Facebook is continuously upgrading its user experience with live features. First live videos and then live 360 videos. Now Facebook has introduced Live Audio feature in its iOS and Android apps.
Mentioning the fact of building features on their user’s feedback, Facebook seems to be too excited to announce another feature in their Live framework – Live Audio. Now you can go live with your podcast on your Facebook page and interact with your fans instantly.
What motivated Facebook to build Live Audio feature into the community’s framework, is the ways publishers have been using to go live on their Facebook fan pages with audio only. With the Live Audio publishers can go live easily on their page. Another factor is the lack of strong network connectivity from where a publisher would want to go live. Audio only streaming will absolutely require low bandwidth to broadcast live.
Just as with a live video streaming on Facebook, listeners can discover live audio content in their News Feed, ask questions and leave reactions in real time during the live broadcast of audio only. Similarly they can share it to friends.
Interestingly and most importantly on Android, the live audio playback on Facebook will continuously keep playing if the user leaves the Facebook app or even if they lock the device.
Unfortunately this feature is not available on iOS devices. The live audio can only continue playing while the user explores within the Facebook app on an iPhone or iPad.
Like always, this Live Audio feature is also available only to select partners with Facebook as they will be testing the feature before it rolls out to more people and publishers. Currently BBC World Service , LBC, Harper Collins, and authors Adam Grant and Brit Bennett have joined in. Facebook has plans to make this feature available to more pages and/or profiles.
