Skip to main content

Live on YouTube brings live video streaming to masses

YouTube revisits live video streaming for masses with a live-stream test today and tomorrow. Starting at 8 a.m. Pacific Time, Live on YouTube will stream live entertainment programming from four online media partners.

No stranger to live video, YouTube has experimented with live streaming over the years on a case-by-case basis. It first  tested the live video streaming waters back in 2008 with YouTube Live — “part concert, part variety show, and part party” — and more recently, live broadcast Google’s press conference announcing Google Instant. President Obama answered questions live earlier this year on YouTube, and rock band U2 broadcast a concert last year.

Recommended Videos

What makes this test different is that it may be YouTube’s first indication of a full-fledged live streaming platform, similar to what Ustream and Livestream already offer. For the moment, it’s still an experiment with  select partners. There are no indications as to what its future live streaming plans are, and there is no hint as to whether this features will be available to all users. But YouTube’s claim that the platform will support content from other sources is intriguing: “All broadcasters need is a webcam or external USB/FireWire camera.”

Part of the trial of the service includes a Live Comments module, where you can chat with other viewers and live broadcasters as you watch the show.

What can you watch during this test?

Next New Networks, a producer of series programming online, will offer a variety of programs, including satire from its Barely Political channel. Young Hollywood will be presenting lifestyle programming and live celebrity interviews, including one with skateboarder Tony Hawk. Rocketboom will offer news and entertainment. The final fourth partner is Howcast, which will offer instructional videos. The live broadcasts are available from these partner’s channel pages. A full schedule is available on the YouTube blog.

Live on YouTube will be available on YouTube.com and also via an embedded Web app that can be dropped on any site or blog.

Fahmida Y. Rashid
Former Digital Trends Contributor
How to download music from YouTube on desktop and mobile
A woman sitting on a couch, wearing airpods and holding and looking at a smartphone.

Downloading music from YouTube is a fairly common practice, and the demand for making the process easier has inspired the creation of countless websites and software.

But not every service can be considered safe. In fact, some of these services may infect your computer with malware or produce poor-quality audio files. When downloading music from YouTube, you’ll need to first make sure that the websites or apps you use for doing so won’t hurt your device. For this guide our team has found two methods to make the process safer and easier.

Read more
Is there a YouTube Premium free trial? What you need to know
Youtube video on mobile. Credits: YouTube official.

If you're among the millions of people who love watching videos on YouTube, you should definitely consider signing up for YouTube Premium. Originally launched in 2014 as Music Key, it was later renamed to YouTube Red and then finally to YouTube Premium in 2018. Subscribers have access to a long list of helpful features to enjoy the Google-owned video platform even more!

For $14 per month, YouTube Premium members get YouTube Music, an ad-free viewing experience, offline viewing, background listening, and the ability to download videos. That should be more than enough for you to consider signing up, but if you want to make sure that you'll get your money's worth, you can start with the YouTube Premium free trial. Read on to find out everything that you need to know about it.
Is there a YouTube Premium free trial?

Read more
Here’s how to delete your YouTube account on any device
How to delete your YouTube account

Wanting to get out of the YouTube business? If you want to delete your YouTube account, all you need to do is go to your YouTube Studio page, go to the Advanced Settings, and follow the section that will guide you to permanently delete your account. If you need help with these steps, or want to do so on a platform that isn't your computer, you can follow the steps below.

Note that the following steps will delete your YouTube channel, not your associated Google account.

Read more