TikTok is entering the live video streaming space by launching its own proprietary software, TikTok LIVE Studio.
The new software has quietly been pushed live and is available for download on PC for Windows users who have a TikTok account. It does not appear a mobile version is currently live and information about the platform’s new content creation tool is still scarce.
For now, all users need to set up LIVE Studio after downloading it is to sign into their TikTok account. From there, they can connect directly with their audience on the popular video platform in new ways and from multiple devices.
In its current, very basic form, LIVE Studio allows users to pull video and audio from multiple sources, including the typical Game Capture, Mobile Capture, Video Capture, and Program Capture options. This means users can capture their footage from other devices, such as an Elgato capture card or a program like Steam, to stream live footage to TikTok now.
There are also several basic tools to add images and text to your scenes, along with very simple chat moderation options. You can also import settings from other streaming software if you use programs like OBS or StreamElements.
The majority of the software looks standard, offering a direct monitor for live chatters, gameplay, and stream performance. One interesting part of the editing process shows users can create scenes for a landscape or portrait broadcast, which means there are options tailored to multiple types of creators depending on how they want to stream.
With this launch, TikTok enters a more direct competition with live content platforms like Twitch, along with adding another factor to its content war with YouTube. With its massive install base, numbering over one billion as of Sept. 27, the mostly mobile platform is attempting to expand and bring new types of content into its ecosystem.
More details about LIVE Studio, including TikTok’s plans for promotion and future updates, should be available in the near future.
