App Attack: Your Life, Live!

The Truman Show was a 1998 movie depicting a man whose entire life was a sham, filmed for TV without his knowledge. Who would have thought that in less than 20 years, we’d be purposely filming our own lives for everyone to see. Move over Snapchat, live broadcasting is the social future.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The Truman Show was a 1998 movie depicting a man whose entire life was a sham, filmed for TV without his knowledge. Who would have thought that in less than 20 years, we’d be purposely filming our own lives for everyone to see. Move over Snapchat, live broadcasting is the social future.

My Reading Room
My Reading Room
PERISCOPE

iOS & Android

Free 

Periscope currently is the go-to app for live streaming. It is owned by Twitter, so expect heavy Twitter integration. Periscope features a simple UI where you can view a map to search for active feeds to watch or just point your smartphone camera and start broadcasting. Like Twitter’s ‘tweets’, Periscope’s videos are commonly known as ‘scopes’. Your viewers can follow you, comment and like your videos. There’s even a Chrome chat extension that allows you to setup impromptu polls for your audience.

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BIGO LIVE

iOS & Android

Free (In-app purchases)

Singapore homegrown app, Bigo Live is gaining popularity in Southeast Asia. It is similar to Periscope in terms of usage and UI, but offers quite a bit of gamification. You earn experience and levels by participating in the community as a viewer or broadcaster. You can gift each other virtual tokens (with inapp purchases) such as flowers and jewelry. But, the major differentiator is PC Connect, which allows you to connect and stream PC content—such as gameplay—through Bigo Live.

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FACEBOOK LIVE

iOS & Android

Free

Facebook Live is not a separate app, but a newer feature within the main Facebook app, so it’s probably the most convenient method to broadcast. Simply tap the Live button or select Live Video when starting a new post and you’re on the air in no time. Streams are limited to a maximum of 90 minutes, but will stay on your feed as a standard video post when finished. Live videos of friends and people you follow will appear on your feed, or you can find broadcasts to watch via the Live Map feature on a browser.

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TUMBLR LIVE STREAM

iOS & Android

Free

Tumblr has in recent months joined the live streaming bandwagon, but with a twist. Tumblr itself doesn’t feature streaming. Instead, they’ve partnered with other apps— YouNow, Kanvas, Upclose and YouTube—to offer live streams on a Tumblr feed. Basically, you’re using one of these apps to shoot your live video, and srteam them to your Tumblr. Unlike Facebook Live and Periscope which is bound to their platforms, this implementation makes Tumblr more open in nature.

ILLUSTRATION IAN CHONG.