TikTok Live allows users to broadcast live video streams to their followers and the larger TikTok community. It has become an immensely popular way for creators to engage with fans in real-time, share behind-the-scenes content, promote products/events, and more. As of July 2022, 1 in 5 streaming users now watch TikTok Live daily, with 62% tuning in every day [1]. The interactive nature of live video and built-in features like Q&As, polls, gifting, and duets make TikTok Live stand out from prerecorded TikTok videos. It offers a spontaneous and unfiltered experience that helps creators build deeper connections and loyalty with viewers.
The Challenges of Searching TikTok Lives
One of the biggest challenges with searching TikTok lives is that they are ephemeral in nature. Once a live stream ends, it disappears unless the creator chooses to save it to their profile (and most do not). There is no archive or library of past live streams to search through like there is for static video content on TikTok.
This makes it extremely difficult to find specific live streams or creators based on live content after the fact. Unless you happen to catch a live stream while it’s happening in real time, it can be nearly impossible to search for it again later.
TikTok does not have any built-in functionality to search through past live streams. The only way to find live content is through very limited real-time search and discovery methods like hashtags, locations, and browsing the “For You” page at opportune times when popular streams may be recommended.
Overall, the ephemeral and real-time nature of TikTok lives poses significant challenges for those looking to search and discover live content outside of the exact moment when streams are actually live.
Using Hashtags and Captions to Find Lives
One of the most effective ways to find lives on TikTok is through the use of relevant hashtags and descriptive captions. According to Buffer, adding 4-6 relevant hashtags to your captions can help get your live videos seen by more viewers interested in those topics. The important thing is choosing a good mix of both popular trending hashtags like #live or #fyp as well as more niche tags related to your specific interests and content.
For example, a musician hosting a live performance could include general tags like #music #livemusic #concert along with their band name and relevant music styles or genres. A fitness instructor could use #workout #fitness #livefitness along with #yoga #hiit #pilates depending on their niche.
Buffer also recommends tracking which hashtags perform best for your lives over time and adjusting accordingly. Sprout Social states that checking out the trending hashtags on TikTok each day can reveal opportunities to reach new audiences with timely topics.
Additionally, writing clear and informative captions that describe your live content helps viewers know what to expect. Including your username and niche keywords can make it easier to find your lives when users search those terms.
Following and Notifications
One simple way to find TikTok lives is by following specific creators you like and turning on notifications for when they go live. When creators you follow begin a live stream, you’ll get notified through TikTok’s notifications system so you don’t miss it.
To turn on live notifications for creators:
- Go to the profile of a creator you want to follow.
- Tap “Follow” to follow them.
- Tap the bell icon next to the Follow button to turn on notifications.
- In the notifications settings, turn on “Go Live” notifications.
You can also get notified when certain hashtags or sounds go live by turning those notifications on. For example, enabling live notifications for #LiveMusic or a popular sound will alert you whenever someone uses those in a live stream.
To enable live notifications for hashtags and sounds:
- Tap the notifications tab in your sidebar.
- Tap “Manage notifications settings.”
- Turn on live notifications for any hashtags or sounds you want.
By carefully choosing which creators, hashtags, and sounds to get notifications for, you can easily find lives that match your interests.
For more details on notifications, see TikTok’s guide: Notifications | TikTok Help Center
The “For You” Page Recommendations
One of the best ways to discover new TikTok lives is through the app’s “For You” page recommendations. The TikTok algorithm analyzes your interests and activity to suggest relevant live videos for you to watch (Source). As you like, share, and interact with lives, you further train the algorithm to surface more lives tailored to your preferences.
TikTok states that the “For You” feed is personalized based on factors like the videos you like, accounts you follow, and content you create. The more you engage with live videos that interest you, the better the algorithm gets at recommending relevant lives (Source).
Searching at the Right Times
One strategy for finding lives on TikTok is to search during peak times when more users are live streaming. According to Restream, the best times to find live content on TikTok are early mornings between 7-9am or evenings between 7-9pm. This aligns with when most TikTok users are active on the app and engaging with content.
Peak times can also vary based on the type of livestream. For example, live concerts and performances tend to happen more in the evenings and on weekends when more people are available to watch. Educational streams like cooking or DIY projects may be more common during daytime hours on weekdays.
By searching during the peak hours for the type of live content you want to find, you’re more likely to discover relevant active streams. Pay attention to when the creators you like to follow normally go live – their most engaged followers likely tune in around those same times.
You can also turn on notifications so you’re alerted when certain accounts start streaming. This ensures you never miss the live videos from your favorite creators.
Location Tagging
One way to find TikTok lives is by using location tagging. Creators can tag their location when broadcasting live, which enables viewers to search for lives happening at specific locations or events.
When going live, creators have the option to add their location by tapping the location icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. This tags their exact location to the live broadcast. Viewers can then search lives by location in the “Discover” tab.
For example, tapping on a city name or venue in the Discover section will show all the live videos currently streaming from that area. This makes it easy to jump between different events and locations to see what’s happening live. TikTok also surfaces trending locations and happenings to aid discovery.
Major events like conferences, concerts, and sports games are often heavily tagged by creators attending. Viewers can explore these events and get a glimpse into the action as it unfolds in real time. Location tagging bridges the physical world with the digital, letting people experience events from afar.
Following Trending Lives
One way to discover interesting lives to watch on TikTok is by browsing the trending and featured lives sections. You can access these by tapping the search icon and selecting “LIVE” from the menu. This will open the live streams page.
At the top, you’ll see tabs for “Trending” and “For You” streams. The Trending tab showcases live streams that are currently popular and gaining a lot of viewers across TikTok. Tapping into trending streams can help you discover creators and topics that are resonating with the TikTok community in real-time.
You can scroll horizontally through the featured trending streams and tap any that catch your eye to open them and start viewing. The live video will appear along with the creator’s name, viewer count, and any sticker/effects they have applied. You can follow along with the live chat in real-time as you watch.
Jumping between trending streams is fast and seamless. Simply tap the “X” to leave one live and you’ll be taken back to the trending scroll immediately. From there you can tap another live and check it out. This makes it very convenient to sample from the most popular live streams happening now and find creators or topics you want to follow further.
Checking trending and featured lives frequently can help you stay on top of rising trends and connect with the TikTok community.
Using Search Keywords
Searching for relevant keywords is one of the easiest ways to find TikTok lives that interest you. You can search for keywords related to sounds, songs, hashtags, topics, events, and more. When you enter a search term, TikTok will return results for live videos using that keyword. For example, searching for a song name will show you lives where that song is playing or being performed. Searching a hashtag like #cooking will display livestreams related to cooking. You can even search broader terms like “music,” “sports,” or “beauty” to discover lives within those popular categories.
TikTok’s search algorithm looks at captions, hashtags, sounds, and other factors when matching lives to your search keywords. So using very specific words related to your interests is the best way to filter through the huge amount of live content. The search bar can be found by tapping the magnifying glass icon on the TikTok app. You can also quickly access it by swiping up from a video and clicking “Search accounts or videos.” Start typing in some keywords related to livestreams you want to watch and see what comes up!
Citations:
https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/exploring-videos/discover-and-search
Conclusion
In summary, the main methods for finding TikTok lives are using hashtags, following favorite creators who go live often, checking the “For You” page at peak times for lives, and taking advantage of location tags. Lives provide an immersive experience for viewers to engage with creators in real time, but they are fleeting and disappear after the broadcast ends. The most effective strategy is to follow your favorite creators closely so you will be notified whenever they start streaming.
Livestreams on TikTok offer a spontaneous and interactive viewing experience unlike pre-recorded videos. However, because they are temporary, catching them live requires dedicated effort. By turning on notifications and actively checking the app when your favorite creators tend to be live, you will have the best chance of discovering and joining TikTok lives.
