Live video on Substack

It’s as simple as downloading or updating the Substack app, pressing the orange “+” button on the Home screen, and selecting “Live.” For step-by-step instructions, please visit the support page.

All publishers on Substack who have at least 10 free subscribers in the Substack app can stream using live video.

At the moment, publishers can stream live video only from the Substack app, which can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android devices.

That said, your subscribers can view your livestream from their computer or the Substack app on their phone.

When you use Substack’s live video feature, you can choose to open the stream to “everyone,” “all subscribers,” or “paid subscribers only.”

Each live video will have a chat section where viewers can drop comments or questions. If you would like to set the live video chat so that paid or founding subscribers are the only subscribers who can chat, you may do so by going to your Substack Account Settings page. Scroll down to Notifications and under “Allow live chats from,” click on the dropdown menu.

Publishers using the Substack iOS app can now schedule a live video ahead of time. You’ll receive a shareable RSVP link that can be posted in Notes, emails, chats, and on social media to help build anticipation and drive attendance.. For step-by-step instructions, please visit the support page.

Subscribers who have the Substack app and have enabled push notifications will receive an alert when you go live. Your subscribers will also receive an automated email notification, ensuring that they never miss a session.

If you schedule the live video in advance using these instructions, subscribers will also receive a push and email notification when the event is created, along with an RSVP link and a prompt to add the event to their Google or Apple calendar.

We highly recommend sending a dedicated post or chat (or both!) to your subscribers a couple of days before your first live video. Make sure to share the date and time of your live video, along with directions for joining the stream and the RSVP link, if scheduled in advance.

Those tuning in via desktop can visit your Substack page and they will see the live video at the top of your publication.

For those on the app, they can either click the push notification when the session begins or they can visit your profile and click on your profile picture to access the livestream.

Collaborative livestreams are a powerful way to engage subscribers and drive growth by expanding the reach of live video. Substack currently supports collaborative livestreams with up to three publishers.

Both live and pre-recorded content are valuable. Pre-recorded content adds variety to your content strategy and drives growth; writers and creators who have added audio and/or video to their Substack grow their revenue more than 2.5 times as fast as those who haven’t.

On the other hand, live video creates a sense of immediacy and exclusivity that grabs attention. Promoting live events to external audiences helps attract followers from other platforms and makes it easier to turn them into subscribers and, eventually, paying subscribers.

Yes. Your live video is automatically saved as a draft in your Substack post drafts, ready to post whenever you’re ready.

Social clips are created within a few minutes of ending your broadcast. After your live video ends, you can click on the pop-up available on your screen within the Substack app, or you will also receive an email with a link to your social clips.

Answers to frequently asked questions about Live Video can be found in our support center.