Best Live Stream Software
Live stream software allows users to present a live feed hosted over the internet, on a designated platform or website. Live streaming enables organizations, brands, and individuals to entertain and promote themselves to a live audience. These solutions enable users to record, produce, edit and mix live stream videos. In addition to video editing, live stream tools provide audio editing and mixing capabilities, similar to audio editing software. These features allow users to adjust audio settings in a granular way, such as rearranging specific portions of the audio in a live stream, adding audio corrections, or adding special sound effects. Media production professionals familiar with video editing typically use live stream software. However, this tool is also used by marketing and product teams who want to produce a live stream for promotional purposes.
While live stream software can be very similar to webinar software, their use cases can differ, and so can the additional features provided by both. Webinars engage their audience more directly than a live stream; while a streamer might interact with their audience, a webcast can be considered a live broadcast. The substance and content of a webinar are also more impacted by audience engagement.
To qualify for inclusion in the Live Stream category, a product must:
Best Live Stream Software At A Glance
G2 takes pride in showing unbiased reviews on user satisfaction in our ratings and reports. We do not allow paid placements in any of our ratings, rankings, or reports. Learn about our scoring methodologies.
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
YouTube Live is an easy way to reach your audience in real time. Whether you're streaming a video game, hosting a live Q&A, or teaching a class, our tools will help you manage your stream and inte
- Owner
- Entertainment
- Computer Games
- 77% Small-Business
- 15% Mid-Market
32,520,271 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Castr is a professional live video streaming platform for small to enterprise businesses. You can use Castr to stream, host, schedule and monetize your live videos in high-quality 4k resolution using
- Pastor
- CEO
- Religious Institutions
- Broadcast Media
- 92% Small-Business
- 7% Mid-Market
15,617 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Vimeo is the world's most innovative video experience platform. We enable anyone to create high-quality video experiences to better connect and bring ideas to life. We proudly serve our community of m
- Owner
- Marketing Manager
- Marketing and Advertising
- Computer Software
- 64% Small-Business
- 26% Mid-Market
213,887 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Uscreen is an all-in-one membership platform built for video creators to launch paid memberships that include an on-demand video library, live streaming capabilities, and their own community space, al
- Director
- Founder
- Health, Wellness and Fitness
- E-Learning
- 94% Small-Business
- 2% Mid-Market
3,397 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
As a videographer/video content creator, you'll likely work with a limited budget, but what you'll definitely still want is video content that looks professional at a reasonable cost. When you have
- Telecommunications Engineer
- Telecommunications
- Information Technology and Services
- 51% Small-Business
- 37% Mid-Market
3 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Ant Media Server is a sophisticated video streaming platform designed to meet the diverse needs of users seeking real-time video streaming solutions. This technology enables organizations to deploy li
- Founder
- CTO
- Computer Software
- Broadcast Media
- 81% Small-Business
- 13% Mid-Market
809 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Dolby.io is a new developer platform by Dolby Labs that puts decades of Dolby sight and sound technology into the hands of developers to deliver quality in communications, real-time streaming, and med
- Software Engineer
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 59% Small-Business
- 25% Mid-Market
85,210 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
StreamYard is a live streaming, recording and webinar tool in your browser. Interview guests, share your screen, and much more. Stream directly to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other platforms. St
- Owner
- CEO
- Entertainment
- Marketing and Advertising
- 88% Small-Business
- 7% Mid-Market
10,371 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
With BlueJeans Events, host and manage production-grade virtual events and engaging live streams for audiences around the world. Create Memorable Experiences: Produce TV-quality broadcasts with 108
- Information Technology and Services
- Education Management
- 46% Enterprise
- 41% Mid-Market
1,556,445 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Wowza is the experienced and trusted partner for reliable, scalable video solutions that you may already be using and not even know it. For over 15 years, we’ve powered 35,000+ video implementations g
- Broadcast Media
- Computer Software
- 51% Small-Business
- 37% Mid-Market
13,451 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
With Live Stream API, you can transcode live, linear video streams into a variety of formats. Live Stream API benefits broadcasters, production companies, businesses, and individuals looking to transf
- 53% Small-Business
- 33% Mid-Market
32,520,271 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Wistia is a complete video marketing platform that helps teams create, host, market, and measure their videos and webinars—all in one place. With Wistia, you can easily create professional videos, hos
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Director of Marketing
- Computer Software
- Marketing and Advertising
- 47% Mid-Market
- 39% Small-Business
29,447 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- What G2 Users Think
- Seller Details
BigMarker is the world's most customizable platform for webinars, virtual and hybrid events. We combine powerful video technology with robust marketing and interactive experience capabilities to creat
- CEO
- Founder
- Marketing and Advertising
- E-Learning
- 85% Small-Business
- 11% Mid-Market
- Reviewers had great experiences with the BigMarker customer support team.
- Reviewers appreciated the email marketing integration and email automation.
- Reviewers enjoyed that they could have multiple presenters and audiences at one time.
16,080 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Twitch is the world's leading video platform and community for gamers. More than 45 million gamers gather every month on Twitch to broadcast, watch and chat.
- Entertainment
- Computer Games
- 78% Small-Business
- 16% Mid-Market
2,230,610 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Talk Studio is a web-based live streaming studio that enables creators to go live with ease. Easily broadcast to social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Twitch, go live in just a few
- Owner
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Media
- 91% Small-Business
- 8% Mid-Market
330,464 Twitter followers
Learn More About Live Stream Software
What is Live Stream Software?
Live stream tools give users a platform for hosting live stream videos. These tools broadcast videos that viewers watch in real time. Viewers can interact with the stream in a variety of ways including chat messages and monetized engagement efforts. Engagement is monetized by letting viewers purchase an interaction (usually in the form of an emote) with the streamer, often with perks attached. Many platforms amplify interactions made by a user that attached a donation to their message. This feature lets streamers gain their own revenue that’s not attached to advertisements, and guarantees visible interaction with the streamer viewers are watching.
Live stream platforms are dominated by the video gaming industry but are also utilized by professionals in other industries. Due to instant feedback and real time engagement, live streams are beneficial to any business that wants to share their media instantly. A business may live stream to announce a new product, introduce a change or transition the company is planning, or interact with viewers and encourage real time engagement. Users can implement live stream broadcasting software into their live streaming routines to create polished live streams. Live stream broadcasting software enables users to record and edit the audio and visuals of a stream in real time and after the stream ends. This is an ideal tool to use for businesses that want to incorporate branded visuals into a stream.
Key Benefits of Live Stream Software
- Streams videos in real time
- Allows viewers to interact with the stream
- Collects revenue via advertisements or monetized viewer engagement
Why Use Live Stream Software?
Unlike video hosting software, live stream tools offer more perks for businesses that want instant connections with viewers. Live streams offer a way for streamers and viewers to interact with each other in real time. This software encourages transparency, since live videos are more candid. This opens up interaction opportunities for both streamers and viewers. For example, businesses can leverage the chat function by interacting with comments in the feed. Viewers can chat, ask questions, or give feedback in the chat and the streamer can engage with the viewer instantaneously. Situations that benefit from a live stream include Q&A sessions, meetings, conferences, or announcements.
Who Uses Live Stream Software?
Businesses across all industries can find a use case for live stream platforms. A business that sells a product can use live stream platforms to announce product changes, demo a product to prospective clients, or introduce a brand new product.
Customer service staff — Customer service departments can solve customer questions and concerns in a live environment, leading to quick resolutions and happier customers.
Marketing staff — Marketing departments may find live streaming useful for showcasing branded video content or receiving brand-related feedback in real time.
Communication staff — Situations that benefit from instant audience interactions, such as feedback requests and educational sessions, present a use case for implementing live streaming as a communication strategy as well.
Live Stream Software Features
Live stream tools boast a variety of engaging features that benefit the streamer and the viewer.
Hosted platform — Live stream is hosted on a dedicated cloud-based streaming platform. Audience members have to visit the platform to access the stream.
Multi-platform streaming — This feature allows a live stream to be played on multiple platforms or social media sites concurrently.
Audience tools — This feature lets audience members rewind or pause the live stream.
Live chat — This feature provides a chat box, allowing viewers to interact with one another and with the streamer.
Video archive — This feature lets users store videos and interact with an archive of previous streams that can then be accessed later by streamers themselves or audience members.
Monetization — The monetization feature lets streamers monetize their live stream through donations, ads, and paywalls.
Audience engagement — Audience engagement features let users observe analytics on audience count, audience demographics, and audience engagement. In addition, audience engagement tools allow instant audience and streamer feedback.
Highlight clips — This feature allows streamers to create highlight clips of their streams that can be hosted on the streaming platform or exported to another video hosting solution.
Potential Issues with Live Stream Software
Transparency — Live streams are live, meaning videos cannot be edited in real time. While live stream broadcasting software allows users to produce live streams and edit live streams after they’ve premiered, live streams should be approached the same way as live television. Due to this, streamers need to have a level of preparation that is not required for edited videos. Streamers should be aware that everything said and done in a live stream is seen instantly by viewers. To prevent potential slip-ups, such as accidentally sharing confidential information or stammering dialogue, streamers should take extra time to prepare for streams in an effort to prevent on-air mistakes.
Lack of editing features — While live videos have the advantage of real time engagement, they cannot be held to the same editing standards as a normal video. Videos that are not live streams can be edited by users prior to being uploaded on a video hosting website in more ways than video broadcasting tools or live stream platforms. Because of the lack of editing involved, live streams may end up looking less professional due to lack of video quality, scene transitions, and other editing normalities. However, if they desire, users can edit a live stream after it has aired.
