Facebook News & Updates: New Feature Lets Users Stream Live Audio

Facebook users have already been using its live video feature since it was rolled out. The giant company has just announced that it will be making another major tweak in the application, Live Audio.

According to The Verge, the Live Audio feature is designed by Facebook to complement live video streams that come with a lower-bandwidth option, which will initially be available to publishers, and will open up to more publishers and regular Facebook users in 2017.

Facebook shared a blog post in relation to the announcement on Tuesday and said that the new feature is mainly for authors and interviewers who wants to broadcast live, but does not want to add a video layer to their broadcast. Broadcasts will be available directly in the Facebook application.

And just like Facebook's current live video streaming feature, users will be able to see broadcasts in their news feed, comment and react to the broadcast, and share with friends. USA Today reports that Live Audio will help people with poor connectivity to still be able to listen to live broadcasts since unlike videos, it's easier to stream audios.

In line with this, the feature will be available to both iOS and Android users, but with slight differences. Android users may listen to live broadcasts and use other applications while listening, while iOS would have to keep the Facebook application open while listening. Closing the application will cut the sound.

Facebook's initial partners in their Live Audio feature include Britain's LBC radio, BBC World Service, Harper Collins, Adam Grant, and Britt Bennett. The app is expected to be available to other publishers and people early next year, according to Tech Crunch.

Reports states that coming up with such new feature, Facebook's idea may bring competition to other audio streaming services like SoundCloud where users may share sound clips to other social media platforms.