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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.

Recommended Budget Router:

Persuasive, riveting, funny or inspiring. Whatever the purpose of your live video, you want it to have a big effect on your audience.

For an interview-style live video, great content starts with the interviewer. And as the interviewer, it's up to you to lead the discussion in a way that puts your guest at ease and captures your audience's attention.

Switcher Studio 3.7 introduces mobile iOS multi-camera 4K 

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on August 25, 2017. Over a four-day period it resulted in over 100 deaths and affected hundreds of thousands of homes. Relief efforts would go on for months, but one such effort took place before the storm waters even began to recede, thanks to Facebook Live and Switcher Studio.

If you haven’t done much live video, it can be intimidating. (See How to Plan Your First Live Video here.) But, sometimes the biggest stumbling block is deciding what kind of content is appropriate. If you find yourself asking, do I even have any content I could use to go live? The answer is… probably more than you think.

In our post, How to Plan Your First Live Video, we offer a blueprint for live video success. The first task in that list is: Identify your goals and message.

Why is this important? Live video is still novel and exciting. It would be easy to just hit the “Go Live” button on Facebook or YouTube and see what happens. But live video isn’t just the newest digital toy. When used effectively, it can be a strong marketing tool for your business.

How Important Are Frequency and Consistency in Live Video?

In Short, Very.

Think of a TV theme song or a commercial you can still recite years after it stopped airing. You probably remember every word because you heard it over and over again. It takes lots of repetition for those words to stick. In the marketing world, that’s called frequency. The Rule of 7 is an old marketing principle that says it takes seven impressions before someone notices your brand and will take action. There is some debate as to whether seven is the magic number, but the point is that it takes multiple “touches” for a potential customer or client to remember your brand and do whatever you are asking them to do. That’s why frequency and consistency are key components in any marketing campaign.

Whether you love seeing pictures of people’s food on Facebook and Instagram or you hate it, there is no denying that food is as much a visual experience as a tasting one. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why cooking shows are so popular. Watching a chef bring a meal to life in all its color and texture is so much more engaging than trying to follow the words on a page in a cookbook.

At Sun Basket, a healthy meal kit delivery service, the company has capitalized on the “show me” aspect of cooking demonstrations and the marketing power of live video to produce Facebook Live videos that engage their customers in an authentic way. Using Switcher Studio, Sun Basket creates videos that mimic real TV productions, without the cost and setup, and interact with customers in real-time.

Remember when Facebook began as a social network for college students in 2004? Or when YouTube followed in 2005 with those first cat videos? Maybe not, but it’s hard to deny the influence of these internet giants today, not just for entertainment purposes but as business influencers.

Video has been a central component of the growth of these platforms. Content marketing and social media strategies have replaced traditional advertising, and the advent of online video has changed the way we consume information. According to Forbes, over half a billion people watch videos on Facebook every day.

REDWOOD CITY, CA – February 5, 2018 – Startup Grind today announced the induction of 50 Companies to the 2018 Class of Startups. The Startup Program recognizes the Top 50 companies selected out of 130 companies handpicked from 115 countries, 400 cities around the world to exhibit Startup Grind Global 2018.

Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Your first live video can be a bit like that. Overthinking and fear of failure can prevent you from taking that first step. At some point, you just have to begin. The best way to overcome the uncertainty is with a little preparation and planning.

January 4th, Mark Zuckerberg said his personal challenge for 2018 is

“ making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent."

This move will shift the focus in the Facebook News Feed to friends and family while prioritizing content that

"sparks conversations and meaningful interactions between people."

Some marketers are calling it the “End Times” for Pages and businesses on Facebook.

Is this true?

How will this affect your reach as a business? What steps can you take to still be relevant and maximize ROI?

Feedback and support from our users enables us to continue to enhance the best mobile video creation app possible for iPhones and iPads. Our latest release brings a new experience to the Switcher Studio platform by adding:

Yesterday, the FCC voted to repeal #NetNeutrality.

Who is this for: Anyone that owns a business or is building a personal brand. This isn’t just for “new” businesses but your established businesses could benefit too.

Hosted by: Erin Cell & Joel Comm

A quick way to add production value to your Facebook Live videos is to add a countdown to the beginning of your stream. Not only does it look professional, but also gives your viewers time to tune in.

What is the Facebook Creator App?

• Facebook Creator app replaces the Facebook Mentions app. The Mentions app was available for celebrities only, but the new Creator app is available for everyone.
• You can manage comments from Facebook and Instagram, and messages from Messenger in one inbox.
• Find insights and analytics about your video performance, Page and audience.
• The Facebook Creator app allows you to create videos and live broadcasts.
• Includes a desktop Live Creative Kit to add customizable video intros, outros, stickers and frames.

There are many graphics programs out there that ared used to create lower-thirds and logos. Using lower-thirds in your live videos helps to brand your guests, and using logos helps to brand your company. These graphics also help your videos to look professional and planned.

Your feedback and support has enabled us to build the best mobile video solution using iPhones and iPads. Our latest release expands on the Switcher platform by adding:

When setting up video productions using iOS devices, it is important to choose the best device for the situation. Here are some pointers to help you make the correct choice.

You are probably familiar with the Facebook Live button within the Facebook App.

This is an easy  way to get started streaming to Facebook Live.  But what if you want to do more with your live video?

This is where Switcher Go and Switcher Studio come into play.

Let’s take a look at the differences between the two platforms.

10/6/2017, 11:45 PM, UPDATE:

From Facebook: A fix has been deployed to production. If you are still experiencing issues with this they will clear up shortly.

10/6/2017, 6:10 PM, UPDATE:

From Facebook: We are aware of ongoing issues with the JS SDK failing to load for sites using RequireJS. We are actively working on a fix and expect it to get pushed shortly. 

Possibly the best way to run audio through an iOS devices is using one of the iRig products.

When going live, one of the end goals is to attract a larger audience by the end of each broadcast. It is exhilarating to see more and more people viewing each subsequent broadcast. Likewise, it can be frustrating to hit a plateau or lose your audience.

When it comes to creating graphics, Pixlr is top-of-the-line. Available on both Windows and Mac browsers free-of-charge, Pixlr is a cloud-based set of image tools. Experienced Photoshop users will be right at home with Pixlr’s interface, since Pixlr's interface and utilities mimic the style of the traditional Adobe Photoshop.

I can't count the number of times I've complained about Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) or been at a friends house as they complain about their internet. I've even gone as far as to turn off the WiFi on my phone while lying in bed because my cellular LTE connection is faster than my home intenet.

Turns out my problems weren't due to TWC - there were WiFi deadspots in our house.

Going live for the first time doesn't have to be intimidating. You can prep in three easy steps.

Get rid of your computer!

Creating graphics for your live videos is crucial to your company's success. Using a logo helps to brand your video. Using a lower-third helps to identify you and your guest. Full-screen graphics can help to demonstrate a point. All of these methods combined ensure that your video looks professional and well-planned.

Introducing the Switcher Studio Referral Rewards Program! This new program allows Switcher users to earn money by referring new users to the platform.

One of the easiest ways to give your live video a professional look is to use on-screen graphics. Whether lower-thirds, logos or full-screen graphics, these additions help your broadcast to stand out from the rest.

First, we want to extend a big shout out to anyone that has used Switcher to date. Your feedback and support has enabled us to build the best mobile video solution using iPhones and iPads. Our latest release expands on the Switcher platform by adding in-app lowerthird templates, a completely redesigned online dashboard, the ALL NEW "My Videos" tab and Windows screensharing.

There are many ways to create graphics for your live broadcast. Lower-thirds add a professional appearance to your broadcasts. Logos allow you to brand yourself and your guests in your videos. Using a combination of these help to take your live video to the next level.

Louisville, KY, USA (August 17, 2017) - Makers of the original multi-camera streaming app, Switcher Studio, announced a new partnership with leading live video expert, marketing strategist, author and technologist Joel Comm, who will contribute to the company’s content and brand awareness campaign for its growing global footprint.

Switcher Basic was first launched in 2014. It is a free version of Switcher that allowed users to switch between four devices and stream live video in SD. The free version included a watermark on the video output which could be removed via an in-app purchase or in-app subsription.

Most of our development resources have gone into new products like Switcher Studio and Switcher Go. As a result Switcher Basic has fallen behind and hasn't received  updates in a while.

Switcher Basic will be discontinued and removed from the App Store on October 1, 2017. The app will continue working after this date but you will not be able to reinstall the app from the App Store or restore in-app purchases.

VidCon is an annual convention that caters to video content creators across all platforms. With YouTube leading the way in the content creation world for so long, many think of VidCon as a “YouTube convention”. While huge YouTube stars fill the halls and the panels of VidCon, this sentiment is not exactly accurate.

Audio can be the most confusing part of a video production.  If your audio isn’t perfect, people will tune out.  Here is a rundown of different types of mics you can use for your mobile video productions.

LiveU is a great tool for broadcasters that allows creators to broadcast from almost anywhere. Paired with Switcher Studio, it is the ultimate portable live video solution available.

It’s 2017 and we are still in the wild west of online video. However, the space is starting to mature and big players like YouTube and Facebook are implementing methods to become safer for everyone while working to lessen their own risk.

Switcher Inc returns to VidCon 2017 with some big updates to its Switcher Studio platform. YouTube and Facebook Live creators, social media influencers and anyone looking to improve their social media presence will find value in these new additions. Key features in the new release include:

Is your iCloud account full, and you want to add videos to your camera roll?  Below are a few ways to help get that video off your computer or other devices and onto your Camera Roll.

Getting started in live video and need some guidance or inspiration? Look no further. We've met lots of experts in the field of live video and it can be hard to decide who really knows what they're talking about. Here are 5 people we think you should follow. 

Scheduling your event on Facebook Live is an amazing feature. Using the scheduling function allows followers to know in advance when you plan to go live. Your followers can also subscribe to get notifications and get a reminder for when you will be live.

NEW FEATURES

Live video has become crucial to businesses, entertainers, and laymen alike, with social media networks pushing the idea that “going live” is both the best way to get your ideas across and the best way to interact with your audience. Facebook has Facebook Live, YouTube has YouTube Now, and sites solely dedicated to streaming such Periscope and Twitch have become huge contenders in how people obtain videos.

The 2017 National Association of Broadcasters Show featured leading industry professionals highlighting the latest advances in streaming, engineering and content creation. Switcher Studio travelled to Las Vegas to exhibit at the show from April 22-27, 2017.

Here's a selection of Switcher Studio news from the event.

One of the best things about working at Switcher is seeing all the cool stuff that people do with Switcher Studio. When we developed the product we couldn't have dreamed of all the interesting content that would be created with it. 

That said, we don't want to keep all this fun to ourselves. Here's a quick roundup of awesome videos from the first quarter of 2017. 

Creating TV style productions is a big operation. Lots of equipment, lots of people, lots of time. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.(d/b/aWWE) is an entertainment company and the largest professional wrestling organization in the world. Since its inception, they have amassed a global audience of over 36 million.

Switcher Inc. (www.switcherstudio.com) today announced it is expanding its live streaming ecosystem with a new strategic partnership with DJI. As a result of this partnership, Switcher is extending support for the DJI Osmo Mobile 3-axis gimbal system for smooth live streaming to Facebook Live and YouTube.

While amazing graphics can be created with traditional programs such as Adobe Photoshop and online replica websites such as Pixlr, it can be challenging to create a graphic from scratch and then load it into Switcher Studio, especially for those new to mobile video creation and graphic design. As a result, many users spend their time searching the App Store for graphics creation tools to help them create their graphics right there on their iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches.

You must go into your general iOS settings and connect each device to the same WiFi Network. This allows each of your devices to see one another when you open the app so they can wirelessly sync to the main device.

Why do video?

When you think of video for sports we tend to think of live full game coverage with an announcer and play-by-play commentary. As an athletic director or coach you know fans look at ESPN as the model and if you are going to promote video of your team you want to be as close to that level as you can get. As a media provider or journalist you have many of the same goals.

Arguably the most reliable way to use Switcher Studio when streaming live video is to hardwire your devices all to the same local network via ethernet.  This is now possible on some newer iOS devices using a few adapters. We recently had the opportunity to stream day 2 of Summit.Live’s event in Los Angeles using this method.  The event was held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

The annual Summit.Live conference took place from Feb. 22-Feb. 24, 2017, in sunny Los Angeles, California. Many speakers including David Basulto, Luria Petrucci, and Ross Brand took to the stage to educate their audiences on how to make bigger and better livestreams for their brands and their businesses.

Download now in the App Store!

To many people, livestreaming is a hobby. Or it’s “that new fad” that people are obsessed with on Facebook. Whether on Facebook, YouTube, Periscope, or more, live video has been everywhere for the past few years, and it is being used for virtually all reasons. Want to see how a friend’s vacation is going? They might be streaming it. Bored in an airport waiting on your flight? Boot up your phone and share your boredom with friends and family. Live video is definitely making social media easy.

With the hustle and bustle of daily life, it is important to really take some time to yourself. Focus on the simpler things. Meditate. Push away your worries for just a little bit in order to gain some real peace of mind. These few minutes a day can really help to recharge your internal “battery” and to help you focus properly on what is needed to get through the rest of the day. For many people, this relief comes from nature. The simplicity of nature is a direct contrast from what we normally experience in day-to-day life, and that peacefulness and serenity can help one's mind to get its bearings back on track.

Our flagship product, Switcher Studio, allows users to create TV style multi-camera productions using iPhones and iPads. With Switcher Studio we see most of the use cases center around events like athletics, meetings, interviews, worship, concerts, workshops, training, education, etc.

When picking a musician to headline your event, you want someone who is adaptable. Instead of someone who will play the same repertoire of songs regardless of the situation, you need someone who can take both the mood of the room and the theme of the event into account and choose their songs and style of music based on that. For anyone Down Under, we have just the musician for you. After touring throughout the South Pacific for quite sometime, Andy Mammers has now settled down in his native Australia, and plays for many weddings, clubs, and other events each and every month. Proudly endorsed by products manufacturer D’Addario and audio solutions specialists KV2 Audio, Mammers is a musician who shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon! 

Morning announcements. The majority of people can remember being subjected to their school’s morning announcements from kindergarten through their high school graduation. Normally, the events of the day were quickly rattled off, often with little to no focus from students, teachers, and other staff alike. They were simply there, and anything important would be repeated during the afternoon announcements before students were released for the day.

Most people find it important to have a sense of community in their neighbourhoods. It helps to keep everyone “in the loop” with the happenings around them. From yard sales to vandalism reports to construction updates, most towns will have routine meetings where all members of the community can show up to learn the Who-What-Where-When-Why-How of their surroundings. But what about the people who can’t make it to those meetings, whether as a result of their jobs, their families, or their travels? Shouldn’t they get the same opportunity to see what all happens in their community meetings rather than a condensed newsletter days later? 

This update stomps out bugs and improves quality for older devices.

In recent years, health and fitness have become popular topics in an increasingly unhealthy society. More and more people are becoming instructors for services like Spin Cycle, Barre, Pop Pilates, and Beachbody classes. People are quitting their jobs to become independent personal trainers. Hashtags like “#FitFam” and “#GirlsWhoLift” are prevalent on social media means such as Instagram and Twitter. Everywhere, you see success stories featuring dramatic weight loss or muscle gain with the conclusion, “If I could do it, you can do it, too! NO excuses!” 

A complaint that many students across all majors have is that courses sometimes seem to have no real-world application to them. Or that there is no way to test their knowledge of real-world applications, leaving their lessons to seem far-fetched or imaginary.

BoxCast Opens its Platform for Switcher Studio Integration

Switcher Studio (www.switcherstudio.com) announced it has partnered with BoxCast (www.boxcast.com) to bring professional streaming solutions to organizations that require higher video production value and more sophisticated live delivery capabilities than are currently available on the market today from free streaming services and solutions.

Most people could stand to make a few extra bucks these days, but few people can find a good, consistent way to do that. From selling old products on eBay to subscribing to commission-based companies like Beachbody and Younique, there are a variety of options available to try your hand in a new business. More and more options like this are quickly gaining in popularity, but some people are still looking for a more “traditional” means to gain additional income. Everyone has heard of the great successes that can come from the stock market. Hollywood Films like Wolf Of Wall Street, Boiler Room, and Capitalism: A Love Story showcase the pros and cons of trying their luck at choosing stocks. Middle school and high school students are often given a crash course on how stocks work.

LOUISVILLE, KY (September 22, 2016) – Switcher Studio today announced it has secured $400,000 in strategic investment. Investors include Poplar Ventures, Kentucky Enterprise Fund, Cherub Fund, Sequel Fund, NexStreaming, Pioneer Ventures, and Ed Henson (member of NAB board of directors). This investment represents Switcher Inc’s first round of funding; the Company will be closing on additional investments in early 2017.

The team at Switcher Studio has been receiving a lot of great feedback and questions on the newest release of Switcher, featuring Director Mode and support for Final Cut Pro X. Thanks for sharing the love!

New Switcher Studio V2.7 Also Adds Hardware Accelerated Video Processing, Battery/Storage Notifications and Several Under-the-Hood Performance Features

Here are some basic lenses that can make a big difference in your video productions.

Here are a few audio devices that we have found helpful in creating multi camera video productions with iPhones and iPads.

When starting out as a musician, you have a lot of things to juggle. Where do you go for recording? What about music videos? Concert footage? Photographs? Marketing? Tours? It can all quickly become overwhelming during what should be an exciting time. If you are lucky, you may find a recording studio that can handle a lot of this for you. Not only will they record your music for you to distribute, but they may also include photography services, marketing services, and the like. When going this route, you want to make sure you find a reputable studio who can produce a high-quality product that you are proud to show off, and who won’t drive your band into obscurity or embarrassment. Musik Factory’s Chiodo Studio is one of these establishments. Located in beautiful Magenta, Italy, Chiodo Studio is an independent studio that provides recording services, venue scheduling, live recording, and basic photography all in one nifty place, and company founder Alex Chiodini is looking to expand his clientele even further with the addition of Switcher Studio. 

When you think of a radio station, people generally don’t think of video. But stations already cover so many events in their community...why not set up a camera? With Switcher Studio stations can easily produce video and start to connect and engage with their audience in new ways.

When the audio and video get out of sync it is often referred to as lip flap or a lip sync issue. This is a common problem when importing iOS video into video editing software because mobile devices don’t record at a constant frame rate. As a result, when you try to edit mobile video footage in the timeline on a post-production program like Avid or Adobe Premiere it may not handle these elements properly. The strange thing is that the video will often play ok when watching individual clips in QuickTime, VLC or Window Media Player. But what good is your video if you can’t edit it, or when you do and it ends up looking like a kung fu movie? There is a solution!

Never streamed before? You've come to the right place.

It’s an exciting day here at Switcher Studio. Since we first launched over a year ago, we’ve been gaining some amazing traction - thanks to customers like you and the amazing feedback you’ve been sharing with us. So what’s got us so excited? We get to share with you an incredible new upgrade to Switcher Studio, featuring live streaming directly to YouTube! No more bouncing back and forth between your computer and Switcher - do it all in the app. Streaming with YouTube has never been easier.

The first step to improving any video production is using a tripod. This allows you to get steady, stable shots that are inline with what your audience is accustomed to seeing on TV. There are a number of mobile media cases for iPhone and iPad that make it easy for you to attach your iDevice to a tripod.

There are primarily 3 different types of microphones used to capture audio for video productions. The type of microphone you need will vary depending on your situation. Below is a description of how each microphone can be used and the types of events they are best suited for.

Switcher Studio® has been pushing the boundaries of creating video with iOS since its launch. Now the app is even more powerful with the addition of “Director Mode”. This update allows users to assign fixed frame rates, record 1080p HD broadcast quality video from multiple angles using mobile devices and export compositions to Final Cut Pro X. Yes, it’s good enough for TV and there are already stations using it for on-air content.

Nick Mattingly, CEO and co-founder of Louisville startup Switcher Studio, is presenting at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco (Sept 21-23 2015) . TechCrunch is one of the largest online technology blogs that profiles startups, Internet products and new tech (TechCrunch is owned by AOL). TechCrunch Disrupt is a showcase of some of the most innovative companies and products in the startup scene hosted by the online news source.

An Evening with Robert Scoble - Louisville Digital Association