When you broadcast live video on Facebook, the video is automatically saved to your timeline when you finish broadcasting. This allows people to replay and watch the full live video even after the broadcast ends. However, there are a few different places you can find and manage your Facebook Live videos.
Where to find Facebook Live videos on your timeline
After you finish broadcasting live video on Facebook, the full video will be published to your timeline. To find it:
- Go to your Facebook profile
- Scroll through your timeline posts
- Look for the live video, marked with “Live Video” and the red icon
- Click on the video to watch the full replay
The video will remain published on your timeline like any other post. People who missed the live broadcast can scroll back and watch the full video replay any time.
Finding your Facebook Live videos in Video Library
In addition to being published on your timeline, your live videos are also saved to the Video Library section of your profile:
- Go to your profile and click “Photos”
- Click the “Videos” tab at the top
- Scroll down and click “Live Videos” on the left sidebar
- Here you will see thumbnails of all your live video broadcasts
- Click on any video to watch the full replay
Your Video Library acts as an archive of all the live videos you have broadcast on Facebook. You can scroll through and find replays of both recent and older live videos in one place.
Downloading your Facebook Live videos
If you want to download and save the video file from your Facebook Live broadcast, you have a couple options:
Download from Video Library
- Go to your Video Library as explained above
- Hover over the video you want and click the down arrow icon
- Select “Download Video”
- The video file will download to your computer
Using third-party tools
There are browser extensions and online tools you can use to download videos from Facebook:
- Browser extensions like Download Facebook Videos for Chrome
- Online tools like SaveFrom.net and fbdown.net
To use these, simply copy the URL of the Facebook video post and paste it into the tool. It will allow you to download the video file to your computer.
Deleting your live videos
If you ever want to remove a live video from your Facebook profile, you have a few options:
Delete from timeline
- Go to the live video post on your timeline
- Click the options menu (three dots) in the upper right
- Select “Delete Video”
- Confirm the deletion
This will delete the video post from your timeline, however the video will still be saved in your Video Library.
Remove from Video Library
- Go to your Video Library
- Hover over the video and click the “X” icon
- Confirm the deletion
This will permanently delete the video from Facebook.
Controlling who can view your live videos
You can select a specific audience for your live videos when you broadcast them:
- Public – Anyone on or off Facebook can view your live video
- Friends – Only your Facebook friends can view your live video
- Only Me – Only you can view the live video and replay
Keep in mind that controlling the audience only applies while you are live. Once you finish broadcasting, the live video will be posted to your timeline with the default audience you have set for normal timeline posts.
To adjust the audience while broadcasting:
- Tap the audience selector when you go live (Public/Friends/Only Me)
- Choose who can view your live broadcast
Using Facebook Live videos in ads
If you want to reuse content from a Facebook Live video in an ad, you have two options:
Promote the live video post
- Go to the live video post on your timeline
- Click “Boost Post”
- Create an ad campaign with the live video
This will create an ad using the existing live video post on your timeline.
Convert and reuse the video
- Download the full live video file as explained above
- Trim and edit the video as desired
- Upload the edited video to Facebook as a new video post
- Use the new video post in a Facebook ad
This allows you to customize and modify the video before running it as an ad.
Live streaming with Facebook Live tools
In addition to streaming live video directly from the Facebook app, you can also use Facebook Live tools to broadcast professional, high-quality live streams:
Facebook Live Producer
- Desktop software for Mac and PC
- Connect professional cameras, add overlays and multi-source switching
- Requires an external encoder hardware to stream
StreamYard
- Web-based live streaming studio
- Add overlays, graphics, multi-guests etc
- Streams directly to Facebook Live
OBS Studio
- Free and open source software
- Advanced video mixing and switching capabilities
- Requires plugin to integrate with Facebook Live
Videos streamed with these tools are saved to your Facebook timeline the same as mobile streams. However, you have more flexibility over overlays, branding, recording, and multi-source videos.
Facebook Live video requirements
Facebook has some requirements for live video in order for it to be published successfully:
| Requirement | Video |
|---|---|
| Length | Minimum of 10 seconds |
| File size | Less than 4GB |
| Dimensions | Minimum 480×480 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | Between 1.91:1 – 4:5 |
| Orientation | Vertical or horizontal |
Meeting these requirements ensures your live streams and replays appear correctly on Facebook. Videos that don’t meet the requirements may fail to upload or be removed by Facebook.
Troubleshooting Facebook Live videos
Here are some common troubleshooting tips for Facebook Live video issues:
Video won’t start or drops
- Check your internet connection speed and stability
- Try restarting your encoder software or mobile app
- Move closer to your wifi router if using wifi
- Use an ethernet cable connection if possible
Video has no sound
- Confirm your audio input source is properly selected
- Try adjusting your sound/mic settings or volumes
- Test your equipment with another audio recording app
Video quality is poor
- Reduce your video resolution and fps settings
- Use a wired internet connection instead of wifi
- Close other bandwidth-intensive apps
- Adjust encoder preset to prioritize quality over speed
Video is distorted or scrambled
- Lower your video bitrate settings in the encoder
- Choose a higher resolution preset like 1080p
- Upgrade your live streaming equipment if using very old/slow hardware
Live video has a delay or latency
- Some delay is inevitable based on your equipment and internet speeds
- Use ultra-low latency encoders like OBS or Streamlabs OBS
- Enable “Normal Latency” mode in your encoder settings
- Ask viewers to refresh the video if latency gets very high
Conclusion
Facebook automatically saves your live broadcasts to your timeline and Video Library. The full replay remains available for viewers to watch on demand. You can download the videos to re-upload or reuse, delete them if desired, and control the privacy settings. Following Facebook’s live video requirements helps ensure a smooth broadcast. If you have any issues, try the troubleshooting tips above to improve your Facebook Live streams.