Facebook Live allows users to broadcast live video streams to their followers on Facebook. It has become an incredibly popular way for individuals, businesses, organizations and media outlets to share live video content on Facebook.
One question that often comes up with regards to Facebook Live is whether or not past live streams can be viewed after the broadcast is over. Unlike ephemeral platforms like Snapchat or Instagram Stories, Facebook Live videos do have the capability to be viewed after the live broadcast ends. However, the ability to view past streams depends on a few factors.
Saving and Sharing Live Videos
When a Facebook Live video ends, there are a couple of options for what happens to the video next:
Automatic Saving
By default, Facebook automatically saves live videos to the broadcaster’s Timeline when the broadcast ends. This means that any public live streams will remain viewable on the user’s Timeline after the live broadcast is over.
Users can delete the video from their Timeline if they do not wish for it to be viewable after the fact. But if no action is taken by the user, the video will be saved on their profile.
Manual Saving
For live videos that were broadcast privately or in Facebook Groups, the video will not be automatically saved to the user’s Timeline.
The broadcaster has the option to manually save these private or group videos to their Timeline after the broadcast ends. This gives them control over which live videos are publicly visible on their profile.
Sharing
Even if a live video is not saved on the broadcaster’s own Timeline, they have the ability to share the video to their Timeline or to a Facebook Group, Page or friend’s Timeline after the broadcast ends.
This sharing capability essentially allows any Facebook Live video to be made viewable after the fact, regardless of its initial privacy settings.
Finding and Watching Past Live Videos
Assuming a Facebook Live video was either automatically saved or manually shared somewhere publicly after the broadcast, there are a couple ways for other users to find and watch past live streams:
On the Broadcaster’s Timeline
The most straightforward place to find live videos after they are over is directly on the Timeline of the person or Page that published the live stream.
Simply navigate to their profile, go to their Videos tab and all publicly visible past live broadcasts should appear there in chronological order.
Using Search
You can also find past live videos by using the search bar at the top of Facebook. Search for the name of the person, Page or group who broadcasted the live video and their past streams may appear in the search results.
Alternatively, you may be able to surface past live videos by searching for relevant keywords related to the video topic itself.
Notifications and Shares
If you received a notification about a Facebook Live broadcast but did not actually watch it live, you should still be able to retrieve the video through that notification after the broadcast ends.
Similarly, if another user shared a link to a Facebook Live video on their Timeline or in a group, you can click that link to watch the archived version.
Facebook Watch
Facebook launched a dedicated video portal called Facebook Watch in 2017. Publishers and creators can upload their live videos to Facebook Watch after they are finished broadcasting.
So archived live videos may be discoverable through Facebook Watch for high-profile creators who have uploaded their content.
Time Limit for Viewing Past Streams
Facebook does limit how far back you can look for past live videos. According to Facebook, archived live broadcasts are available for replay on the platform for up to 90 days after the original live broadcast.
After 90 days, the videos become inaccessible and can no longer be viewed on Facebook.
So if you want to watch a live video from more than 90 days ago, you will be out of luck unless the creator downloaded the video and re-uploaded it separately from the live broadcast.
Differences from Regular Video
While live broadcasts can be viewed similarly to regular native videos after they are over, there are a few key differences:
Editing
Unlike traditional native videos, Facebook Live broadcasts cannot be edited after they are finished. The video visible after the fact is the same as what was originally streamed live.
Metrics
The metrics available on past live videos are more limited compared to regular videos. You can only see the total number of views, you cannot see more granular analytics.
Monetization
Live videos cannot immediately be monetized like regular videos. Creators have to download the live video and reupload it as a native video if they want to run ads against it.
So while live broadcasts can still be viewed after the fact, they have less post-production capabilities compared to traditional video.
Why Access to Past Streams Matters
The ability to view Facebook Live videos after they are finished streaming is important for a number of reasons:
Flexibility for Viewers
If someone misses the live broadcast, they can still watch the replay at a later time that fits their schedule. Viewers don’t have to conform to a fixed watching schedule.
Evergreen Content
Past broadcasts allow creators to essentially turn ephemeral live content into more evergreen, searchable content that has a longer lifespan and market value.
Generating Interest
Leaving videos accessible after the fact allows new viewers to discover the content over time and potentially become interested in watching future live streams.
Reviewing/Critiquing Content
The ability to replay past broadcasts allows creators to review and assess their own content in order to improve their technique and quality over time.
Legal/Regulatory Reasons
In some cases, keeping videos archived can be important for legal proceedings or adhering to local broadcasting regulations.
So while live video brings unique benefits, on-demand replay extends its usefulness and gives it legs beyond the initial broadcast itself.
Conclusion
In summary, most Facebook Live streams can indeed be viewed after the live broadcast is finished. Videos are automatically saved or can be manually shared to enable on-demand viewing.
Past live videos can be accessed from search, profiles, pages, groups or notifications for up to 90 days until they expire. This replay ability makes live video much more flexible, shareable, discoverable and valuable to both viewers and creators on Facebook.