Facebook recently announced six updates for Facebook Live for pages and profiles which you can read about here.
One of the updates is the ability to live stream to Facebook Live from your page or profile using your desk top – this means you do not need to use additional tools to live stream from your PC or Mac.
This is a feature that is currently rolling out.
It should be noted that you can add multi media to your live stream, nor can you have additional people on screen with you – this is where you would need to use third party tools. If this is of interest in terms of your plan to live stream on Facebook Live, you can schedule a meeting with me to discuss the options available or read the archive of my live video articles and tutorials.
UPDATE OCTOBER 2017 – You can now share your screen when live streaming to Facebook Live using Chrome as your browser – learn more in this article.
This article takes you through essential tips you need to be aware of to help you get started with the new feature.
The first thing to note if you want to check if you have access to the new feature of live streaming from desktop is to use the Chrome browser. You will see the link to post live video on your profile under the header image – see the image below. (Update 25 July 2017: learn how to live stream to your personal profile on Facebook using the Firefox browser in this article.)
In terms of on your Facebook Page you may not immediately see it visible – if you have multiple tabs you may have to click the ‘more’ button to reveal the Facebook Live button.
You may have to click to see all your post options on Facebook to see the live button on a Page.
Click ‘Start A Live Video’ on your Facebook Page when you see the red box.
Whether you stream from your Page, Profile or a Group (see below), you will need to give access to your camera and mic.
Click the camera icon to check you have the correct mic and camera connected.
You can also go to Chrome to check your content settings for your mic and camera. You will see that as a prompt when you click the camera icon on the Facebook live interface.
Make sure that you select the relevant mic and camera that you wish to use before you start your live stream.
When you are ready to start your live stream click the Go Live Button on Facebook Live.
A count down timer will appear on your live video giving you a moment to compose yourself on camera. NOTE: you could have the camera facing away from you for example if you are live streaming an event (remember however to get permission from those involved before starting the live stream).
You will see the duration of the live stream at the top of the live stream. And comments from viewers will appear on the right so that you can easily read what your audience is posting about which is a great integration as it helps you be more effective in engaging with your audience.
When you have finished your live stream you can click the ‘Finish’ button.
You will then get the option to delete your video or allow it to be posted to your Page or Profile.
I should also note that I checked a number of Facebook Groups – both those I have admin rights for and those that I do NOT have admin rights for – and I have the ability for live streaming to them from my desktop. This is important for Facebook Group owners to be aware of as you may want to update your community guidelines. See an example in the image below of how to find this feature on Groups for a group I am a member of.
If you have always wanted to live stream from your desktop but did not want to have to learn or invest in third party tools, this could be a great solution for you.
You can watch the video below to learn more about this new feature or watch it on YouTube here. As I mention on the video there are a lot of additional benefits of live streaming from your page, many of which I have covered in previous live video tutorials. But if you do have questions you can arrange a confidential online meeting with me here to discuss the live video options that would be most suited for your business goals.
What do you think of this new way of live streaming to Facebook Live – is this something you will test out?
