Instagram launched its live video feature in late 2016. Since then, the social media company has built up the function by adding other features like questions and the option to add friends to the live video, too.
Going live on Instagram can be a fun way to let your followers see events happening in real time, like a concert or special event.
Here's how to go live, go live with a friend, or request to join another user's live video.
How to go live on Instagram1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android.
2. Tap the plus sign "+" icon in the top-right corner of the homepage. Alternatively, you can swipe left to get to the same screen.
Click the plus sign icon or swipe left. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider3. After tapping the plus sign or swiping left, you'll be taken to a New Post page. In the menu bar at the bottom of the page, swipe all the way to the right to select Live.
Select Live. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider4.
A camera screen will open up. On the left side, tap the icon of four lines to add a title to your live video. You can also tap the icon of a circle with a heart in it to make your video a fundraiser.
5. When you're ready to go live, tap the circle icon at the bottom of the screen and you'll be live. Active followers will be notified that you're now live. As followers begin to watch your live video, you will see their usernames appear at the bottom.
Click the circle icon to go live.
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider 6. To end a live video, tap the "X" in the top-right corner and select End Now in the pop-up. Once the live video has ended, Instagram will show you how many people viewed your video and give you the option to share the video for the next 24 hours so those who missed it can see it via your Instagram Stories. Or, you can choose to Delete video.
Click the X in the top-right corner. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider How to go live on Instagram with a guest1.
Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android.
2. Tap the plus sign "+" icon in the top-right corner of the homepage. Alternatively, you can swipe left to get to the same screen.
3. After tapping the plus sign or swiping left, you'll be taken to a New Post page. In the menu bar at the bottom of the page, swipe all the way to the right to select Live.
4. A camera screen will open up. On the left side, tap the icon of four lines to add a title to your live video. You can also tap the icon of a circle with a heart in it to make your video a fundraiser.
5. When you're ready to go live, tap the circle icon at the bottom of the screen and you'll be live.
6. Once you're live, tap the icon of a video camera at the bottom of the screen. From here, you can type in the username of someone to go live with, or search for them in the list of viewers.
Select a user to invite them to join your live video.
7. You can only go live with someone who is already watching your live video. But, you can invite someone to join your live video who isn't already watching — to do so, type in their username, tap the circle button next to their name, and select Send Request.
Send a request to your guest and go live in a room. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider8.
Once they've accepted your request, their video should appear alongside yours in a split screen. To remove your friend from the Live video, tap the "X" at the top-right of their screen.
9. To end your live video, tap the "X" in the upper right-hand corner and choose End Now in the pop-up. Once the live video has ended, Instagram will show you how many people viewed your video and give you the option to share the video for the next 24 hours so those who missed it can see it via your Instagram Stories. Or, you can choose to Delete video.
Note: To use Instagram's Live Rooms feature for creators, you can follow this same process to add multiple guests.
How to request to be in another user's live video on Instagram1. Open another user's live video and tap Request to join.
2. Then, tap Send request to request to be in their live video.
3. You will then receive a notification letting you know if your request has been accepted or denied.
Meira Gebel
Meira Gebel is a freelance reporter based in Portland, Oregon. She writes about business, culture, and technology for Insider. Her work has been featured in Digital Trends, Willamette Week, USA Today, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and San Francisco State University. Feel free to reach out to her on Twitter, where she can be found most of the time, @MeiraGebel.
Read moreRead less
❘ Published: 2022-01-24T17:31:04
❘ Updated: 2022-01-24T17:31:04
Throughout Instagram are various creators live streaming videos to their fans.
Here’s everything we know about how to live stream on your own Instagram account.
Instagram launched its own in-app live-streaming feature in 2016. Since then, the Meta-owned image-sharing app has built up the functionality with other features like questions and the ability to co-stream with your friends.
Much like how users go live on other apps like Twitch and TikTok, Instagram’s live video streaming provides a fun way to interact with your community in real-time.
Here’s how to go live on Instagram, including how to go live with a friend or request to join another user’s live stream.
Article continues after ad
After the app ends the video, Instagram will show you how many people viewed your stream. You’ll also have the option to either share the video or delete it entirely.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
The default invite list is based on users who are watching your live stream.
However, Instagram does offer the ability to search for users who are not watching and will send a request to them.
There’s everything we know regarding how to go live on the image-sharing social media app. For more tips and tricks for Instagram, check out our other guides.
What is Instagram Live - live broadcasts.
Advantages of live streaming
What should be done before the broadcast?
How to go live on Instagram
How followers see your live on Instagram
Popular formats of broadcasts on Instagram to promote goods and services
Highlights of the live broadcast
Conclusion about live broadcasts on Instagram
Many people know that Instagram has live broadcasts or Instagram Live. But few people understand that a live broadcast can be not just a way to tell how your day went or show how you “shop” in a shopping center, but also an effective sales tool.
Instagram Live has many advantages, and we will talk about them in this article. We will also show a detailed guide on launching and further interaction with live broadcasts on Instagram. Go...
Back in 2017, Instagram joined the ranks of advanced applications and launched the live broadcast function - real-time video broadcasts. This tool is located in the Stories section. It makes it possible not only to communicate directly with your subscribers, but also to broadcast together with another Instagram user. Live broadcast time limit - up to 4 hours.
Therefore, subscribers get the impression that they can only benefit at the time of broadcast, or they will be the first to receive up-to-date information; See also IGTV review on Instagram: how to use it to promote a business?
A good commercial air is obtained only when you prepare for it. Before going live on Instagram, take care of the following:
Theme and scenario of the broadcast. What will you talk about, what questions will you answer, what will be in the frame.
Most importantly, always keep in mind the purpose of your broadcast.
Broadcast announcement. Tell your subscribers about the upcoming broadcast in advance. Announcements need to be made several times: a week before the broadcast, a day before, and day-to-day. To make video communication as useful as possible, conduct a survey among subscribers in advance, find out their preferred topic. Then they won't miss it.
Broadcast format. Select the broadcast format (more on formats later in the article).
Smartphone technical preparation. Just in case, we check that the Instagram application has access to your camera and microphone on your phone. You will also need free space on your device if you decide to download the broadcast to your phone.
Air settings in the application. You can hide the video from some subscribers, prevent the video from being shared or replies to messages.
You can even "Hide offensive comments" that Instagram recognizes itself.
Preparing location and angle. You give quality to a picture of an ether! What will be in the frame: your face, product, switching plans, background. Everything matters, therefore, think over where you will sit, from what angle to shoot, what will be behind your back (there are awkwardness here).
In order to go live on Instagram from your phone, click on the "Create" button in the upper right corner. Then select "Ether" from the menu. Before starting the broadcast, we recommend that you immediately add a title so that subscribers who connect to the broadcast after it starts will immediately understand the topic.
Launch of live broadcast
In the live camera settings, available by pressing the "gear", you can:
Live camera settings
Before starting the broadcast, we recommend adding a title and using other settings options.
Adding a Live Header
For example, if you use the "Audience" - "Training" option, you can start the broadcast in test mode. This is a great feature to prepare for the broadcast, check the lighting, the quality of the picture and the Internet, set up the camera, rehearse the speech.
Audience selection in live settings
You can also schedule a live broadcast for a specific date and time.
Live broadcast planning
To start the video broadcast, click on the button in the center and the broadcast starts.
Congratulations, you are live :)
Functions available during live TV
During the broadcast, the following functionality is available to you: the ability to write a comment (1), requests to join the broadcast from other users (2), invite a guest to broadcast (3), a window with questions from subscribers (4), the ability to send a live broadcast to your subscribers (5), select and apply a mask (6), switch camera (7), mute video (8), mute microphone (9), show users photos and videos live (10), end live broadcast (11).
Window with questions from viewers
Sending an invitation to broadcast to your subscribers
Adding photo/video to the air
To end the broadcast, click on the cross in the upper right corner.
End window live
We confirm - "Finish" and Instagram offers several options:
Choice of options after live broadcast ends
After selecting the option "Watch live in the live archive" you will be prompted to save the video.
Save live
After saving, the broadcast will appear in the "Video" section on your page.
Saved live broadcast in the Video section
An automatic notification is sent to your subscribers when a broadcast starts.
In Stories, they immediately see the ether. If this is a joint broadcast, there will be two icons at once.
Live broadcast button
When a subscriber turns on your live broadcast on his phone, he sees it like this:
Watch live TV
Subscribers can send quick reactions (1) or write comments and ask questions (2), share your broadcast (3) and like (4).
Also, the "Submit a request to participate in live" window automatically pops up with the "Become a guest" button. If you agreed in advance with the owner of the broadcast, then you press the button and the broadcast becomes joint, in the format of an interview. Although, a joint broadcast is not always planned, for example, as in the case of Nastyushka Ivleeva, who accidentally stumbled upon Jared Leto live. Important: only two users can participate in a video broadcast.
Random joint broadcast of Nastya Ivleeva and Jared Leto
And you can watch the broadcast on the desktop in the browser.
To do this, log in with your account on the instagram.com website and go to your feed or the profile of the author who will broadcast live. You will see a note that the broadcast is already on.
Active live tag
This is what broadcast looks like from the desktop:
Viewing live broadcast on a desktop device
Collect the pains of your subscribers in advance and, live, answer their questions. You can collect questions in the comments under posts or post special Stories with a question box. During the broadcast, it is not always possible to follow all the comments and questions. In order not to miss anyone, ask participants to duplicate questions in Direct if they remain unanswered.
This format implies a joint broadcast of two profiles. It looks like a question-answer, only the questions are answered not by you personally, but by the guest, he is the expert whom you invited.
Usually, they invite professionals from industries related to your business. This revitalizes subscribers and causes them additional interest in your company. For example, if you have an exclusively female audience, you sell children's products or professional online courses for women, a psychologist, nutritionist, or cosmetologist can become a guest of your broadcast.
Show the life of the company from the inside. An online tour of the production or a live picture of how you sew shoes, cook cakes. So subscribers will not only immerse themselves in your field, but also appreciate the reality and stability of your company.
Only the laziest sloth does not watch master classes. For you, this is an opportunity to show expertise and attract a new audience: how to assemble a kitchen or make a design project in a 3D moderator. In the end, look at what your colleagues (they are competitors) offer.
By the way, third-party services are now working that allow you to download other people's saved broadcasts to a computer or phone.
Live access restriction settings
You can also immediately hide offensive comments and phrases.
Setting up comments and hiding insults
In 2022, and in subsequent years, it is important and necessary to use live broadcasts to promote your idea. This is a good feedback from your target audience, and an increase in brand loyalty, and an increase in the reach of your target audience as a whole.
See also How to promote Instagram yourself from scratch: detailed instructions
If you plan to master all the tools of social networks, subscribe to our newsletter. A lot of step-by-step instructions and recommendations for promoting on Instagram, and more.
We wish you good luck
Live is a chance for an Instagram user to show himself real and sincere, to communicate with the audience on a topic of interest, answer questions from subscribers and get instant feedback.
To diversify the process, you can go live with a friend.
You can join someone else's broadcast or start your own by inviting someone to keep you company. How to do it? We will show you two ways to start a joint broadcast. On iOS or Android, the steps will be similar.
If your friend rejects the offer to join the conversation in real time, you will know about it.
In case your friend went live with one of his friends, you will see the broadcast icon with two circles on the story panel.
