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Creating video content for your organization just got easier. Microsoft recently announced a new feature for Office 365 and Microsoft Stream called "Live Events". Now users can create live video experiences for people within their organization. Videos are automatically annotated so they become searchable. Switcher Studio is proud to be a launch partner with Microsoft for the announcement of these new features. Check out the video below to see how easy it is to pair your live event with Switcher Studio.

Tech startup offering live-video encoder service will be supported in Microsoft Stream

LOUISVILLE, KY (August 6, 2018) – Switcher Studio (Switcher), the Kentucky-based tech company that has developed a multi-device streaming platform for live videos, announced today a collaboration with Microsoft Stream. Microsoft Stream, a part of the Office 365 suite, gives businesses the tools and flexibility to securely create, discover, and share videos.

Live video is a versatile tool. However, because it offers so many possibilities, you might not know where to start. Whether you’re planning your first live stream or are looking for engaging news to feature, creating a top-level content calendar is a great way to prioritize topics.

Switcher Studio 3.8 introduces RTMPS secure streaming and more

VidCon is arguably the world’s largest conference for online video. Unlike the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference, which is focused on professional video, VidCon is the Comi-Con of the video world, featuring overnight YouTube sensations, as well as industry experts.

Global cosmetics and beauty company L’Oréal has employees based in 60 countries. With a mission of beauty for everybody, the company is looking to attract a workforce that reflects the audience they serve, one of different genders, ethnicities and social backgrounds.

However, recruiting early career talent has become a new challenge. “The way you attract candidates is changing, and the way you approach recruiting from colleges and universities is changing,” says Michael Lake, L’Oréal’s recruitment manager for Global Campus Activation. “The traditional way of doing a corporate presentation and talking about how great the company is or going to a career fair and talking to people who are already interested in you because otherwise they wouldn’t have stopped by is a little bit old-fashioned and doesn’t allow us to capture what we really want, which is really a very diverse candidate pool.”

You did it. You planned the content for your video and tapped the “go live” button. Your live stream was a success. Now what?

While live video is what we’re all about at Switcher Studio, oftentimes it’s the replay of the live video that outperforms the live stream itself when it comes to number of views. We’ve seen this time and again with our clients.

If you’re a frequent visitor to family-friendly restaurants, you have probably noticed kids with their noses buried in phones and tablets. Chances are the kids are watching or playing videos, a desperate technology play designed to give parents a few blissful minutes of uninterrupted mealtime.

In some ways, your Facebook or YouTube audiences are like children. You can put a video in front of them to entertain, engage and even inform them, but once the video is over, you can’t expect them to behave the way you want them to. You have to tell them what you want them to do.

If you’re not accustomed to doing live video, or video at all, it’s something that may not even occur to you. Just like having the right sound and lighting equipment, what you wear is an important part of ensuring a successful broadcast.

Think of your wardrobe as part of your pre-production checklist.

Why is this important? We all want to look good on camera. But, what you wear is also about optimizing the quality of your video. For example, wearing fabrics that reflect light can jeopardize the visual quality of your video, and wearing large, clunky jewelry can interfere with sound quality.

You can look good, feel confident and optimize your wardrobe for high-quality live video.

Going Live on Facebook or YouTube is easier than ever using your phone and a 4G or LTE cellular connection. But if you are streaming from work or home and relying on WiFi your networking equipment could be holding you back. 

When making a live video using your phone you have a direct connection to your wireless carrier. However - cellular data connections aren't always reliable, especially in areas with poor coverage, in large crowds or during inclement weather.

Using WiFi or ethernet can be a good solution for having more control over your networking  but there are a few things to take into consideration.

For example: If you are connected to a WiFi network, your iPhone or iPad has to communicate with a router before accessing the internet.

In some cases if you have a poor "internet" connection you may be unable to stream.

Likewise, if you have a poor connection between your "router" and your iPhone or iPad the quality of your live video may suffer.

Here's an overview of how to go live when using WiFi.

Checking your internet speed

Internet is required to stream a live video. Speedtest.net is a commonly used service for checking your internet speed. There are two results you will get back when running a speed test.