TikTok Live allows users to broadcast live videos to their followers and interact with viewers in real-time. It’s one of the platform’s most popular features, with over 150 million daily active users as of late 2021.
During a TikTok live stream, viewers can interact with the broadcaster by commenting, sending virtual gifts, and requesting to join the stream. The live video appears at the top of followers’ feeds while it’s happening. Fans are notified when someone they follow goes live.
TikTok Live provides a way for creators to engage with their audience in an unfiltered way. Livestreams help build stronger connections and loyalty with viewers. They also present sponsorship and monetization opportunities through gifts and tips.
Some of the most popular types of TikTok live streams include Q&As, behind-the-scenes looks, tutorials, shopping hauls, concert streaming, and more. The interactive nature of live video stands out from prerecorded content.
Why Go Live on TikTok
Going live on TikTok provides many benefits for both creators and viewers. For creators, it allows them to connect with their audience in real time and build stronger relationships. According to The Indie Practice, live streaming gives creators a chance to produce longer content compared to short form videos [1]. Engaging with a live audience also provides instant feedback and ideas for future content.
For viewers, TikTok Live provides entertainment and interaction. Fans can request live shoutouts, ask questions, and participate in challenges with their favorite creators. TikTok highlights that live streaming enables “unexpected connections and endless possibilities” between creators and fans [2]. Overall, TikTok Live allows for more personalized, interactive experiences between creators and their audiences.
Livestream Account Requirements
To go live on TikTok, there are a few account requirements you need to meet:
Age – You must be at least 18 years old to broadcast your own live video on TikTok. Users between 16-18 can go live as a guest in someone else’s stream. This age requirement is determined by the birthdate provided when you created your account.
Followers – There is no minimum follower requirement to go live on your own. Anyone with a TikTok account can start broadcasting live. However, accounts with over 1,000 followers gain access to additional features like the ability to add a co-host.
Device – To broadcast live, you’ll need an iOS or Android device running the latest version of TikTok. Live streaming is not yet available on TikTok’s desktop site.
As long as you meet these basic criteria, you can start sharing live videos on TikTok to engage with your viewers in real time.
How to Join a Live Stream
There are a few different ways to join a live stream on TikTok. The easiest way is to search for live videos that are currently broadcasting. To do this:
- Open the TikTok app and tap the search icon at the bottom
- Type a relevant keyword or hashtag into the search bar, like #live or #gaminglive
- Filter the results by tapping “LIVE” at the top
- Browse the live videos and tap on any you want to join
You can also join a stream directly from someone’s profile. Find their profile, tap the “Following” button, and you’ll get notifications any time they go live. Their profile photo will have a “LIVE” badge when broadcasting.
Finally, if you follow someone, you may get notifications saying “[User] is live now!” Tap the notification to instantly join their stream.
Source: https://screenrant.com/tiktok-live-broadcast-request-join-how/
Interacting in Live Streams
One of the main appeals of TikTok Live is the ability to interact with broadcasters in real time. There are a few key ways viewers can participate during a live stream:
Commenting – Viewers can comment at any time during a live stream. Comments appear in a chat window alongside the video. Broadcasters often respond verbally or acknowledge comments as they come in. To comment, simply tap the comment bar at the bottom of the screen.
Virtual gifts – Fans can send virtual gifts during a live stream to show support and appreciation. Gifts cost coins that can be purchased with real money. Popular gifts include fireworks, flowers, and virtual pets. Gifting helps support TikTok creators.
Moderators – The broadcaster can appoint moderators to monitor the live chat. Moderators have the ability to delete inappropriate comments or block users from participating. This helps keep the chat positive and on topic.
Interacting through comments, gifts, and moderation helps bring the TikTok community together during live streams. It allows fans to directly engage with creators in fun and meaningful ways.
Going Live with Friends
One of the best parts of TikTok Live is the ability to go live together with your friends or other creators. This is known as co-streaming. To start a co-stream:
- Tap the multi-guest button at the bottom of the screen when you are live.
- Select the friends or creators you want to invite to join your live stream.
- They will get a notification inviting them to join. Once they accept, they will appear in a split screen with you.
- You can have up to 5 guests join your co-stream.
Co-streaming is a great way to collaborate with other creators and double your audience. It allows you to bring on special guests and interact with your viewers together. You can discuss shared interests, play games, or just hang out and chat. The options are endless!
To invite someone to your TikTok Live, they need to have access to Live features enabled on their account. Guests without 1,000 followers can still join as long as the host has the feature enabled. For details see TikTok’s instructions on multi-guest live streams.
Live Stream Best Practices
When going live on TikTok, it’s important to follow some best practices to create an engaging and high-quality stream. Proper lighting, planning content ahead of time, and keeping viewers interacting are key factors for live stream success.
Lighting can make or break a live video. Be sure to face a window or bright light source, rather than having a backlit scene. Use a ring light or soft boxes to provide even, flattering illumination on your face. Avoid having too much contrast between light and shadow areas. Test your lighting ahead of time to ensure it spotlights you clearly.
Plan out at least a loose structure for your live stream content before going live. Have talking points ready about your topic, fun segments prepared, and questions on hand to prompt discussion. Winging it completely can make streams feel disjointed. Having an agenda makes you appear professional and keeps the content lively.
Engaging with viewers is vital for an interactive TikTok live stream. Greet people by name when they join, respond to comments and questions, and poll the audience. The more you involve viewers, the longer they will stick around. Make the most of live features like adding guests and using effects to keep things fun.
Following these tips will help you create best-in-class TikTok live streams that viewers love. Put effort into production quality, preparation, and audience interaction for streams people won’t want to leave.
Live Stream Moderation
Moderating live streams is an important way to maintain a positive environment and stop abuse. TikTok provides creators with tools to block inappropriate comments and report abusive behavior during a live stream.
To block a comment, simply tap the comment and select “Block”. This will hide the comment from your live stream. If a user continues to post inappropriate comments, you can block their account entirely by tapping on their profile picture and selecting “Block”. This will prevent them from commenting on your current and future live streams.
If you encounter serious violations like hate speech, harassment, or bullying during a live stream, you should report the content to TikTok. Tap on the comment or profile and select “Report”. Choose the reason for reporting and submit the details. TikTok will review reported content and take appropriate action against policy violations.
Proactively moderating comments and blocking abusive users helps ensure your live streams remain positive environments focused on your content. Monitoring the chat and quickly mitigating policy violations enables you to create the experience you want for your audience. Effective moderation is key to both engaging live streams and growing your follower base.
Live Streaming Tips
To increase viewership and engagement on your TikTok live streams, focus on consistency, promotions, and captions.
Go live consistently at the same times on set days so your audience knows when to expect you. This creates an appointment viewing habit. You can even promote your streaming schedule in your profile bio. According to https://www.socialpilot.co/tiktok-marketing/how-to-go-live-on-tiktok, consistency is key to building a loyal live streaming audience.
Promote your upcoming live streams in advance through videos, posts, stories and by engaging your current followers. Let viewers know the topic you’ll be discussing and incentives to tune in live, like giveaways or Q&As. You can also run TikTok ads to reach new viewers.
Add captions during your live stream so people who come across it after the fact can follow along and engage. Captions also make your stream more accessible. According to https://www.adroll.com/blog/tiktok-live-7-tips-to-make-your-stream-a-raging-hit, captions boost viewership by 12%.
Conclusion
In summary, joining a live stream on TikTok is easy and accessible through both the mobile app and desktop site. With a few taps, you can enter a live broadcast, interact with the streamer and other viewers through comments and gifts, and even go live yourself. While live streaming opens up opportunities on TikTok, it’s important to follow community guidelines, engage respectfully, and avoid oversharing. Used responsibly, TikTok’s live streams can be an entertaining way to bond over shared interests and engage with creators in real time.
Whether you’re looking to view your favorite influencer’s latest broadcast or considering streaming yourself, TikTok’s live platform makes it simple to connect. Just be mindful of proper etiquette as you interact. With these tips in mind, you can dive into the enjoyable world of TikTok live streams.
