Guide to Live Streaming Your Art!

art4youartgallery
Apr 30, 2020
3 min read

More and more artists and institutions are turning to live streaming as a way to stay active and connected. And to get their work and exhibitions out there. In case you’ve never given it a try before but are now considering it, we’ve put together this simple guide to live streaming your art.

Live streaming existed before Covid-19, of course. And aside from being an alternative to the current widespread shutdown and lack of access to public spaces, live streaming can be an effective medium for engaging an audience via real-time interaction and discussion. What’s more, it makes it possible to open that discussion up and make it more accessible to a wider, international public. What do you need to get started? Here are some tips for this and more on live streaming your art.

Where to live stream

There are a number of options when it comes to live streaming platforms. Perhaps the simplest and most straightforward are social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, if you already have an account.

Instagram

If you have an audience there,Instagram live and IGTV can enable you to reach them, even on the go. However, it may be a bit more limited in the sense that you likely have to rely on your phone to record. Instagram also does not automatically save live videos online. So if you want them to remain there, you’ll have to save and upload them back to your channel. Or save them to your story.

Facebook

Facebook is also easy to use when it comes to live streaming, and again, it allows you to reach the audience you’ve built there. But using Facebook might also mean that it is more difficult to expand your reach beyond the followers/audience you already have. Also keep in mind that you will not be able to embed your video on other platforms — it will only be watchable on Facebook.

YouTube

Youtube also enables live streaming and offers more options than the social media platforms. It lets you make edits to the live stream video directly in the platform after the stream has ended, for instance. Live videos also stay posted on your channel, if you choose, and are embedded on other sites. YouTube is also compatible with software like OBS, which allows you to integrate footage from multiple cameras or weave images and audio into your broadcast.

Live streaming art in times of Corona!

In response to the Covid-19 shutdown, we art4you gallery is coming up with new platforms that have emerged to showcase and bring exposure to live streamed content by artists. Such platforms could be a way to help build your live-stream audience.

And, with these initiatives, there is often a built-in option or some kind of infrastructure to support and promote the artist.

Online Art Fest by Art4you Gallery

Online Art fest is an independently organized, artivist initiative. Following an open call for artists to submit works, the platform is organizing a live-streamed series of events with virtual art exhibition to run during the first weekend in May. The works will be streamed on the our YouTube channel and web portals... And they will also remain there afterwards to allow further viewing and sharing to promote the artists and give their work visibility.

So, do your thing and try not to feel too pressured. Going live can be daunting, but keep in mind that you don’t have to shoot for presenting a finished work or producing a definitive outcome.