I can not believe that Hive now has new streaming capabilities. This is exactly what our community needs. It's the logical next step in the evolution of Hive, some might say long overdue. So ladies and gents us Hivians have a new toy to experiment with, that's right we now have HiveStreams.Live.
I was only talking with the creator of HiveStreams.Live the other night in the @enginewitty Discord server - The Castle, currently named Area(Bacardi)51 - haven't asked yet! It was just an idea then but was starting to gain traction. Roll on a few weeks later and boom the idea has turned into reality.
If you don't already know the creator of HiveStreams he's a long standing member of the Hive community, and formerly Steemit, who built up a reputation for doing good things on the blockchain, although he often didn't get the recognition he deserved. The creator is the inimitable @sircork.
He played a huge role in setting up the sorely missed PAL radio network and MSP Waves which was massive at one point, with a huge Discord following. This was a hive of activity back in the day where Steemians and then Hivians would meet up, talk about the community and crypto and everything in between. PAL had some great shows and hangouts going for a while, even a show where people could hangout and share their posts for extra feedback and votes.
So @sircork returns to Hive and within just a few weeks he's at it again! This time not setting up a radio network, although believe me I have tried to persuade him, no this time he's built HiveStreams.Live.
HiveStreams.Live - Login and Dashboard
I have already logged in to HiveStreams.Live and checked my dashboard. The sign in process couldn't be simpler. The site uses Hivesigner, so all you have to do is enter your Hive account name and then either your master password or active key and you're in. Once inside this is what your own dashboard looks like.
Obviously my own channel is looking pretty bare at the moment but that's because I have just signed up and have not streamed anything yet, designed my channel or followed any other streamers. This whole site is brand spanking new and is still in development but the key functionality is all there and ready to be used. The new possibilities this gives users to strengthen their connections within the wider Hive community are boundless. So fellow Hivians start getting creative.
HiveStreams.Live - Schedule
Moving on you can see the Schedule option which is really useful for when you want to list your next stream and let others know when you're going to be doing your thing. Keeping a regular broadcast or hangout going is going to really help build up an audience base. Alternatively you could turn your stream into a show and use that type of structure.
HiveStreams.Live - What's Your Channel About?
Hit the About button and people can read what your channel is all about. This is the area that is potentially the most important part of your HiveStreams profile. It needs to be detailed enough to inform prospective followers of who you are, what your streams will be exploring and what your own channel is generally going to be focusing on.
HiveStreams.Live - Channels
Click the Channels button at the top and you're presented with the following.
This is where all the streamers who are currently streaming live right now will appear, and where other active users can be found. You can see that @ciderjunkie is streaming live at the moment. You have the option of following any Hive streamer which is a great way to connect with other Hivians and build up an additional following on HiveStreams.
In addition to the streaming functionality there is also a live chat function, so people can happily chat away while the stream is going out live, this is great for audience participation.
HiveStreams.Live - Monetization
The really interesting aspect to this is that HiveStreams will have full integration with the Hive blockchain, with Hive and HBD monetization in the pipeline, including tipping to other streamers. Another great part of the plan is that you can use other streaming services and simultaneously stream using HiveStreams too, you can really broaden your audience.
HiveStreams now adds a whole new dimension to the Hive experience, and just when you thought it couldn't get better. Hive has just become a lot more exciting. It's great to see innovators like @sircork bringing his wisdom and experience and making valuable contributions like this to the Hive chain. HiveStreams is an incredible feat and has been designed in an unbelievably short amount of time.
So fellow Hivians get thinking on what your streaming channel will look like and what content you will be broadcasting. Remember these things are free to use and they need to be used, so use them or potentially lose them. Enjoy!
Peace!
