Down, Periscope. Now What?
In a short and sweet blog post, Periscope made an announcement that they will discontinue the mobile app as of March, 2021. As of December, 2020, new account creation is no longer permitted.
For those who are unfamiliar with Periscope, it is a streaming app that was founded in February, 2014 and acquired by Twitter in January, 2015. There is speculation that the price ranged between $50 to $100 million. It launched on March 26, 2015, and by August of that year, Periscope reported 10 million user accounts. By December, 2016, Periscope was integrated into the Twitter app.
Super Broadcasters had the ability to earn money through “scoping” by cashing in their Super Hearts. Naturally, people migrated to a platform where they had an opportunity to earn from their content creation.
Always on the lookout for the next thing, a lot of livestreaming content creators used apps like Meerkat, Blab.im, Busker, and other platforms that never had the longevity to sustain itself, in part due to overhead costs, maintenance issues, and mass user adoption (or lack thereof).
Where Are Scopers Going?
Happs.tv
A good friend Bobby Stamps (aka @BobbyShadow) from my Blab days sent me a link to a connect to his profile on a fairly new livestreaming app called HAPPS. The inspiration behind creating Happs comes from David Neuman, the co-founder and chief content officer of Happs. When the bombing of Manchester Arena happened in 2017, he thought that live news reports from individuals already at the scene would be compelling coverage.
Happs loves independent reporters, or citizen journalism, but there will likely be a huge influx of users and alternative content creators who are seeking a new platform now that Periscope is closing down. The content ranges from watching quality content, crafting, news, and live performances, to every day walks through the park and vlogging.
Here is my invite link if you’re interested in joining.
I’m already noticing people trying to game the “coins” because there is a tip economy that is built into the platform.
DLive.tv
DLive is a video live streaming service founded in September 2018. I remember when it originally launched on the Steem blockchain but they have since migrated to the Lino network, and finally on TRON.
The content on DLive ranges from political “extremists,” vloggers, and a lot of livestreaming gamers. The appeal for blockchain-based livestreaming apps is that your content can never truly be erased because it lives on the blockchain. Of course, the user interface may highlight some videos over others, part of that may be due, in part, to popularity, votes, and tips.
If you’re into cryptocurrency, this may be a great way to onboard yourself into the blockchain realm.
Twitch.tv
Twitch livestreaming was first introduced in 2011 and is a subsidiary of Amazon.com. The primary focus of Twitch was geared toward online gaming. ESports, creative content, and live music broadcasts have been huge however, recently, they’ve had to change their community guidelines because of an influx of users sharing copyrighted music and images. The slew of take-down notices finally made the platform take action.
While there is a way to monetize your channel, it takes quite a bit of networking and consistency to build a following that can get you to the milestones needed to begin earning money. In some cases, livestreaming influencers have been signed for exclusive livestreaming. I am not one of them, but you can find some of my content there too. Just look for merej99.
Keep the Social in Social Media
Wherever you go, remember that social media platforms requires being SOCIAL to grow your channel. Unless you have thousands (or millions) of dedicated people who will follow you from platform to platform, do not expect to be a raging success on a new platform.
There is no such thing as an “overnight success” unless you’ve hit the lottery or luckily posted some phenom trending thing that garners that many views. It takes work, consistency, a certain amount of REALNESS, and interaction.
People connect with people, not things. Livestreaming is a great way to introduce yourself to a new audience because they see you, hear your voice, and tune in to what you’ve got to say. Make it worth their time.
For more of my articles, please visit my author page and connect with me on my social media sites.