Instagram is finally catching up with its contemporaries in terms of video streaming capabilities. The popular messaging app has recently joined the live video broadcasting trend with the introduction of its own feature that allows you to invite a friend for a live video broadcast.
After testing it out last summer, Instagram is finally rolling out the feature to the rest of its users, reports The Verge. With the feature now live, you can basically ask anyone who is currently watching to join your live video broadcast by clicking on the “add” button located at the corner of the screen.
Start booking those special guest appearances ?? https://t.co/pfncl132dI
— TheSocialConsultant (@thesconsultant) October 24, 2017
To accommodate the second user, the screen will be split vertically so you and your friend can now broadcast simultaneously. At the moment, however, you can only add one person at a time so there is always that cap of two persons per simultaneous broadcast. To add another friend, you have to remove the first guest before you can replace them with someone else.
As with regular live videos, the resulting output using the new live video + guest feature can be discarded or saved as stories, reports Tech Crunch. Of course, they can also be shared on Facebook stories as well. The only difference is that the videos will be shown with two stacked circles on the stories status bar.
Instagram seems to be targeting some of its users who may be a bit hesitant to post solo videos of themselves on the platform. Not only will it become less daunting if you do a video with a friend but it will also make it more fun, interactive and, hopefully, will generate more engagement from your audience.
The live video feature is a response to similar features offered by rivals Snapchat and Periscope. The new feature is expected to be welcomed by users as Instagram announced that video viewing rose by 80 percent since last year.
[Featured Image via YouTube]