Instagram is introducing a new feature called Live Rooms that will let four users go live in one session.
“We’re introducing Live Rooms, giving you the ability to go Live on Instagram with up to three people,” Instagram said in a blog post.
Previously, users could go live with only one other person in a stream.
“We hope that doubling up on Live will open up more creative opportunities — start a talk show, host a jam session or co-create with other artists, host more engaging Q&As or tutorials with your following, or just hang out with more of your friends,” it said.
Users can start a Live Room by swiping left from the home screen and picking the Live camera option. They can then add a title and tap the Rooms icon to add their guests.
“You’ll see people who have requested to go live with you, and you can also search for a guest to add. When you start a Live Room, you’ll remain at the top of the screen when you add guests. As a broadcaster, you can add up to three guests at once or one by one,” Instagram explained in the post.
In a bid to maintain safety, people that are blocked by any of the active participants in the Live Room will not be able to join the Live.
Guests who have had live access revoked because of violations of the platform’s Community Guidelines will also not be able to join a Live Room. Features that are currently available to Live hosts, such as the ability to report and block comments, and apply comment filters will also be available to hosts of Live Rooms, it said.
The Facebook-owned photo-sharing platform in the past year has added a range of new features to help creators build a business and earn money through Live. It had previously announced that Live viewers could purchase badges for their favourite creators. It is expanding the ability to buy badges for hosts and is adding other interactive features like Shopping and Live Fundraisers to Live Rooms.
“We’re also exploring more interactive tools such as offering moderator controls and audio features that will be available in the coming months, it said.
Live Rooms will soon be available globally for users on Instagram.