Undisputedly, YouTube is one of the most dominating platforms on the internet for streaming free online video content. It receives billions of videos that people watch and comment on daily.
As per Neil Patel, leading online marketer and influencer, live streaming content is watched by 63% of people aged 18-34. It will account for 82% of all internet traffic by 2020.
However, one thing against YouTube is that it is a Google product, and everyone knows Google can update its guidelines without any prior indication.
This has prompted several unhappy users to look for YouTube live-streaming alternatives to provide them the option to get free video hosting and similar content.
An Honest Opinion about YouTube Live Streaming
YouTube is an excellent platform to upload, view, and share videos. YouTube added the live streaming feature in 2008. Live streaming via YouTube is very easy to use. First of all, you need to verify your channel. For this, you need to provide your phone number. Once you verify it, you can start streaming and uploading videos longer than 15 minutes.
As far as the two main methods of live streaming are concerned, they are as follows:
a. Stream now
Steam is now the first method currently employed in open beta testing. This streaming method involves:
Set up an encoder with the provided credentials
Opting for a name and description for your steam
Selecting tags, categories, and privacy
Enabling monetization through Google Ads (in case you wish for it)
b. Stream later
The second method of live streaming is known as “events.” It involves scheduling a stream shortly. This method enables you to employ your webcam to broadcast through “Hangouts on Air.”
However, you will not be able to live stream on YouTube if you receive either of these warnings.
“Terms of Use” strike – You receive this by including third-party advertisements in live streams. A prime example of this is burned-in commercials.
Copyright take-down on live content
Stream blocked globally within the past 90 days
Best Features of YouTube Live Streaming
Overall, the best feature of YouTube is that it’s free and trendy. Almost everyone has heard of and used YouTube at least once. When it comes to live streaming, this popularity only increases viewership. So whether it is music, sports, or gaming, a live video streaming service by YouTube enables excellent live video that is valuable both in the moment and in the future.
Your content reaches a large audience quickly, and you can easily build followers thanks to the subscribers. YouTube has some excellent chat features. It even provides a content creator to generate more revenue by enabling a commenter to push his comment to the top. This makes YouTube a premier live video streaming platform for delivering social engagement.
Ideal Use and Users for YouTube Live Streaming
YouTube live streaming comes with lots of benefits. Most of them are social. The ideal use for YouTube Live Streaming is when you’re trying to maximize the target audience reach. Users can quickly post comments, like, subscribe, and watch channels that enable effortless interaction. YouTube Live Streaming is one of the best choices for B2C (Business-to-Consumer) users.
Why do we need a YouTube live streaming alternative?
However, as big as it may be, YouTube is also a victim of its own success. The main disadvantages of a website like YouTube are:
Licensing – Content uploaded on YouTube is highly likely to be duplicated. Copyright issues are major trouble that plagues YouTube.
Blocking – Making your content available over YouTube can be problematic in areas where the website is blocked. YouTube has been banned in more than 20 countries.
Lack of Customer Support – YouTube has generic troubleshooting tips but falls short in providing dedicated end-user support.
Ad Revenue – The website has been under heavy fire for its ad revenue policy, which stifles the potential for creators to generate decent ROI on their content.
Apart from this, you might perceive watching videos on YouTube does not give out much information about yourself; however, you’re highly mistaken.
You’ll be shocked to know the amount of data Google employs to understand who you are and what you like or dislike.
It is, therefore, time for you to take your privacy back and look for a conservative alternative to YouTube that does not collect your data.
Best YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives to Stream Video Content
These are the best 9 YouTube Live streaming alternatives with features and functionalities that adapt to your video streaming needs more than YouTube.
- Vimeo
Company Overview
Vimeo is a popular YouTube live streaming alternative that concentrates on quality content rather than quantity. Established in 2004, Vimeo was the first site to support high-definition streaming video. The site consists of many powerful video tools that aid you in curating better videos and driving engagements.
The only downside of this tool is you get a limited amount of uploads weekly, i.e., 500 MB. If you want more space, you need to pay an extra price somewhere between $7 to $75. You can get 5 GB of uploads weekly for $7 per month.
Key Features
Vimeo is an excellent option for external streaming as an alternative to YouTube streaming. It is an ad-free platform that delivers high-definition videos across multiple devices.
Its key features include:
Enables you to customize video players
Aids you in managing privacy and security with minimal fuss
Enables you to edit the video URLs as per your need
Allows you to collaborate with other people
Provides excellent customer service
Easily streams live videos
Supports multiple platforms like iOS, Windows, macOS, Xbox One, Chromecast, PS4, Fire TV, Nvidia Shield, Android, Web
Pros
Provides multiple security options
Enables you to upload content from anywhere
Monetization
Live chat support
Social media embedding
Economic pricing
Cons
Customer support is poor
The company has received various poor reviews
Pricing
- IBM Cloud Video
Company Overview
Formerly called UStream, IBM Cloud Video was founded in 2007 to connect military service members with family. IBM purchased UStream in 2016.
IBM Live Video is essentially a live streaming company. However, it also hosts VOD (Video On Demand) files recorded from previous live streams.
You can avail of the basic streaming accounts for free, with advertising supporting IBM Cloud Video. When you opt for paid accounts, it eliminates advertising and gives you access to advanced features.
Its Enterprise accounts enable you to get fully customized branding. It even offers analytics, multiple live channels, content syndication, etc.
IBM provides pro and enterprise users phone support and forum-based support for free users.
Key Features
IBM Cloud Video offers both a customer-grade and an Enterprise streaming solution. This platform also provides an exclusive Enterprise Content Delivery Network. Its inclusivity justifies the high price tag.
Its key features include:
Enterprise content delivery network
Enterprise video streaming
Live streaming
Monetization
OTT video management
Video distribution and workflow
Pros
Comes with good customer support
Consists of a wide range of features for broadcasters
Hong Kong (China) based video hosting
Reliable platform
Suitable for larger clients
Cons
If you wish to steam anything above 720p resolution, additional fees are required
Poor closed captioning support
Pricing
- Dacast
Company Overview
With offices in London and San Francisco, Dacast is one of the best YouTube live alternatives available online. It is a fully-featured, self-service solution that can be employed for both live streaming and VOD hosting. In 2020, Dacast made it into the final list of Streaming Media Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Small/Medium Business Video Platform. It was in the year 2019 when Dacast acquired the vzaar platform, thus, expanding its all-inclusive OTT solution.
Dacast provides comprehensive live streaming and secure video hosting services, making it one of the best YouTube live streaming alternatives. Users can embed videos on their websites while maintaining 100% content control. Dacast provides password protection, an analytics dashboard, an integrated paywall, referrer restriction, etc., as its essential features.
Key Features
Dacast is the perfect YouTube alternative. It provides high-end features not present on YouTube with competitive pricing plans, including white-label service on all plans, ad-free broadcasting, and top-tier CDN delivery. You even get 24x7 phone support when you opt for premium and enterprise-grade plans.
Moreover, the Dacast platform distinguishes itself from other OVPs in its user-friendliness and accessibility. Even new broadcasters can create a new live channel effortlessly and commence a new live stream within minutes. These make Dacast one of the most preferred YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives.
Its key features include:
24x7 tech support with all plans, including email and live chat
Ad-free streaming
Comes with a VOD platform that aids in monetizing on-demand content and scaling your VOD business
Comes with Video API access on premium plans
Consists of video security features like password-protected hosting
Includes Zoom live streaming integration for meetings and live events in real-time
Live encoding support for top video encoders
Multi-bitrate streaming for live video and VOD
Real-time video streaming analytics
Safe, worldwide content delivery, including industry-best video hosting
Pros
China Video Hosting
Embeddable HTML5 video player
Live stream recording
Live streaming and Video on Demand are encompassed in all plans
Mobile device support
Pricing plans to meet every budget
SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD pay-per-view monetization options
Unlimited viewers and live channels
White label and branding control
Cons
Requires a bit of a learning curve to get started
Pricing
- Vplayed
Company Overview
Vplayed is a 100% customizable Software-as-a-Product company that emphasizes a single-time cost model.
Apart from their different monetization models, the company also offers HTML / HLS player, and video-on-demand services in a secured DRM platform. It is one of the best YouTube alternatives available online.
The one thing that showcases how Vplayed is one step ahead of YouTube is how the company offers different unbiased monetization options for small and big video creators.
Its video content management system has been designed to integrate into platforms of any service with absolutely zero-buffer.
It plays video and audio files of any format to stream them in rich quality and broadcast with zero latency. All of this makes Vplayed one of the most preferred YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives.
Key Features
Vplayed is a SaaP-based OTT streaming platform that allows distributors, broadcasters, and content owners to launch video and audio streaming platforms to stream video/audio over the web, mobile, and smart TV.
Its key features include:
Analytics
Bulk uploading
Closed captions
Content management
Customizable branding
Drag-and-drop functionality
Media management
Social sharing
Video capture
Video looping
Video streaming
Virtual classroom
Pros
Complete ownership
Multiple monetization options
One-time payment
Quick launch
Cons
Being a SaaP model platform, it’s built ground up, and there are no readymade solutions to try.
Does not offer free trials
Pricing
For pricing details, contact the sales team at Vplayed from here.
- Livestream
Company Overview
Originally founded in 2017, Livestream is one of the largest live streaming companies in the world. It was in the year 2017 when Vimeo acquired the Livestream platform.
Since then, Livestream has provided both streaming and video hosting services. Its basic functionality includes analytics, a video management platform, privacy controls, etc. You need to purchase a Premium plan to access basic live streaming functionality.
Vimeo provides tech support through email for video hosting services. This feature makes Livestream one of the most desired YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives.
If you wish to avail of live support, you must purchase a Premium or Vimeo OTT custom plan.
Key Features
The thing that sets Vimeo Livestream as a perfect alternative to YouTube is it offers a range of proprietary hardware and software for live streaming. These offerings integrate seamlessly with their platform, thereby minimizing the fuss of executing a live streaming program from the hardware up.
Its key features include:
High-quality videos and streams
Large storage options
Privacy options
Upload from anywhere
Video management service
Pros
Comprehensive analytics
Easy to use
No ads
Pay-per-view option
Sleek and professional appearance
Unlimited events and viewers
Cons
Does not consist of China video delivery
Does not produce as much traffic as other sites
Pricing
- Facebook Live
Company Overview
When it comes to video hosting, Facebook offers both “Live” and “Watch,” which enables businesses and organizations to host on-demand content or broadcast live content.
With the help of Facebook Live, you can host live streams on your personal profiles, pages, and groups. This makes Facebook Live the best YouTube live alternative. The only problem is on-demand “Facebook Watch” videos can only be published through Facebook Pages.
Since it’s a free platform, Facebook has put certain restrictions in terms of video ownership, time constraint on videos, monetizations, etc.
Apart from these few technical restrictions, live streaming with Facebook Live is valuable for staying connected with existing audiences. This makes Facebook Live one of the most preferred YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives.
Key Features
Facebook is a social media platform that consists of tools for uploading and sharing videos to online communities.
Its key features include:
Tools for business use
Effortless video sharing
Facebook Groups
Facebook Live
Facebook Pages
Facebook Watch
Live commenting and reacting
Paid ads
Pros
Comes at zero cost
Live chat promotes engagement
Taps into existing following
Viewers are well aware of the platform
Cons
Cannot get rid of Facebook’s branding
No option for monetization
Time restrictions on live videos
Pricing
Available freely
- Bambuser
Company Overview
Bambuser was introduced in 2007. The company started marketing to the business live streaming industry in 2014. Due to this, there has been a sudden growth on the site as a live streaming platform and a media company. In general, any businessman can leverage the power of live streaming with the aid of Bambuser and get well-known worldwide.
Bambuser allows anyone, whether developers or organizations, to quickly and effortlessly take advantage of mobile and online live video power. This trait makes it an excellent YouTube alternative to effectively and seamlessly create, manage, and publish video content to engage audiences in real-time.
Whenever you go live, latency is perhaps one of the biggest problems. There’s no point in going live if your video lags a lot. Bambuser provides a solution to the latency problem. It offers a high-speed upload rate, enabling you to broadcast live videos in HD.
Both professionals and casual users can employ Bambuser. However, this live streaming site is not restricted to smartphones. You can quickly go live from your desktop if you have a webcam and a microphone.
Like most live streaming websites, Bambuser enables you to save the live video after it finishes. You can even edit the video before saving it for the public. These features make Bambuser one of the most preferred YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives.
Key Features
The thing that sets Bambuser as a perfect alternative to YouTube is that it offers businesses the opportunity to leverage the power of mobile live video and harness that capability into effective and cost-efficient processes and outputs. From a broadcasting app to a comprehensive set of developer tools for live video broadcasting and playback, Bambuser offers the perfect solution to meet all your live video needs at a time when live video solutions are in high demand.
Its key features include:
Hassle-free integration of broadcast SDK into existing apps, use the ready-to-use app or stream directly employing RTMP
Consists of a built-in video streaming that is fine-tuned for ultra-low latency and adaptability
Aids you to create advanced workflows and engaging user experiences using white-label, multi-platform player SDKs and APIs
Capability to create live streaming apps employing the SDKs for iOS and Android
Gives you the option to manage videos in the cloud-based content manager
Pros
Comes with lots of options
Consists high definition video
Comprises of editing tools
High level of organization
Cons
The advanced technology can be a bit confusing. You need a bit of a learning curve to get started!
The membership is costly
Pricing
- Twitch
Company Overview
Twitch is a live streaming app that can even be utilized as a social media platform. It was founded nine years ago as Justin.tv. Today, Justin.tv is no longer to be found. They have spun off the original platform and sold it to Amazon. On Twitch, viewers can subscribe to their favorite streamers to get alerted when the streamers go live.
The thing that makes Twitch a great YouTube alternative is the fact that it’s a consumer-grade platform designed for independent streamers. It’s popular among Esport (video game) streamers. It provides an excellent platform for reaching the target audience in the gaming, fantasy, or tech industry.
Key Features
Twitch provides a wide array of live streaming experiences from community members across the globe, connecting streamers with the help of shared interests and passions.
Its key features include:
Consists of tools for the target audience to chat with streamers and each other in real-time
Gives the ability to the viewers to “tip” streamers
Primarily employed by streamers who broadcast gaming and special interests/hobbies
Pros
Comes with tools for engagement and community interaction
Cost-effective
Hassle-free to employ for beginners
Cons
Comes with limited monetization tools
Consists of strict community guidelines
It may require certain coding tools
Not designed for professional use
Pricing
Twitch does not charge a single penny from content providers to use the platform. However, it enables them to make money off of their users. This program is called Twitch Subscriptions.
It includes three tiers:
- Muvi
Company Overview
Muvi is a classic live streaming platform that focuses on OTT media. The thing that makes Muvi one of the perfect YouTube Live Streaming alternatives is that it functions as a turnkey appliance for OTT broadcasters. This model empowers users to launch their own video or audio streaming platform swiftly and effortlessly. In addition to this, this platform also consists of an all-inclusive and fully-featured website, mobile, and TV apps.
With the help of its Multi-Screen Streaming service, businesses can launch white-label multi-device video streaming, video on demand (VOD), and audio streaming. This platform consists of fully managed, end-to-end solutions, all controlled by a single streaming video CMS with no need for coding or assistance from the IT team.
Key Features
The thing that makes Muvi one of the most preferred YouTube Live Streaming Alternatives is that it gives you the ability to have your own multi-screen OTT Video On Demand (VOD) platform instantly. Its video streaming solution comes with a wide array of functionalities and capabilities. It is effortless to use without any prior knowledge of coding and development. Everything gets done from Muvi’s end.
Its key features include:
Analytics
Comes with custom branding
Comprises of DRM and security features
Consists of HTML5 video player
Provides monetization options
Pros
CDN
DRM
Hosting
Transcoding
Video CMS
Website and Apps for Mobile and TV
Cons
CMS user interface is complex
Hard to integrate or connect
No China video delivery
Not user friendly
Pricing
Concluding Thoughts
Even though YouTube is a great way to go live, it falls short of many capabilities compared to live streaming alternatives that offer competitive features like customization, marketing capabilities, monetization plans, high-end security, and a whole lot more.
Setting up live streaming on your website is not as complex as it sounds. With the right equipment and a custom-built live streaming platform, you can be part of 87% of businesses using live videos for driving business.
