10 Best Live Streaming Platforms for Publishers & Broadcasters

On average, every third internet user in the world watches live content. Live streams have become an integral part of Internet culture for everyone from small-time creators to enterprise-level broadcasters. However, publishers looking to expand their earning potential through live streaming will first need a reliable and robust live streaming platform. To help you out, I’ve put together a list of the 10 best live streaming platforms on the Internet in 2024. 

Just a quick note first – I avoided including Twitch, YouTube Live, and other social live streaming solutions and focused on enterprise-level providers instead. But before we jump into it, let’s take a quick look at what a good live streaming platform should have.

What to Look for in a Live Streaming Platform

Before you can find the best platform for live streaming for your business, you need to clearly define your goals. Will you be using the streams for internal communication or for an external audience? Do you want to monetize live streams, and if so, how? What types of security measures do you need?

Intuitive Video CMS

The backbone of every good online video platform is a robust, feature-rich video content management system. More than that, the CMS should also be user-friendly and intuitive, especially if you’re new to live streaming or unfamiliar with video streaming platforms in general.

High-End Security

Effective security measures are a must for all live broadcasters, but they’re especially important if you’re using the platform for confidential internal communications or if you’re planning to monetize your live streams. 

A Versatile Video Player

The online video player you choose should have all the features you need. For instance, if you want to monetize through ads, the video player should have ad-serving capabilities. There should also be sufficient customization options, so that the look of the player matches the look of your website. Adaptive bitrate streaming is another must-have, especially if you’re trying to reach a global audience.

Monetization Options

Enterprise-level publishers and broadcasters usually need a streaming provider that will allow them to monetize content. The most common monetization models for live streaming include:

AVOD – selling ad inventory to advertisers and providing content access in exchange for viewing ads;
SVOD – having subscribers who pay a recurring fixed fee (monthly, weekly, yearly, etc.) in exchange for access to content;
TVOD – requiring one-time payments for a single viewing session or time-limited access to content (e.g. pay-per-view).

All of these monetization models have pros and cons, so it’s up to you, the publisher, to decide which model (or combination of models) best suits your needs. If you ask me, ad-based monetization might be the best option, especially for first-timers. So make sure to choose a platform with advertising capabilities, such as ad yield optimization and header bidding. 

Cross-Channel Support

Making your streams available only in desktop web environments means limiting yourself to a small portion of the audience pool. The best live streaming platforms will allow you to share your streams on mobile devices and CTV, too. 

Real-Time Analytics

Lastly, developing a proper content and monetization strategy would be pretty much impossible without actionable, detailed video and ad analytics. Having reliable data is a must, not only for ad-based streamers but for everyone looking to expand their audience reach or grow their video business in general.

Top 10 Live Streaming Platforms for Broadcasters 

Now that we’ve covered the important elements of a good live streaming platform, it’s time to take a look at some of the market leaders in 2024.

1. TargetVideo

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Publishers and broadcasters looking to take their events online and monetize them with advanced ad-based monetization options.	Yes

Platform Overview

TargetVideo is an enterprise-level video platform with a versatile live streaming solution for its publishers. With TargetVideo’s superior HTML5 video player, publishers can deliver high-quality live streams to their audience. They can also monetize their streams with premium ad demand from a global network of advertisers. In addition, the platform offers multiple ad formats, ad stack management, and an automatic price floor optimizer for programmatic auctions.

Features

TargetVideo operates a robust video platform that also includes high-quality adaptive bitrate streaming. The platform offers two options for the location of your live stream server — Europe and America — making it most suitable for broadcasters with audiences from these two regions. 

TargetVideo’s CMS lets streamers launch and embed a live stream on their site in just a few clicks. It also provides full access to its API. The platform allows publishers to simulcast streams on Facebook and YouTube Live for anyone looking to reach broader audiences.

TargetVideo’s live streaming platform covers all broadcasters’ hosting and encoding needs by handling them on its secure cloud servers. What’s more, the platform’s CMS comes equipped with real-time video analytics, so streamers can monitor various data like user engagement and GEO location. 

Perhaps one of the biggest strengths of TargetVideo’s streaming platform is its advertising capability. In addition to letting broadcasters monetize their streams through VAST and VPAID video ads, TargetVideo offers some of the industry’s most advanced yield optimization features like built-in video header bidding. Publishers can easily implement Prebid.js header bidding and much more to maximize ad yield from their live streams. I know I might be biased, but this platform is one of the best for publishers relying on ad-based monetization to power their businesses.

However, TargetVideo’s platform lacks subscription-based and pay-per-view monetization options, so broadcasters interested in these monetization methods will have to look elsewhere.

Pricing

TargetVideo offers a free trial, after which publishers can continue with the Custom Plan (tailored to the publisher’s budget and requirements).

2. Vimeo Livestream

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Streamers and broadcasters looking for an accessible and cost-effective streaming solution.	Yes

Platform Overview

Vimeo is a world-renowned enterprise video hosting and sharing platform. Although it primarily focused on video delivery, Vimeo expanded into the live streaming and OTT markets once it acquired Livestream in 2017 and has since become one of the leading streaming platforms in the industry. The platform has over 200 million users and over 1.6 million subscribers across its products.

Features

Vimeo is one of the best multi-purpose live streaming platforms suitable for many occasions, including live events, webinars, company announcements, and virtual conferences. At Vimeo, broadcasters can enjoy full HD and 4K streaming at some of the most affordable prices on the market.

The platform has a full-fledged video CMS and real-time analytics, so broadcasters can seamlessly launch, manage, and track their streams’ performance. It also offers multistreaming (Twitch, Facebook, Linkedin, etc.), high storage capacity for video hosting, and multiple security options. 

Vimeo’s platform supports all the most common monetization models (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD), both in-app and on the web. However, it doesn’t have any advanced yield optimization options like header bidding, so it’s not the best choice if your primary monetization source is through ads.

Pricing

The platform offers three pricing plans for its live streaming service:

Advanced ($65 per month billed annually) — Includes AI descriptions, unlimited streaming analytics, audience chat, live polls, security, player, and more. 
Enterprise (price not disclosed) — Everything in advanced + enhanced security, GEO blocking, IP restrictions, CDN, advanced marketing integrations, and more. 
Vimeo OTT (price not disclosed) — A free web app (TVOD and SVOD), branded apps (iOS, tvOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire, etc.), seamless web payments, AVOD, and more.

3. VPlayed

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Content creators, content distributors, enterprise-level publishers	Yes

Platform Overview

VPlayed is one of the best live streaming platforms designed to help content creators, distributors, and enterprises launch and manage their own streaming services. The platform offers a wide range of features, including 10+ monetization models, customizable user interfaces, DRM and security, advanced analytics, and much more. Moreover, VPlayed helps content owners maximize revenue and deliver great viewing experiences.

Features

Unlike many streaming platforms that offer rigid, predefined options, VPlayed provides a fully customizable experience. This allows users to personalize every aspect of their streaming service. This flexibility ensures that creators can design a platform that truly reflects their brand identity.

With the option for both on-premise and cloud hosting, VPlayed offers more flexibility to content owners. This makes the platform a good choice for those who need to scale their operations without limitations on content storage or delivery.

VPlayed leads the race with its multiple content monetization models. The platform supports extensive third-party integrations, making way for broad business collaborations and uplifting the overall functionality of the streaming service.

VPlayed’s robust live streaming capabilities are another highlight. It supports low latency HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), which is important for delivering real-time content with minimal delay. This makes VPlayed an excellent choice for live events, sports, and other broadcast needs.

In addition to its advanced features and customization options, VPlayed allows creators to maintain complete ownership and control over their content.

Pricing

Pricing information is not publicly available. To obtain a detailed estimate, you need to visit VPlayed’s website and reach out to their sales team.

4. JW Player

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Streamers and businesses looking for a reliable, global video delivery solution with ad- or subscription-based monetization support.	No

Platform Overview

JW Player is one of the pioneering software companies in the online video industry. It is currently one of the largest video streaming platforms on the market. What originally started as an HTML video player has now expanded into a comprehensive platform for video streaming and OTT services.  

Features

JW Player is an HTML5 player with built-in live streaming support for anyone looking for a reliable, multi-purpose video delivery solution. JW Player’s live streaming feature supports high-quality HLS and MPEG-DASH streaming on both web and mobile.

The platform’s streaming kit includes multi-bitrate transcoding and cloud hosting compatible with the most popular encoders. Also, JW Player’s CDN for global content delivery will ensure users get minimal latency and the best viewing experience possible.

For live stream monetization, JW Player supports ad-based and subscription-based monetization (exclusively through third-party integrations). However, the platform is more proficient in the former, thanks to its prebidding support built into the player.

The biggest downside of the JW Player is that its streaming features are reserved exclusively for Custom Plan publishers, making it inaccessible for smaller and medium-sized broadcasters. In addition, the preview of the streaming features isn’t available in the free plan, so testing your options won’t be possible.

Pricing

JW Player’s live streaming feature is only available on its Custom plan, which is tailored to each individual’s needs. This plan unlocks all of JW Player’s platform’s features and comes with premium OTT and customer support, advanced monetization features, video and ad analytics, and more. Broadcasters will need to contact JW Player’s sales team to get an accurate price estimate.

5. Brightcove

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Enterprise-level businesses and broadcasters with high-volume streaming needs.	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Platform Overview

Brightcove is an all-rounded online video streaming solution for large-scale publishers. The platform offers a variety of video and streaming solutions for video marketers, publishers, live streamers, and broadcasters.

Features

Brightcove is an enterprise-level streaming platform built for live events and corporate streaming. What’s more, the platform offers multi-bitrate adaptive HLS streaming, backed with secure video hosting and transcoding in the cloud for a minimal strain on broadcasters’ hardware. 

Brightcove’s platform particularly shines in the analytics department since it offers some of the most detailed insights and video marketing tools. It is also famous for its high-end security. However, most of these features are only available for higher-pricing plans. 

Users on custom plans will also get full access to the platform’s API, opening up plenty of opportunities for third-party integrations. Brightcove also offers full OTT support for both web and mobile, so broadcasters looking to launch their own OTT app can easily do so.

When it comes to monetization options, Brightcove doesn’t disappoint. The platform supports ad-based, subscription-based, and pay-per-view monetization for all live streams and OTT apps. However, as mentioned above, these features are only available for the more expensive plans. 

While Brightcove is an excellent choice for streamers with high-volume needs and enterprise-level businesses, smaller broadcasters will have a hard time accessing the platform’s top-tier features and justifying its high pricing.

Pricing

Unfortunately, Brightcove does not disclose its pricing publicly, so broadcasters must contact its sales team for an accurate estimate.

6. IBM Cloud Video

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Enterprise-level publishers looking for a secure and reliable large-scale streaming solution.	Yes

Platform Overview

IBM Cloud Video, formerly known as UStream, is an enterprise-level streaming and video distribution platform that offers multiple high-end streaming services to publishers of all sizes.

Features

IBM Cloud Video comes with dedicated VOD hosting and storage servers. The platform also offers OTT video management, live event, and corporate streaming solutions.

The streaming platform has plenty of branding options on paid plans and extensive video analytics in its CMS. So, broadcasters can launch multiple streaming channels from the platform’s intuitive CMS and syndicate streams to the most popular social networks in a few clicks. 

Additionally, IBM Cloud Video’s platform offers various audience engagement features streamers can use to interact with their viewers (live chat, polls). The platform also prides itself on its abundant security features. The ability to gate corporate videos and VODs and the option to introduce email authentication guarantees that no unauthorized viewers will get their hands on your content.

IBM Cloud Video doesn’t lack in the monetization department, either. The platform also supports all monetization models ad-based, subscription-based, and pay-per-view monetization on the web, mobile, and OTT.

However, the most notable downsides to this platform are its high price points (including extra fees for HD streaming) and low storage limits. But despite that, IBM Cloud Video is an excellent choice for broadcasters looking for an event or OTT streaming solution.

Pricing

The platform offers the following pricing plans:

Silver ( Starting at $137.00/month) — For small businesses; 100 viewer hours, 1 TB storage, five channels, HD transcoding, and more.
Gold (Starting at $88.00/month) — Made for medium-sized businesses; Silver features + 2000 viewer hours, 2 TB storage, ten channels, and more.
Platinum (Starting at $1,380.00/month) — Great for frequent streamers; Gold features + 5000 viewer hours, 5 TB storage, twenty channels, and more.

There is also a 30-day free trial.

7. Uscreen

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Content creators and businesses looking to start and monetize their own OTT website or app.	Yes

Platform Overview

Uscreen is one of the best live streaming platforms and OTT solutions. It allows publishers to launch mobile and CTV apps and includes a reliable video player, practical analytics tools, and more.

Features

Uscreen comes with a built-in HTML5 player and HLS video encryption. The platform also has a user-friendly CMS, in-depth video analytics, and a built-in website builder that lets anyone create their own OTT site. Uscreen’s website builder comes with dozens of themes, templates, and a few SEO support tools.

If you’re a streamer who relies on third-party tools to maintain your workflow, Uscreen gives full access to its platform’s API to all users on its Plus plan to make integrating them easier. The platform also has prebuilt integrations with various marketing tools like Mailchimp, Zapier, and Leadzen.

In addition, Uscreen offers additional options: subscriptions, pay-per-view, and content renting. These options are perfect for publishers who want to start an on-demand or streaming service.

Unfortunately, Uscreen’s streaming platform is not for smaller broadcasters. For one thing, live streaming and OTT app support are in the Plus (Premium) plan. And for Growth and Pro, live streaming hours come with a limit. That means smaller creators will have much fewer options at their disposal.

Another downside that may deter some from Uscreen is that it does not have AVOD. So if your primary source of revenue comes from video ads, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Pricing

The following are Uscreen’s available pricing plans:

Growth ($149/month + $1.99/subscriber/month, 5% per transaction) — Everything in Basic + Community, eCommerce integration, 3rd party integrations, free migrations, and more.
Pro (custom base price, $1.99/subscriber/month, 5% per transaction) — All in Growth + live streaming, mobile apps, account management, API support, and more.
Plus (Custom) — A custom-tailored plan for individual publisher needs.

Do note that Uscreen charges publishers a monthly or annual fee based on their pricing plan. Likewise, publishers pay a recurring fee for each subscriber and a one-time fee for individual transactions. For the Basic and Growth plan, a free trial is available. 

8. Restream

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Smaller creators and broadcasters looking to stream and build an audience across multiple channels.	Free Plan Available (Limited Features)

Platform Overview

Restream is a multi-platform live streaming service that allows content creators and businesses to broadcast their content simultaneously to multiple streaming platforms. It started as a streaming solution for gamers but has long ago expanded to media companies, politicians, celebrities, and broadcasters.

Features

Restream is an in-browser streaming solution specializing in multistreaming across various popular social platforms. The platform lets broadcasters stream content to more than 30 different platforms simultaneously.

Streamers will have an easy time integrating Restream with most streaming software apps. In addition, they can enjoy various features for boosting user engagement like live chat, on-screen comments, captions, and automated streaming alerts for Facebook, Twitter, and Discord. 

Restream also includes a stream fallback feature on higher pricing plans that lets broadcasters switch between two different stream feeds if something goes wrong with one of them. And if you’re goal is to build brand awareness, you’ll be happy to hear Restream offers various customizable branding options. 

However, Restream doesn’t have most of the high-end features many other premium streaming platforms do, like a video CMS, analytics, and monetization options. That means this platform is unlikely to be a good fit for an enterprise broadcaster or business looking for a scalable streaming solution.

Pricing

Restream offers its publishers four pricing plans:

Basic (free) — Comes with two channels, cross-platform chat, stream in HD, 720p, engagement analytics, and more. 
Standard ($16 per month / billed yearly) — Everything in Basic + 3 channels, stream recording, recording storage, stream to guest channels, and more. 
Professional ( $39 per month / billed yearly) — Everything in Standard + 5 channels, 4 concurring events, stream in full HD 1080p, 3 RTMP Pull links, and more.
Business ($199 per month / billed yearly) — Everything in Professional + 8 channels, 3 stream seats, priority support, website player, and more.

9. Kaltura

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Businesses or institutions looking for a reliable video collaboration tool, a way to stream events online, or a comprehensive platform for online learning and education.	Yes (Platform Access Depends on Product Choice)

Platform Overview

Kaltura is a cloud-based video platform that provides a wide range of video solutions. The platform is made to cater to educational institutions, media companies, and other organizations that require video solutions for internal communications, marketing, training, and other purposes. With its versatile architecture, Kaltura seamlessly integrates with various LMS developers, ensuring a comprehensive and user-friendly experience for institutions seeking to enhance their educational strategies through multimedia content.

Features

Kaltura is one of the best live streaming platforms and software solutions for live event streaming and live online teaching. That includes a fully-fledged virtual classroom equipped with online learning tools. 

Kaltura’s streaming solution also comes with cloud hosting, a video content management system, and excellent security features broadcasters can use to limit access to their videos. 

One of Kaltura’s advantages over other streaming platforms is its open-source nature, meaning it’s highly customizable. Anyone with little coding knowledge can easily create custom plugins or implement third-party integrations.

The platform also offers a good selection of monetization options. It supports AVOD, SVOD, and TVOD. That means broadcasters looking to earn from their live streams will have plenty of options. 

However, Kaltura’s most notable downside is that it’s not the most user-friendly platform. And considering there is no dedicated real-time support, users must learn to navigate and use their CMS by themselves.

Pricing

Kaltura has a unique pricing system for its products. Each product offered by the platform comes with its own plan. Depending on the service, a free trial might be available, while for some, publishers need to request a quote.

10. StreamShark

Best Suited For	Free Trial
Businesses and event organizers looking for a high-quality event streaming solution without any need for monetization.	Yes

Platform Overview

StreamShark is a video streaming platform that provides end-to-end video streaming solutions to businesses and organizations. The platform lets users stream high-profile live events, conferences, webinars, and other video content to global audiences.

Features

StreamShark is a live streaming platform and software specializing in encrypted live event streaming. The platform uses a global, multi-CDN network for content delivery, ensuring smooth, buffer-free playback in hundreds of countries worldwide.

Additionally, this streaming platform is fully mobile-compatible, allows broadcasters to multicast to several streaming platforms, and even supports 360 live streams. And if you’re worried about content safety, StreamShark has a privacy engine that protects your stream with a password, embed location, geographical location, IP address, and email.

Like most live event streaming platforms, StreamShark includes engaging features like embeddable chat, live highlight clips of your key sections during the stream, and much more. 

Unfortunately, StreamShark lacks monetization options. The platform offers ad support on higher pricing plans, but even that doesn’t come with advanced advertising features.

Pricing

StreamShark offers monthly plans (yearly) and enterprise solutions. However, the pricing for the Enterprise is not disclosed, and publishers need to request a demo. The following are the monthly plans:

Standard ($199/month) — This pricing plan includes 500GB of VOD storage, 300GB VOD encoding, four simultaneous live streams, embeddable chat, and more.
Team ($499/month) — The Team Plan comes with seven simultaneous live streams, four times the VOD storage, backup stream ingest, viewer management, and more. 
Business ($999/month) — This plan offers more storage, viewer hours, and brandable channels. In addition to having all the features of Standard and Team, this plan comes with ad support.

TargetVideo’s Versatile Live Streaming Solution 

TargetVideo offers a versatile live streaming solution. Deliver high-quality streams to your audience with adaptable HLS streaming, embed your live stream anywhere you want on your website, launch it on multiple platforms simultaneously, and stream from any device you want. In addition, for publishers interested in monetizing live streams, TargetVideo’s ad-powered live stream monetization includes advanced video advertising options, video header bidding, detailed analytics, and all standard video ad formats. Start live streaming with TargetVideo.

Full Control Over Monetization
The Most Advanced Ad Tech
Multi-Role Library Management
OTT Apps for All Channels
Smooth Live Streaming
And More!

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