Vimeo Livestream
Vimeo Livestream is an American video live streaming platform that allows customers to broadcast live video content using a camera and a computer through the Internet, and viewers to play the content via the web, iOS, Android, Roku, and the Apple TV. Livestream requires a paid subscription for content providers to use; it formerly offered a free ad-supported service but no longer does so as of 2016.[2]
![]() | |
Type of business | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Available in | English |
Founded | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Headquarters | 195 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237 , United States[1] |
Area served | Worldwide |
Owner | IAC |
Founder(s) | Max Haot Dayananda Nanjundappa Phil Worthington Mark Kornfilt |
Key people | Mark Kornfilt (CEO) |
Employees | > 100 |
Parent | Vimeo (2017–present) |
URL | livestream.com |
Commercial | Yes |
Registration | Required to broadcast, optional to view |
Launched | 2007 | (as Mogulus)
Current status | Active |
Native client(s) on | iOS, Android, Roku, tvOS |
Livestream customers include Spotify, Gannett, World Economic Forum, Tesla, SpaceX, the NBA, RISD, Clinton Global Initiative, over 200 local TV affiliates, and thousands of others.[3][4]
History
Livestream was founded as Mogulus[5] in 2007 by Max Haot, Dayananda Nanjundappa, Phil Worthington, and Mark Kornfilt, and has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Zaporizhia and Bangalore. It launched with a free streaming service, and introduced its white label “pro” service in April 2008 with Gannett as its first customer. In July 2008, Gannett invested in Mogulus with $10 million in funding.[6]
In May 2009, Mogulus re-branded as Livestream.[5] In May 2014, the company moved its headquarters from Chelsea to Brooklyn, New York.[7] Jesse Hertzberg was appointed CEO in April 2015,[8] with all four founders remaining with the company in senior roles. In 2017, Livestream appointed cofounder Mark Kornfilt as the new CEO.[9]
On September 26, 2017, Livestream was acquired by IAC via subsidiary Vimeo. The service expects to incorporate Livestream staff and technology into a newly-launched video streaming service.[10]
Events
Concerts
In September 2009, Livestream started providing custom channel pages to stream events like concerts from Kina Grannis,[11] Pixie Lott, Eric Gales, David Gray, and Foo Fighters. These pages integrated live chat, Twitter, and Facebook. On October 30, 2009, the Foo Fighters played their first internet-only live concert from their studio space Studio 606 in Los Angeles.[12] Viewers were able to interact directly with the band, ask questions, and requests songs through a custom Facebook page with an integrated chat feature.[12] The band played 2 hours and 45 minutes of greatest hits to more than 150,000 viewers around the world.[13]
Rock band Saosin performed an exclusive acoustic performance inside Livestream's offices followed by a live chat.[14] On September 16, 2009, Boys Like Girls also played an interactive performance on Facebook and Livestream.[15] The following month, American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, composed of actor Jared Leto and brother Shannon Leto streamed a live interview with their fans, which was also available for viewing on the iPhone.[16] An in-store performance by rock band Motion City Soundtrack was streamed live from New Jersey record store Vintage Vinyl on January 20, 2010.[17]
Other events
Livestream claims to serve over 10,000 paying customers and to have streamed several million events in 2014. Customers include The New York Times, Spotify, BBC, several professional and college sports leagues around the world, Associated Press, and Tesla. Livestream has broadcast major events including the European Space Agency's Rosetta comet landing and the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration.[18]
Livestream also broadcast a panel discussion between renowned hip-hop and reggae artists.[19] Rapper Nas and reggae star Damian Marley discussed Distant Relatives, their album and documentary about the shared African roots of hip-hop and reggae.[19] DJs Kool Herc and Red Alert and dancehall legend U-Roy and dub-producer King Jammy were also on-hand to discuss the historical and cultural connections between the two genres of music.
Products
In 2007 Mogulus introduced 'Studio', an online interface that simulated a tv studio. Users could mix camera feeds, video, YouTube, tickers, overlays to create a "netcast".[20] A Mac/PC desktop client 'Procaster' could be used to combine a camera feed with screen capture.[21] Procaster was later renamed Livestream Producer.[22]
On October 29, 2011 Livestream introduced a new online platform. This dispensed with the channel approach of Studio in favor of an event based one. Multiple video posts, images, or text items could be added to an event. The platform also included an adaptive bitrate player.[23]
References
- "Livestream Office - live streaming video powered by Livestream". Livestream.com. 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Live Internet Broadcast Platform Provider, Mogulus, Rebrands as Livestream | InteractiveTV Today". Itvt.com. 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Gannett New Jersey - live streaming video powered by Livestream". Livestream.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "KSPR HD Doppler Radar - live streaming video powered by Livestream". Livestream.com. 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- Mogulus Rebrands With A Killer Domain: livestream.com, May 18, 2009
- Big Media Gets Serious About LiveStreaming: Gannett Invests $10 Million In Mogulus, July 28, 2008
- Yee, Vivian. "In Search of Space and Creativity, a Start-Up Is Headed to Brooklyn". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- "Introducing Our New CEO". Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- Livestream Appoints Cofounder Mark Kornfilt as New CEO
- Perez, Sarah. "Vimeo acquires Livestream, launches its own live video product". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
- "Kina Grannis - live streaming video powered by Livestream". Livestream.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- Hoffman, Harrison (2009-10-30). "Foo Fighters playing live concert on Facebook | The Web Services Report - CNET News". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Foo Fighters Draw 440,000 Live Streams to Web-Only Show — Online Video News". Newteevee.com. 2009-11-02. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Saosin Performing Acoustically on Livestream on October 5". SMNnews.com. 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Boys Like Girls Sophomore Album 'Love Drunk' Debuts In Billboard Top 10". Newsblaze.com. 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "30 Seconds To Mars Livestream Q&A Wed 12/9". The Audio Perv. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Check Out Motion City Soundtrack's In-Store Today @ Vintage Vinyl in NJ or on LiveStream!". The Audio Perv. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Live streaming events derive revenue though advertisements and virtual gift giving". hubofchina. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- "Distant Relatives: Events on". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- "Mogulus Web site allows users to create their own TV station". TVTechnology. July 2, 2007.
- "WNYW Fox 5 New York Taps Livestream (Formerly Mogulus) for Live Online Streaming". Interactive TV Today. June 10, 2009.
- "Livestream Producer". Livestream.com. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- "Livestream Launches New Platform, Redefines the Live Video Experience". PRNewsWIRE. October 27, 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2020.