest;
- Ability to brand your show;
- Ability to go live in vertical or horizontal modes.
Incredible, isn’t it? You can download the app here. 
Good Lighting
Mobile streaming apps aren’t the magic pill. One of the essential things in video streaming is lighting setup. Mind the direction of light and make sure the light source is always in front of you or facing you from the sides. Before creating a live stream on mobile, open your camera and check how you look: is your face seen, do you have shadows under your chin or nose, and whether there are no overexposed (white) areas on your face or background.
If you’re planning to stream at home, you can use daylight or buy continuous light (you can find more details in this article).
If you’re planning to go live outside – make sure to avoid direct sunlight since it can cause overexposing of your face.
Video Quality
There are a few things you can do to improve the quality of your mobile stream.
- Use the rear-facing camera;
- Use a tripod or gimbal;
- Consider buying a lens.
What is a rear-facing camera?
It is the camera located on the backside of your phone. When people go live, they naturally want to use the front-facing camera, but its quality isn’t good enough for creating professional streams—that why I highly recommend switching to the back-facing camera.
Tripod or Gimbal for Mobile Streaming
All of us have seen those shaky videos, and I bet none of us enjoyed it. For getting a stable image in your mobile stream, you’ll need to use a tripod or a gimbal. Tripod is a piece of gear that you can put your phone on and thus make your image look still. Gimbal is a piece of gear as well, but you can move around with it while holding it in your hand. Gimbals help you stabilize your phone when you’re live while walking and create that smooth, professional look without trembling. Tripod is a perfect option for those who’re not going to move around, while gimbals are for those who want to go live on-the-go
Lens for Mobile Streaming
Yes, you heard it right! There are lenses for mobile phones’ cameras which you can attach to your rear-facing camera. It’s not necessary, but it can help you in creating an even more professional live stream. The most popular lenses are wide-angle lenses. They won’t add depth of field to your image but will definitely help capture a wider angle without losing the quality of the picture.
Sound Quality
Sound is even more important than the video since if people can’t see you, they still stick around because they can hear you. For getting the best quality, I advise you to buy the external mic and connect it to your phone. Wireless lavaliers microphones will work the best in such cases, but if you don’t want to spend your budget on that, you can use your earbuds which usually have really good in-built microphones.
Fans of broadcasting on the go should remember about the wind — it can create really unpleasant sounds that can destroy your live stream. Buying a dead cat windshield for your microphone will be an excellent option for such occasional streams.
Location matters!
Ensure to go live from the locations where you won’t be interrupted by someone who says: “Please, hide your phone. It’s prohibited to shoot at this area”. Some locations can be restricted for taking footage or going live at. If you’d like to make your audience excited, consider location scouting for future live shows.
Besides that, if you are about to go live outside, make sure to pick a place without direct sunlight or noisy wind — both of these can screw up your show in terms of production.
It’s also worth mentioning that you are better off finding a cozy place with not many people around since crowded places produce more noise, which you need to avoid in your live stream.
Summary
These tips will definitely help you in creating professional-looking mobile streams and boost your video streaming experience. While searching for Facebook or YouTube streaming software for mobile, I recommend you try out the Be.Live Mobile App.
If you want to produce professional mobile live streams, you should definitely look into this option. Mobile broadcasting with Be.Live app is an outstanding experience for both: host and their audiences.
Start creating your live videos using your phone today! Here is the link to download the Be.Live Streaming App from AppStore (It’ll be available for both iOS and Android soon). It’s an absolutely free streaming app that can help you achieve your goals, strengthen your community, and get more loyal customers.
Content creator at BeLive
