We have been hearing reports that Twitter was planning to launch a new API with the aim of facilitating live video for large media publishers and broadcasters. The company has made the Producer API public and it will now allow professional publishers to use heavy duty equipment while streaming live video to its network.
As we mentioned in our post from yesterday, Twitter has always had Periscope producer for thins kind of stuff. However, even that was not cutting it when it came to professional bloggers. That was when Twitter decided to come up with an all new API of its own. What Periscope producer did was, it came up with a destination URL and users could send videos from software like OBD or Wirecast right there.
However, it was a temporary solution at best and with this API, Twitter is taking steps towards a more final one. The company’s decision to launch a dedicated API also stems from the fact that it saw the total number of Producer broadcasts almost double quarter over quarter, since Periscope producer’s launch. With all this in mind, the company though it was high time to create a more permanent solution.
The API will now allow media organizations and others that rely upon high end equipments, to create live videos and stream them to their audience over the platform. This is pretty important considering that live videos are quickly growing in popularity and Twitter itself is becoming a hub for all sorts of live content. For instance, the company has deals with the NFL for its Thursday night games, along with a host of other sports and political organizations to live stream their content over its platform.
Now though, the doors are wide open and anyone who wants to live stream using a device less modest than a smartphone, can easily do so without breaking a sweat.
Twitter is kind of late to the race, considering that Facebook has been offering its Live API to publishers for quite a while now. However, there are things that play to Twitter’s advantage including its image as the place to be for hot and trending news. This API puts it to an equal footing with Facebook, leaving the final choice in the developers hands.
