BitTorrent's P2P streaming service goes Live

BitTorrent Live
The internet era of pirate radio?

File-sharing protocol BitTorrent has announced it is launching its Live P2P streaming service into open beta.

Users will be able to broadcast themselves via webcam, mobile phone, or pretty much anything with a camera attached - BitTorrent just wants to make the experience as simple as possible.

The service has been offered in closed beta since November 2012, though it's been in development for years. Much like the download service, Live's P2P setup means that the more people that join in, the better your stream will be.

Full stream ahead

Andrew Robinson, Pirate Party UK spokesman on culture, media and sport, sees it as a good thing and told TechRadar:

"This is another way in which the internet will route around censorship, be it by governments who wish to clamp down on news stories, or rights holders who try to make it impossible for people living in a particular area to watch a football match as it happens."

A post on the BitTorrent blog states that Live is aiming to eliminate bandwidth, cost and infrastructure. It will be taking on the more legitimate likes of Ustream and Livestream.

"It is inevitable that some organisations will see it as a threat," added Robinson. "Which is one more reason why we cannot allow old-media to control the internet and squash new models of media distribution and consumption."

BitTorrent hasn't said when Live will come out of beta, but we suspect there won't be long to wait.

Via The Next Web

Hugh Langley

Hugh Langley is the ex-News Editor of TechRadar. He had written for many magazines and websites including Business Insider, The Telegraph, IGN, Gizmodo, Entrepreneur Magazine, WIRED (UK), TrustedReviews, Business Insider Australia, Business Insider India, Business Insider Singapore, Wareable, The Ambient and more.


Hugh is now a correspondent at Business Insider covering Google and Alphabet, and has the unfortunate distinction of accidentally linking the TechRadar homepage to a rival publication.