Updated Benefits of Live Streaming on YouTube

Benefits of Live Streaming on YouTube

Maybe you already heard of the word live streaming people use in different social media platforms. Whether it is about something that you want your audiences to participate in, or whether you want to sell something, to discuss something or even to showcase something to the virtual world. If you’re a YouTuber like me, you can definitely go on live streaming on your YouTube Channel. But before we go ahead and broadcast ourselves on YouTube, let’s first discuss what is live streaming for you to have an idea beforehand.

Live streaming is a streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs and YouTube videos are technically are streamed, but not live streamed. Live stream services encompass a wide variety of topics, from social media to video games (e.g., overwatch) to professional sports. Platform such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Instagram can be one of your biggest choices to showcase any of your talent.

How to go on Live on YouTube?

Go to your YouTube Channel.
On the upper left corner of your Channel, click the video icon and you’ll see the word “Create”. Click it.

Next is you’ll see a drop-down box, choose Go Live.

And since I’m not using the live streaming a very long time ago, I was amazed that it has now options that you can choose from. Whether you want to go on live right away, or you can pick up the time where you’re most comfortable with.

I chose the second one since we’re not going on live at this very moment. As you can see in the image below. There you have options to choose from. Whether to use the built-in webcam of your laptop or the computer you’re using or you can use a personal computer screen recorder like OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software). I already break down the whereabouts of this particular screen recorder on my previous article. But, let me just discuss you a little bit, maybe it’ll be helpful if you want to go on live with a more powerful and engaging live streaming.

What is OBS Studio?

Open Broadcaster Software or OBS Studio is s free, open-source and cross-platform screencasting and streaming app. It is available for windows, macOS, Linux distributions, and BSD. OBS Studio provides real-time capture, encoding and broadcasting for YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Instagram and many other social media platforms. You can download the application itself for FREE.

If you’re a rookie and you want to go on live for the very first time, YouTube provides the step-by-step process. But if you’re already a pro when it comes to live streaming, then you can always choose the use of a screen recorder software because it has many useful tools for you to offer. You just need to learn it firsthand.

Next step, you just need to click the “Allow” button and you’re ready to the next step.

You just need to simplify what is your live stream all about. Make a catchy title so that your audiences will be curious and will wait for you to be on live. Be specific with your description and find a topic that will be helpful to others. You know, everyone’s time is gold. We need to make the most out of it.

I changed the Title and the Description as an example and the thumbnail as well. You can edit it when you continue to scroll down. You’ll choose what kind of category it fits in. If you want, you can also add it to your Playlist and you’ll choose your audience, if it’s suitable for kids or not.

And since my YouTube Channel was already monetized, I have the options to monetize the live streaming too.

As what it says, you need to customize the live stream according to your preference.

And the final step before you can actually go on live, you will choose the visibility of your live broadcast. Usually, most of the people choose Public located at the bottom area of the options listed in the image below.

The image below shows how it looks like after you click the “DONE” button. And the only thing that you need is to click the “GO LIVE” button and everyone can participate on your live streaming.

And here’s an actual example of a Live streaming that I’ve already done before on my YouTube Channel. I used OBS Studio in presenting the information that I needed, to convey the message to the audiences that are interested in learning Hebrew language to be exact.

During the live streaming, you can see people interacting with you on live and that’s totally awesome!

Live streaming is essential for your YouTube Channel success for two main reasons:

You can minimize the part of editing a raw vlog and that is time consuming, you can just click the “Go Live” button and follow all the required steps and you can share all your ideas through everyone who will watch your live streaming. You can exchange thoughts, interact with them right away. You can also enhance your speaking skills in front of the camera. A very much needed ability if you want to be a YouTuber like us.
If you’re a newbie in vlogging, YouTube set its requirements for you to be their YouTube Partner; which includes 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours (240,000 minutes). So, if you want to get pass above it as fast as you could, YouTube livestreaming could be the best key to achieve it. Imagine you’re going to be on live for about 3 hours in a row, so that’s 180 minutes already.

To sum it up, if you’re someone who wants to share your ability to the virtual world out there; then YouTube platform can be one of your go-to-stage. You can also choose Facebook if you want to target large audiences. Although YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google, I think Facebook are a way ahead when it comes to reaching potential viewers or audiences because Facebook statistics show that more than two billion users have an account, 65 million businesses have Facebook pages and advertisers are crazy about it. Most of our friends and relatives are on Facebook. And that’s freaking insane. So, what are you waiting for, choose your social platform and GO ON LIVE!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

What’re the Best Alternatives to Pexels?

Sites like Pexels provide you with royalty-free images to include in your messages to further their impact. Although Pexels is a great resource for royalty-free photos and animations, it is not without its limitations. Here is a list of Pexels alternatives for you to consider when creating content. It includes reasons why the sites are suitable alternatives and brief guides on how to get started on them.

Part1: What are the best alternatives to Pexels?

There are several factors to consider when selecting a suitable image resource for your messaging. For example, you may consider a site favorable to another because of its intuitive user interface, or you may consider another because it has no pesky advertisements. Taking this into consideration, here is a list of the three best Pexels alternatives worth checking out for your next project.

No.1 Unsplash

Unsplash is a stock photo-sharing website run by Getty Images. According to recent reports, the site hosts over 265,000 photographers contributing to a library of over 3.5 million photos. Initially, all photos were under a creative commons license zero, meaning you could distribute the photos without restriction. However, following lobbying from some creators, all photos are now under the Unsplash license.

This means you can still copy, modify, share, and download images for free. However, under the new licensing terms, you cannot use unedited copies of the images for commercial purposes such as T-Shirt printing or branding and using the photos on a similar or competing service.

Most Unsplash users praise it for the following features:

The library contains tons of high-resolution photos.
You can access the site through your web browser or the app available on Android and iOS devices.
There are no download limits to the photos, and everything is free.
Unsplash is a plugin for various content editing software such as Filmora 11, Adobe XD, and Figma.

Despite all the positives, here are a few improvements to make Unsplash even better.

The website lacks a free HD video library, which would be a great addition for aspiring content creators.
In addition, the search algorithm is not as accurate, and you may struggle to find suitable images for your subject matter.

No.2 Shutterstock

Another Pexels alternative to consider is Shutterstock. It is an online resource where individuals and businesses can access high-quality, licensed photos, videos, illustrations, vectors, and music for their content creation.

Unlike Unsplash above, you need to create an account to access Shutterstock services. In addition, the website offers different pricing models for each user, depending on your unique requirements. For example, you can subscribe to an image-only subscription that allows you ten image downloads monthly for $29. Alternatively, you can purchase the Mix and Match subscription that offers you 25 credits monthly to download different media from the site.

Currently, the website boasts a collection of over 200 million royalty-free images and over 10 million video clips. In addition, the company also offers a percentage-based compensation model to contributors, with first-timers earning up to 15% of content sales. Furthermore, the site continues to populate its library through the acquisition of different companies in a similar space. Some of its notable acquisitions include Turbosquid, Bigstock, Rex Features, and BEImages.

No.3 Filmstock [Editor’s Choices]

Filmstock is an online library of different editing resources for filmmakers. Some of the resources you can obtain are effects, elements, titles, and audio. In addition, Filmstock is the most recent version of the formerly known Filmora Effects Store. Regardless of the close association with Filmora Video Editing Software, you can still use these resources in your creations on other programs.

Filmstock currently offers its services in three categories. They are:

A Free package that allows you unlimited downloads of media effects and resources under a royalty-free license. However, any resource you download from the site comes with a Filmora tag.
The Standard subscription will cost you $9.99 per month and includes free technical support as an additional feature to those available in the free package.
Finally, the Premium subscription gives you access to the premium library that contains an exclusive selection of the contributors’ commercial work. The package will cost you $32.99 monthly and also includes all the features in the previous subscription models.

Kindly note that you must register for a Filmstock or Wondershare account to use the service. In addition, you will need to purchase a separate license to use the service with Filmora Video Editing software.

No.4 Getty Images

Getty Images is an online supplier of media resources for media, creative, and corporate clients. It boasts a resource library of over 477 million entries. Access to the site requires you to create a user account. In addition, some of the prints you will find on the site will require you to make a purchase, depending on the size and quality.

No.5 iStock

iStock is an online library of creative resources, including music, videos, illustrations, and images. In addition, the site offers access to its exclusive stock-image library through different subscription models. Some of the platforms appealing features include the following:

An AI-powered search engine that provides more accurate results than Pexels.
Preset templates for easier creation of videos and social media posts.

No.6 Flickr

Flickr is another alternative to Pexels worth considering. This is because it offers you free and paid access to one of the internet’s largest creative libraries. In addition, you can select from several licenses, including creative commons and U.S. Government works licenses for your assets, something other similar sites lack in their offering.

No.7 Pixabay

Pixabay gives you access to over 1 million creative assets in different categories, including videos, music, and sound effects. In addition, the site offers its content under the creative commons zero licenses, meaning you can use all stock photos without fear of backlash. Although the site’s search function requires work on its accuracy, the numerous categories make it easier to pinpoint your desired image.

No.8 Adobe Stock

Another site like Pexels is Adobe Stock, where you can access millions of creative assets for your content. Depending on your licensing options, the site offers free and paid access to its services. For example, you can increase your creativity by subscribing to the different Adobe design assets, including Adobe Stock Vector and Adobe Stock Illustrations.

No.9 Vista Create

Vista Create is an online free photo and image website like Pexels that also includes design tools to alter the images to your liking. In addition, you have plenty of templates to suit different platform requirements, including social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. Furthermore, Vista Creare also boasts a wide collection of vectors, which you can customize in three easy steps.

No.10 LibreStock

Unlike the ones above, LIbreStock is an aggregator site that combines stock photo databases in a single platform. As such, it is arguably the largest provider of royalty-free images on the web. In addition, it automatically filters out poor-quality images, guaranteeing you excellence each time.

Most LibreStock users name the website’s search function as its best feature. This is because it also utilizes search tags when scanning through different databases. As such, you can easily find unique stock photos for your creation, regardless of how outrageous the search tag is. Finally, LibreStock provides its content under the creative commons zero licenses, meaning you can use the assets for personal and commercial work.

No.11 StockSnap

StockSnap operates similarly to Pexels, as it also offers a variety of free stock photos and images. However, a few tweaks to how you receive these creative assets make it slightly better. For example, StockSnap allows you to download ten free images from Shutterstock if what you need is unavailable in their library.

In addition, the platform also displays the most recent additions to their library in the top search results. As such, you are guaranteed to receive unique pictures without significant overuse.

Part2: FAQs

What is better than Pexels?

From the above information, Unsplash ranks as the best alternative to Pexels. This is because of its user-friendly interface, availability across web-based and smartphones, and compatibility with different video editing software such as Adobe XD and Filmora . As such, its versatility allows you to always create on the go.

Can I use Pexels on YouTube?

Yes, you can use Pexels on YouTube, provided you apply the creative assets to your material. In addition, you will need to make alterations to Pexels images and videos before using them to avoid violating your license agreement.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

2 Methods to Crop a Video in VLC

Want to crop your videos but don’t know how to start?

A video editor needs to know how he can crop his videos. There is a way to do this using the VLC that is installed in your computer. This guide will teach you a simple way to get what you want. This might appear as complicated at first sight but it will be shown to you in a digestible way. An alternative way would be to use Wondershare Filmora. You will also be guided on how to use this software to crop your videos. Don’t worry and just take it one step at a time.

Method 1: Cropping a Video using VLC

Have you ever heard of the VLC media player? If not, you can browse through it online and install it on your computer. Aside from watching content, you can also crop videos with it. Cropping is a way to remove spaces that you would not want to be included on your video.

Find the software on your computer and don’t be overwhelmed by the interface.

Then click the Media and select Open File to choose the video that you want to crop. You should prepare the videos that you want to be cropped and rename them to avoid confusion.

Click the Tools on the menu and select the Effects and Filters.

After that, click on the Video Effects and under that select Crop. Doing this, will open the cropping editor.

You need to enter specific pixels on the left, right, top and bottom. This will depend on your preferences. If it is your first time and you don’t know the exact pixels then just input what you think would be enough.

After entering your preferred pixels, you can preview it. If you would like to adjust then just simply repeat entering the specific pixels.

You decided to save the cropped video. Find the Tools menu and select Preferences.

Find the Show settings and click All. In the search bar type Croppadd then save your previous preferred pixel settings. Lastly, click Save.

In the Media menu select the Convert/Save. You can drag and drop the cropped video to the File box.

You can select your file format and codecs by clicking Convert/Save.

Find the Edit Selected Profile and click the Video Codec. Then under the Filters tab, select the Video cropping filter. Finally, click Save.

In the Destination file select where you want it to be saved.

Then click Start.

Congratulations on getting here! You finally cropped your video using the VLC media player.

Although there are disadvantages to using this as your cropping tool. Like for example you want the real-time preview of what you’ve changed in your video. This would be a turn off for some that want their outputs to be shown to them immediately. Aside from this, there is a chance that you will forget one step to make and thus, the whole process would need to start over from scratch. Lastly, is the freedom to batch crop multiple videos. This is especially important for those that need to have many clips in one video. A user might lose the continuity of the story within his video.

While one of its strong suits is the affordability of the software. It is completely free and has no additional charges that may surprise you in the future. Finally, your output won’t have watermarks that could destroy the aesthetics of your video.

What are your experiences with using it as a cropping tool? What would you recommend to improve it? It is up to you the user if you want to continue using this as your partner in removing the excess in your videos.

Method 2: Cropping a Video using Wondershare Filmora

Have you heard of an editing tool called Wondershare Filmora Video Editor ? What are your first impressions of this software? You can download this for free by going to the official site.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Free Download

For macOS 10.14 or later

Wondershare Filmora is a useful editor that can help you produce the content that you want. It is packed with beneficial tools that you can learn to apply. If it is already installed on your computer then proceed to opening it.

Prepare your videos that you need to crop. You can drag and drop your video or click the Import.

Select the video clip that you want to crop. Then, click the Crop tool and choose if you want the Crop or Pan & Zoom.

You can also right click the video clip .Under the Video tab you can select the Crop and Zoom or Crop to Fit then adjust to your preferred ratio.

One of the advantages of Filmora is you can preview what you have cropped immediately. This will greatly help you if you’re not sure what kind of crop that you want. If you’ve thought that you made a mistake then a simple Undo button could fix it. In short, you’re not going through the gruesome process of starting all over again. You can also do the batch cropping of multiple videos helping you ensure the smoothness of flow in the final output.

Although the Filmora is not free, there is a trial that you can use to test it to check if this video editor would meet your needs. It has tools that a beginner to expert video editor could use to produce high quality videos that would make the audience think that it was life from the movies.

The Bottom Line

The journey of exploring different options would help you make the decision. Both VLC media player and Wondershare Filmora have their great features which would aid the user to crop his videos in an efficient way. What are your thoughts on each of them? As an individual you have varied needs that a video tool should meet.

After reading this, you’ve had a clearer view of what these video softwares offers. Did this guide help you decide which would fit your needs as a video editor? What are your suggestions for improvement?

You could share with us the tips and tricks you know on cropping videos using these applications.