- Canon has launched a new app aimed at livestreamers
- Allows you to control multiple iPhones and iPads from a single app
- Additional effects such as graphics and overlays require a monthly subscription.
An increasing number of people enjoy creating live-streamed video content, whether it’s teaching cooking lessons, teaching classes to students, unpacking the latest tech news, or anything else. However, doing that can be tricky, especially if it’s just you and you’re trying to work with multiple camera angles at once.
To help, Canon has just released a new app that it believes will alleviate some of that hassle and offer a simpler alternative to OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). Called Live Switcher Mobile, the iPhone and iPad app lets you manage various aspects of live-streamed content on the go, without the need for other apps or equipment.
For example, Live Switcher Mobile allows you to set a timer before the stream feed automatically switches to a different camera. Canon’s announcement says this helps content creators create interesting shots “even when working alone and unable to manually operate multiple devices.”
If you want to add text or graphics to your stream, you can also do so with the Canon app, which will also display comments from viewers and allow you to interact directly with them. And if you want to stream your device’s screen (for example, the game you’re playing on your iPad) and overlay the feed from a second camera on top of the game footage, you can do that too.
The full version is not cheap.
Live-streamed content has steadily grown in popularity in recent years, but the barrier to entry has sometimes been high due to the need to have multiple cameras moving if you want to record content from different angles. On top of that, it can be complicated trying to manage all the different cables and connections that are part of your setup. And that’s without even deciding which of the best streaming apps you should use.
The idea of Live Switcher Mobile is to simplify the entire process. It’s definitely not a high-end solution (professional video creators will probably want to look elsewhere), but it could be a decent option if you’re just starting out, working on a tight budget, or want to continue using iPhones and iPads. .
At this time, Live Switcher Mobile only supports video streams from iPhones and iPads running at least iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, making it a decent option if you already own these devices and don’t want to purchase expensive camera equipment to complement your streams. live. Canon says the app will also support digital cameras (including yours, of course) in the future.
Live Switcher Mobile is free to download and use from the Apple App Store, although some features (such as most graphics) require a fee. Paying for the subscription also hides ads and the Canon watermark, allows you to zoom and overlay images, and more. According to the app’s App Store page, a one-month subscription costs a fairly steep $17.99 (around £15/AU$29), but you can try the features for free for a month.
