Facebook expands its live streaming abilities to desktop & laptops

Finally, vloggers can post live video from desktops or laptop as Facebook is opening the gates of Live Video to desktops, PC and laptops, which was previously available exclusively for mobile users.

The social media behemoth announced in a blog post that all desktop users can now broadcast through Facebook Live which was previously mobile-exclusive. The company said, “While it’s been possible for people to go live to Facebook from mobile devices since last year, desktop or laptop computers provide a stable camera setup that can be beneficial to many types of Facebook Live broadcasts from Q&As to vlogs to tutorials to any broadcast from someone who isn’t on the move."

To get started on your live broadcast from a computer, click “Live Video” from the top of your News Feed or Timeline, then follow the prompts to add a description and choose your audience.

The company has also added a new feature that makes it easy to use streaming software or external hardware when going live from a computer, which was previously possible only through a Page. Now users can "seamlessly share their screens, insert graphics, switch cameras, or use professional equipment in Facebook Live videos. They also have the option to broadcast to Facebook Groups they belong to, Facebook Events they’re part of or Facebook Pages they manage," said the company.

Now artists can also go live and switch seamlessly between cameras as they narrate the process. The new feature makes it easier for artists to share tutorials or how-to-do guides by inserting on-screen graphics, titles, and overlays.

Facebook hopes the updates “will make it easier for people to connect, hang out, and share with friends and public audiences.”

Taking an indirect dig on Twitch, Amazon's video game streaming company, Facebook said, "If you’re a gamer, this new feature makes it easier than ever to stream your PC gameplay to friends and followers and engage with them while you play."

Twitch recently released Pulse, which allows gamers to post and engage with all of their fans and community right from the Twitch front page. Though the new feature brings Facebook in close competition with Twitch, its the users who will have to decide whether they want to post with friends and family or online strangers.