Substack tested live video last year, allowing Substack Bestsellers (the company’s top users) to stream video and connect with a live audience and even collaborate with other Bestsellers. Now, the feature is open to every Substack publisher who wants to go live. The only primary requirement besides needing an account is having at least 10 free subscribers.
Publishers who go live can read comments as they come in, similar to Twitch. They can also collaborate with other publishers by asking them to hop on a call. Currently, Substack is only supporting up to three people in a single call.
After your stream ends, you get a copy of the VOD and also some AI-generated notes. The VOD can be posted as its own post to ensure readers and fans who missed out can experience the stream on their own time. The VODs are made public by default when shared as a post, but they can also be paywalled. Substack’s AI can generate clips you can share to attract viewers to watch the main VOD if you’re interested in promoting your content elsewhere.
Substack claims that its Bestsellers are happy with the feature, which allows them to engage with their readers and viewers better than before. The full impact of live video on Substack still remains questionable until more publishers try it out. Given how many options there are for streaming live video these days, it’s far from a sure thing it’ll catch on here.
