What Is LinkedIn Live and How Does It Work?

LinkedIn Live is LinkedIn’s live video broadcasting feature that allows members and company pages to stream real-time video content to their connections and followers. LinkedIn Live is designed for professional content – webinars, AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions), industry discussions, product launches, and company announcements.

Who Can Use LinkedIn Live

LinkedIn Live is not available to all accounts. Access is granted based on eligibility criteria including: having Creator Mode enabled, having a sufficient follower count (typically 150+ followers), having a history of posting content on LinkedIn, and being in good standing with LinkedIn’s Community Standards. LinkedIn reviews accounts for Live access and does not make it available by default – eligible accounts receive an invitation or can apply for access.

How to Go Live on LinkedIn

1. Enable Creator Mode on your profile (required for Live access)
2. Check if you have the Live option by clicking the Create Post button – look for a Go Live option in the menu
3. LinkedIn Live requires a third-party streaming tool such as StreamYard, Restream, OBS Studio, or BeLive – you cannot go live directly from the LinkedIn interface
4. Connect your streaming tool to LinkedIn using the RTMP stream key provided in LinkedIn’s Live settings
5. Set up your live stream in the broadcasting tool and click Start Broadcasting
6. Your followers will receive a notification that you are live

LinkedIn Live vs. LinkedIn Events

LinkedIn Live and LinkedIn Events can be used separately or together. LinkedIn Events is a scheduling and registration feature for virtual and in-person events. You can create a LinkedIn Event for your upcoming live stream, invite attendees, and then use LinkedIn Live to broadcast to those registered attendees. This combination maximizes pre-event audience building and live attendance.

Best Practices for LinkedIn Live

• Announce your live stream at least 24-48 hours in advance
• Keep live streams between 15 and 60 minutes for optimal viewer retention
• Interact with comments in real time to boost engagement signals
• Have a co-host or guest to make the conversation more dynamic
• Test your streaming tool and connection before going live publicly
• Save your recorded live stream and share it as on-demand video after the session

Does LinkedIn Live Get More Reach?

LinkedIn Live videos receive significantly more notifications and reach than standard video posts. LinkedIn sends in-app notifications to your followers when you go live, which drives immediate viewership. Live content also typically generates more comments and reactions than recorded video, which further amplifies reach through LinkedIn’s engagement algorithm.