It feels like just yesterday when we were testing out initial prototypes of a platform that would soon change the way people go live on the internet. Now here we are, celebrating 7 years of OneStream Live with a heart full of gratitude, some epic stories to share, and more exciting updates than we can count on our fingers.
If you’ve been following our journey—whether from the very start or only recently—then you know how much has changed since those early days. This post is all about taking a joyful stroll down memory lane, highlighting the pivotal moments, and envisioning what the next 7 years of OneStream Live hold for us.
In this Article:
The Spark That Ignited the Fire (2017)
Could we empower businesses, content creators, and everyday dreamers to play video live across multiple platforms without pulling their hair out over complicated technical steps?
In many ways, our story begins with a spark—an idea that emerged in 2017. Back then, the concept of seamlessly scheduling and streaming pre-recorded videos to multiple platforms felt revolutionary (which, to be honest, it still kind of is!).
Throughout 2017:
- We ran a feasibility test and pilot run, trying to figure out how to build a platform that could handle the demands of modern content creators.
- In December 2017, we rolled out our beta version to just 40 lucky testers. These were the testers who provided vital feedback, ideas, and bug reports, helping us shape the foundation of what would become OneStream Live.
Sure, it was a bit bumpy, with unexpected glitches here and there—like any newborn venture. But the sense of excitement and potential was so thick you could almost taste it in the air.
The Official Launch (2018)
If 2017 was our time to dream, 2018 was our time to soar! On January 19, 2018, OneStream Live was officially released to the world.
This was the year we went from being a beta project to a fully-fledged live streaming website.
- Launch Day (January 2018): We welcomed a growing community of streamers who wanted a more user-friendly way to broadcast their content. From businesses conducting webinars to gamers sharing their epic adventures, we saw a wide spectrum of streaming genres popping up.
- Cloud Storage Integration (April 2018): One of our first major steps was allowing users to upload and store their pre-recorded videos directly from various cloud services. It simplified the entire process, making it smoother for streamers everywhere.
You might ask: Why put so much emphasis on cloud storage? Back then, storing and uploading large video files was quite a headache for most creators. By integrating with popular cloud storage solutions, OneStream Live eliminated many of those pain points.
Spreading Our Wings (2019)
If 2018 was our sprint out of the starting blocks, 2019 felt more like an all-out marathon of innovation. We started the year with some big news: we secured the Business Finland Tempo Funding, which helped us develop and introduce many new features. This achievement led to us today celebrating 7 years of OneStream Live.
New Features, New Horizons
- Notification Center (March 2019): We introduced a real-time alert system to keep everyone on top of their upcoming streams, status updates, and new platform announcements.
- Custom Streaming Presets (April 2019): With presets, streamers could predefine their streaming settings.
- Screen Capture (May 2019): You could capture and share your desktop, demos, or tutorials—all live!
- Restreaming Feature (July 2019): This powerful feature lets you broadcast to multiple destinations simultaneously.
- Streaming Analytics (August 2019) and DVR (October 2019): You could now measure your success and offer your audience the option to rewind.
By the end of 2019, our community was full of content creators—teachers, entertainers, marketers—who supported each other. It was a glimpse of the magic that happens when technology meets creativity.
Rising to the Challenges (2020)
We all know 2020 wasn’t easy—on any front. The world changed drastically, almost overnight. As everyone began exploring online spaces for work, entertainment, and social interaction, OneStream Live had to not only keep up but also step up.
Pushing Boundaries in a Global Pandemic
- Google Sign-Up & Advanced Scheduling (January 2020): We made it easier for new users to sign up with just a couple of clicks, followed by advanced scheduling options.
- Longer Streaming Durations (February 2020): Our Pro plan began supporting streams up to 8 hours. Marathons, concerts, festivals—bring it on!
- Screen Capture for Desktops/Laptops (March 2020): Building on the 2019 feature, we refined screen capture to make it even smoother.
- Instagram Streaming via Third-Party (April 2020): This made broadcasting to Instagram very easy.
- Facebook Cross-Posting (June 2020): More ways to reach a wider audience with minimal effort.
- Real-Time Streaming (October 2020): We introduced real-time streaming using streaming encoders to give content creators that live, in-the-moment feel.
- New Platforms (November 2020): We welcomed Trovo, Socio.Event, and Nono Live to our lineup.
In 2020, we realized that people needed more ways to connect, more platforms to collaborate on, and simpler tools to stay engaged. We refused to let the pandemic cripple us—instead, we adapted, delivered, and thrived alongside our user base.
Enhancing the User Experience (2021)
By 2021, we had a clearer mission: focus on making everything user-friendly and community-oriented. It wasn’t enough to have the coolest features; they needed to be intuitive, welcoming, and accessible to everyone.
2021 at a Glance
- Blog Domain Launch (February 2021): We created a dedicated blog space to share tips, tutorials, success stories, and behind-the-scenes peeks.
- Embed Player, Mobile App Streaming, Box & Frame.io Integration (March 2021): Streamers could now embed their broadcast player directly on websites, stream from OneStream Live’s mobile app, and even integrate their files from Box and Frame.io.
- Live Unified Chat (July 2021): One of our favorite additions! Get chat messages from multiple platforms into one tidy place, making it super easy to engage with your audience.
- Real-Time Event Announcement, Pause Subscription & Newsletter Launch (October 2021): This trio of improvements gave you better control of your subscriptions, streamlined how you announced events and opened up another communication channel via newsletters.
- Instagram Direct & Twitter Live Integration, Cisco Webex (November 2021): We doubled down on connectivity. More ways to connect, more ways to grow.
- ABR (Adaptive Bitrate Streaming) (December 2021): ABR ensured that your viewers experienced the best possible stream quality, even if their internet connection had other ideas.
Closing out 2021 felt like finishing a grand novel’s chapter. Every improvement we rolled out had one goal in mind: to make your streaming life simpler and better.
Expanding Horizons (2022)
After a year focused on refining user experience, 2022 felt like the perfect time to push boundaries further.
Major Milestones
- Live Spaces Launch (February 2022): We gave you your customizable web space to host and broadcast your live streams with Live Spaces (later upgraded to Hosted Live Pages).
- Integration with ECamm Live (March 2022): We ensured that Mac users could seamlessly integrate ECamm broadcasts into OneStream Live.
- LinkedIn Live Integration & Bug Reporting (April 2022): We introduced LinkedIn Live as another platform integration and also a user-friendly feature for reporting bugs.
- Live Spaces Analytics & Telegram Live Streaming (May 2022): We wanted to give streamers the numbers they needed—view counts, engagement, retention—so they could refine their strategies. Meanwhile, Telegram streaming opened up a new avenue for live streaming.
- OneStream Studio Beta (July 2022): Our biggest leap toward making professional, interactive live streams accessible to everyone. Suddenly, you weren’t just streaming; you were producing an entire show, complete with overlays, multi-person sessions, and more.
- Team Management in Live Spaces (September 2022): Because teamwork truly makes the dream work, especially when multiple people collaborate on a broadcast.
- Live Sales & Streamers Partnership Program (October 2022): We ventured into e-commerce, allowing streamers to monetize while broadcasting. Plus, we introduced a partnership program to reward and uplift our community.
- Studio Comes Out of Beta & Affiliates Webinar (November–December 2022): We wrapped up 2022 with the full release of OneStream Studio, multiple uploads, and ways to join Studio via mobile.
Scaling New Heights (2023)
In 2023, the momentum didn’t stop. If anything, it grew even faster. Imagine standing on a mountain peak with a telescope, surveying the new lands you could explore. That’s exactly how we felt as we stepped into this year.
The Highlights
- Advanced Scheduling (January 2023): As more events turned virtual, scheduling became more complex with options like consecutive streaming and republishing regularly.
- Infrastructure Expansions (February & April 2023): We added servers in South Africa, Canada, and beyond, ensuring faster and more reliable streaming worldwide.
- Webinars, Celebrations & Enhanced Security (March–May 2023): From celebrating International Women’s Day to raising awareness on National Streamers’ Day, we wanted to honor the diverse voices in our community. We also tightened security features to protect your content.
- Live Video Production Week & Collabs (June-July 2023): We ventured into deeper collaborations and product reviews and even launched the OneStream Live Early Access Program.
- Brand-New Website & Web App UI (August 2023): The interface became sleeker, more intuitive, and downright fun to use. Features like a Universal Embed Player, permanent vs. unique stream keys, and multiple video uploads were launched.
- Thumbnail Implementation Upgrade & Destination Management (September 2023): Sometimes the little details—like a custom thumbnail—make all the difference in how your stream is perceived. We polished event announcements and made destination management smoother.
- Mobile App Enhancements (October 2023): From improved uploading to added team management features, our mobile app got a sleek new facelift.
- New Affiliate Program & YouTube Existing Events (November 2023): We rolled out an Affiliate Program that made sharing the OneStream Live gospel even more rewarding. We also brought back integration with existing YouTube events.
- Global Infrastructure Expansion & Udemy Course (December 2023): We ended the year by extending our server network to Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Singapore, Hanoi, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sydney. Then, for anyone wanting a crash course, we launched a Udemy course to show you step-by-step how to stream.
It’s been a roller coaster—full of twists, turns, and loops. But every addition, integration, or expansion was driven by one question: How can we serve our streamers better?
The Moment We’ve Been Waiting For: 2024
Now, let’s get to the crux of this celebration: 7 years of OneStream Live. It’s 2024, and we’re proud, humbled, and thrilled to mark our 7 year business anniversary. But what exactly have we been up to this year?
Bigger Dreams, Bigger Innovations
- February: Unsplash Integration
We kicked off the year by integrating Unsplash into OneStream Live, giving content creators easy access to high-quality, royalty-free images for their overlays, backgrounds, or promotional materials. - March: Portrait Streaming, Guest Authentication & More
The focus remained on creative control. Portrait streaming was spot-on for mobile-first audiences, while avatars and circular layouts made broadcasts more professional. - April: Browser Extensions & Creator Day Sponsorship
We continued the pace by sponsoring Creator Day and rolling out brand-new browser extensions for OneStream Studio. Now, you can quickly schedule, upload, or go live right from your browser. - May: Mobile Live Broadcasting, Women in Tech SEO Sponsorship
We improved mobile streaming capabilities, letting you go live directly from your phone. We also proudly sponsored “Women in Tech SEO.” - June: Official Sponsors of MozCon 2024 & Reaction Features in Live Studio
If there’s one event that digital marketers swear by, it’s MozCon. So we jumped on board as official sponsors to share our expertise and learn from the best. Also, we introduced real-time reaction features in Live Studio—hearts, likes, and thumbs-ups! - July: Mic Mute & Camera Swipe on Mobile
Small yet critical enhancements, letting you gracefully manage your audio and video. - September: Biometric Login & Rotating Feature
Because we all crave frictionless experiences, and these updates are designed to simplify your life. - November: Sponsored Shark Tank Pakistan IBA Event, Enterprise Plan & 24/7 Streaming
We introduced a specialized Enterprise Plan for bigger teams and brands needing advanced functionalities. The new Teleprompter feature ensures you never miss a line, while multi-camera streaming elevates the production value of your broadcasts. And yes, we proudly sponsored Shark Tank Pakistan IBA event! - December: Connected Pakistan Conference
Our co-founder, Bilal, was a guest speaker, sharing insights on the future of streaming and digital entrepreneurship.
Concluding 7 Years of OneStream Live
7 years of OneStream Live have shown us that dreams can indeed blossom into realities when fueled by passion, community, and innovation. Sure, it hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows.
We’ve faced technical hiccups, fierce competition, and the occasional server outage. But each challenge has been a stepping stone—a chance to refine our platform.
None of this would be possible without you—our users, partners, and employees. Each day, you remind us why we embarked on this journey. You keep us on our toes with feature requests, bug reports, and that occasional pat on the back when we get it right.
So, as we reflect on this 7 year business anniversary, let’s also look ahead. We promise to keep innovating, keep listening, and keep building a platform worthy of your trust and time. We might be the ones building the software, but you are the ones writing the actual story—one live stream at a time.
Happy 7th anniversary OneStream Live! 🎉
OneStream Live is a cloud-based live streaming solution to create, schedule, and multistream professional-looking live streams across 45+ social media platforms and the web simultaneously. For content-related queries and feedback, write to us at [email protected]. You’re also welcome to Write for Us!