Popular social networking service Instagram has rolled out an array of new features for its Live videos, allowing users to live stream for up to four hours, among other updates.
The social media platform announced on Twitter three new updates about Live: the Live video time limit has been increased from the maximum 1 hour to 4 hours; users can save their Lives for 30 days before they delete; and a “Live Now” section is now available in the IGTV app and on Explore to enable users to discover more Lives.
Longer Live videos come in handy
With live streaming becoming increasingly popular among artists during the COVID-19 lockdown, Instagram’s latest updates allow content creators to connect with their audience longer, facilitating conversations while also keeping media consumers on the loop with what’s happening around the world—from global healthcare updates, international security and economics, and possibly even allowing sports fans to watch the elections of the International Cricket Council or other global sports organizations and events.
Live streaming is also opening new doors for traditional gaming, as well as online casino games. The technology is providing online gambling in India and other parts of the world new types of interactive and social games, offering gamers new ways to earn money and even socialize with other players. YouTuber Conscious Gambling, for instance, is using the live stream technology to teach interested gamers how to play responsibly—and he’s sharing his winnings with his viewers too.
There’s already plenty of crossover between live streaming and online casinos in India as more and more players become active on popular live stream platforms—be it for online casino games, casual mobile games, or poker—giving fans and players alike a whole new way to enjoy how casino games are played online.
Facebook opens rights manager to all page admins
Aside from the Live video updates, Instagram’s owner—Facebook—confirmed that it’s going to allow page administrators around the world to submit images and videos for rights protection. The feature was originally limited to a group of partners who can claim ownership over images and moderate where those images can show up across Facebook-owned platforms, including Instagram.
The latest updates are part of the social media giant’s initiative to provide “new monetization opportunities for creators” across all Facebook platforms. In the expanded access to Rights Manager feature, creators with large or growing catalog of content are offered “better control when, how and where they share content across Facebook and Instagram.”
Creators are also offered better “Collect Ad Earnings” tool availability, giving them the opportunity to collect ad earnings from matching videos that include in-stream ads, which have added Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and Turkey to the 45 countries currently offering the in-stream program.
“We want to help creators earn money and build a meaningful business on Facebook. To help creators achieve their financial goals, we are giving more creators the ability to collect ad earnings from matched Rights Manager content and offering in-stream ads in more countries,” Facebook Product Manager Jeniece Primus said in the blog post.