YouTube Tests Live Streaming Service

YouTube is preparing to launch a live streaming platform, beginning with a two-day trial period that kicks off on 13 September.

The two-day testing period started at 8:00am Pacific Time on Sept 13, said Joshua Siegel, product manager, and Christopher Hamilton, product marketing manager at YouTube in a 12 September blog post.

YouTube will launch the limited trial of its new streaming platform in conjunction with four of its partners: Howcast, Next New Networks, Rocketboom and Young Hollywood.

Real-time video

“This new platform integrates live streaming directly into YouTube channels; all broadcasters need is a webcam or external USB/FireWire camera,” Siegel and Hamilton said in the post. “Included in the test is a ‘Live Comment’” module which lets you engage with the broadcaster and the broader YouTube community. For the purpose of the trial, this offering will only be available today and tomorrow. Based on the results of this initial test, we’ll evaluate rolling out the platform more broadly to our partners worldwide.”

This move means that YouTube content partners can stream video directly to end users in real-time, and it puts the YouTube service into competition with entrenched players such as Ustream, Livestream and Justin.tv.