In a nutshell
- Infinite stream loops allow continuous livestreaming of prerecorded content on platforms, enhancing viewer engagement and revenue without added effort.
- Loop streams, especially with services like Gyre, are straightforward to set up, increase audience retention and are monetarily beneficial due to higher advertising costs.
- Infinite loop streaming may face policy changes from platforms in the future.
For most livestreaming platforms, the longer you’re live, the more success and revenue you’ll get. That’s why some creators are turning to endless infinite stream loops. Why is that? Because they offer an easy way for streams to keep their audience engaged with their content at no extra effort to them. With tools like Gyre, it’s becoming simple to livestream an infinite stream of prerecorded content for Twitch, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.
So, let’s dive into the topic of infinite streams and determine if they’re worth doing. We’ll also cover what you need to know to set up your own infinite stream if they turn out to be a great solution for you. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
What are infinite stream loops?
Infinite stream loops refer to a continuous livestream on platforms like Twitch that plays prerecorded content on a loop. Oftentimes, these streams play replay for an extended period of time. Sometimes they go days; other times, they may never end. These streams also have no active presenter. So while the channel is considered live on the platform, all the content is prerecorded.
The most common example of an infinite stream is a stream that replays creators’ content on a loop. Usually, these streams are broadcasted on Twitch or YouTube and play longer-form videos. A large portion of Twitch streamers also run an active YouTube channel. So, those who run an endless stream often use videos from their YouTube channel. Alternatively, streamers can also broadcast past streams. This approach is harder for viewers to tell if it’s prerecorded or not. With YouTube videos, it’s often clear there’s been some post-production work done on them.
Endless streams are also prominent for music channels. For instance, YouTube channel Lofi Girl runs an endless stream that plays its visuals on a loop and broadcasts the “lofi hip hop radio — beats to relax/study to” YouTube stream. Ryan Celsius is another example.
Why run an endless infinite stream?
Here are some of the advantages of offering an infinite loop live stream:
- Continuous streams attract traffic much faster
- Streams gain views faster than regular videos
- Viewers spend a lot of time watching continuous streams
- Streams are more profitable because the cost of advertising on them is often higher
Continuous livestreams also bring new subscribers to the channel. When streaming your existing content on a loop, you aren’t violating the platforms’ content guidelines on duplicate content. This is because you aren’t reuploading the content but streaming it continuously. When the stream stops, the videos do not remain on the channel.
Additionally, looped streams generate more revenue than regular videos because they have a higher audience retention rate. Advertising is always more expensive on such videos, meaning streams generate more revenue than regular videos. Even for smaller channels, streams are promoted better by the YouTube algorithms. This allows channels to generate more watch time and subscribers grow faster. This boost is vital for channel growth and enabling monetization. To maximize your streaming loops and audience growth, it’s best to restart your streams every three days, as they get the maximum amount of views in the first three days.
Setting up a looped stream
Setting up a looped stream is straightforward with services like Gyre. Gyre provides a dedicated IP server where you upload your video file. Once uploaded, Gyre creates a loop stream of the content for live broadcasting.
Typically, videos uploaded to Gyre are about an hour long, taking up 2 to 3 GB, and are streamed in their original quality. With Gyre, you can run up to four simultaneous streams on different channels or the same channel. These streams can last 24/7, 365 days per year. Regular videos can take up to 96 days to achieve the same metrics as a looped stream. Subscriber growth can improve by up to two and a half times with a looped stream compared to a regular video. Running multiple looped streams can exponentially increase growth and revenue. The pricing for Gyre starts at $0 for a free trial, with higher tiers priced at $49, $99 and $169.
Who’s using endless looped streams?
One prominent content creator utilizing infinite loop streaming is YouTuber PewDiePie. With over 111 million subscribers and thousands of videos in his archive, PewDiePie’s channel has a vast selection for creating infinite stream loops. He decided to stream his vast library of YouTube content on Twitch. Although he himself never streams on Twitch, he streams his years of content on an infinite loop.
This method allows PewDiePie to profit from old videos streaming on a loop without additional effort, epitomizing passive income. He doesn’t need to be present for the stream, yet the chat room and viewer count remain active, consistently generating revenue from subscriptions. It’s an effective way to recycle old content, leading to growth, revenue, free advertising and increased followers and subscribers.
Other content creators employing this strategy include Yogscast, Gronkh and LukeTheNotable.
Infinite stream loops: The modern rerun?
Ultimately, infinite loop streams are the modern equivalent of TV reruns. However, for viewers to tune in, quality content is essential. So this strategy might not work for everyone who has yet to build their library of content. There’s also speculation that platforms like Twitch might change their terms of service regarding infinite livestreaming. However, for now, it remains a lucrative method for channel growth and revenue.