Top 10 Private Streaming Platforms for Live Stream Events in 2023
Ever wondered what it is about telethons that made (and still make!) hoards of people call a random hotline and donate their hard-earned money for a cause? Why can’t the non-profits just send flyers or advertise on social media?
It happens to be the same reason content creators prefer to live stream these days instead of recording, editing, and posting videos. Sure, pre-recorded videos give you better control over the dynamics in play. But live streaming makes your audience a part of the experience. They feel a sense of subconscious urgency to join in during the live stream, even if they can always watch the recording later. Live streaming is a surefire way to elevate your viewer’s experience and promote interaction and engagement.
Live streaming has allowed content creators, institutions, and organizations to give their audiences that sense of being part of a larger community. At the same time, it has also exposed businesses and other professional organizations to more online vulnerabilities. Ensuring a secure live stream is pivotal to maintaining your brand image and autonomy over your organization.
Cybercrime has cost the world $3 trillion in 2021. By 2025, cybercrime damages are forecasted to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually, up from $6 trillion in 2021. With the rise in popularity of live streaming, they are also at a heightened risk of becoming cybercrime targets. Costing organizations not just resources but brand image and reputation as well. To avoid becoming part of this statistic, broadcasters must choose a streaming solution that provides professional-grade privacy and security features.
According to The Washington Post, live streams are the new telethons. So how can you leverage all the advantages of broadcasting private live streams in your favor while ensuring cyber safety? That’s exactly what we’ll cover today and our top ten best private streaming platforms that help you deliver safe online streams with minimal glitches.
The Live Streaming Industry at a Glance
What can we learn from the rise of the famous Chinese short-video platform TikTok and how does it apply to live streaming? For one, audiences love video more than they love the written word.
In the past, video has never been this easy to share, store and view before. With technological advancements, our attention spans seem to be getting shorter, explaining the potential of the live streaming industry. Another fact that cements the place of videos is Facebook’s launch of reels and Facebook Watch.
Live streaming and short and medium-length videos are among the most effective ways to connect with viewers. According to research by Livestream, 80% of consumers would prefer to watch live videos than read a blog, and 82% of people prefer a live stream over a social media post.
When it comes to consuming content, video is where it is at. 62% of people aged 18-34 regularly watch live streaming content. Younger generations are more interested in live streams than pre-recorded content, and overall, viewers are watching more live streams now than they were even a year ago.
Live streams capture people’s attention in ways that pre-recorded videos don’t. Watching someone in real life can feel thrilling, like you are part of a bigger moment.
- Facebook Live videos are watched 3x longer than pre-recorded videos
- Live streams hold viewers’ attention for 10-20x longer than VOD content
When it comes to live streaming, you want to stream in as many locations as possible. Multistreaming or simulcasting is when you live stream to multiple platforms at the same time, such as:
- Business websites
- Social media platforms
- Video sharing platforms
Live streams have been shown on multiple platforms to hold viewers’ attention longer than VOD. So if you want to connect with modern viewers and hold their attention, you must create live streams.
Want to enjoy the benefits of live streaming? Work with one of the ten best private streaming platforms discussed later in this article. With all the streaming platforms discussed in this article, you can provide your viewers with private live streams.
What is a Private Live Stream?
More is not always the merrier. While sometimes broadcasters stream to reach large audiences, that is not always the case. That’s where private live streams come into play. Sometimes, you want to magnetize viewers from a certain group, area, or industry, not the general masses. Private live streaming offers the perfect solution to secure your stream while engaging a large group of selected audiences.
A private live streaming event is a broadcast meant to be streamed to a select group of people rather than to the public.
There are many events where you may want to limit access and viewership, such as:
- Internal company meetings
- Internal company training
- Private streams to family and friends
- Paid virtual events
There are numerous paid private virtual events you could host, such as:
- Webinars
- Conferences
- Concerts
- Private meet & greets
- Classes
Live streams have many purposes in the world of business video hosting. You could stream webinars, conferences, training sessions, and multiple platforms simultaneously.
Which broadcasts are public and private is to be determined by the broadcaster.
Typically, private video sharing would be intended for internal use. However, you can also use private video sharing for paid public events, where you only want those who paid for access to attend the event.
Public outdoor streaming, for example, would be intended for an audience beyond your company or authorized viewers. There are many use cases for private streams for businesses. Public streaming is when anyone, without any access requirements, can view your live streams.
How to Stream Privately
Setting up a private live streaming event is much like setting up any other live stream. However, you need to take additional measures to ensure that you’re setting up your live event video streaming service correctly for a successful private streaming experience.
With a private live stream, you need measures that allow you to limit access to your events, such as password protection or domain restrictions.
Let’s run through a quick tutorial on how to stream privately using a private video streaming service.
1. Create a Plan
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That can’t be truer than in the case of live-streaming. Much planning and hard work go into each element of live streaming since certain parts can’t be edited or made to look better during the post-production stages.
Winging it may sometimes work with a live stream; however, if you want to run continuous successful live streams, you need a plan. When planning a private live stream, you can plan it out on multiple levels:
Goals & Audience
It is important to know who you are streaming for and what your goals are with your stream.
- Who is your audience?
- Where are they located?
- How will they access your stream?
- How will you promote your live stream to your audience?
What is the goal of your stream? Knowing what you want to achieve with your stream will help you craft the content and refine your audience.
For example, your goals could be to inform your audience about a product, educate internal company employees about a new idea, entertain the audience, or share a private moment with family and friends.
Topic & Content
Once you know your audience and goals, it is time to choose a topic for your live stream. You should choose a narrow and specific topic that you want to cover. Choose a topic that addresses your audience’s needs.
After you choose your topic, start to write the content for your lifestream. You don’t have to follow a script. However, it would help if you had a general outline you want to follow.
Once you create an outline, fill in the details. Are there stats you need to look up? Are there areas of your live stream where you want to share other audio or visual content? Having a plan allows you to add more depth to your live stream.
Team
Now it is time to build your team! Who do you need to help you produce your live stream? You may develop a live stream on your own or with a team of individuals. Coordinate the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved so that everyone knows their jobs and what to do when you go live.
Live Streaming Set-Up
Finally, establish your live streaming set-up.
- Are you going to use a private live streaming service or a public free live streaming service?
- How are you keeping the stream private?
- Are you monetizing the live stream?
With a solid plan, you can run a successful live stream that meets the needs of your target audience, is engaging and entertaining, and hits your goals for the content.
2. Choose a Private Streaming Platform
When exploring how to stream privately, the best way to live stream an event is with the help of a professional live private streaming platform equipped with the tools you need to reach your individual goals.
For example, monetization features are a must if you’re hosting a large paid event. However, if you’re leaning towards internal video streaming for the members of your team or organization, monetization is not necessary.
Streaming at the professional level also calls for branding customization and eliminating third-party ads and logos.
Choosing a platform with an HTML5 white-label video player will help you achieve these things. Plus, an HTML5 video player is compatible with most internet-enabled devices. The nearly universal nature of this type of video player will help maximize your viewership.
Other valuable features to consider when weighing your options for a live event streaming service include:
- Video and player API.
- Reliable content delivery through a global video CDN.
- An easy-to-use content management system.
- Video galleries.
- 24/7 customer support.
You want a private live streaming platform that will allow you to share the stream with an audience worldwide. You want a secure live streaming platform with an easy-to-use content management system, a customizable video player, and 24/7 customer support.
It’ll help ensure you can create a successful customized private stream event.
3. Configure Your Streaming Setup
Now, it is time to configure your live streaming setup. Most broadcasters need the support of a professional private live streaming service.
Some more advanced streams require dedicated streaming software for mixing, editing, adding graphic overlays, chroma-keying (using a green screen), or simulcasting. The need for these types of software depends on your unique streaming goals.
That is why you want to establish your streaming goals before choosing a private video streaming service.
An organization that wants to host internal meetings will have different streaming goals than a company that wants to live stream exclusive private concerts or a business that live streams private events for customers, such as weddings.
Ensure all your equipment and digital tools are compatible with your chosen private video streaming service. For example, to enable a private RTMP stream, you must ensure that the platform you choose supports your specific RTMP encoder.
Check out our streaming setup guide for more information on how to configure your streaming setup
4. Promote Your Event
Some private streams, such as paid virtual events, require promotion. Since it is a private event, it is important to require RSVPs so you can send the password or login credentials to verified participants.
Depending on your goal, you can promote the event on social media or through internal channels. Your promotion could be a simple “heads up” email blast, or it can use a full-blown marketing campaign. It is up to you to determine what is appropriate for your specific stream.
Here are a few ideas to promote your live steam before it begins:
- Schedule your live stream
- Share with your intended audience
- Set up an event that people have RSVPed to
- Share on social media
- Run a countdown
- Create a teaser trailer
Adapt these ideas to fit with the goals of your live stream. For example, if you are running an internal training, you can still schedule the event, send out an RSVP, and create an internal teaser trailer. You can adapt these strategies to fit the needs of your specific live stream.
You want to ensure that your intended audience can access your private stream.
Comparison of the 10 Best Streaming Platforms for Private Live Streams
Now that you know how to host private live streaming and what security features you’re looking for, you’re likely left wondering which private streaming service is best. That’s why we’ve reviewed the top secure private streaming platforms on the market. These services are long-standing, robust competitors offering various compelling features.
As you know, however, different users have different needs. By taking a closer look at the features and costs of live streaming solutions, you can make an informed decision about the right video platform.
We’ve evaluated many private live streaming options and narrowed it down to the top 10 private streaming platforms for broadcasting private virtual events in 2023. Here they are.
1. Mslive
Mslive is one of the leading online video platforms with a full-featured, self-service solution for live streaming and private video hosting.
Mslive’s acquisition of vzaar, a video hosting, and distribution platform, has made our platform even more powerful and useful to broadcasters.
When it comes to security and privacy controls, Mslive gets an A+. This streaming platform makes broadcasting private live streams a breeze.
Basic Functionality
Mslive is known for its easy-to-use platform and custom white-label streaming solution. Brand new broadcasters can create a live channel, stream in minutes, and maintain 100% content ownership.
The platform was designed for professional broadcasters with security in mind and featured a robust video solution that meets their business requirements. Mslive offers many features for private live streams, including top-notch AES encryption, a video paywall for monetization, password protection, referrer restriction, and an analytics dashboard to track user events.
Key Features
Mslive offers high-end features with competitive pricing plans. These include ad-free broadcasting, white-label service, and secure CDN video delivery.
It is also one of the few streaming solutions of its caliber that offer video delivery to China.
Detailed Features
- Secure, global content delivery, including industry-best video hosting
- 24/7 tech support with all plans, including email and live chat
- Secure video upload features, including content management, library migration, and video replacement
- RTMP Encoder for ingesting HLS streaming
- Player API access for 3rd party player integration
- Video API access on premium plans (scale and event)
- Best-in-class private RTMP server
- Adaptive multi-bitrate streaming
- Cloud-based video transcoding
- Real-time analytics
- Ad-free streaming
- Multi-user access on Scale and Custom plans
- Zoom live streaming integration for meetings and live events in real-time
- Expo 2.0 galleries video portal for immersive video experiences
- AES video encryption for advanced streaming security
New!
- Mslive now offers Digital Right Management to protect your videos.
- VOD to Live allows you to choose any of your videos, set it to a specific time and date, and go live without using an encoder.
Pros
- Live streaming and VOD packages on all pricing plans
- Unlimited viewers and live channels
- White label and branding control
- Embeddable HTML5 video player
- SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD monetization options
- An integrated video paywall
- Mobile device support
- Live stream recording
- China Video Hosting
- Plans for every budget
Cons
- Requires a bit of a learning curve
Upload Guidelines and Specs:
- Minimum dimension: none (but 240p is the recommended minimum)
- Maximum dimension: 1080p or 4K (depends on the user’s hardware and internet)
- Video aspect ratio: no restrictions (but 16:9 is the default)
- Max file size: none
- Max video length: none
- Total file storage: 10-1000GB (depends on plan)
- Compatible video formats: MP4 (preferred), MOV, M4V, M2V, AVI, MPG, FLV, WMV, MKV, WEBM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MTS
Pricing
Mslive includes four packages in their streaming pricing plans:
- Starter plan: $39/month (billed annually); ideal for newcomers with 1.2 TB of bandwidth and 50 GB of storage per year
- Scale plan: $188/month (billed annually); includes 24 TB of bandwidth per year, with 1 TB of storage; add phone support, monetization paywall, an M3U8 online player for live channels, ad insertion, white-label video player, and video API access; additional bandwidth is available upon request for monthly plans
- Event plan: $63/month (or $750/year); for organizations that would rather not sign a contract, and want to purchase bandwidth separately to live stream an event, offers 6 TB of bandwidth upfront, 50 GB of storage; additional data and storage can be added as needed
- Custom plan: if your enterprise business has high-volume streaming needs, you can contact Mslive for a custom plan tailored to your needs.
Mslive has all the tools you need to securely host private live streaming, making it one of the best platforms you can work with.
2. Vimeo Livestream
Vimeo is one of the largest streaming platforms on the market, and it has been around since 2007. Vimeo’s acquisition of Livestream in 2017 has allowed the platform to expand the service from only VOD to both VOD and live streaming services, even though Livestream pricing plans are different.
This platform streams over 10 million events annually. A combined effort of hardware, software, and cloud services delivers this.
Regarding privacy and security, Vimeo is well-equipped with all the right features.
Basic Functionality
Vimeo is both a private live streaming and video hosting platform. This service provides tech support via email for its users. Live support comes with Premium and Vimeo OTT custom plans.
Key Features
Vimeo’s and other premium plans support private live streaming and VOD hosting. This program integrates smoothly with a variety of powerful services.
Detailed Features
- Video management platform
- Insightful analytics
- High-quality streaming capabilities
- Great storage capacity
- Privacy and security controls
Pros
- No limitations on the number of events and viewers
- No advertisements
- Visually appealing portal
- Powerful analytics
- Pay-per-view option
Cons
- Lower traffic than other platforms
- No China video delivery
Upload Guidelines and Specs
- Recommended dimension: 720p (1280 x 720)
- Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
- Max file size: 3GB
- Max video length: Information not available
- Total file storage: Information not available
- Compatible video formats: MP4 (recommended)
Pricing
Vimeo Livestream offers three main pricing plans, including:
Vimeo Premium:
- Premium pricing: $75/month
- Their Premium plan includes both live streaming and VOD services. This plan is the way to go for professional broadcasting.
Vimeo Enterprise:
- Enterprise Pricing: Please contact Vimeo for custom pricing information
- The Enterprise plan includes white-label service, monetization, and video APIs. It also includes branding control and added security features.
- Starter Pricing: $1/subscriber per month
- Growth Pricing: starting at $500/month
- The OTT-specific pricing packages come with the Vimeo.com relationship. These plans include all the basics for starting your web-based OTT channel and growing your OTT business online.
For more details, check out our comprehensive guide to Vimeo Livestream pricing.
Vimeo offers insightful analytics and can handle private live streams of all sizes.
3. JW Player
JW Player is a private video streaming service that originated in 2005. The technology used in this platform’s video player was originally a part of the open-source code that eventually contributed to the original YouTube video player.
JW Player was originally known for its HTML5 video player for VOD platforms. In recent years, JW expanded its platform to include live streaming capabilities.
Basic Functionality
One of the most valuable aspects of JW Player is that it supports MPEG-DASH playback, CSS skinning, DRM, and other advanced features that other OVPs do not have.
Key Features
In terms of JW live channels, the platform supports HLS adaptive live streaming, multi-bitrate transcoding, simulcast to FB Live, and real-time analytics.
The service advertises itself as straightforward, with a four-step process for beginning a live stream. Overall, JW live channels were designed for users with a large budget and/or a large business enterprise.
Detailed Features
- Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming features
- Global content delivery
- Tech support with the most inclusive plans
- Video API access
- DRM with Enterprise Plans
- Monetization
Pros
- Great video player
- Simple platform
- Good advertising tools
- Monetization features
Cons
- Limitations on live streaming
- Only ad-based monetization
- No China video delivery
- Limited security features
Upload Guidelines and Specs
- Minimum dimension: 360p (640 x 360)
- Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
- Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3, 2.39:1
- Max file size: 25GB
- Max video length: Not available
- Total file storage: 25GB to 500GB (depends on the plan)
- Compatible video formats: MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, 3GP, FLV
Pricing
JWPlayer pricing plans include the following tiers:
- Free trial: JW Player offers a 30-day free trial subscription which includes full API and SDK access, a non-commercial license, 25 GB hosting bandwidth, and 75 GB streaming.
- Starter plan: At $10 per month, the Starter pricing plan includes an HTML5 Video Player, a video gallery with 150 GB hosting bandwidth, and 500 GB streaming (50,000 plays) per month (billed annually).
- Enterprise plan: these business-specific plans are available with custom pricing for high-volume storage and streaming. Enterprise plans support live streaming, while lower-tier plans only support VOD.
If protecting the direct rights management of your content after the live stream is over is important, JW Player is a strong choice for a private streaming platform solution.
4. Wowza
Wowza is a private video streaming service founded in 2005 as a bootstrap start-up. It offers private live streaming and on-demand video hosting. Wowza is also known for its top-notch security features.
Wowza offers two main products. The first is the Wowza Streaming Engine. This product is widely used in the industry for self-hosted streaming. The second is the Wowza Streaming Cloud offering.
Basic Functionality
This functionality includes various features aimed at providing low-latency content access to global audiences.
Key Features
Wowza is geared mostly toward developers, event producers, and technical entrepreneurs. It is a bit more technical than the other competing platforms.
Detailed Features
- Cloud management services
- High-def streaming (up to 4K)
- Powerful security and privacy features
- Access to APIs
Pros
- Top-of-the-line security
- Nearly universally supported on different devices
- Live streaming
- Video Looping
- Audience Engagement
- Performance Monitoring
- Mobile Screen Support
- China video delivery
Cons
- No simulcasting
- No monetization features
- Only single camera feeds
- No event scheduling
Upload Guidelines and Specs
- Minimum dimension: 240p (320 x 240)
- Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
- Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
- Max file size: Not available
- Max video length: Not available
- Total file storage: 250 GB (depends on the plan)
- Compatible video formats: MP4, FLV, MP3, SMIL, AMLST, ID3, NGRP
Pricing
Wowza revised its pricing structures recently and added a slew of other unique features. These plans are broken down into Streaming Cloud and Streaming Engine.
Streaming Cloud offers four specific pricing plans and services, including:
- Pay As You Go: $29/month, with a 3-month minimum; flexible streaming with low startup costs
- Basic: $99/month and includes 15 hours of live streaming and 500 viewing hours based on a video resolution of 720p
- One Month Event: $149 one-time purchase and includes 15 hours of live streaming and 500 viewing hours also at 720p
- Enterprise: $499/month and includes 150 hours of live streaming and 7,000 viewing hours based on a video resolution of 720p
All of these Live Event plans reflect rates when paid monthly and include full brand control, multi-bitrate streaming, and HD and UHD streaming.
The Wowza Streaming Engine has its pricing plan packages. These professional-grade streaming plans are billed annually and include:
- Basic: $175/month + $195/month for each additional instance and $125/month for each additional prepaid instance
- One Month Event: $295/month + $295/month for each additional instance and $95/month for each additional prepaid instance
- Enterprise: Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Wowza directly for access to their custom-tailored high-volume enterprise solutions
If you have private live events that you want to stream to a single location without monetizing the content, Wowza is an excellent private streaming platform for your needs.
5. IBM Cloud Video
IBM Cloud Video (formerly UStream) was founded over a decade ago to connect military personnel overseas with loved ones back home. The private video streaming service was formerly UStream, but IBM acquired it in 2016.
Basic Functionality
IBM Live Video is primarily a live streaming company but also has VOD capabilities. This OVP offers two main packages: free, paid, and enterprise. Most features are available with paid packages, but the enterprise packages are all-inclusive.
Key Features
One of the most notable features of IBM Cloud Video is its unique built-in CDN. It’s available in the Premium plan, which has a unique customer support structure.
Lower-level packages have access to a self-help forum, while Enterprise packages have award-worthy customer support.
Detailed Features
- Video Marketing
- Live streaming and live event coverage
- Enterprise video streaming
- Video distribution and workflow
- OTT video management
- Monetization capabilities
Pros
- Well-known and reliable
- 30-day free trial
- Perfect for large enterprises
- Adequate customer support (for most inclusive packages)
- Hong Kong (China) video hosting
Cons
- Limited access to the free version
- Insufficient closed captioning support
Upload Guidelines and Specs
- Minimum dimension: 480p (480 x 270)
- Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
- Aspect ratio: No published aspect ratio
- Max file size: 4 GB
- Max video length: No published limits
- Total file storage: 1TB – 5TB (depends on plan)
- Compatible video formats: MKV, MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MPEG2, H264, H263, MPEG4, VP6, VP8, THEORA, WMV, MP3, AAC-LC, NELLYMOSER, PCM, SPEEX, VORBIS, WMA
Pricing
IBM pricing plans range from $99 to $999 per month and include the following:
- Silver: $99/month
- Gold: $499/month
- Platinum: $999/month
- Custom: Please contact IBM Cloud video for custom plan pricing.
IBM Cloud focuses on live streaming events that need to reach a global audience. They have a robust CDN network capable of reaching many remote locations.
Security Features to Look for in a Private Streaming Platform
As we mentioned, broadcasting webinars, conferences, corporate events, or other private streams at a professional level requires different features for different broadcasters. However, there are a few features for video privacy and security that are universal for private live streaming.
These key private live streaming events features include password protection, geographic and referrer restrictions, and payment security. Let’s take a closer look at each of these features.
1. Password Protection
Password protection is one of the most basic forms of security for private live streaming. It is often considered a “first line of defense” for private streaming.
This feature allows the broadcaster to set a password. Any viewers who attempt to access the stream will have to enter the password as prompted to have access. It’s an ideal setup for smaller events among trusted individuals or groups.
Many live streaming solutions come with password-protected video hosting features.
2. Geographic and Referrer Restrictions
As the name implies, restrictions allow broadcasters to restrict who can access your content. Also, you can set these restrictions based on a variety of factors.
There are two types of restrictions in common use. Geographic restrictions allow you to restrict who can access your online video via IP address. Unless someone is using a VPN, IP corresponds to geographic location.
This tool works by “whitelisting” countries where your audience can view your content. That way, you can bypass hackers or unauthorized people who reside in other countries.
The second type is referrer restrictions. A referrer describes the website a visitor visited before accessing your video content.
Thus, a referrer restriction allows you only to allow users who came from pages on your domain (for example,http://www.mslive.co.in/* ). The asterisk (*) symbol indicates that any page on your site is acceptable for users.
This restriction effectively prevents users from illegally embedding your stream on another site. Even if the embed does work, the video won’t play. That helps to combat piracy.
3. Payment Security
Another great way to keep content secure is to require viewers to pay for access. It also provides a revenue stream for your live broadcasts. However, when money is involved, payment security becomes exponentially more important.
Luckily, online payment systems are now stronger than ever. For example, a tokenized security system can support these authorization schemes. In short, a tokenized security system replaces the payment details with tokens instead of storing your audience’s sensitive payment details. Your audience’s sensitive information is protected if you’re hacked for whatever reason. That prevents anyone without prior authorization from accessing your secure stream.
Note: make sure the live streaming platform you choose uses SSL encryption for payment information.
4. AES Encryption
AES, short for “Advanced Encryption Standard,” is an industry standard for encryption and is known for its speed and security. In other words, it’s one of the best encryption protocols to allow a live stream to be securely delivered without disruption.
There are three types of AES encryption to know about: 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit. The numbers denote the key length. It may seem obvious that 256-bit would offer the most protection, which is true, but it comes at the cost of resources. For example, watching a video that uses 256-bit encryption rather than 128-bit encryption will drain your battery a little faster.
Private Streaming Platforms vs. Free Streaming Sites
New broadcasters may feel tempted to start on a free streaming site, like YouTube, rather than a private streaming platform. That could be because of budget constraints, familiarity with free sites, or other reasons.
These free streaming platforms are Facebook Live, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube Live. The only benefits of these platforms are that they are free and well-known.
Let’s evaluate them.
Pros and Cons of Using a Free Private Stream Platform
You can do live streams for free on these social platforms at the cost of next to no privacy or security features. Also, your video streams aren’t yours when you use free live stream platforms. YouTube and similar free live streaming platforms have more control than you’d think.
Think about the popular personal video streaming platform Vine, which shut down and left influencers blindsided. A quick google search will also show you countless stories of Youtube accounts being shut down or demonetized for no reason.
On top of this, video monetization options are minimal. Free live video streaming services like YouTube Live also control what music you can use in your video and give you time limitations on the type of content you can share.
Some benefits of these platforms are that they provide a way for live streaming events online for free, they are well-known, and because you likely use them already, they tend to be super easy to use.
Pros and Cons of Professional Private Streaming Platforms
With so many free options, you might be tempted to skip out on creating a budget and go with one of the free options. However, having a well-thought-out budget can help you save money in the long run.
So while streaming life for free might be super appealing, you should try a more professional solution for your private stream hosting needs. Let’s look at some benefits of using a professional stream hosting service.
Pros of Professional Private Streaming Solutions
- More reliability: Professional streams are more reliable and perform better than free streaming. That’s because they have dedicated servers and better bandwidth, which helps reduce buffering issues.
- More features: Professional stream hosting offers more features and customization options than free streaming services. For example, you can create custom playlists, add captions and overlays, and use multiple cameras with professional streaming solutions.
- More security: Professional stream hosting platforms offer more security features to protect your content from being stolen or pirated. Some also offer IP filters to block viewers from specific regions and analytics tools to track viewer information.
- Ad-free streaming: With professional stream hosting, you don’t have to worry about annoying ads popping up in the middle of your content. There’s no ad-free streaming with a free option.
- Better support: Professional stream hosting services typically offer better customer support than free streaming services. They often have a team of tech-savvy staff who can help you with any issues you have.
Cons of Professional Private Streaming Solutions
- Cost: The cost is the biggest downside of professional stream hosting. It can be expensive, especially if you use a streaming service with many features.
- Learning curve: Professional stream hosting can have a steep learning curve, especially for first-time users. You need to learn the platform, get familiar with the features, and understand how to use them properly.
To sum up, many private streaming platforms offer free or affordable plans, knowledge base articles, and 24/7 support to overcome these downsides of private streaming platforms.
Benefits of Hosting a Private Live Stream
For some, hosting a public live stream that attracts thousands and thousands of viewers seems the only way to go. But for many, hosting a private live stream can be even more beneficial. Here are some advantages of hosting a private live stream:
- Greater control over content: With a public live stream, you have very little control over what viewers watch or who is watching your content. A private stream allows you to restrict access to only invited viewers and monitor who engages with your stream.
- Improved engagement: When hosting a private live stream, you can engage with specific people on a more personalized level. That can lead to higher levels of viewer engagement, which can be beneficial for any brand or business trying to reach its target audience.
- Less work: Hosting live streams is a lot of work, and doing so publicly requires more work to ensure the right people see your stream. You don’t have to do as much promotion or marketing with a private stream to get viewers.
- Increased exclusivity: Private live streams offer a feeling of exclusivity that public streams cannot match. That can benefit a business trying to build an audience or strengthen relationships with existing customers.
Ultimately, hosting a private live stream can be a great way to engage with viewers in a more controlled and intimate environment. It’s not for everyone, but it can be very effective for many businesses and brands.
Conclusion
Security and privacy features are essential if you want to control who has access to your content. These features are what make streaming private events possible.
We hope that choosing the right private streaming platform will be easy for you, especially since we’ve laid out all of the features, prices, and security capabilities of all the leading live event streaming services for private streams.
Leave a Comment