With video the fastest-growing format on its platform, LinkedIn is now launching its very first live video feature.
LinkedIn is making its first foray into live streaming with a new LinkedIn Live feature. Launching this week as an invite-only beta in the United States, LinkedIn Live will not be available to all of the professional social network’s 600 million members just yet. Soon, however, LinkedIn will be opening up an application process for interested parties who will have to fill in a contact form to be considered for the test. There is no word as to when the feature will be opened up to all members. For the time being, only certain people and organisations will have access.
LinkedIn Live is being made possible with the help of Microsoft’s Azure Media Services, which provides the necessary encoding technology to allow live video on the platform.
Furthermore, LinkedIn is also partnering with various streaming software services to allow content creators to use professional broadcasting features like Wirecast, Switcher Studio, Wowza Media Systems, Socialive and Brandlive. This will most likely lay the foundations for high-quality TV-style broadcasts on LinkedIn – a very interesting prospect indeed.
LinkedIn Live will likely be used to cover conferences and product announcements, business-related Q&As, earnings calls, and more. In any case, there is plenty of time to see what will come of this first step that LinkedIn is making albeit rather late in the game.
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