Virtual reality is a cool new technology that aims to replicate an environment as accurately as possible and enable users to interact with that virtual re-creation. It will become popular around the world because virtual reality allows you to feel like you're actually at that concert, soccer game, or seminar.
Although it's a given the entertainment and sports industries will benefit greatly from virtual reality, businesses in other industries can use it to their advantage as well. You can give your audience a 360-degree look behind the scenes of your business or film a 360-degree product video to stand out while providing a more interactive experience. Here is what you need to know about YouTube's new virtual reality live-streaming and 3D sound options to utilize it for your business:
California's Coachella Festival is First
According to YouTube, certain concerts from California's Coachella Festival will be the first to live-stream in 360-degrees with YouTube's virtual reality facility. YouTube also announced that their platform will now support spatial audio, also called 3D audio. Spatial audio causes you to feel like sounds are coming from various directions and distances. Virtual reality experiences will be enhanced by 3D audio because it makes it more realistic.
YouTube Introduced 360-Degree Videos in March 2015
For around a year, interactive 360-degree videos have been supported on YouTube's website. A few months after YouTube's initial introduction of 360-degree videos, they announced that businesses can use virtual reality ads too. You can change the view of a 360 video by clicking and dragging your mouse or by tilting your smartphone or tablet.
Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer of YouTube, wrote in a blog post, “From musicians to athletes to brands, creators have done some incredible things with this technology. Now they'll be able to do even more to bring fans directly into their world, with 360-degree live streaming.”
Who is Able to Broadcast 360-Degree Videos on YouTube?
You'll need a 360-degree camera to broadcast these types of videos on YouTube. Your device must also be able to upload at 10Mbps-20Mbps. As long as you meet those two requirements, you will be able to live stream and record 360-degree video videos on YouTube.
YouTube's new 3D audio feature will only work when users wear headphones and YouTube's Android app. Those who want to record in spatial audio must use special microphones that support binaural recordings. It's not as widespread as 360-degree videos yet, but it will likely catch up.
Should Your Business Consider Uploading 360-Degree Videos?
As Chris Green, a tech analyst at the business consultancy Lewis, said, “We're seeing a lot of interest in virtual reality driven by the surge in affordable VR headsets that use smartphones as their screens.” He also expects there will be fierce competition between YouTube, Facebook, and a few other major players to dominate the virtual reality industry.
If you're a business owner who starts marketing with 360-degree videos, you'll have a competitive edge against others in your niche. Just as social media marketing became increasingly popular to the point that consumers expect all businesses to have a social media presence, 360-degree videos will likely grow in popularity over the years. The early birds to this fresh opportunity will benefit the most.
Conclusion
Just over a year later after adopting new technology for allowing virtual videos to be uploaded on YouTube, the company is now opening the door for live virtual reality streaming and 3D sound. This is relevant to all business owners because 360-degree videos and spatial audio provide consumers with a more interactive and immersive experience. As you know, interaction with your audience is important for your business's success.
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