Facebook Live will be available as audio-only option for non-Facebook users

Facebook is introducing new features for its Live tool as the company witnesses 50% increase in user activity.

Facebook is introducing new features for its Live tool. (REUTERS)

Facebook is seeing major spikes in user activity on its products and features. The latest comes from Facebook Live where there has been a 50% increase among users in the US. In light of the current pandemic, Facebook Live will be getting new features making it more accessible to users globally.

Fidji Simo, head of the Facebook app company's plans on introducing new Facebook Live features. Possibly the most important feature is allowing users to access Facebook Live sessions even without a Facebook account. For this, Facebook is introducing an audio-only option for live broadcasts. This is applicable for Facebook users as well who can watch the live broadcasts while they're logged out of Facebook.

To do this, Facebook will provide a toll-free dial-in option which people can use to catch any live broadcast. The social media giant will also provide automatic closed captions on these live broadcasts.

Facebook is also expanding its 'Stars' feature to content creators and publishers. This feature essentially helps creators earn money through Facebook Live sessions. Viewers can buy stars and send them to the creator which amounts to $0.01 per Star. Facebook will allow musicians and cultural institutions on this expansion as well. This is similar to what Amazon's Twitch has started doing by allowing musicians to earn through its platform.

Simo also highlighted the different steps Facebook has taken up to help people through its Live tool.

"We launched Live Producer so people have better tools to go live and engage with people, sent Live accessory kits to faith-based and education organizations so they can produce content easily from mobile, and are publishing how-to guides to provide resources to help people and partners use Facebook products to go live," Simo said.