How Live Video Quality Affects User Engagement
Buffering. Frozen screens. Broken audio. Things we all hate.
Nothing is more annoying than cuddling up and getting comfortable on the couch with your favorite snack to binge your new show, only to be hit with a spinning wheel every 2 minutes. Buffering isn’t even the only type of live stream nuisance; there is the choppy audio, blurry video, and even those times when the audio does not match up with the video.
This is a big issue when it comes to streaming the newest season of the latest show. It can be an even bigger issue when you are live streaming to your online audience. Even going live on social media outlets can get messed up if you have bad service, you start breaking up, or your video begins to freeze. When you have a bad live stream, it negatively affects user engagement.
According to TechRadar, more than 50% of live streaming viewers leave a low-quality stream in 90 seconds or less. Phew. Kind of makes you want to make sure you have the best quality possible, doesn’t it?
In 2015, a study of millennials between the ages of 26-34 found that 75% of millennials would “give up” on a video stream within four minutes if the quality was subpar.
Admit it - you’re guilty of turning off your TV when a show started to buffer or you’ve quit watching a live stream on Instagram because it froze or was too blurry.
Students at Stony Brook University conducted a study on the impacts of video quality on user engagements with Conviva, which is a real-time intelligence platform for optimized streaming.
This study looked at all types of content, but the one that was most impacted by buffering was live content. What they found was that lowering the buffering ratio will ultimately increase user engagement with your content. Engaged users make for a successful live stream, and they help you maintain a loyal following.
To keep viewers’ attention and keep them engaged, you need to think about what you can do to stay ahead of any trouble by getting some good equipment. Depending on the year your smartphone was made, you might have high-quality video quality with that. However, if you want to guarantee clear video, you could invest in a modern video camera to set up and connect to your computer.
Using a better video camera is also helpful because many users are watching live content from their mobile devices, meaning they need to see your content clearly on a smaller screen. Crisp audio is also necessary for a great video stream.
Put the best possible content out there for your viewers. Don’t let buffering, fuzzy video, or bad cell service stop you from a flawless live video.
When you do everything you can to stream a clear, audible, perfectly-synced video, you should continue to have great engagement.