Instagram streaming takes on Snapchat
Instagram is joining the livevideo streaming game, and with it upping its rivalry with Snapchat.
Similar to Facebook’s popular Facebook Live feature, it’s relatively easy to start a broadcast: Just tap the camera icon and swipe over to the “live” tab and click the “start Live video” button. As with a Facebook Live video, an indicator at the top of your screen will signal that you’re broadcasting and provide an indication of the number of people tuning in. Users can comment and “heart,” or like, your videos as well.
Those who follow you and interact with you on the service will see a notification that you are live, just as they would on Facebook.
Unlike Facebook Live, however, Facebook-owned Instagram will delete the videos from your story once the broadcast is over — a feature that makes it more similar to rival Snapchat than its parent. Instagram Live will be added as part of an update to Instagram Stories, Instagram’s take on Snapchat’s popular feature that lets users share photos and videos publicly to all of their followers. The company is also adding an “Explore” tab so that its 500 million users can view other live videos on the service. In a blog post announcing the update, the company said more than 100 million people use Stories.
Instagram is also adding the ability for messages sent directly to friends and groups to disappear and updating the Instagram Direct messaging portion to look more like Snapchat’s app.
Both services are rivaling to own the youth demographic that has flocked to Snapchat’s selfieoriented messages, which have a short life and can be doctored by playful lenses.
Snapchat-parent Snap reportedly is planning an IPO next year that would value it at $25 billion, has shown a deft hand at creating buzz — Monday, would-be customers lined up for hours at a pop-up store in Manhattan to try to buy a pair of its video-recording sunglasses.
Groups are Instagram’s big differentiator from Snapchat’s messaging system, allowing you to quickly message multiple friends together and see if they’ve viewed your posts as well as their responses.