Internal audio and video streams: Let's delve into the most interactive type of content

Platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Steam have become integral to our digital habits, where participating in and consuming live streams is more than just a trend—it's a routine. When a new game is released, many users prefer watching others play before purchasing it. Often, users are uncertain about engaging with content, playing, or buying a game, but they are eager to see how others experience it, feel about it, and what they think.

Users' attitudes towards participation in streams vary widely. Understanding these differences is key to exploring the specific uses and gratifications that attract new viewers to streaming sites.

What are the motives for watching streams? Types of users according to their goals

In our participatory culture, digital users increasingly feel the necessity to interact with the content they consume. Live video streaming, particularly of gaming or watching processes, is one of the most interactive forms of content. Analysing these interactions offers valuable insights into user consumption behaviour, emotional involvement, and audience engagement.

Emotional involvement is crucial for platforms to build strong connections with their audiences and foster loyalty. Meanwhile, user interaction is a major factor in attracting and retaining viewers. Video Game Streaming (VGS) motivates viewers to actively engage with broadcasters and other co-viewers, sharing their passion and experiences with the game.



A study of 1,060 streams across video gaming and talent shows, provided by Xu, Wu and Zao for the study “Exploring viewer participation in online video game streaming” found that the streamer’s level, number of fans, and stream start time have little impact on real-time user interactions and comments. Frequent updates and the constant influx of new streamers have made audiences accustomed to seeing fresh faces, reducing the importance of a streamer’s level or fan count. Notably, female streamers received more real-time comments than male streamers, while the duration of a live stream had minimal negative effects on comments. The number of viewers, likes, and gifts all positively influenced real-time comments.

Comparing game video streaming and talent show streaming revealed that the number of viewers had a stronger positive effect on real-time comments in-game streams. In talent shows, likes were a more powerful stimulus for real-time comments, unlike in-game streams where they had a less significant impact.

Through a questionnaire study, provided by Sjöblom and Hamari for their article “Why do people watch others play video games,” five distinct types of motivations for using streaming platforms were identified: cognitive, affective, personal integrative, social integrative, and tension release. Information-seeking was positively associated with the amount of time users spent on the service and the number of individual streamers they watched. Social integrative motivations were the primary predictors of subscription behaviour.

At the same time, Speed, Burnett, and Robinson divided users who interact with streamers into four groups:

• Try before you buy

Users who watch video streams for entertainment and making a final decision about a purchase.

• Antisocial viewers

Users who watch streams for entertainment but reject any other interactions.

• Loyal Lurkers

Users who consume a variety of content related to their favourite streamers but are not interested in others.

• Social viewers

Those who use the platform to create and support social communities with other streamers and viewers.

Considering these groups, you can predict the stream's level of interaction and engagement and imagine how many users stay with the platform, how many stick to the particular streamer, and what share of users will be ready to buy content per product the stream is dedicated to.

Differences in Streaming Across Various Platforms

Three primary platforms for live video streaming are Twitch, Discord, and YouTube. However, each of these platforms serves a different purpose, even at the most fundamental level. Twitch is a dedicated streaming service designed to enable individuals to broadcast live content to others. On the other hand, Discord began as an instant messaging app tailored for gamers, allowing them to communicate through text and voice while gaming. Then, the platform developed other functions for community activities, such as co-watching YouTube videos via Discord. YouTube, primarily known as a video-sharing platform, is the most public and traditional of the three. As a result, both users and streamers have different expectations and goals when using these platforms, even though they may all seek to deliver a similar live-streaming experience.

When discussing Discord, it’s important to mention audio streaming, which is a unique and intriguing avenue for platforms, users, and streamers.

Audio streams require significantly less energy, time, technology (such as OBS), and financial investment compared to video streams. While audio streams can be just as interactive as video streams, they have their own specific characteristics and cannot be used in exactly the same way. One example is the Clubhouse app, where users were able to join groups to discuss topics via voice. However, it didn’t gain long-term traction because users lacked pre-planned topics or events, making it challenging to continuously generate new themes for discussions.

Despite the ease of use associated with audio streams, streamers still need to invest effort into creating engaging content. If streamers are willing to dedicate more attention to this medium, audio streams can serve as open podcasts. One of the simplest formats could be live commentary on various types of content, such as sports games or films, where influencers can rewatch movies with their audience and provide real-time commentary without worrying about their appearance.

Additionally, major social media platforms like Instagram offer streaming capabilities, notifying all of a streamer’s followers when a stream begins. This is effective for both streamers and the social media platform itself. However, a key question remains: how does this benefit the platform that pays the streamer? 

Why Hosting Streams on Your Platform is Beneficial

For companies, hosting streams on their own platform rather than relying on third-party services like Twitch or YouTube offers several advantages. First, it keeps the audience within your ecosystem, which boosts engagement and retention rates. For example, brands that integrate live streaming into websites or apps often see a 20-30% increase in user engagement and a similar boost in user retention compared to those relying on external platforms. Additionally, owning the streaming platform allows you to monetise content directly, capturing 100% of the revenue from ads, subscriptions, and virtual goods. It also strengthens brand loyalty, as users associate the streaming experience with your brand rather than a third-party service.

Finally, having direct control over the streaming environment enables better data collection and analysis. This allows companies to refine their content strategies and improve user experiences based on real-time feedback and interactions, and it provides an absolutely trustful space that cannot be guaranteed by social media platforms.

Read about social media and trusted spaces during sports tournaments

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If you want to integrate community-building tools for real-time communication or use in-app live streaming to get first-party data from users, connect with us. We will help you find the most suitable solution.