Kanvas, a mobile platform recently acquired by AOL, announced the launch of Kanvas Live for Android, a live-streaming service that allows users to edit their mobile video live streams in real
time.
Users can edit in real time, add filters, gif stickers and animated themes, paint, and choose from six compose modes like flip book, painting, and Gif burst. Users can also stream
directly to Facebook or Twitter, as well as the Kanvas community.
Live video has recently become a battleground among some of mobile’s heavy hitters, including Periscope (owned by
Twitter), Facebook Live, and Snapchat. The companies may be taking a lesson from TV, which attracts the most viewers to live sporting events.
Technology has also improved to allow Internet
communication to develop from text, to images, to videos and now to live streaming videos without destroying consumer data plans.
Mobile live streaming hasn’t quite approached the scale
and spectacle of some sporting events, but it has started to become an interesting storytelling platform that many are beginning to utilize. Influencers are starting to approach the platform
— probably with some prodding from live-streaming companies — and 360 degree video and virtual reality are also playing a role in the development of live mobile video.
While the
major powers are starting to duke it out over the space, a dominant platform has not yet emerged. This is good for smaller companies and brands that want to try their hand at the format and start to
build an engaged following.