New features to Facebook Live

Facebook released some important updates earlier this year for Facebook Live to give more customisation options and tools for publishers.

• Going Live from Web
  People can now go Live on Facebook through a web browser. Previously the Live videos were only recorded on mobile but now you can create content on laptops and desktops.
• Live Contributor for Pages
  Admins can now assign ‘Live Contributor’ to use Live feature from a Page. Previously, only admins could go Live but with this update, other people can now go Live. For example, an admin can assign a fan of their page to be a ‘Live Contributor’ who can then shoot Live video for this Page.
• Insights Updated for Video
  Profiles with over 5,000 followers will soon have the video metrics to give improved insight on their video performance. The metrics include total minutes viewed and total engagement.
• Live Comment Pinning
  Broadcasters can now pin comments to the bottom of a live broadcast. This update encourages publishers to highlight specific comments for their viewers to see.
• Video Permalink for Pages
  Facebook is rolling out a permalink which directs people to the Page’s video content. It will be accessible via facebook.com/pagename/videos. People who visit the link will be shown a live video if there is a Facebook Live video underway, as well as a library of the Page’s previous live and non-live videos.
• Cross-posting of Previously Live Videos
  After a publisher has finished recording a Facebook Live video, they can post the video to multiple Pages at the same time.

New Ways to Watch Facebook Video

Facebook announced in February 2017 that they are focused on continuously improving the video experience. Here are some of their latest they hope will make watching video on Facebook richer, more engaging and more flexible.

• Sound to videos in News Feed
  Facebook is rolling out automatic sound to play videos in the News Feed. If the phone is on sound, the videos will play with sound. Sound fades in and out as you scroll through videos in News Feed.
• Vertical Video
  Larger preview of vertical videos in News Feed is now available to everyone watching videos on iOS and Android.  You’ll start seeing vertical videos with a 2:3 aspect ratio (as opposed to 1:1) on your News Feed without having to expand them.
• Watch and Scroll
  It’s now possible to minimise the video you’re watching in News Feed to a picture-in-picture view in the corner of your mobile screen while you scroll down the News Feed to check other stories.
• Facebook Video App for TV
  New Facebook video app has been announced for TV. The video app for TV helps you to enjoy Facebook videos on a bigger screen. The app will roll out to app stores for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Samsung Smart TV, with more platforms to come.