Live Streaming Trends of 2024

1. Changing Quality Expectations

To many of today’s Internet users, live streaming has always been a way of life online. Older content producers and consumers know that it’s changed a lot over the years.

In the early days, creating valuable content was the most important and arguably only thing to focus on. People weren’t overly worried about professionalism and video quality. That’s no longer the case. Modern Internet users expect a certain degree of quality, and if they don’t find it, they’ll go elsewhere

Influencers who live stream videos on Instagram, artists who interact with fans on their websites, and advertisers who create content for YouTube all need elive streaming solutions that will allow them to meet their audiences’ expectations

For those new to the game, start by focusing on high-performance video capture and encoding, then keep improving. Audiences will notice.

2. Expectations of Interactive Experiences

Today’s audiences already expect interactive experiences. This live streaming market trend isn’t new. However, the expectations surrounding interactive live streaming experiences continue to change with the times.

Since viewers are no longer satisfied with just watching content, creators have been exploring innovative ways to get their audiences involved.

Some continue to find success with more traditional methods like live polling and Qu0026amp;A sessions. Others are getting more innovative, using interactive games and challenges to make the viewing experience more engaging and immersive.

Interactive streaming is also becoming more popular among advertisers. Recent innovations like shoppable videos and methods for improving customization enhance consumer engagement significantly.

3. Cultural Shift Toward Privacy

On the other end of the spectrum, experts also expect 2024 to bring a shift in how the streaming community views consumer privacy. As users become more aware of how their information gets disseminated and used, there has been increasing pushback

More stringent regulations, including the GDPR and ePrivacy legislation, are already forcing compliance with increased privacy measures. This shift doesn’t mean that advertisers won’t be able to fulfill immersive live streaming expectations, but it does change how they do it.

Popular brands are increasingly reaching out to live streamers with sponsorships. The partnerships formed with celebrities and influencers allow them to target demographics effectively through live streaming without running afoul of regulations or creating a perceived breach of privacy.

4. The Rise of VTubing

Recent changes in how content creators think about interactive experiences aren’t just due to evolving live streaming trends. Technological innovations also contribute to more immersive experiences. They include virtual-reality live streaming, often referred to as VTubing.

For those not in the know, VTubing involves streaming content using a virtual avatar rather than a video image. VTubers often use real-time emotion capture technology to control their avatars, eliminating the bounds of physical limitations and allowing content creators to present their online personas differently.

Last year was the best yet for VTubers, who generated over 1.1B hours watched in 2023. There’s no reason to think the tides will turn on this trend, as more people than ever are embracing it. Much of the trend is likely due to increased popularity and broad acceptance of virtual reality.

As the technology required to support VR and AR streaming continues to improve, it’s also becoming more accessible. Falling prices are attracting more consumers, who then go on to become VR live streaming viewers. They attend virtual concerts, events, and meetings, helping to support the ongoing shift toward VR and AR and increasing the popularity of all forms of VTubing.

As we said at the beginning, the world of live streaming is complex, so it should come as no surprise that the most important trends interact. In this case, virtual reality dramatically changes how live streamers create interactive content.

So far, most VR live streams utilize forms of interactive content similar to those of their more traditional peers. However, VR and AR VTubing create unique opportunities for creative minds. In 2024, expect to see new forms of interactive live streaming leveraged to create connections with viewers, increase attendance at virtual events, and promote products.

5. Greater Attendance at Special Events

Special events hosted by live streamers are becoming more popular. In 2023, they constituted some of the most-watched content on YouTube Live, Twitch, and Kick. Examples of this trend include Ibai’s La Veleda Del Ano 3, WestCol’s Stream Fighters 2, and Squeezie’s GP Explorer 2.

Each of these live streaming special events set new records for peak views on at least one platform. However, that’s not the most important thing to watch when it comes to changing industry trends. People watching market trends are more interested in their year-on-year growth, which has been impressive.

High-value brands are taking notice. They are beginning to sponsor not just individual live streamers or influencers but specific events. Ibai’s boxing event is a fantastic example of this. The first virtual event, held in 2021, had a few minor sponsors, JD Sports and Everlast. In 2023, the third event was sponsored by big names like PlayStation, Samsung, Coca-Cola, and others.

Brands paying attention have noticed how effective these VR events are for advertising. As more household names continue to join in as sponsors, the budgets and the aspirations of the live streamers organizing the events should only grow in 2024.rnrnIf there’s one specific sub-sector of VR special events to watch, it’s awards shows. They attracted much attention in 2023, and experts believe viewership will only rise in 2024. This trend is good news for content creators, who organize virtual events and have the opportunity to reach new audiences by winning prizes.

6. Niche Communities Are Picking Up Steam

As live streaming becomes more popular and goes mainstream, niche communities, and micro-influencers are starting to gain steam. This may seem contradictory, but the rise of influencer culture, brand sponsorships, special events, and other major industry changes that draw in new viewers and consolidate existing audiences has propelled them forward

Content creators who focus on niche audiences can cater to small, specialized online communities with specific interests instead of trying to appeal to as many people as possible simultaneously. The creators and micro-influencers who take this approach build deep connections with audiences and create highly engaged, loyal followings.

The pervasiveness of this trend becomes clear when we look at the numbers. The global niche streaming market saw a 27.4% CAGR in 2023, and recently, 82% of Gen Z viewers indicated that they specifically seek out niche communities with personalized content.

In some cases, these niche live streaming communities exist as part of larger, more mainstream platforms. Others take things one step further and seek out or create niche, entirely separate video platforms. Either way, it creates opportunities for content creators who are just getting started and haven’t yet found ways to reach wider audiences.

7. More Tools for Multistreaming

Multistreaming is nothing new. Content creators have been diversifying their live streaming presence across platforms for years. They often stream on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and Kick simultaneously, allowing them to reach broader audiences to maximize exposure.

Even as other trends like niche live streams and micro-influencing continue to gain steam, u003ca href=”https://www.epiphan.com/blog/how-to-multistream/”>multistreaming> is becoming more popular. Of course, part of the reason this trend is still evolving is that constantly new platforms are coming out that either cater to live streaming specifically or incorporate it into other forms of content creation

Part of the reason that more live streamers than ever are multistreaming is also that established platforms continue to offer more tools and integrations that streamline the process. In years past, it used to be a challenge to manage multiple streams simultaneously. Now, as long as content creators have the right hardware and software to do so, they can multistream much more efficiently.

8. Global Markets Are Shifting

More traditional forms of live streaming, including virtual events and interactive streaming, that use standard equipment, have been popular the world over for long enough that every region has its share of creators and influencers. However, the global markets are still shifting in two ways that are important to watch.

The first is that platform availability is changing where the world’s most popular live streamers are doing business. Twitch pulling out of South Korea is a perfect example. When Twitch announced at the end of 2023 that they would cease all operations in the country due to prohibitively high network fees in February 2024, 19 of the top 20 most-watched VTubers were based on the platform.

These creators are independent. They are not affiliated with agencies or brands. At the beginning of the year, they all had to decide which platforms to use as Twitch shut down. Most opted for YouTube Live, AfreecaTV, or the new South Korean platform CHZZK. This influx of content creators and viewers changed the global live streaming landscape

The second way that the global live streaming scene is changing is that some nations’ live streaming sectors are growing while others are falling. China, specifically, appears slated to make big moves in 2024.

Viewers from different regions of the world have unique tastes. In Southeast Asia, the most watched streams are represented by the mobile gaming industry.

China is not the only country with a growing mobile gaming live streaming sector. In 2023, Battlegrounds Mobile India generated 34% more hours watched on YouTube Gaming than it had in 2022, and that trend is set to continue.

9. Evolving Use of AI

Artificial intelligence became popular in the live streaming industry last year. Content creators had already been using assistant bots and media creators. The difference is that now, AI streamers are gaining popularity

Vedal987 is a great example. Also known as Neuro-sama, the AI streamer generated 5.38M hours watched in 2023. The AI can interact with viewers through chat, react to their submitted photos, and create an immersive experience.

Currently, AI streamers are the exception rather than the rule. The primary role of AI in the live streaming industry is as chatbots associated with human live streaming personalities. The bots perfect themselves over time and effectively moderate chats without altering content creators’ brands.

Many industry observers believe that AI will take on a new role in 2024, further increasing the popularity of VTubing. AI can create VTubing avatars for far less than it costs to purchase the expensive 3D models and rigging setups currently used by the most popular VTubers

Because AI is constantly evolving, there’s no way to know how it will be used by the end of 2024. What’s clear is that AI is here to stay and content creators are already finding new and innovative ways to incorporate it into their brands.