The great thing about these apps is that you don’t need any special camera add-ons or microphones installed to use them. They work fine with your regular phone camera and mic, which is useful considering that desktop computers and laptops that want to deliver something similar in HD have to use a dedicated webcam and external microphone. When you first tap it, you’ll be sharing video with yourself, but you can change it to be public, with friends only, or with specific friends you choose. Add filters and text to the live feed, color on the screen, swap to use the front- or back-facing camera, include a donation button, check-in somewhere nearby, and switch to microphone-mode only. Download For: Before you go live, you can choose to share your live stream on your social media sites to get more viewers. Once you’re live, you can chat with viewers (or block the chat), see who’s watching, swap between the front and back camera, and add viewers as fans. The top fans and broadcasters are shown in the app so that you can quickly connect with other popular live streamers. The nice thing about this app, when compared with Facebook, is that you don’t have to be connected to other users for them to find you. Download For: With it, you can watch thousands of live events, get notified when accounts you follow go live, and find your Facebook friends who are also using Livestream. The Popular area of the app is the easiest way to find trending live and upcoming broadcasts. You can also use the categories to look for streams on music, lifestyle, animals, entertainment, and several other areas. At any time during a broadcast, you can make a text or picture post about your broadcast as well as leave comments on your stream (which is merged with comments by your viewers). If you need to disable the mic, tap the microphone button. Use the camera swap button to switch between the front and back camera. Download For: Its simpler interface makes sharing photos and videos more streamlined and approachable for almost anyone. Along with numerous filters and effects, videos can also include your favorite song or graphic. Perhaps the only thing that is somewhat inflexible is the length of the videos allowed. For a post, only 60 seconds max, and for Live video, you only get 60 minutes. But for most Live posts, Instagram is ideal for sharing those special moments. Download For: Its growing popularity has catapulted the streaming service into more mainstream uses. If you’re not into video games, there are channels for board games, arts and crafts, and chatting. You can create a channel for any subject matter. When you’re ready to go live, the mobile app is king. The simplicity of the interface makes creating live streams a snap. Tap the camera at the top of the interface and choose from the two options: Stream Games or Stream IRL. Before going live, you can choose the category of your live stream and name the stream. You can also share to other apps, including Facebook and LinkedIn. And as standard with most streaming apps, you can use front or rear-facing cameras. Download For:
