It has been about a year since YouTube launched their support for 360-degree videos. For those unfamiliar with the concept, basically 360-degree videos on YouTube (or Facebook for that matter) allow users to pan around the video, allowing them to look at other areas of the video that are typically unavailable in regular videos.
This is also ideal for virtual reality as one could strap their phones into devices like the Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard and get a virtual reality experience on the cheap. Now a couple of months ago, we heard that YouTube was planning on allowing live 360-degree videos and sure enough that has happened.
YouTube has announced that they will now be supporting live 360-degree videos, meaning that you can now participate in a live video stream and watch everything that is taking place around it. This will be especially handy during concerts and events such as Coachella where the atmosphere and people all help to bring the experience together.
In addition to live 360-degree videos, YouTube will also support spatial audio. This will help create a more immersive experience as the sound will come from all around you, as if you were surrounded by the musicians themselves. You can check out an example in the video above (best experienced with headphones and on your phone if possible).
Filed in . Read more about Virtual Reality (VR) and YouTube.