Social media firm Twitter has been experimenting a new audio-only broadcast feature through its Periscope platform for a few weeks, and the company has recently made it publicly available for all iOS users of the main Twitter app and its live streaming app Periscope.
Users have to head to the compose screen on Twitter and tap the “Go Live” button to pull up the standard live streaming screen, according to a report in The Verge. They will then see a microphone icon to toggle the “audio-only broadcast” option on or off.
According to the report, this is a way for the social media networking firm to repurpose its live streaming platform toward live podcasting and other audio-first content. Over the years, Twitter’s Periscope and live video platform has declined as public live-streaming has shifted away from viral moments and breaking news and toward professional media and gaming-centric content on Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube, said The Verge. Although the broadcast option had been integrated into the main Twitter app almost two years ago, seldom does anyone use it.
Sometimes you just want to talk, without being on camera. We’re launching audio-only broadcasting, so your followers can hear, but not see you.
Rolling out now for iOS. pic.twitter.com/tBsm37NcdH
— Twitter (@Twitter) September 7, 2018
However, the company continues to see a huge prospect in live moments, especially during sporting matches, award shows, breaking news and other ephemeral events.
According to the report, the company said in February that it would start streaming local news broadcasts during breaking news events, and it’s more recently started personalising live event push notifications to get more users to tune into broadcasts it thinks they’d be interested in. It’s also routinely added new features, like timestamp-specific linking, to its live platform in a bid to get people to share more, said the Verge.
