Want to improve the quality of your content?
Live streaming using your phone’s camera and microphone may not give you the best video and sound quality, which can ruin the viewer experience.
In fact, according to Limelight Networks, more than 50% of live streaming viewers leave a low-quality stream in 90 seconds or less, indicating the importance of producing high-quality live streams.
The best live streaming software allows you to use professional cameras and microphones to take your live stream production to the next level.
Consequently, you can reach a broader audience, get real-time input and insights, and enhance audience engagement.
However, with nearly all social networks in 2024 offering live streaming services, picking the right platform for your content creation can be daunting.
In this blog article, we will discuss the best live streaming software for online creators to help you increase conversions, build trust, and enhance content strategy.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary
- OneStream Live – Best software for multistreaming
- Wirecast – Best for professional live streaming
- Ecamm Live – Best software for Mac users
- OBS Studio – Best open-source software
- Restream – Best affordable streaming software
1. OneStream Live
OneStream Live offers you very flexible video streaming.
It tops our list for the best live streaming software for its ability to multistream live or recorded video on multiple channels at the same time.
With a suite of professional features, this software enables you to unlock the potential of your live streaming by allowing you to decide how you want to live stream.
You can invite guests to your live stream and brand your stream with colors, logos, and burners to match your business or brand.
Similarly, you can upload pre-recorded videos and schedule them to go live at a specified date and time.
Key features:
- Multi-platform Streaming: You can broadcast your live streams on up to 45 social media platforms, any custom RTMP destination and anywhere on the web simultaneously.
- Playlist Streaming: You can create a playlist of pre-recorded videos, queue them in your desired order, and schedule them to go live on your desired platforms up to 60 days in advance.
- Live Unified Chat: You can respond to all incoming messages from all your social destinations using a single window.
- Record & Download: You can record your live streams, download them, repurpose them and then restream to maximize the value of your video content.
Pricing:
- No free trial
- Starting plan: $15 per month
Verdict:
OneStream Live is one of the best live streaming platforms for online creators who want to maximize their content reach and impact. It provides multichannel streaming and a unified chat that simplifies audience interactions. What’s more, you can actually get started for free through their free forever plan, which still has a ton of features.
2. Wirecast
Wirecast offers several customization options.
It offers an effective production platform for PCs and Macs, with every tool you need to take your live streaming to the next level.
Wirecast has automated production workflows such as playlists and shot templates to help you create more content quickly, thereby saving time.
Additionally, it has built-in social media tools such as YouTube and Facebook comment overlays that allow you to view audience comments while live streaming.
This software stands out from the rest because it also gives you access to about 500,000 media assets including images and videos that enhance your content production.
Key features:
- It allows you to stream and broadcast your streams in multiple destinations including Vimeo, Facebook, and YouTube at the same time. This significantly saves you time and effort in streaming separately.
- Has a built-in chroma key, animated graphics, and overlays that enable you to hide your boring background and create a more professional or engaging setting for your viewers – which is great for viewer retention.
- Wirecast comes with unlimited inputs from sources such as cameras, webcams, and microphones allowing you to make professional-level productions that enhance viewer engagement and conversion.
Pricing:
- No free trial
- Starting plan: $35 per seat/month
Verdict:
As an online creator, Wirecast can help you create professional-level productions thanks to its professional live streaming tools such as an unlimited number of inputs. However, It is relatively expensive and does not offer a free trial to explore its customization options and live streaming features.
3. Ecamm Live
Ecamm Live is an all-in-one streaming platform.
It is one of the best live streaming software designed specifically for Mac users. Being able to broadcast directly from your Mac means that you can use your professional camera and microphone by plugging them onto your device.
With this, you can also bring your video right into Zoom or any other virtual meeting appplication.
Additionally, you can stream to all your social platforms and business pages and bring the comments right onto the video.
Besides that, you can invite guests easily, split your screen, and share pre-recorded videos or your screens while streaming.
Key features:
- You can share your screen or pre-recorded videos while live streaming making it easy to make presentations. There are also several picture-in-picture styles to choose from, enhancing this ability to multistream.
- It provides several customization options that allow you to decide where and how you want comments to be displayed. You can also add your logo to your video to deliver a branded experience, which also enhances memorability.
- Ecamm has several advanced overlays such as countdowns, stickers, and animations that enable you to add any extra information to your screen. You can also frame your broadcasts to look professional.
Pricing:
- Offers a 14-day free trial
- Starting plan: $20 per month
Verdict:
Ecamm is a comprehensive platform with several video tools that enable you to efficiently live stream, podcast, or record for the price of one. It has a free trial to help you understand its streaming capabilities. One downside is that it is a Mac-only software and does not work on PCs.
4. OBS Studio
OBS Studio is a straightforward streaming platform.
This makes it easy to use and ideal for you if you are a streaming beginner.
To further enhance your experience, this software has a settings panel that provides a number of configuration options that enable you to tweak every aspect of your live stream.
It’s worth mentioning that OBS Studio supports all your favorite streaming platforms including YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram.
In addition to that, this software allows you to create an unlimited number of scenes that you can switch between using custom transitions. If you are unsure about them, the studio mode lets you preview everything before you push them live.
Key features:
- It is highly customizable with several configuration options allowing you to tweak different aspects of your live stream. This enables you to provide a branded experience to your audience.
- OBS Studio allows you to set up unlimited scenes and hotkeys for various actions that simplify live streaming. You can also preview everything before broadcasting it live with the studio mode tool.
- You’ll be able to integrate seamlessly with all your favorite streaming platforms such as Twitch, Youtube, and Instagram, allowing you to broadcast your live in all channels at the same time.
Pricing:
- No free trial
- Free
Verdict:
OBS Studio is completely free and an open source live streaming solution making it ideal if you are just getting into streaming. Still, you are allowed to use it commercially without any restrictions. However, it does not offer direct customer support, as it is an open-source platform.
5. Restream
Restream is a cloud-based streaming platform.
Without third-party applications, this software enables you to broadcast your video from anywhere in the world on your favorite platform right from your browser.
It is worth noting that you can go live right from Restream studio or encoder such as OBS Studio and vMix. You can also schedule a pre-recorded video to broadcast live, saving you time and effort.
Just like OneStream Live and other live streaming platforms, Restream enables you to connect your software to the social channels you wish to broadcast to
Key features:
- Its multistreaming capabilities allow you to go live on all your preferred social channels including Youtube, Twitch, and LinkedIn at the same time, saving you time and effort.
- You can become a host in your livestream and invite guests to create an exciting experience for your viewers. From the dashboard, you can manage all your guests’ sources.
- This software provides several customization features that enable you to provide a branded experience such as overlay, backgrounds, and logos. The design section also provides more personalization options.
Pricing:
- Offers a 7-day free trial
- Starting plan: $16 per month
Verdict:
Restream allows you to stream on multiple channels at the same time. It is one of the best live streaming platforms as it also lets you create your streaming channel on the platform. It has a free plan making it suitable if you are on a tight budget. However, to access more advanced features you will have to upgrade to a paid plan.
Conclusion
Live streaming platforms have a ton of benefits.
Online creators are realizing the competitive edge live streaming platforms can give their brands over their competitors.
Actually, according to a report by the GlobeNewswire, the global live streaming market grew from $1.24 billion in 2022 to $1.49 billion in 2023, indicating the high rate at which people are investing in these platforms.
Live streaming software in 2024 can help you enhance your brand’s awareness, build trust, and increase conversions.
When choosing the best live streaming solution, consider your specific needs as each software has its own strengths and weaknesses.
I hope this list will help you make an informed decision.
While all the listed vendors offer great software, I recommend OneStream Live for its ease of use, unified chat, and multistreaming capabilities.
Sign up for OneStream Live’s free plan and experience its essential live streaming features such as 2 multistreaming channels and third-party RTMP streaming for free.
FAQs
What is live streaming software for online creators?
Live streaming software is an application or platform that transmits live video and audio over the internet. As an online creator, you can use these software to record videos and audio from different sources, mix, add graphics, and stream the information to sites streaming platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
How do I choose the right live streaming platform?
Several vendors are offering different live streaming software with different features. When choosing a software for live streaming consider your streaming needs, the size of your audience, and customization options. There are other considerations to make that can help narrow your options like pricing.
Which is the best live streaming software?
The best live streaming platform for you will depend on your needs and desired features. Wirecast, Ecamm Live, and OBS Studio all offer great options, but OneStream Live stands out for its unified chat that allows you to reply to your audience’s comments from a single place while live streaming.
What are the essential features of a live streaming solution?
Different live streaming software have different features and capabilities designed to elevate your live experience. However, common features to look out for include multistreaming capabilities that allow you to broadcast your live to different channels at the same time and analytics.
What are the benefits of a live streaming software?
While live streaming platforms have a myriad of benefits from building trust and increasing engagement, the ultimate advantage is that it helps you save time, effort, and resources. A live streaming platform allows you to live broadcast pre-recorded videos and send them to all your social channels at the same time.
