Instagram offers a way to broadcast live to a smaller, more private audience.
Starting today, Instagram users will be able to host live broadcasts that are only available to their list of close friends. Up to three other accounts can join the live stream and broadcast with the original user. The feature is being rolled out globally.
Up until this point, going live meant that anyone could listen and watch if your account was public, and all your followers could watch the stream if you had a private account. Live videos are a popular feature of influencers and celebrities chatting with followers or fan accounts broadcasting live footage from concerts – in other words, content geared more towards broad audiences and for general consumption.
The ability to live stream just a small group of people feels closer to a giant FaceTime call than a public live stream — and in fact, the example use cases the company offers are decidedly more intimate. A user can start sharing impactful content like “Get Ready with Me” videos without judgment from a few followers, for example, or host a study session with a group of friends.