A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Live
Facebook Live is one of the most popular live-streaming platforms because it is relatively easy to use and has about 2 billion active daily users.
In this article, we’ll take you through the basics of streaming live on Facebook and the specific provisions you should be aware of to keep your account from being banned.
What Is Facebook Live and What Is It For?
Facebook Live is a free feature available to all Facebook users that allows them to broadcast live video and audio from their devices.
It is mostly used by companies to increase brand awareness and content creators who can monetize their content by enabling Facebook Stars, where viewers can purchase virtual “stars” that have a corresponding value. This amount is then sent to the creator’s account.
In 2023, about 20 percent or 1 in 5 videos posted on Facebook is live. This is because of the high user engagement of live videos compared to pre-recorded ones.
Facebook Live is also widely used by gaming streamers to monetize their content. The feature gave rise to gamers like KingSlayer and Darkness429.
Facebook Live is used by different users for various purposes, but one thing is clear: it is an easy-to-use revenue-driving platform for businesses and content creators.
What Features Does Facebook Live Have?
Facebook Live has an array of features that help increase user engagement, including polls, comments, and the ability to schedule and announce an upcoming live event.
Facebook Live may also be integrated with other streaming software so users can take advantage of their features as well. For example, if you use the popular game live streaming app Omlet Arcade, you can use its Shield Mode to hide your screen during a live event when you have to enter private information.
Users are also able to get live insights as they’re streaming, and the video can be saved and shared with others who were not able to join the event. This is important to content creators because they can earn Stars passively by sharing replays.
How to Get Started with Facebook Live
You don’t need to jump through hoops to start a Facebook Live event. Just follow these simple steps.
- Create a Facebook account if you don’t have one already.
- Click on the “Live video” button.
- Choose whether you want to start the event right away or if you want to schedule it for later.
- Select an audio and video source and start streaming.
As you can see, starting a Facebook Live event is relatively easy, especially if you’re just using your device’s camera. However, if you want to use streaming software, there are additional steps you need to follow, depending on which software you use. For example, here’s a step-by-step guide to streaming using Omlet Arcade.
Facebook Live allows users to stream for a maximum of 8 hours per event with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Make sure you follow the technical specifications to avoid running into problems during your stream.
Terms and Conditions for Facebook Live
Just like any other platform, Facebook has a set of rules users have to follow in order to keep using its services. Most of it is just following Community Standards, but there are rules that apply specifically to Facebook Live. Here are the salient ones:
Misleading content. Don’t misrepresent a video as live when it is not. You should always indicate if you’re showing a pre-recorded video or if you’re using a mix of live and recorded materials. You’re also not allowed to provide an inaccurate location, i.e., saying footage is happening in a certain place when in fact, it was not.
Copyright. Be careful with including unoriginal audio in your live streams. Facebook recommends having a visual component to recorded audio, which means that the audio should not be the primary purpose of the video. Otherwise, you’re essentially circumventing copyright laws.
Monetization. Facebook does not allow the following formats to be monetized:
- Static videos.
- Content that contains one static image and little to no motion.
- Content is posted for the sole purpose of increasing engagement by asking people to react to questions posed by the content.
Other forms of intellectual property. Facebook can take down your content for copyright and trademark infringement. So you have to be careful when you’re selling counterfeit products during a Facebook Live selling event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my Facebook live event is not going against Facebook's policies?
- Make sure that you check the policies before going live. You can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/policies/live
Can I go live in a Facebook group?
- Yes, you can. To do this, go to the Group you'd like to hold the event in, click on “Write something…” and click on the three dots in the “Add to your post” section. Next, click on “Live Video” and choose between going live and creating a live video event.
Can I add a donate button to Facebook Live?
- Yes, but note that you can't do this for personal fundraising. You can only add a donate button when you're supporting charities, and you must be the page admin to be able to access this feature.
Final Thoughts
Live streaming has become a lucrative source of income for some people as it allows businesses and content creators to broadcast to a wider audience. Despite the existence of other streaming platforms, Facebook Live continues to be popular because of its ease of use and the number of active users you can potentially tap into.
Have you tried streaming on Facebook Live? What challenges have you encountered?
