Live mobile video is evolving beyond selfie-stream rants and citizen journalism. Facebook will now allow non-stop, long-form broadcasting as long as the creators don’t mind that they won’t be able to permanently save and share the video. The new Continuous Live Video API enables persistent streams like nature feeds, 24-hour windows into major landmarks or cameras trained on a pit full of puppies, Facebook revealed to me.
This is just one way Facebook has attracted broadcasters to its Live API. It had 12 partners when it launched at F8 in April, but has grown to more than 100 today. Instead of just streaming from their phones, the API lets more professional broadcasters use their own high-grade cameras, mixing boards and effects suites, plus control who sees their Live videos.
The Continuous Live Video launch represents a breakthrough for Facebook’s engineering team. Previously, Live streams could only be up to 90 minutes. That means you couldn’t broadcast a whole conference, sporting event or party, let alone leave the camera running day and night. But now Facebook has figured it out.
