Live video on Twitter's about to get a bit more professional.
On the occasion of its 11th birthday, Twitter just announced the ability for broadcasters to use professional cameras and editing software to stream live video directly to the platform.
Eleven years ago, Twitter was limited to 140 characters—no hashtags, no blue checkmarks for verified accounts, no retweets or likes (a.k.a. favorites). Just Tweets. Nothing else.
Cofounders Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone launched the site with these 20 characters each:
But over the last few years, Twitter has transformed into a site offering images, video, and most recently, live video. To say nothing of all the change its basic text product has spurned throughout the world, for better or worse.
That said: Video is the future. Or so says Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And while Dorsey (two-time, part-time CEO) touts the word "live" more than video, he's shown that they're on the same quest: to capture the attention of consumers, and the passion of creators. Video's where the eyes are, and therefore, the ad dollars (something Twitter desperately needs if it wants to appease its skeptical-if-not-increasingly-critical investors).
On Tuesday, Twitter released the Periscope Producer API, allowing creators to broadcast from external hardware and integrate software services to the app. This update means anyone can sign up for access and create high-end video for Periscope, similar to what you'd see shared on television—or, even more aptly—on YouTube.
Live video on Twitter's a bit confusing, at the moment.
Twitter now offers:
- Twitter Live: High-end, live video streamed directly to Twitter, like what you saw at SXSW with "The Mashable Show" and every weekday with Bloomberg TV
- Twitter Video: Video uploaded to Twitter.com, or the Twitter app, that isn't live.
- Periscope: Live video taken via the Periscope app, or directly on the Twitter app .
- Periscope Producer: High-end, live video streamed directly to the Periscope app, which can be shared to Twitter as well.
For the broadcaster, they've now got access to show professional content to Twitter's 310 million monthly active users (and anyone logged-out who chooses to access the site, or app). That's a much smaller audience compared to Facebook's nearly 2 billion monthly active users, but for some brands, that's good enough.
For example, PBS NewsHour has partnered with Twitter to share live video. Twitter, in its blog post on the announcement, also spotlighted Wild Earth, a daily safari which streams to Periscope.
"He’s not a celebrity, but his content is fucking awesome."
Periscope CEO Kayvon Beykpour had endorsed the channel, as well, in conversation with us earlier this year:
"He’s not a celebrity, but his content is fucking awesome. I go to bed and watch this," Beykpour said. "Every night I go to bed at 10 p.m. and then every morning at 9 a.m. they’re producing professional produced safaris in real-time."
For Twitter, Periscope Producer offers another way to share.
But, as noted above, it's also left people confused on what Periscope has become. As we reported last month, the thought at the top of many creators' minds: "In the wake of Twitter's decision to give up on Vine, there's a question that is hanging over Periscope: Could it be next?"
Beykpour says Periscope disappearing isn't gonna happen anytime soon. Indeed, as of today, Twitter has another product with the Periscope name.
Twitter also chalked up a bunch of partners to help them promote the new feature. Telestream’s Wirecast software lets you control multiple devices including iOS and desktop cameras. Livestream’sMevo camera has already been used as well as Switchboard Cloud’s web platform. Other partners are listed on this page.
One important aspect Twitter didn't discuss in its blog post or in conversation with us is monetization on the platform. Meanwhile, Facebook cut up big checks last year to a bunch of celebrities and media partners, and they're now experimenting with ad breaks in live videos.
Twitter's always been true to its core of not paying people to tweet, despite conspiracy theories that Kanye West receives some checks. That's come at a cost, however. During the time when Twitter desperately attempted to keep Vine afloat, the app's top creators suggested offering them money per video. But, the company refused. Cue: R.I.P. Vine.
However, some of its partners may be able to help with bringing in cash. Brandlive, for example, works with brands and retailers to introduce commerce to live videos. The copmany has worked with brands like GoPro, Nike and Walmart.
"The intersection of social interaction, video and commerce is on everyone's top priority list these days," Brandlive CEO Fritz Brumder said in a statement.
"We’ve always believed there’s something amazing happening in the intersection of e-commerce and video," he told Mashable. "We automate that whole process."
What'll happen to Periscope? And Twitter, at large, for that matter? Maybe you'll be able to watch it live, with all the production values your heart could possibly desire.
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