TikTok is a popular social media platform with millions of users catching up with their favorite content creators daily. It has some of the best algorithms for people to find new creators. If you want to get your content, specifically videos, to millions of eyes, Tiktok is the way to go. Follow the steps below to go live on TikTok if you have 1,000 followers.
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1. Open TikTok
Open the TikTok app and click on the + icon on the bottom menu in the center. This is the Create page.
2. Choose Live
On the Create page, you will see some different options. It will automatically open to Camera. To get to Live, swipe on the bottom of the screen to the right until it reads Live below the red circle.
3. Choose a Thumbnail and Make a Title
While your followers are notified when you go live on TikTok, setting a good thumbnail and title will make your live stream easier to find for new followers. Because most live streams aim to gain an audience, choose a good thumbnail and title.
4. Press Go Live
When you are ready, tap on the red button that says Go Live, and you are streaming!
5. Access Settings and Features
Once you go live, tap on the three dots in the corner to access settings and features. You can add moderators, filter comments, flip your camera and add effects.
6. End The Stream
When you are ready to end your live stream, tap on the X in the top left corner to stop your stream.
Tips for Making the Best Tiktok Stream
Simply going live does not guarantee people will watch you, so we have put together some tips to ensure your live streams are fun to watch and gain an audience. These rules can apply to other live streaming platforms, but we have specifically aimed them toward TikTok live.
Steady Internet Connection
Live streaming on any platform takes a reasonably fast and steady internet connection. The last thing you want to happen is to go live, your internet speed is too slow, and all your followers end up seeing a slideshow instead of a live stream. Therefore, we highly recommend doing a test stream before you plan to go live for real to make sure your internet can handle it.
Scheduling Your Live Stream
When you go live on TikTok, your followers will get a notification, but the best way to ensure you get a good audience is to schedule your live stream. Of course, the best way to do this is when most of your audience is on TikTok. You can do this by checking the creator portal.
Engage With Your Audience
One of the most significant advantages of live streaming is directly interacting with your audience, so pay attention to the chat. Respond to comments and questions and try to fulfill requests to make your audience feel like they are getting the most out of watching your live stream.
Length of Stream
TikTok limits your live streams to 60 minutes, unlike other streaming platforms such as Twitch, which has no limit to how long you stream. We have found that the sweet spot for most streams is around 30 minutes long. Much longer, most of the audience will tend to tune out unless you are very engaging.
Plan Out Some Content
Although part of the appeal to live streaming is the spur-of-the-moment feel, we recommend planning out some activities. When people tune into your livestream, they won’t just see you sitting there quietly. We have seen many creators do things like cooking or box opening, but you can also do something as simple as planning out talking points in case the audience is quiet.
Audio and Video Quality
TikTok live is extremely approachable because your phone is technically all you need, but having good video and audio quality will quickly put you above other live streams. For quality video, we highly recommend picking a filming light. Ring lights are easy to set up, giving you excellent lighting, and you only need one to get the job done. We recommend this ring light from Neewer. It is battery-powered so you can live stream from anywhere with good lighting.
We recommend using a different, not the one built into your phone for good audio. A range of small wireless mics are available and can connect to your phone. This DJI wireless mic kit is incredible, but it might be overkill. This one is another wireless kit that is much more affordable if you don’t want to go all out.
Advantages of TikTok Live Streaming
Most of the content on TikTok is short-form pre-recorded videos, but you can also go live. Live streaming is a terrific way to interact with your audience in real-time. Q & A streams are some of the most popular on TikTok, and creators can get a large audience watching their streams quickly. After all, live streams offer a level of personal interaction and uncut attitude that recorded content cannot.
Unfortunately, TikTok only allows creators with 1,000 followers to live stream officially. We want to mention that there is a rumored workaround to live stream without 1,000 followers, but we do not recommend this method. Because this method requires you to file a report saying you used to have live stream access, it was taken away. If it does work for you, there is a good chance TikTok will eventually figure it out and ban your account. So any followers you have gathered will be lost.
