Last October, October 17th to be precise, I ran a live test and went live simultaneously on YouTube and TikTok. If you want to watch that livestream you can do so here. 

During the livestream it quickly became very apparent that I was attracting a lot more live viewers on TikTok compared to YouTube. I attracted ten times as many viewers on TikTok. At the time of the livestream I had less than 2000 followers on TikTok and around 20,000 subscribers on. To me, this was very interesting so in today’s post I wanted to explore why I was able to attract so many more live viewers on TikTok compared to YouTube.

There are several possible reasons why TikTok Lives may attract more viewers than YouTube Lives:

• TikTok’s algorithm is more focused on promoting live content: TikTok’s algorithm places a high emphasis on live content, which means that when someone goes live, their followers are more likely to be notified and see it. In contrast, YouTube’s algorithm is more focused on promoting pre-recorded content, which means that live content may not get as much visibility.

 

• TikTok’s younger user base: TikTok’s user base is generally younger than YouTube’s user base. Younger audiences may be more likely to engage with live content and enjoy watching their favourite creators in real-time.

 

• TikTok’s ease of use: TikTok’s live streaming feature is very easy to use and requires minimal setup. In contrast, YouTube’s live streaming feature can be more complex and require more technical expertise, which may discourage some creators from going live.

 

• TikTok’s social features: TikTok’s live streaming feature includes a number of social features, such as the ability to send virtual gifts, chat with other viewers, and participate in challenges and games. These features may help to create a more engaging and interactive experience for viewers.

Overall, it’s likely that a combination of these factors contributes to TikTok Lives attracting more viewers than YouTube Lives. However, it’s important to note that the popularity of live content can vary depending on the specific niche and audience, so there may be cases where YouTube Lives are more popular than TikTok Lives.