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The complete guide to streaming on YouTube Live

Mahnoor Sheikh

Written byby Mahnoor Sheikh

Published on November 9, 2022

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Reading time 13 minutes



While social content formats come and go, livestreaming is tried and true. Virtual events, workshops and webinars on platforms like YouTube Live were crucial during pandemic lockdowns, but do they still resonate now? You bet.

The popularity of livestreams stabilized as the world has opened up, and 37% of consumers think livestreams are the most engaging type of content. Globally in Q1 2022, viewers watched around 20 minutes of video per play.

In this article, you’ll learn why YouTube Live should be a part of your video marketing strategy, how to livestream on the platform and tips for creating engaging live content.

Let’s get started.

What is YouTube Live?

What are the benefits of YouTube Live?

How to livestream on YouTube

YouTube Live features to use

How to get YouTube Live ideas

YouTube Live best practices and streaming tips

What is YouTube Live?

YouTube Live is YouTube’s livestreaming feature that enables content creators to interact with their audience in real time via video and chat. Users can watch trending livestreams in their country by clicking on “Live” from the left sidebar on YouTube via desktop.



If your audience has subscribed to your channel, previously watched or liked your content or interacted with content similar to yours, your Live videos and streams may display on your audiences’ YouTube feeds.

What are the benefits of YouTube Live?

Livestreaming presents serious opportunities for creators and your brand’s YouTube marketing strategy. In 2021, YouTube was the most popular platform for livestream ecommerce in the US. And it’s the second most popular website, with more than 2.5 billion monthly active users.

Still not convinced that YouTube Live can expand your reach and brand awareness? Consider these unique ways using YouTube live helps you engage with your audience:

Hosting virtual events: Organizing in-person events can be time-consuming and costly. YouTube Live is an excellent alternative for hosting workshops, webinars and product launches virtually with less spend. Plus, virtual events make it easier for more people to attend globally.

Interacting with your audience in real time: Livestreaming empowers you to talk directly to your audience, respond to compliments and react to humorous comments. Having a two-way conversation with your audience builds stronger connections with them.

Answering questions instantly: Just as with any in-person event, going Live on YouTube enables you to respond to questions and comments instantly and in real time, which leads to higher audience satisfaction. You can solve problems, teach and even answer questions about your product—all in a more personal and immediate way.



Standing out from the competition: More than 500 hours of video content is uploaded to YouTube daily. Since livestreams still make up a relatively smaller percentage of that content, they can help you stand out and look unique.

Now that you’re aware of the key benefits of YouTube Live for business, let’s talk about how to live stream on YouTube.

How to livestream on YouTube

Before you go live, you need to make sure you’ve set up your channel, equipment and met the YouTube livestream requirements. Here are the steps you need to get started:

1. Enable livestreaming

Before you can dive into YouTube Live, enable livestreaming on your device or devices.

If you’re using a web browser, follow these steps:

Open YouTube in your browser

Click on the Create symbol at the top



Click on Go Live

Request access and verify your channel (if you haven’t)

Wait until livestreaming is enabled—this may take up to 24 hours

If you’re using a mobile device or tablet (Android, iPhone or iPad), follow the steps below:

Open the YouTube app

Tap the Create symbol at the bottom

Tap Go Live

Wait until livestreaming is enabled—this may take up to 24 hours



YouTube livestream requirements

While you may be excited to jump in and go live, there are a few requirements you’ll have to meet first:

Verify your channel—this is a simple, fast process

Avoid any YouTube livestreaming restrictions in the past 90 days

Have at least 50 subscribers to go live on mobile devices—this requirement is not in place for streaming from a computer

Be patient—once you enable livestreaming (steps listed above), it can take up to 24 hours before you’re able to stream

Heads up: If you have under 1,000 subscribers, your mobile livestream viewers may be limited by YouTube. And for users aged 13-17, the default privacy setting is set to Private or Unlisted (for mobile.) This means the stream is not going to show up in search results or recommendations. For users aged 18+, the livestream’s privacy will be set to Public by default.

2. Choose a stream type

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