Comparing the top 10 live streaming solutions for professionals

Businesses now have realized that the adaptation of new and emerging technologies will help them gain a steady stand among their audience as well as efficiently boost their economy. With more and more businesses realizing the power of live streaming videos, they are starting to spend their substantial time and capital investments in the area to competently gain the attention of their potential prospects. Notably, the live streaming market is set to grow from $30.3 billion in 2016 to $70.5 billion in 2021 at a CAGR of 18.3%.

The growth of Enterprise video streaming in multiple verticals

Currently, the live streaming videos are majorly consumed by the audiences for entertainment (53%), media (41%), social sharing (30%) and Sports events (29%) based verticals. Professionals are starting to use the live videos in highly essential industries like Education which can lead to an exploding growth of live streaming business in the near future.

This immense popularity is due to the high level of engagement provided by the live video streaming platforms, fulfilling the audience’s desire of enacting a seamless communication with the brand they consume. Enterprise video is expected to reach the $41 billion mark by 2022!

Things to look out for in a professional grade streaming solution

When you are an individual, it is OK to start do your live streaming in free platforms such as Facebook Live or Periscope. But, when it comes to a professional grade solution, you must consider various factors such as the security of your consumer data, the extent of personalization you give your audience, options for engagement and brand visibility which cannot be completely fulfilled by a free platform.

Top live streaming solutions

Vimeo Live

Acquiring Livestream in 2017, Vimeo launched their own streaming service called Vimeo Live. With video equipment (camera) and a RTMP enabled encoder, you can instantly start your live streaming through its rich and powerful set of features.

The features include

-HD quality streams
-White label service
-High level of customization options
-Adaptive bitrate streaming in multiple devices
-Free studio encoding software

The pricing plan for Vimeo Live is at $75 per month with video hosting, can accommodate any number of live viewers and comes with a total storage of 7TB.

Brightcove

Brightcove is known for its focus on video marketing, and helps in innovative ways of monetizing your video content.

The features include

-Server side ad insertion and analytics
-HTML5 video player and cloud transcoding
-HLSe Encryption and DRM
-CRM integrations

The pricing package starts at $199/month for marketers and includes basic video marketing tools and analytics. For large users, they also provide an Enterprise communication plan at $499/month with advanced security options and can house unlimited viewers.

StreamNow

StreamHash, which aims at providing a “turnkey” service that help businesses to get their OTT services up and running instantly, started StreamNow in 2017. It’s highly scalable streaming software caters to all types of broadcasters and makes live streaming easy for businesses.

The features include

-Multiple monetizations options
-On demand video hosting with a host-you-own streaming server product
-White label custom branding
-Dashboard management CMS
-High level of customization options

The best part of StreamNow is its flexibility is its competitive pricing. It offers its services at one-time cost with free upgrades and maintenance. The ‘Deluxe’ plan is at $499 and the ‘Ultimate’ plan with mobile streaming (iOS and Android) is at $999.

JW player

Began as a video player, it now offers live streaming and hosting that can help you quickly stream live events to your audience on any device.

The features include

-Easy analytics tools
-Tools for monetization and revenue tracking
-Video on demand hosting
-Tools to generate custom “watch next” recommendations

Its business plan starts at $50 per month that includes live streaming functionality and hosting for up to 1,500 videos and 150,000 video plays. Large users and enterprises can opt for the ‘Custom enterprise plans”.

Bambuser

This Sweden-based live streaming service focuses on easy integration and business-friendly tools that helps business focus on their core values without the worries of maintaining their own infrastructure.

The features include

-Multi-platform broadcast SDK
-Internal dashboard content management
-Managed delivery via CDN network
-Mobile apps for media content uploads
-Low latency live streaming

For basic package starts from $39 per month, where you will have additional costs incurred if you are opting for more options and viewer limits. For startups, the medium package is at $499 per month and the large (for medium scale businesses) is at $899 per month. However, Bambuser is at the verge of shutting down and is starting to focus on its exclusive mobile streaming platform, Iris (which is available at $599 per month).

Panopto

Panopto is a live streaming platform that is increasingly gaining momentum, catering to educational institutions. They offer a ‘YouTube like’ experience for training across various categories.

The features include

-Secure management portals
-API access tools and LMS/CMS integration
-In-video keyword searches
-Separate software for live streaming and auto archiving options

The software is billed annually, and depends on the size and the number of users in your organization.

Dacast

Dacast is a streaming-as-a-service firm that is known for its flexible video streaming and event streaming options at competitive pricing.

The features include

-Exclusive tools to amplify the video content delivery
-API access for easy integration with existing systems
-Multiple monetization options
-Reliable delivery in multiple bitrates

The pricing starts at $19 per month for Individual users who are just kick-starting. For additional features such as full API access and multiple monetization options, professional plans are priced at $125 per month or $289 per month respectively.

Vidizmo

Its highly commendable all-in-one solution caters all the needs for an enterprise streaming solution. Vidzimo’s content management system caters multiple purposes including corporate communications, learning, training and compliance.

The features include

-High quality video playback
-Enhanced security and encrypted video delivery
-Viewer analytics
-Video monitoring

Vidizmo offers customizable packages as per the business requirements.

Ooyala

Ooyala specializes in offering video streaming products that simplifies an organization’s meticulous tasks in live streaming across confined bandwidth in several mediums.

The features include

-Multiple VOD revenue models
-Transcoding and repackaging
-In-video analytics
-Marketing automation

Ooyala’s pricing starts from $500 per month which is ideal for small and individual businesses. For additional bandwidth, storage and customizations, additional costs are incurred.

Ustream (IBM Cloud video)

Formerly known as Ustream, the live streaming solution offers video hosting, streaming services and a variety of features as per the requirements of a business.

The features include

-Mobile compatible video player
-White label custom branding for high-end plans
-IBM internal CDN
-API integration

The pricing ranges from $99 to $999 per month. The prices vary as per the additional feature requirements, more storage and more viewer hours.

Depending on your business’ requirements, the viewer base target, storage, affordability and additional customization options catering to your audience, you can choose among the options as mentioned above.