LinkedIn launches live video broadcast for select groups

‘LinkedIn Live’ is currently available as an invite-only feature in the US. It is supported by Microsoft’s cloud division - Azure Media Services.

LinkedIn Live allows users to ask questions or make suggestions in the comments. (Shutterstock)

Microsoft-owned professional networking platform LinkedIn is launching a live video feature on its app to enable users to broadcast real-time videos.

The beta version of "LinkedIn Live" is first launching as an invite-only feature in the US, and it remains unclear if and by when would the feature be available for everyone to create LinkedIn Live videos.

"Video is the fastest growing format on our platform right now and Live has been the most requested feature," TechCrunch quoted Pete Davies, Director of Product Management at LinkedIn as saying on Tuesday.

LinkedIn's live video effort is supported by a part of Microsoft's cloud division -- Azure Media Services -- that is providing encoding for LinkedIn Live.

"The feature is intended to allow users to ask questions or make suggestions in the comments in real time where hosts could moderate those comments in real time too," Davies said.

The initial live content that LinkedIn hopes to broadcast and cover includes conferences, product announcements, questions and answers, events led by influencers, earnings calls, graduation and awards ceremonies and more.

LinkedIn introduced its first native video features in 2017 which have proven to be a strong engine for engagement and revenue growth at the company.

"Microsoft reported in its last quarterly earnings that revenues at LinkedIn were up 29 per cent, with a reference to growing its ads business specifically with record levels of engagement highlighted by LinkedIn sessions growth of 30 per cent," the report noted.

The platform recently announced that it has touched the 50 million user-mark in India with 562 million global members.