If you’re a content creator or just thinking about starting this gig, you’re already familiar with streaming platforms. They’ve become a huge part of online businesses and entertainment. Platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook have millions of users. These people watch hours upon hours of videos every day. Potentially, this can happen to you, too! But how do you know which service is the best for you? That’s why we created this list of the leading streaming services and their special features.
What Makes Streaming Platforms So Popular?
Imagine you need to write an article on some specific topic. You could use the service of a website specializing in ghostwriting, like hausarbeit-ghostwriter.de. That’s one option. Alternatively, you could go to YouTube or Instagram to do some research. After a few hours of watching educational videos and shorts, you could probably write the article yourself. Streaming platforms are great not only for viewers but for content creators as well. Here are a few reasons why:
- Building a brand from scratch
- Reaching a huge amount of people
- Monetizing their ideas using the platform’s algorithms
Ultimately, if you want to share something with the world, you can easily become a streamer. Millions of people use streaming services for entertainment purposes. You can learn new things, watch TV series, and even take part in live esports events using these services.
Popular Streaming Platforms You Need to Know About
You should understand what type of content you want to create. Depending on that, you will feel more comfortable using one streaming service or the other.
Some websites are more niche-oriented. Others are great for all kinds of content but are difficult if you want to stand out. Here’s our list of streaming websites that may come in handy.
Twitch
If you love gaming, you must have at least heard about Twitch. This service is mostly popular among gaming enthusiasts and esports lovers. It’s most known for its live gaming events and action sports sessions. Still, singers, musicians, and vloggers can find a place there, too.
What you need to know:
- It has various monetization options
- It has a huge fanbase that could potentially become yours
- The content is very niche-oriented
- It offers features like donations, live chat, and subscriptions
- The competition is quite high
TikTok
This service is relatively new, but it already hosts billions of users from around the world. It’s popular mostly among the younger generation. TikTok’s content is versatile and focuses on short, entertaining videos. What makes this platform so good? You can do whatever you want and suddenly get popular overnight. Your video has the potential to be viewed by billions of people.
What you need to know:
- It offers exposure to a large number of viewers
- There are things like virtual gifts to further engage your audience
- Your content really needs to stand out to be noticed by the viewers
- The monetization tools are still developing
YouTube
This service has a huge user base. Around 2.7 billion viewers get active on YouTube every month. The platform covers a wide range of topics, from education and coaching to fitness, live concerts, and mindfulness techniques. If you’re an expert at something – you’ll surely find a place on YouTube.
What you need to know:
- It’s very competitive, and you need to plan your content accordingly
- Straightforward monetization. Still, it’s strict because you need to reach a certain amount of views first
- You can use ads and chat donations as an additional source of income
- Your live sessions can still be available as usual videos
This platform might not be the most popular streaming service. Still, it has over 2 billion active viewers every month. It offers a handy live Instagram feature with an interactive chat that goes along with it. The level of engagement is quite high, and you can cover a wide range of topics.
What you need to know:
- Your live-stream videos will be saved on your profile
- The platform offers monetization via ads and the amount of views they generate
- Live Chat has interactive reaction features
Conclusion
Live streaming is one of the most popular online features these days. It can be used either for education or entertainment purposes. Creators from all walks of life can use these services to promote themselves. You can also turn your hobby into a source of income via different ways of monetization. Billions of users watch videos on sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram. This means it’s easy to go big there, but you also need to learn how to stand out from the rest.