If you’re looking for an easy way to stream content to the world, you’re in luck! Thanks to the huge drop in technology costs coupled with affordable, high speed Internet, almost anyone can stream content online with little upfront costs or expensive equipment.
Just five or ten years ago, you would need an extremely expensive setup to easily stream your content online. Large organizations and TV stations were the only entities that could afford to invest this amount of resources to produce video content. This created a large number of mega corporations that controlled most of the traditional media space we see today.
As more people gained access to the Internet, many began to see this new platform as a vehicle for all sorts of streaming opportunities. The barriers that stopped the ability to pick up a video camera and stream content to another Internet-connected entity, had finally been broken
Now the world of video streaming is open to anyone who has a few minutes to learn the basics. If you’re relatively new to the world of Internet streaming, use this guide to learn exactly what you need to get up and running with your own DIY affordable streaming setup.
Requirements for an Affordable Streaming Setup
1. Video Camera
If you’re looking to stream content online, you’ll obviously need a video camera of some sort. You have quite a few options, including a traditional video camera—or thanks to the advancements in smartphone technology, your phone can actually allow you to stream content online.
This ability to literally start recording and streaming from anywhere has allowed the traditional news cycle to be completely upended. Today, if there is a controversial issue or hot topic, chances are there are countless people recording the event with their phones to be streamed online within minutes. You too can begin streaming content with your smartphone.
2. Captive Audience
You could have the most compelling content available, but if you don’t have an audience, you’re most likely not going to be very successful. It’s important to not only create high quality content, but to also focus on growing your user base.
If you’re operating on a shoestring budget, feel free to leverage the power of the Internet and social media in particular to get the word out about your content. First start by reaching out to friends and family, and encourage them to share your content with others. You will be surprised at how fast your grassroots marketing campaign is kicking off to pay huge dividends in terms of growing interest in your content.
3. Check Your Internet Speed
When streaming your video content online, your Internet speed is incredibly important. If you have a spotty Internet connection, your viewers will quickly know it based on the occurrence of random hiccups and streaming issues.
Today’s savvy Internet user is not very patient and will quickly tire of these types of connection problems. Ensure you have a reliable Internet connection prior to hitting the record button.
4. Beware of Lighting Issues
If you’re new to the world of video, it’s important to understand that proper lighting is key. A few tips to keep in mind include:
• Avoid dimly lit rooms
• Be aware of natural light
• Don’t position a person between a light and the camera (if possible)
5. Be Mindful of Audio Quality
Depending on the type of content that you’re creating, audio material may be an integral part of what you’re trying to convey to your viewers. If so, you may want to get a direct audio feed through a microphone. Even if you’re using a smartphone to record video, it’s possible to attach a microphone to certain smartphones.
6. Partner With a High-Quality Streaming Provider
Choosing a reliable streaming provider to host and distribute your content may be the most important step when it comes to streaming content online. While there are many options when it comes to streaming providers, few offer the wide variety of features of TikiLIVE. Some of our most popular features include:
• Distributed Content Delivery Network – At TikiLIVE we’ve developed a high quality content delivery network (CDN) that includes servers that are located all across the world. This allows us to serve content to your viewers based on their geographical location. It also improves speeds and reduces streaming issues due to connection issues.
• Mobile Ready – You may not realize it, but the majority of your audience is going to be accessing your content from a mobile device. Whether it’s a smartphone or tablet, it’s imperative that your content is easily viewable across all types of devices. TikiLIVE offers full HTML5 support to allow any viewer to access your content from any type of smartphone or tablet.
• IPTV Support – Ready to grow your audience beyond the computer and mobile realms? With TikiLIVE, you can actually create your very own IPTV network that can be broadcasted alongside big players like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. In fact, TikiLIVE allows content to be seen on Roku via your own custom Roku app or via TikiLIVE app – upon your wish.
• Full Social Media Support – As mentioned above, creating quality content doesn’t stop when the video camera stops rolling. In fact, in the online world, this is when your job just begins! TikiLIVE directly integrates with all of the major social media networks allowing you to instantly share your videos with all of your followers.
• Rock Star Support – At TikiLIVE, we’ve been providing high quality streaming solutions to our clients for over 10 years. In these 10+ years we’ve learned an immense amount about the ins and outs of video streaming. When you partner with TikiLIVE, you have our expert team of streaming professionals at your disposal, ready and willing to help you in any way possible.
Ready to Create Your Own Streaming Setup?
If you’re ready to create your own streaming setup, or if you’re just interested in what TikiLIVE has to offer, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today by calling 305-743-6722.
