LIVE: Getting Started

Y! Live is an experimental release. Learn more at our blog, and follow our Twitter feed for real-time updates.

Start your own broadcast on Yahoo! Live

Plug in your webcam

Any webcam will do - simply plug it into a USB port on your computer. If you don't have a webcam, checkout some options.

Click "GO LIVE" or "GET STARTED"

Click the "GO LIVE" or "GET STARTED" button! on the homepage or your channel page.

Sign into Yahoo! or create an account

To Go Live on Yahoo!, you must have an account. If you don't, click the create account link.

Create your Channel

This will be your public address on Yahoo! Live! Share it with your friends, blog it, Myspace it, or Yahoo! Mash it!

Adobe Flash Player Settings

After you click the "Allow" radio button, "Remember" checkbox and the close button, you'll be LIVE!

Click "GO LIVE" button in the lower left corner of your Channel

Click "GO LIVE" button, an Adobe Flash Player Settings dialog will appear.

Welcome to Y! Live

It's easy to go live, all you need is a webcam.

Yahoo! Live FAQ

What is Yahoo! Live?

Yahoo! Live is your key to fame! Just kidding, it's a tool which lets you broadcast yourself from your webcam to the web, on our site or embedded wherever you'd like (e.g. your Mash page, your MySpace, or your blog). But if you're really talented you could use Y! Live to become famous too.
Why would I use Yahoo! Live?

Do you find yourself particularly attractive? Do you lipsync in your bedroom and actually sound good? Are you a narcissist? If so, then this service is for you. It's the next generation of broadcast TV, where you're the star.
What do I need to go live?

All you need is a web browser, Adobe Flash Player installed, a webcam, and a little talent. Ok, you don't really need talent, but we hear that it helps.
Who can see me?

By default, your channel is visible to other users on Yahoo! Live. This means while you're live people can find you via search or from the homepage. If you'd prefer to just chat with people you know, you can make your channel private. Just click on My Profile, then Edit My Profile, then go to the Privacy tab. Once you change your channel to private, you will no longer show up anywhere on the site, so only people with whom you share your link can find your channel.
Wait, I'm confused. Who are all these people on the page with me?

Those little video things on the bottom of the page are other people who are in the same channel with you. Basically, anyone who's looking at the same page with you can turn on their webcams and show up in those video boxes. We put those in to create a more social atmosphere – Y!Live is a place to hang out with your friends over live video. See #4 for instructions on how to make your channel private if you only want to hang out with friends you already know.
How do I broadcast?

If you ever see a little blue button that says "Go Live" – click it. Make sure you have your webcam plugged in, though. If you don't have a webcam, here are some: Webcams on Yahoo Shopping
Does Yahoo! Live work with Macs?

Yep. Yahoo! Live is fully compatible with Mac OS X, Safari, Firefox, Firefox for Mac, and iSight.
How can I make a suggestion?

Glad you asked! Click here for our Yahoo! Live suggestions board
How is this different from Justin.tv or Ustream.tv?

We tip our hats to Justin.tv and Ustream.tv – they were an inspiration to us and have created awesome services and built strong and loyal communities. What you’ll see in the coming months from us is a series of new additions to Y! Live which will make it more useful as a platform for broadcasters and developers. Our vision for Yahoo! Live is to create a platform for live video. Stay tuned.
I need help!

If you need assistance from us, contact us here.

Community Guidelines

Y! Live is a community of broadcasters. It’s a place to socialize around live video content through broadcasting, viewing, and embedding. These guidelines are a structure for maintaining the creative environment and positive community vibe of Y! Live.

Please keep in mind that these guidelines are in addition to the Privacy Module as well as the Yahoo! Community Guidelines.

Do:

Be a star. Whether you love staying in touch with friends, singing, dancing, DJ'ing, or stand-up comedy, Yahoo! Live is a place for you to show off your skills. Now is the chance for your big break!
Chat and interact. Yahoo! Live is social video – it's meant to be interactive and collaborative in real time. Broadcast and develop an audience! Engage with others on the site through chat and on your webcam tray.
Encourage other broadcasters. See a fellow broadcaster doing something interesting? Give them props or constructive feedback. Think others should see it? Embed it!
Protect and Serve. Flag any abusive behavior – the site will only be as good as you make it.

Don't:

Don't broadcast obscene content. Sexually graphic, violent, offensive, or adult-oriented content does not belong on Yahoo! Live. If you broadcast it we will take appropriate action, which may include deactivating your account.
Don't promote or share illegal or prohibited actions on camera. Yahoo! Live does not condone any illegal activity. If you use poor judgment we'll take appropriate action to ensure that all content meets our community standards. This may include deactivating your account.
Don't reveal any personal information to others. Safeguard yourself by not soliciting your or others' personal information.
Don't broadcast copyrighted material. If you see copyrighted content on Yahoo! Live, please report it to the Yahoo! Copyright Team.
Don't spam. It's ok to promote your channel or your performances, but no commercial links or otherwise obviously spammy behavior.

We view these guidelines very seriously. While we'll give warnings for minor infractions, we will terminate accounts for any serious violation – and any infractions involving illegal behavior may be reported to the authorities. Be safe, be responsible, have fun.