In today’s dynamic digital landscape, media organizations are constantly seeking innovative ways to captivate their audiences across every platform. The meteoric rise of live streaming, which now accounts for almost a quarter of global viewing time, has amplified the demand for a seamless and efficient approach to broadcasting live content. 

Enter “multistreaming” – a game-changing technology that has become an indispensable tool for digital media delivery. Whether you’re streaming live events from the show floor or broadcasting sporting spectacles to the world, multistreaming empowers you to connect with audiences across multiple platforms simultaneously, across social, OTT, FAST and broadcast platforms.

In this blog, we dive into the world of multistreaming, exploring its purpose, capabilities and the countless possibilities it unlocks. Whether you’re a content creator, business owner, or educator, join us as we unlock the secrets to expanding your reach with multistreaming.

What is multistreaming? 

Multistreaming, also known as simulcasting, multi-destination streaming, multi-platform streaming, or restreaming, refers to broadcasting a live stream to multiple online platforms or destinations simultaneously. Rather than streaming to just one platform, you can distribute your live content to several platforms at the same time.

You would have seen these terms used interchangeably to describe multistreaming, but what do they mean?

Simulcasting: Simulcasting is another term used interchangeably with multistreaming. It essentially means broadcasting the same live content simultaneously to multiple destinations, catering to different audiences on various platforms. This can include social media platforms, streaming services, or even a combination of websites.

Multi-destination streaming: This term specifically emphasizes the ability to send a single live stream to multiple designated destinations, such as Facebook Live, Twitter/Periscope, YouTube Live, etc. The focus here is on reaching a broader audience and maximizing visibility.

Multi-platform streaming: Multi-platform streaming is the overarching concept that encompasses multistreaming. It refers to streaming content on various platforms, including gaming platforms, social media networks, video-sharing websites, and more. Multistreaming is the practice that enables multi-platform streaming to happen.

Restreaming: Restreaming is a specific service or platform that facilitates multistreaming. It uses a third-party service to take a live stream and re-distribute it to multiple platforms simultaneously. Restreaming services usually provide easy setup and management, making it more convenient to reach a wider audience.

What are the main reasons to multistream? 

Multistreaming opens a world of possibilities, offering unique benefits and advantages. 

The primary motivation behind multistreaming lies in expanding reach and connecting with a broader and more diverse audience. But expanding your reach is just the beginning. 

Multistreaming offers an efficient and time-saving solution for content distribution. Instead of managing separate live streams for each platform, such as setting up individual custom RTMP destinations for social or OVPs, organizations can centralize their broadcasting efforts with multistreaming tools and services. 

This streamlined approach saves valuable time and resources and allows for a more focused and consistent content creation process. Your production teams can concentrate on producing high-quality content without the hassle of juggling multiple live streams, making it easier to maintain output quality. 

Additionally, multistreaming provides the opportunity to capitalize on the strengths of different platforms. By casting a wider net and reaching more online channels, you can tap into each platform’s diverse user demographics and preferences. With platforms such as Grabyo, you can also stream in multiple aspect ratios, such as vertical, square and horizontal, to optimize your stream for each channel.

Each platform has unique features and functionalities, catering to specific content types and audience engagement. Multistreaming enables media organizations to leverage these platforms’ strengths effectively, adapting their content strategy to suit the preferences of each audience.

Why stream to multiple destinations?

✅ Wider Reach: Multistreaming enables you to reach a broader audience by broadcasting live content to multiple platforms simultaneously, increasing the potential for discovery and engagement.

✅ Diverse Audience Engagement: Each platform attracts different user demographics and communities. Multistreaming allows you to engage with diverse audiences, catering to their specific interests and preferences.

✅ Increased Viewership and Engagement: With a larger audience pool, multistreaming can lead to higher viewership and increased engagement, fostering stronger connections with your viewers.

✅ Brand Visibility: Broadcasting on multiple platforms enhances brand visibility, contributing to increased brand awareness and recognition.

✅ Efficiency and Time Savings: Instead of managing separate live streams, multistreaming centralises your broadcasting efforts, saving time and resources.

✅ Flexibility and Adaptability: Multistreaming allows you to experiment with different platforms and tailor your content strategy based on audience feedback and platform analytics.

✅ Real-Time Interaction: Engaging with viewers in real-time across multiple platforms helps build a loyal and active community.

✅ Leveraging Platform Strengths: By utilising the strengths of each platform, you can optimise your content to suit the preferences of specific audiences.

✅ Discovering New Opportunities: Multistreaming increases the likelihood of attracting collaborations, partnerships, and other business prospects.

✅ Future-Proofing: Embracing multistreaming helps stay adaptable and relevant in a constantly evolving digital landscape.

How does multistreaming work? 

As businesses seek to optimize cost efficiency, the landscape of multistreaming is progressively transitioning to the cloud. Solutions like Grabyo harness cloud-based technology to oversee the encoding and dissemination of your live content across multiple platforms. This evolution reduces dependence on local hardware or software, yielding a more seamless, redundant and effective multistreaming experience.

The process begins with creating your live content, which can be anything from live awards ceremonies to gaming sessions. Your content is sent to the cloud multistreaming platform using local encoders or contribution apps.

This platform, armed with cloud encoding technology, transforms your content for different platforms of your choosing. These platforms could include popular social media networks like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Twitch, LinkedIn, or dedicated streaming services. Configuration involves configuring each destination platform, and safeguarding secure connections via credentials. 

With the configuration is complete, initiating the live stream from the cloud multistreaming platform sends your encoded content to your chosen platforms concurrently. Real-time interaction with your audience can still be maintained natively on these social networks through comments, chat messages, and reactions. 

Once you conclude your live stream, the multistreaming service stops distributing the content to the platforms, and your live broadcast ends. After the stream, you can analyze the performance of your broadcast across different platforms. Multistreaming services often provide analytics and insights that help you assess viewer engagement and reach.

How can I monetise my multistreaming efforts?

Unlocking the potential to monetize your multistreaming efforts can transform live content into a sustainable income stream. Multistreaming offers a diverse range of strategies for generating revenue. There are numerous avenues to explore, from advertisements and sponsorships to subscription models, donations, and affiliate marketing. So what strategies can help you monetize your multistreaming efforts?

• Advertisements and Sponsorships: Partner with brands or advertisers to display ads during your live streams or incorporate sponsored segments. Ad revenue and sponsorship deals can provide a steady income stream. Social audiences tend to take action after viewing a video that advertises a product or service – 87% on Instagram and 92% on TikTok. 

• Subscription Models: Offer premium or exclusive content to subscribers who pay a monthly fee. You can create your own OTT service, PPV service or platforms like Patreon or Twitch’s subscription feature allow you to provide special perks to your most dedicated viewers

• Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services through affiliate marketing links during your streams. When viewers make purchases through your links, you earn a commission

• Merchandise Sales: Create and sell merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, or stickers, featuring your brand or logo. Integrating merchandise links in your streams can boost sales

• Virtual Events and Workshops: Organise virtual events, webinars, or workshops on subjects of interest to your audience. Charge a fee for participation or offer premium access for exclusive content

Is multistreaming for you?

As we’ve explored the various dimensions of multistreaming, from its unmatched audience reach and interaction capabilities to its potential for monetization, one fact becomes abundantly clear: Embracing multistreaming is a strategic move that can elevate your live distribution to new heights.

In a market teeming with choices, navigating the landscape to identify the right solution requires carefully aligning various elements. Not least, your content objectives, technical expertise, available resources, financial considerations, engagement preferences, and even future aspirations collectively play a vital role in determining the ideal fit. 

By harnessing these innovative platforms, you can tap into enhanced convenience and efficiency, where the complexities of simultaneous broadcasting are streamlined. With every stream, connection, and engagement, cloud-based multistreaming elevates your content to a wider, more engaged audience, making it an indispensable tool in the ever-evolving world live content.

For more information or to try out multi-stream live clipping, get in touch. 

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