Twitter Removes Guests From Live Streaming To Improve The Quality Of The Stream

Here’s a relatively minor change, although it does impact some users. Today, Twitter announced that it is removing its live video guests option, which allows users to add audio-only guests to their live broadcasts.

As you can see from that channel’s original tweet, Twitter launched the feature in March of last year, helping to address the growing interest in the live connection. Although even at launch, Twitter’s guest audio option was already way behind the features available on other apps.

At the time, Zoom was taking off as a live meeting platform, allowing multiple video participants at once, while Instagram and Facebook both also offer live streams with video guests (although it should be noted that Facebook removed this option in late 2019, before bringing it back due to the pandemic).

This meant that people already had plenty of options for the live streaming connection, with full video functionality, and as such, maybe Twitter’s guest audio option just didn’t. its way and was not responding to the request, which is why Twitter deleted it.

I mean, I guess the usage has been relatively low, otherwise Twitter would keep it – but as Twitter notes, the main reason for removing its live guests option is that it will allow Twitter to improve. its video playback quality, which has been the focus of attention lately.

Interestingly, Facebook comes from today announcement a new option for game streamers to co-stream with friends, highlighting the demand for this type of interaction – so there is clearly an interest in video connection. Simply no video connection with audio, or at least not enough to outweigh server demands, which would facilitate better video quality.

Again, this is probably not a major loss, and if you want to have audio guests, now you have Twitter Spaces to fill that gap. And you can still broadcast, on Twitter or wherever, and respond to all the different usage options, you just can’t have audio invitees tapping into your Twitter feeds.

It may mean a change in focus or planning, but the impacts are likely minimal.

Twitter says the update will take effect from today.