Live streaming can be streamed into several different platforms. For social media platforms like Facebook, they provide a service which enables the users to live stream using their mobile devices. This is a very cost-effective solution for smaller scaled events as it eliminates the need of engaging a production team that uses costly production equipment. On the other end of the spectrum, we have platforms that provide very high-quality live streaming. An example would be Fox Sports providing a live stream service for football matches in 4K resolution. This would require a large production team with expensive production equipment.
Live streaming production services in Singapore is a process of broadcasting an event or brand over the internet for an online audience to simulate being present at the event. For an event to be able to live stream, it needs to have a production team who will capture the event from start to end and simultaneously broadcast it to an online audience. With the presence of social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube now developing their own live stream platforms, live streaming has become a very cost-effective solution in getting the word out to a large audience. This feature has led to an increase in live streaming productions for events. These events can range from small corporate meetings or training to large-scale sports and concerts.
What is live streaming?
Live streaming is the process of delivering video content live over the internet. It has gained increased attention in the past few years due to the rise in popularity of esports and events broadcasting. This has been seen with giants like Facebook and Google investing in the growth of live streaming and online video production. One of the key draws for live streaming is the engagement the content can bring to its viewers. Throughout a live stream, viewers can interact with streamers via the chat and get involved with the content being produced. Due to this, the net result has a feeling of a two-way conversation between the viewer and the content provider. It is on account of these interactions that live streaming has become an attractive prospect for businesses looking to market their product or service. Now, compared to traditional TV media advertising, live streaming media for the web has a lower cost of entry but still keeps the rich media format. With the additional element of viewer control for the ad experience or generally the video, it’s more engaging when delivered in a richer experience than if a TV ad was simply pushed. On a more technical note, live streaming is possible with a computer and an internet connection. Even a smartphone is capable of streaming on the go. The content is captured by the device and encoded. It’s then sent to a content delivery network (CDN) that distributes the stream data across servers in multiple locations. Viewers of the stream can use the internet to connect to the CDN and view the video from the server location closest to them. CDNs are used to reduce the load time and buffering of the stream by serving the data from a location near to the viewer. This is crucial for large-scale events that may have viewers from all over the world.
Importance of live streaming in today’s digital world
Live streaming is essentially a medium for transferring video and audio in real time from a server to a viewer through the internet. The information is transmitted as a data stream and is played as it arrives. This is different from downloading a file which can be stored and played at a later time. A live stream is often seen as more credible because the viewer is watching events as they unfold and there are fewer possibilities for the information to be tampered with. Live streaming can be as simple as streaming news or a training session to the public or it can be highly interactive such as a webinar. There are many platforms for live streaming video, one well-known platform is YouTube with the Google+ Hangouts On Air which is a free service. Although it is not as powerful as paid services, this would suffice for someone who is doing live stream for the very first time. Businesses which aim to conduct professional live stream with high production value would engage live streaming production services in Singapore to cater to their needs.
Live streaming has become increasingly popular and is widely used today across various industries. Its application is no longer limited as a marketing tool, but it has grown to be an effective medium for teaching, training, and customer service. The Society of New Radiant Image reported that 53% of consumers prefer live chat with questions and answers, and 3% of them have viewed a live streaming video while 56% of them are interested in doing so. A study by Brandlive showed that 80% of audiences would rather watch a live stream video than read a blog and 82% of them were more interested in watching live stream from a brand than a social media post. With its growing demand and usage, it is no surprise that many businesses in Singapore are starting to see the benefits of live streaming and have jumped on the bandwagon to engage live streaming video production services.
Live Streaming Production Services
Live streaming production services are video production services that specialize in complete live event coverage and live-to-tape multi-camera video production of events. These companies are generally production houses equipped with mobile television studios. Some event facilities have this type of production equipment in-house and can make it available as a value-added service for the event. In any situation where there will be multiple video sources, a director is essential to call the shots and live edit the video sources while recording and/or broadcasting the event. In live switched (or post-edited) events, it is very important to have a record of the live show. With the isolated event coverage video sources, a “re-edit” can be produced at a later date to improve the original production. This is very similar to how many live television shows are recorded. An edited version produced at a later date can be much better than a live-to-tape edit. A high-end production will also capture the audio from the show for use in the re-edit. This is called a split track and is usually done with multiple audio sources.
Overview of live streaming production services
Live streaming production services are professional service providers offering expert digital (sometimes accessible analog) video recording within the community live to video streaming servers, allowing you to view events over the internet in real time. Some providers offer scalable cloud-based DVR (digital video recorder) so that if you broadcast an event live, you can return later and extract the video from the beginning. At the same time, while making the live stream available online, it can also be simultaneously saved locally to a hard drive. Providers can also broadcast your event to multiple internet locations and media player platforms, assisting with the potential to increase user/viewer traffic and maximize ROI (return on investment) for your event. High-end scalable solutions mean that a professional live stream can be delivered to any size audience with specific quality and is not limited to a maximum number of simultaneous viewers.
Benefits of hiring professional live streaming production services
Imagine hiring a good videographer to cover your event. Similarly, hiring professional live streaming production services should be seen as essential. Sure, you can set up a smartphone to stream content, but the trade-off in quality and professionalism simply isn’t worth it. High quality, reliable live streaming will enhance your viewership, improve understanding, and increase information retention while reaching a wider audience. A professional stream will reflect well on your event or brand. Professional services can often implement features to increase viewer engagement, as well as catering to specific needs and requirements. This can all be done while still retaining a cost-effectiveness over doing a lower quality ‘DIY’ stream.
Live streaming is quite a versatile tool. It can be used to deliver live video content to your audience. It could be a public broadcast or a private PPV meeting. This could be used to simulcast to social media live platforms when you’re conducting a webinar or a company training session. One of the best use cases would be live event broadcasting. This could be anything from sports events, music concerts to product launches and even wedding ceremonies.
Factors to consider when choosing a live streaming production service provider
The quality of the production team and the level of technical expertise that they have are two critical factors that will impact the quality of the end result. Production teams vary greatly in the types of hardware, software, and knowledge that they possess. Most production companies specialize in a certain type of event. The best way to analyze potential production providers is to view their websites or inquire about their recent projects. This way you can see whether they have demonstrated success at events similar to yours. Pay close attention to the technical quality of their events and the diversity of the projects that they have worked on. You’ll want to find a company that has succeeded at similar events in the past. Responsiveness and ability to communicate effectively is an important factor to consider. A lot of companies are easy to contact at first but once you have signed the agreement, they become difficult to reach. It is essential to get a production team that is reliable and responsive. If you try contacting them to discuss your event or get information and it takes them weeks to respond, this could be a sign that you will have a hard time getting them to pay attention to your event. You should always be able to easily communicate your goals and intentions when working with a production team. A good production team will try to learn as much as they can about your event and the ultimate goals that you want to achieve. This will ensure that the event is a success and will give the team clear direction throughout the duration of the event.
Live Streaming in Singapore
Live streaming has garnered a massive following in Singapore over the years. A research has revealed a connection between the growing trend of seamless on-the-go technology and the preference of watching content on mobile. This is most likely due to the fact that there’s no location constraints in live streaming and one can catch a live stream on their mobile anywhere around the globe that has an active internet connection. The research found that 61% of consumers watch TV and video on their smartphones, while the mobile penetration rate in Singapore is at 88%. This drops to 55 percent in Hong Kong and 57 percent in Australia. On another survey on the weekly hours spent online average at 25.1 hours per week, Singapore was leading at 25.7 hours, an 8-hour jump from last year. Now with the Covid-19 pandemic and Singaporeans staying home for the majority of their time and as well as work from home arrangements, online media has never been so prevalent and live streaming is an option that can be considered by many with the increased use of technology and active internet connection. It was also recorded in 2019 that the amount of mobile connections has exceeded the total population of Singapore, which means that the current active mobile phone users are expected to be using more than one mobile phone connection, allowing them to go online with just their phone. This will also assist live streamers or content creators in getting a larger viewer count on their content due to the fact that users could use more than one account from different Telcos to achieve better rates on promoting their content to a larger audience with the use of sponsored mobile data for their viewers.
Growth of live streaming in Singapore
Live streaming is the delivery of video content over the internet to be viewed by an audience in real time. Live streaming in Singapore has been making tremendous growth due to the advancement of technology. The increased internet upload speeds across the island have made it possible to stream higher quality content. This means that content creators are able to stream HD content to their viewers and keep them engaged. High speed internet has also meant that viewers are able to view live streaming content without interruption from buffering, compared to past years where faster internet was limited to certain areas of the island. Live streaming has taken off in Singapore over recent years and has been attracting a lot of attention from consumers of varying age groups. It is a form of entertainment for many due to the wide variety of content available. For others, live streaming content has become an alternative or even a replacement for television content. This is evident with the rise of video on demand platforms such as Netflix and the decline in cable TV subscriptions. Live streaming content has also been used as a marketing tool for various brands and products which will be further elaborated in 3.4 Successful live streaming campaigns in Singapore. The rise of live streaming has caused an evolution in viewer engagement. Viewers are no longer just watching content but instead taking part in a viewing experience with streamers. This is due to the real-time interaction between viewers and streamers with features such as chat and also interactive elements which involve viewer participation. With the plugin of monetization in live streaming platforms, more and more people have also taken to live streaming as a full-time job or part-time hobby. This is because they are able to earn a stable income if they have a dedicated viewer fan base. This contrasts with video on demand content creators on platforms such as YouTube, who rely on ad revenue and sponsorships.
Popular live streaming platforms in Singapore
YouTube Singapore is one of the fastest-growing YouTube markets in the world and it reflects in the popularity of live streams on the site. More Singaporeans are turning to YouTube over Twitch to live stream their gameplay due to being able to (potentially) reach an audience that they have already built through video content. YouTube’s streaming platform has features to send notifications to subscribers when a stream goes live and a video saved on the streamer’s channel once the stream has finished. This can be more convenient than Twitch’s system where a VOD is saved for around 2 weeks before being deleted. Due to the discoverability of streams being very difficult for smaller channels on Twitch, we can expect YouTube to be an increasingly popular choice for game streamers in Singapore. High view count and subscriber count may mean a chance of having a stream featured on the YouTube gaming front page, giving a possible large increase of viewers to the streamer.
Twitch For gamers, Twitch is the platform of choice with over 55 million unique users to live stream their gameplay. Gamers can opt to stream their gameplay on their PC, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, making it a very flexible platform. Singapore is no exception and there is an abundance of Singaporean gamers who live stream their gameplay from their home or at LAN events. There is potential for a variety of games to be featured on Twitch, the bigger titles will have plenty of competition but also large audiences. The lesser-known or more niche titles might not get any viewing figures at all and might require extensive self-advertising by the streamer. Twitch also features IRL (in real life) content where people can stream their everyday lives outside of gaming, expect to see a variety of Singaporeans from all walks of life as this platform grows in popularity.
Challenges and opportunities for live streaming in Singapore
The challenges and opportunities of live streaming in Singapore differ from those in other countries due to Singapore’s strict media regulations, advanced technology, and high internet penetration rate. One of the greatest challenges in Singapore is navigating the regulations for live video. Classic examples of controlled content include the Wah!Banana episode that mocked the death of Lee Kuan Yew and YouTuber Amos Yee’s controversial video that landed him in jail. Agencies are worried that stricter regulations will impede the creativity and entertainment value of live streaming content. However, this is an opportunity for agencies to work with the government to have discussions and provide feedback on industry regulations. This has been initiated by Mediacorp and Singapore’s Info-Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) as they discuss a change in the ratings framework to cover more types of digital content. Another challenge for video content creators in Singapore is the expensiveness of our production and operation costs. Live streaming requires more resources compared to the conventional video on-demand content due to the real-time nature of streaming. This would mean a higher opportunity cost to iterval, international brands are looking to produce engaging content to connect with people trending in Singapore and Southeast Asia. This has led to an increase in influencer marketing campaigns for the region. An increasing trend in live streaming content is the use of educational content for corporate and public sectors. This includes the live streaming of events, webinars, e-learning classes, as well as interactive sessions for internal or public engagement. With a smart nation vision in place and an increased emphasis on e-learning, there is much opportunity for growth in this area.
Successful live streaming campaigns in Singapore
Singtel also had a successful campaign with their Singtel Hawker Heroes Challenge, which was live streamed on social media platforms. The event featured a showdown between Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay and local hawkers. The first cook-off took place at Newton Food Centre, and the results were telecast “live” two days later on Facebook. This allowed viewers to vote for their favorite hawker dishes and suggest hawker food challenges for the second cook-off at a later date. This event, which showcased local food and culture alongside an international celebrity, garnered significant interest and support from Singaporeans. It led to an increase in live viewership and generated widespread sharing and discussion on social media. Singtel effectively executed the event and engaged the audience by leveraging various live streaming platforms such as Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
Live streaming campaigns in Singapore have been successful over the years. One notable example is the National Day Parade, which was live streamed on YouTube. Viewers from around the world could enjoy the parade and performances from the comfort of their homes. Despite having a live audience, millions of Singaporeans tuned in to watch the live stream. This campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of live streaming in catering to the changing consumption patterns and media habits of the audience.
Conclusion
Future trends in live streaming in Singapore With the current proliferation of faster internet and better mobile devices, people would expect to have live streaming services readily available at any time and anywhere. Mobile live streaming is the current trend and it will continue to dominate the live streaming market as more and more people are always on the go and they still want to be connected to their events of interest. An example of the mobile live streaming trend would be Twitter’s Periscope. Viewers can watch a live stream or a replay of a video from any iOS or Android device. With a sea of live streaming platforms available on the internet all providing the same services, there will be a consolidation of these platforms with only a few reliable and robust live streaming platforms to survive. This would be an opportunity for video production companies to be a partner or to be an affiliate with these major live streaming platforms.
With the explosive growth of Singapore’s social media users and the government’s initiative to establish Singapore as a ‘Smart Nation’, it is without a doubt that live streaming services would be the most effective way to reach out to the masses. The public and private sectors in Singapore will stand to benefit from the various live streaming platforms to communicate their events and message to the local community or an international audience. Live streaming services could be used for public forums, FAQs to businesses, and it could also be a great educational tool where it allows ‘live’ lectures with Q&A sessions to students. Live streaming services would be more cost-effective compared to organizing events or printing large sums of educational materials. As it is a ‘live’ interaction tool, it enables the audience to ask or clarify any doubts at that point in time.
Live streaming production services are a greatly effective way to reach out to a vast audience online. Offering convenience and ease of use, it is the fastest growing platform for communications in recent years. Corporate organizations are now utilizing live streaming services to get their message across to a broader range of audience. Whether it is to promote a product or to announce company news, live streaming services well transcend geographical barriers and enable everyone around the world to get the message in real time.
Recap of the benefits of live streaming production services
Live streaming provides an avenue for multi-camera production services using video switchers and professional grade inputs/outputs for streaming platforms. Live production ensures that your audience will be kept engaged and entertained with the best viewing experience using a variety of different camera angles and visuals that are commonly seen in a broadcast television program. This is achieved with professional grade equipment in comparison to typical live streaming which only uses a webcam as a visual input and can be done for a comparable cost. A professional live production can impact your audience using features such as on-screen graphics, titles, and special effects throughout the stream. Post-production features to include a highlight reel of the stream and uploading of VOD files to an on-demand service are also to be considered for clients looking to get the best returns on their content. All of the above add a level of production value which can separate your stream from the several other thousands that are available in the oversaturated market.
Future trends in live streaming in Singapore
A more recent trend in Singapore is the increase of government-linked events adopting the live streaming technology to reach a wider audience. A good example would be the Ministry of Health holding a live press conference with regards to the latest COVID-19 updates. This trend can be said to be the result of the government’s aim for a Smart Nation. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it has further proven the importance of live streaming technology where most of the physical events have been halted. Organizations are able to continue their events online by live streaming. An example would be the One-North Festival, an annual event where JTC Corporation brings the latest innovations and technologies from the various companies located in the one-north district. The organizer has decided to convert the event to an online event through video conferencing, webinar, and live streaming technologies.
The demand for advanced digital technology has resulted in an increased need for quality event marketing in Singapore. Singaporeans are slowly realizing the need to depend less on the traditional media for marketing and spreading information, and place more importance on new media. With the advent of streaming technologies, hosting events live over the internet has become more feasible. Future trends in live streaming in Singapore will include more government-linked events, an increase in outdoor events due to broadband availability, and greater acceptance of new media technology by Singaporeans. These were observed in the discussions amongst live stream service providers in a meetup session organized by Mediacorp hosted at the Mediacorp campus in 2018.
