Periscope is the live video streaming app which Twitter launched last year in response to their competitor Meerkat. In just one button click, you are live streaming to your Twitter followers who can tweet questions, comments, and show love to the streamer. Unlike other video platforms like Vine, YouTube, and others, you immediately connect with them.
I’ve seen a couple of people discuss what Periscope is and how it could be utilized in ministry. Dave Shrien and Ryan Bilello talk about the application and possible church uses on the Church Marketing Podcast. Matt McKee talks about if it is bad for ministry on Lifeway’s blog. Kathryn Binkley came up with 24 ways churches can use it in ministry. Church Scoggins shares some annoying habits that produce bad Periscopes. And Will Mancini talks about how church leaders can incorporate it into their ministry.
But it’s the one option that I have seen that I do not know if I agree with:
Can you use Periscope with or in replacement of live streaming?
I see the positives of using this app instead of live streaming:
- It’s free.
- It’s immediately interactive.
- The only equipment you need is the phone in your pocket.
- Unlike many live streaming services, Periscope is mobile-friendly.
But there are also downsides to this as well:
- The video quality is lacking in comparison.
- You need to video with Periscope in portrait. I cringe with the desktop applications.
- If you want to even compete with live streaming audio quality, stability of video, and other smaller aspects, you will need to purchase extra specialized equipment you might not use elsewhere.
- It is unclear if this is still just a fad.
I ended up polling the Church Tech community on Google+ if Periscope should be an option for replacing live stream and got these results:
Here are some of the great comments and opinions people left on the poll:
- “I wouldn’t replace a good live-stream with it, but to augment or do more, it might be fun. I’m thinking that you could do periscopes (or meerkats) from camp, serving opportunities, or even a weekly “what’s the Pastor studying” kind of thing. It’s not great for live-streaming a service (because of the stuff mentioned), but for other things, it could work.” – Paul Alan Clifford
- “I do NOT like the idea of a non-stabilized camera providing a live stream. Even if it is stabilized, at the best the Periscope experience would provide a general ambiance and would not be able to provide much non-verbal communication unless the camera was in the face of the speaker/presenter. For these reasons, I would say leave well enough alone. Unless you can find a way to send your live stream audio and video signal INTO Periscope.” – Tim Adams
- “From what I’ve seen, people pop in to a periscope to see if it’s interesting and if it’s not they pop back out. Might be a waste of time and resources.” – Jesse Gruber
- “I was thinking about this too, and I really like Periscope for certain things, but I don’t think I’d use it for Live Streaming.” – Stephanie Murphy
What do you think?
Is Periscope a good choice over or in conjunction with live streaming for your church?
It should be noted that I never give critiques on tech and apps I haven’t used and I haven’t used Periscope, so you will not see any explicit critiques from me, only from others.
Eric Dye says
Interesting feedback.
I would say—at the most—in tandem with, but not replace.
Jeremy Smith says
Agreed.
David Geipel says
The main church service? No. You shouldn’t soley rely on a social media tool alone. There are simply too many distractions with chat and hearts.
Worship sessions – sure.
Bible study, on special occasions, yes.
Have to ask yourself why you livestream in the first place? Building community? Offering it as a means for those who can’t come? Trying to reach the lost – maybe…
Why would you Periscope your church service? To reach a group who may be bored surfing periscope for something engaging. Likelihood they will come back, not high. Easier to use as a promotional tool to get them to head over to a true livestream for better picture, sound and experience. Sort of a way of promoting the service – like an interview, behind stage, etc. But doesn’t replace the live service.
Jeremy Smith says
Love your thorough comment, thanks! My favorite part isn’t that you came to your specific conclusion, but that you are asking the right questions. Thanks for the feedback!
Michael Yaeger says
“You need to video with Periscope in portrait.” This statement is incorrect:
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.periscope.android
The Periscope service is simply amazing for churches who don’t already have live-streaming hardware and subscription. There is absolutely NO COST to start live-streaming (considering someone in the church has a smartphone), making it a no-brainer.
For churches who are already setup for live-streaming, Periscope shouldn’t even be in the same comparison. However, it can make a great “social supplement” as some have already suggested.
The “No, stay with live stream or none” seems a bit erroneous as Periscope shouldn’t be used to replace an existing setup, but should by all means be used if none is available.
Jeremy Smith says
At the time of this writing, Periscope was not included for Android and there was no landscape mode, so it was correct then. But as technology does, it improved.
I would disagree with it being a no-brainer. For many churches, they want to do things with excellence and the audio in a phone is not designed for concerts or sermons, but for an individual up close and you would be providing a high quality stream. I’m not against it for many churches but I don’t think it is a great live streaming solution, free or not. So I disagree with your statement that it should be used if nothing else is available. That’s discounting the idea of just not doing live stream which I think is a perfect solution for many, if not most, churches.
That being said, if you want to use your church’s platform for social experiments, go for it. As a church leadership, I’d advise against it.
Alan says
What if you used a set up from iographer? They have an adapter cable for different mics to be used with an iPhone. I would think you’d be able to plug directly into the audio from the soundboard. I have the iograpgeriographer set up and thought about trying it. Here’s a link to what I’ve got
http://www.iographer.com/collections/bundles/products/iographer-ultimate-live-stream-kit-for-iphone