Facebook is shifting the focus of product development towards live streaming as COVID-19 lockdowns lead to increased demand. Facebook plans to make live streaming video accessible to more people, as well as more lucrative for those broadcasting the video. The following new features are said to be coming within weeks: (posted 29 March 2020).

• Watch Facebook Live videos without a Facebook account
  
• Automatic closed captioning
• Expansion of digital tipping capabilities to more streamers

Below is a list of tips to help you get the best result when using Facebook Live Streaming. (Big thanks to Alison Johnstone  for preparing this list).

1. Run a speed test - run test
2. Set up equipment and test for sound quality of music and voice along with where you have set up the phone for taking the video. Can you see yourself? and if so, where can you dance and still see yourself?
3. If all is well test LIVE
4. Only go live on your phone and never on an ipad
5. Set up the phone. Turn AEROPLANE MODE ON whilst ensuring WIFI is on
6. Go to your Facebook page that you are streaming from 
7. Turn your phone HORIZONTALLY and ensure the live start button is on the RIGHT hand side of the screen and not on the bottom (otherwise you will be flipped to the side)
8. You can use selfie mode however I have found it much better in the normal use, i.e. the phone screen poitning away from you and the camera facing you.
9. If on an apple phone the charging point would be on the right side so you say left and go left and say right and go right 
10. Press the start button
    
11. Record a wee test if you are not yet confident. Maybe just saying right and pointing right and left and then pointing left using music and voice on an old song, very short only a few seconds, hit share and then quickly go to FB and check its all ok and delete it .
12. You are now going to prepare finally for live. Name the video if you wish by hitting DESCRIPTION area
13. You are ready to go, you are set up and now you hit START / RECORD green (long oblong on the right hand side of your phone)
14. At the end of the recording THIS IS CRUCIAL Stop recording
15. It will say your live stream has finished
16. You have options. SHARE, SAVE, DELETE
17. NEVER SHARE – this saves the live to Facebook. You will most likely will be muted and possible have  a strike against you
18. If you wish to save the live to your phone then hit save and when it has saved (it will say SAVED after the save area will have been swirling) and then DELETE
19. If you do not wish to save to your camera for uploading later to You Tube or whatever then simply hit DELETE
20. Your live session is at an end 

Happy streaming!

(List written by Alison Johnstone - Mar 2020)

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