Photo Credit: Fredrik Solli Wandem
TikTok is expanding its livestreaming platform with several new features to rival Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube.
Currently, users can live stream to fans while responding to viewer comments and questions. That’s a format that’s familiar but pretty generic. The TikTok LIVE experience will include the ability to go live with others, host Q&A sessions, use moderators, improved keyword filters, and more.
In short, TikTok is focusing on becoming a live streaming platform rather than just short-form video watching. TikTok LIVE Events is the first step in that direction, helping creators better plan their upcoming live-streaming schedule.
Creators can schedule and promote their event in advance to let fans know about the show. Fans who are interested can discover, register, and then receive notifications and reminders when the TikTok LIVE event is beginning. Scheduling is fairly common among livestreaming apps, so this is TikTok fleshing out their app for those who make a living online.
How to Use TikTok Live Events
To get started with the feature, creators select ‘LIVE Events’ from the top-right corner of their profile page. Select a name for the event, choose a start time, and write a brief description to let fans know what will happen. Once the event is created, you can do a quick review process before the event is viewable on TikTok.
After the event is scheduled, creators can share the event with in-app messages. They can also promote their upcoming streams with TikTok videos using the LIVE countdown sticker. TikTok shows creators how many people say they plan to attend the event to provide a metric for how well promotional efforts are doing.
TikTok creators can now go live with others to have a combined audience. The company is also testing the ability to go live with multiple hosts in different regions. Instagram launched a similar feature earlier this year, allowing up to four creators to go live together.
TikTok’s LIVE Q&A sessions allow audience members to ask questions during the stream. Creators can view these questions from a separate panel, so they’re not lost in the chat. This feature resembles YouTube’s Super Thanks feature, which launched recently.
TikTok users can also assign trusted moderators to help manage their streams before an event begins. Moderators can mute and block disruptive users from the stream. TikTok is also introducing a keyword filtering tool, helping creators block problem words from appearing in their chats.
