Top Online Platforms Used for Virtual Events by Brands and Artists

Hybrid and virtual events do take a little bit of support to achieve their full potential. After all, you want to create a seamless experience for all guests, regardless of how they attend your event. That’s why it’s worthwhile to set up some tech tools and platforms in advance. When you know the tools you’ll use, you can maximize how your event is experienced. For example, you’ll need a live streaming platform to let virtual attendees take part in live events.

The Top 5 Hybrid Event Livestreaming Platforms

One of the essential elements of a hybrid event is letting long-distance guests attend “live.” That means you need a way to offer virtual guests a real-time experience. Here are the five best live-streaming platforms for hybrid and virtual events that can help optimize the virtual event experience.

1. YouTube Live

Everyone knows about YouTube. It’s one of the most trusted video hosting platforms on the planet. The YouTube Live service is one of the simplest and most accessible options for live-streaming events, and your attendees can access it on any device. Best of all, it’s free.

• Pros: Free, Well-known, Powered by Google.
• Cons: Potential monetization complications with on-demand content, Limited customization.

Verdict: If you’re not attached to white-label capabilities, YouTube streams are easy to embed, reliable, and trusted by consumers.

2. Clubhouse

Clubhouse is a relatively new live-streaming platform that’s designed as an audio-only experience. It’s intended to let people participate in conversations and listen to interesting discussions. It’s also divided into “rooms,” so you can neatly divide your event into different locations by topic. Every room has its own customizable rules.

• Pros: Easy “rooms”, Speaker, moderator, and listener settings, In-depth rules for every room.
• Cons: Audio-only, Less well-known.

Verdict: If your events are heavy on the audio and light on visuals, Clubhouse can help you foster interaction and discussion.

3. Facebook Live

Facebook Live is becoming one of the top methods for live-streaming events for many groups. It’s a convenient way to connect with your current audience while also preventing your content from being shared with non-ticketholders. You can broadcast live content or host on-demand videos easily. Virtual visitors can react and add comments in real-time.

• Pros: Free, Well-known, Easy virtual event audience interaction.
• Cons: Time limits on hosted videos, Limited monetization and event promotion.

Verdict: Facebook Live is great if you want a simple live-streaming platform to integrate with your event. Just don’t expect to earn money directly from video views.

4. Twitch.tv

Twitch.tv is a platform that was designed for live streams. It was initially built to help connect eSport players with their audience live, but it’s become the largest gaming and esports streaming platform in the world. It has been shown to handle professional events effectively.

• Pros: Platform designed entirely for live-streaming, Live chat features that let streamers and visitors interact in real-time, Inexpensive.
• Cons: Requires more knowledge than other platforms, Limited monetization.

Comparison of Leading Platforms

Below is a summary of the primary platforms and their key characteristics based on the provided data:

How Brands and Artists Use Virtual Event Platforms

Here's a quick list of online video streaming platforms for brands and artists and how some of them are using it to flip the script for new experiences for fans and consumers:

• Fortnite: Traditionally a gaming platform, used by Travis Scott and Cactus Jack for Gaming Live Performances (Astronomical).
• Instagram: Using InstagramTV and live streaming concerts. Examples include Aaron Dessner, The National, and Sharon Van Etten doing Branded Live Performances for Levis. Miley Cyrus uses it for a Daily Livestream.
• Facebook Live: Pushing virtual events via mobile and web. Michael Bublé hosts daily performances and Billie Eilish and FINNEAS performed a Facebook virtual concert.
• YouTube: Artists like The Roots host daily shows and performances, while Jimmy Fallon hosts a daily show on weekdays with guests.
• Twitter: Used by The Killers for performances and Q&A sessions with their fans.

Other Leading Services and Global Platforms

There are so many platforms to optimize reaching customers. Some you may have heard of, and some are totally foreign to the US consumer, but all of them are super important for understanding the landscape:

• Snapchat Live Stories: The most popular platform for Gen-Z.
• LinkedIn Live Stream: Allows businesses and companies to livestream across the social network.
• Twitch: The largest gaming and esports streaming platform in the world.
• V LIVE: One of the leading Korean celebrity streaming platforms known as V App.
• VK Live: One of the leading social networks in Eastern Europe and Russia.
• Dailymotion: Leading French video platform with live streaming capability.
• DLive: Decentralized live streaming via the blockchain.

Audiences can be leveraged across platforms or pushed to other channels for sharing pre-recorded or live video events. Whether it is Periscope by Twitter, Mixer, or Wowza for high-quality broadcasts, there are clever ways to integrate and interact even for brands on eSports platforms all the way to influencer live broadcast tools.