14 DAY TRIAL // Google is expanding its Hangouts on Air feature to everyone, after being available only to a few broadcasters on Google+. The feature enables anyone now to hold a hangout viewable by anyone, essentially a live video stream. The feature is an important step forward for Hangouts as Google+ now challenges a number of live streaming services.
"Today we're excited to launch Hangouts On Air to Google+ users worldwide. So if you have something to say — as an aspiring artist, a global celebrity, or a concerned citizen — you can now go live in front of a global audience," Google announced.
"Last year we introduced Hangouts On Air to a limited number of broadcasters, enabling them to go live with friends and fans, for all the world to see," Google explained.
"Since then, this small community has grown the feature in lots of creative ways. And they’ve made one thing crystal clear: when groups of passionate individuals can broadcast live, together, the results are truly remarkable," it added.
The original Hangouts idea brought group video chat to the masses, what's more, it made it available via the browser. However, Hangouts is about friends getting together or connecting with (a few) fans since there's a limit to the number of people that can join.
The limit makes sense since it would be hard if not impossible to have a conversation where everyone gets to speak with more than 10 people.
Hangouts on Air, while using the already known Hangouts name, is different in one big aspect, not everyone is on equal terms, most people are passive viewers, granted, which can have their say via comments.
The new Hangouts on Air, available to all, enables users to broadcast their hangouts to anyone. What's more, they can keep an eye on who's watching. A nice thing about these hangouts is that they can be recorded straight to YouTube and then made available to anyone that didn't catch them live.
