The world of video has dramatically changed after the introduction of streaming software. Gone are the days when static video content used to rule the internet.
Nowadays, videos are all about live interactive sessions as the attention span of fans is getting shorter. Viewers want videos to be more engaging and interesting with live actions instead of boring and structured video content.
Streaming software allows content creators to engage with their fans via chat, comments, update reactions, collect payments, and more.
However, there are so many options available in the market, and which one really suffices the requirements can sometimes be overwhelming to find out.
So to make your decision easier I have reviewed and ranked the best streaming software based on their pricing, support, video quality, video editing capabilities, streaming capabilities, integrations, and more.
So let’s get started.
What is the Best Streaming Software?
Here is my list of the best streaming software for social media platforms like Twitch, Facebook, Youtube, and more.
1. OneStream
One Stream is overall the best streaming software you can get which provides you with over 40 social media platforms to publish your work. It offers the functionality to stream and record live and pre-recorded videos.
Moreover, you can schedule your broadcasts to social media platforms up to 60 days in advance. In live streaming, you can couple OneStream with other streaming tools and start multicasting.
Additionally, it allows you to personalize your streaming experience for the audience by allowing you to add a logo, watermark, banners, and more.
Key Features
- Social Media Platforms – Provides over 40 platforms like FaceBook, Twitch, Mixer, and more. You can easily connect your accounts and live stream pre-recorded videos on these multiple platforms simultaneously.
- Live Stream Scheduling – This allows you to schedule your live streams up to 60 days in advance.
- Cloud Storage Integration – It provides integration to cloud storage services like OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
- Stream Customization – This allows you to personalize your live streams using a logo, watermark, custom thumbnail, or banner.
Pros
- No installation is required to use the software
- Allows you to stream to over 40 platforms and schedule posts up to 60 days in advance.
- Provides multi-format upload options like camera, screen shares, and files.
- Offers a seamless collaboration between multiple team members in a single account
- Provides a server URL and server key for a custom RTMP streaming
Pricing Plans
OneStream offers four pricing options to its customers.
- Free Plan – $0 per month (Offers 1 social account, 5 minutes max per stream, no multi-casting, unlimited streaming, 5 GB max file size)
- Basic Plan – $10 per month (Offers 15 minutes max per stream, pre-recorded multi-casting, unlimited streaming, 5 GB max file size)
- Standard Plan – $39 per month (Offers one-hour max/recorded stream, pre-recorded and real-time multicasting, unlimited streaming, unlimited file size)
- Professional Plan – $89 per month (Offers 8 hours max/recorded stream, pre-recorded and real-time multicasting, unlimited streaming, unlimited file size)
2. Restream
Restream is also another cloud-based streaming service that allows streaming over 30 social media platforms. It is one of the few streaming platforms that offer a real-time channel and platform toggling. This means you are able to add or edit more channels without leaving your broadcast or restarting your encoder.
Additionally, they provide a built-in chat system that is shown as an overlay during the live stream. Plus, they provide you with 20 pre-designed templates to customize your chatbox.
Key Features
- Restream Events – This allows you to upload your pre-recorded videos and broadcast them later to any platform you like. You can also schedule these events for when they are going to be live-streamed.
- Restream Analytics – Offers valuable insights on key metrics like average and maximum viewers, monthly streamed time, peak time, and more.
- Restream Proxy – This allows you to broadcast to streaming services outside your region. Plus, it also helps you plan your stream to different distant countries.
Pros
- Provides you a CTA button on your live stream
- Hide nasty and rude words in the chatbox.
- Track your bit rate, frame drops, and frame per second (FPS)
- Provides a built-in amplifier to stream whatever you like.
- Offers you to create multiple channels on a single platform
- Allows you to update your metadata from a single point of view
- Provide automatic alerts to notify your audience on platforms like Facebook, Dribble, Twitter, and more.
- Enables user from different platforms to chat with one another
Pricing Plans
Restream offers five pricing plans for its customers.
- Free Plan – $0 per month (Offers no video storage, no stream recording, no video pre-recorded video streaming, only integration)
- Standard Plan – $16 per month (Offers no video storage, no video uploads, No pre-recorded video streaming, and six hours/stream max stream recording)
- Professional Plan – $41 per month (Offers the ability to store 10 videos, 10 hours/stream max stream recording, pre-recorded video streaming, and max 1 hour/2Gb video uploads.)
- Premium Plan – $83 per month (Offers the ability to store 25 videos, 20 hours/stream max stream recording, pre-recorded video streaming, max 2 hours/5Gb video uploads)
- Business Plan – $249 per month (Offers the ability to store 50 videos, 20 hours/stream max stream recording, pre-recorded video streaming, max 4 hours/10Gb video uploads.
3. Wirecast
Wirecast is the best professional live streaming software developed by Telestream. They allow you to produce a TV-like live stream production and on-demand broadcasts for the web.
Wirecast covers all types of different life events such as radio & news broadcasts, television, worship services, live sports, etc. Also, it handles any encoding to deliver your live stream to any geography automatically.
Moreover, it offers a free iOS camera app and allows you to stream to more than one destination. They provide an option to embed live captions to make your videos more user-friendly to differently-abled viewers.
Key Features
- Stock Library – It provides access to more than 500,000 media assets, including lower thirds, backgrounds, images, videos, etc.
- ISO Reading – This feature automatically archives live video inputs. These video clips are separate from your composite program recording.
- Multi-View Search – Offers you to send a single source to 17 source grids to monitor effectively and get a quick snapshot of each source.
Pros
- Records Video formats like MOV and MP4 easily.
- Provides over 100 built-in graphics and titles
- Mixes up to 8 audio tracks and you can also add FX and processing.
- Makes live streaming professional by offering playlists, chroma key, and QR Codes
- Provides features like scoreboards, clocks, timers, and replay for your sporting event
- Supports ASIO, CoreAudio, and WASAPI devices
- Provides a multi-channel audio ingestion
Pricing Plans
Basically, Wirecast provides two different versions for its customers:
- Wirecast Studio: $599 for enhanced live production and streaming
- Wirecast Pro: $799 for advanced live production and streaming
It is the best professional live streaming software out there of all that I have tested so far.
So now let’s cover the basics.
What is Live Streaming Software?
Basically, live streaming software is a tool that allows you to broadcast live event feeds to your viewers. They allow you to engage with your audience via comments, reactions, or direct chat using live chat tools.
You can also use streaming software to broadcast simultaneously on multiple platforms like websites, OTT platforms, and mobile apps. Moreover, they allow you to edit or customize your live stream according to your requirements.
Additionally, most live streaming software nowadays comes with a hardware encoder. This basically offers conversion of RAW video input to digital format to support playback on multiple devices.
What Features Should You Look For in Live Streaming Software?
Nowadays live streaming tools are more advanced and modern than they used to be a decade ago. Though most of them provide you with a slick and user-friendly interface they are not always suitable for all requirements.
However, there are certain functionalities that are common irrespective of what streaming platform you choose to purchase.
Here are some of those important features that the streaming software should have:
1. Social Media Integration
This functionality offers you to go live streaming on multiple social media platforms like Facebook and Youtube simultaneously.
2. Multiview Functionality
This feature allows you to see all the views recorded from multiple cameras in a single view. Therefore, you can easily switch between multiple cameras whenever you want with a single click.
3. Live chat
Live chat is an important feature to make sure that you keep engaging with your audience on the live stream. This is also important to understand what your audience is really expecting from you in the future.
4. SDK and API
API and SDK are primarily designed to help you integrate with other platforms like CRM tools, cloud video applications, and other related services.
5. Analytics and Reports
Real-time analytics and statistics are important to understand your live streaming performance. It provides important user-centric data like engagement based on demographics or geography, number of viewers and subscribers, and more.
6. Templates and Themes
The software should provide customizable templates and themes to create an immersive video experience for the users. For instance, adding custom clips on intervals or a welcome message can make a huge difference.
7. Editor Preview
This helps you analyze your video clips quickly and efficiently. They also come in handy when making the last moment changes before making it live.
Best Streaming Software – Final Summary
This wraps up my list of the best streaming platform sites to use for your live show this year. I will keep updating the list with other good streaming tools available in the market.
Every software in the above streaming software list has its own unique features that can be more beneficial to certain platforms. However, using the streaming software is kind of like the same process irrespective of the software that you choose.
For example, you can go for Wirecast if you are a large company and produce live events at scale. Or on the other hand, you can use open-source options like Streamlabs OBS and OBS Studio if you have a very tight budget.
Though these tools are free they cover all the necessary functions required for live streaming and extensive integration capabilities.
Finally, make sure you try all the software in the above list before you make the final decision based on your budget and requirement.
Which streaming software are you planning to use and why? Let me know in the comment section below.
More from Smashitbuck: Do check out my other articles on the OKR software, direct mail services, and membership site software to read this year.
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