Live Streaming Hits Full Swing With Twitter’s Periscope

Read original story on: The Verge

The Meerkat-Twitter controversy caused quite a stir at SXSW earlier this month, which eventually resulted in tons of free publicity and a surprising rise for Meerkat. But that may not be for long, as Twitter has officially launched its own app for live broadcasting your life. Periscope arrives today on iPhone, with streams also viewable on the web and an Android version on the way.

One killer feature of Periscope that will differentiate it from Meerkat is a “Replays” feature that lets users save streams to watch later. It also foster real-time interaction between audience and broadcasters via on-screen text displays and floating “hearts” visible to the audience tuning in.

If Periscope wishes to capitalize on the sudden popularity of live-streaming and become the platform of choice, first it has to beat Meerkat’s head start, which might not be so easy, as the latter just announced $14 million in new funding led by Greylock. And we are already seeing some early-adopting brands experimenting with Periscope to engage with their audience. If you’re also trying out Periscope, you can follow us @ipglab.

Header image taken from Screenshot of Periscope App