Who doesn’t like to watch video streams? People of every age and sectors love them. They even spend a portion of their day watching video streams. Whether it’s for entertainment or learning. But one thing is for sure its popularity is increasing at an amazing pace.
In the past, people of higher class society were able to afford devices that supported video streams. And let’s not even talk about the equipment used to record such videos. Those who could have even the cheapest recording device were like a celebrity.
But with the advancement of technology, it has evolved into some extraordinary. Not only has its popularity increased even further it has also opened the door of opportunities for people as well. There are various sites and people that offer real money for making or customizing such videos. And the most interesting part is the devices that are required can even be bought by normal people with normal jobs you don’t have to be a higher class millionaire for this.
Because of such facilities, many platforms have integrated video streaming features on their sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagrams, etc. And some even modeled their platforms for video streaming only like Youtube, Twitch, Streaming Plug, etc. But is it worth it? What’s the benefit?
Well, if there were no benefits then why would it even become this popular. Not only do some of these platforms offer a certain amount of reward depending on your view and followers. Depending on your popularity you would even be offered sponsorship from different brands for promoting their products and services.
Also, this is not the only opportunity if you are uncomfortable with being in front of the camera then you don’t have to be. There are other various important roles without which generating a successful stream would be impossible. Like a scriptwriter, a cameraman, an editor, and many more.
There are lots of categories to choose from. You can pick any topic and make a video stream on it. And you have choices of what type of steam you want to do. You can either do a live video stream or you can do a pre-recorded video streaming. Both are viable options choose the one that suits you. Let me help you a little by telling you about the pros and cons of these two types of streaming.
Live Video Streaming
As the name suggests this type of streaming is streamed live. In other whatever we see on the stream is the real-time view of what the streamer is doing. This type of streaming is gaining much popularity especially in social media where famous influencers use these platforms to connect with their fans more openly and directly. So let’s talk about some of the pros and cons of live streaming.
Pros of live streaming:
-
Interactive: Platforms having built-in interactive systems in places like live chat and reactions allow streamers to directly learn about what their viewers feel about them in real-time. Not only do they get real-time feedback but it also helps them build up a bond with their fans like never before.
-
Authentic: Being in front of the camera is not an easy thing and when it’s live with thousands of people watching you now that’s even harder. But still appearing and also being cool-headed as well as doing everything normally deserves applause. And since there is no editing involve so how he looks and how he performs are real which matters to the viewers in a huge way. It proves that what they are doing and what they are saying are somewhat authentic and are worth their trust.
-
Cost Efficient: Live streaming is quite cost-efficient. Since there’s no editing involved also with the right setup it’s possible to do it even with a regular smartphone camera. Yes, quality matters but with the smartphone camera, you won’t believe just how much of a high-quality video can be recorded through them.
Cons of live streaming:
-
Sudden Changes: Well, no one can predict the future, can we. So live streaming is the same you can never know what’s going to happen in the next second. No matter how well prepared you are it’s next to impossible to be prepared for the unknown.
-
No Retakes: In other times if we make a mistake we could just skip it or rectify it but in live recording, no words or stunts can be taken back. Thus it’s very crucial to be careful in everything you do on the stream cause one wrong word and goodbye stardom.
Pre-recoded Video Streaming
Similar to live streaming but here streams are already recorded meaning the streams that you see are not in real-time. But the thing is this kind of stream is usually build for such purposes so that the viewers can watch it whenever they want. Now, let’s look up some of the pros and cons of recorded video streaming.
Pros of pre-recorded streaming:
-
Retakes: Unlike live streams where one mistake could hamper the whole stream in recording there are options for retakes. So you are able to start again and do it correctly. This also helps to avoid any unforeseen event that one faces during recording.
-
Flexibility: Since it will be recorded then streams it allows streamers to be more flexible and have more control over the content that they plan to record. If needed that could record it part by part not all at once. This would allow the streamers to have breathers have more chances to improve on their script. If they find any new materials then they could also find time to add them to the recording as well.
-
Furnished: Editing tools have become quite powerful especially photo and video editing tools. Nowadays they are packed with presets of effects that even a streamer with no custom editing experience can do a wonderful job by using this presets correctly. Besides this, you can also add other effects such as voice overlay, enhanced coloring, background change, and many more. By using these tools to the fullest you will be able to create a wonderful and furnished video that could blow your viewer’s minds away.
Cons of pre-recorded streaming:
-
Misuse: Since it’s recorded it’s hard to verify the credibility of the streamers. Also since they are out in the open it’s easy for others to download them and use them in their videos. Though copyrights protect you in such time they don’t guarantee 100%. Cause with the advancement of the editing software nowadays it’s pretty easy to manipulate such videos in such ways that they look completely different.
-
No Direct Feedback: Unlike live streaming when would get direct feedback from the viewers here you have to wait. And also if the feedback is back you can’t rectify it cause the video is already published and if changed cause someone pointed it out and claim that all was right then will lead to losing the viewer’s trust.
Conclusion
Both streaming have their advantages and disadvantages. I have tried to portray them as much as possible. Now it’s up to you to decide on how do you want to broadcast yourself and your content.