What is the Most Viewed Instagram Live Video?

While it’s not the biggest place to stream, Instagram Live does get eyes, whether you’re a business or an influencer. Instagram is a platform populated by many personalities, both from the Internet and even Hollywood. And when they broadcast, people tune in and will keep watching until you hit the “End Broadcast” button.

This begs the question: Who has the most live views on Instagram, and how did they get that many? We wanted to look at that, but also look at some live Instagram statistics and offer advice if you’re going to hit it big on Instagram Live.

Some Eye-Opening Instagram Live Statistics

We wanted to examine some statistics about Instagram Live and offer our own commentary on their meaning.

Instagram Live and Engagement

How much engagement does Instagram Live bring compared to regular posts? Ten percent more? Less? How about 10x more engagement than standard Instagram content?

It makes sense. Instagram Live gives fans a way to speak to their favorite influencers in real time. And even if the influencer isn’t one to read comments, people can give support or build a community in the chatroom.

How Many Businesses Use Instagram Live?

The answer to this question is 7 in 10. Most businesses find Instagram Live to be an effective engagement tool for product launches, Q&As, or behind-the-scenes content.

Instagram Live and Audience Retention

It’s important not only to gain an audience but also to retain them. If an influencer uses Instagram Live, they may see a 35% increase in people who want to come back for more. Live streaming makes users feel like they are listened to, so they will be there for the next stream.

How Does Instagram Live Work?

Instagram Live works on mobile devices only. Go to your feed, then swipe right. There should be a Live option.

There, you can add the stream title and any hashtags and even schedule it if you’re not ready to go live just yet. In fact, you should probably give your audience a heads-up and have a consistent schedule.

Instagram Live has many other customization options. Some people love to hear what their audience has to say. But if you want people to be seen and not heard, you can turn the comments off. Co-streaming? Instagram Live gives you the option to invite a collaborator.

There are also options to add moderators to the chat. These are your janitors who will help clean up should a troll enter or the conversation starts derailing and become toxic sludge.

Instagram Live also offers ways for users to monetize their streams. For example, Badges put a unique emoji on a commenter’s username. You may prioritize comments by badged users or just have that as an option if people want to offer their support.

What is the Most Watched Instagram Live Stream? Instagram Live Record Viewers

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s answer the question the title of this article asked: Who has had the biggest turnout of Instagram Live viewers?

What if we were to tell you that it isn’t a famous celebrity in the US or even a popular streamer? What if we were to tell you the streamer isn’t a young Gen-Z influencer, but he was over 50 when he broadcast?

We’re talking about Acun Ilıcalı, a Turkish broadcaster. His May 2020 stream about Survivor 2020, a show he produced, broke 3 million. It makes sense; Survivor is a popular TV show worldwide. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, more people were staying home and wondering how Survivor would continue with everything happening. Even five years later, his record doesn’t seem to have been broken. Perhaps this may be due to changing trends on Instagram in the past five years or because of the phenomenon of the lockdowns.

A big record-breaker in the English-speaking world is SoundCloud rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose prison release stream got over 2 million people listening in. During the late 2010s and early 2020s, Tekashi was huge in the rap scene, and after being in prison, people wanted to hear what he had to say.

Streamer IShowSpeed is another record-breaker, with over 1 million views on his 2024 stream. He is an energetic streamer who has garnered many fans in recent years, so it makes sense he’d be at the top.

Imagine millions of people watching you at once. It may excite you, or it may scare you. As a streamer, you’re probably not going to reach these numbers (but don’t be afraid to try,) but you can still gain an audience.

How Can You Monetize Your Instagram Live Streams?

Now, let’s talk about Instagram Live monetization.

We’ve already discussed Badges, where people can purchase a badge and show it off in the comments. However, there are many other ways you can monetize your streams.

The first is through Subscriptions. Instagram Subscriptions give users access to premium content from you. One way you can entice people to become Subscribers is by offering paywalled streams with exclusive content or a chance for your biggest fans to have a more chill conversation with you.

Affiliate links are another way. You give constant calls-to-action for your fans to click the affiliate link and purchase the product. Then, you can get a cut of the money.

Another way to monetize your streams is through selling products. For instance, if your stream is about a product launch, any sales of that product may count as a streaming win in your book.

Finally, you can use external applications where people can send donations. For example, Streamlabs. There are ways to connect Streamlabs to your Instagram and have people send in super chats, which are highlighted messages you can read and answer.

That said, gaining and retaining an audience should be your first move. If you go to the platform with your mind on the money, people will notice, and they’ll be less likely to want to check you out. However, if you slowly build an engaged audience and then offer other ways for them to support you, people will be interested.

What Are Some Instagram Live Usage and Growth Trends?

Now, let’s go back to the world of trends and look at some other eye-opening facts.

How Many Users Interact With Live Videos?

The answer is over 100 million. Instagram has over 2 billion users, meaning around 5% interact with live videos. This percentage does not seem like a lot, but you also have to remember that a good chunk of users aren’t active users.

It’s Growing, Too

While only a fraction of users use Instagram Live, the number is growing. Since 2020, live usage has increased by 85%. This may be due to better access to 5G and fast WiFi or changes in trends. While the 2020 record hasn’t been toppled, people are setting smaller records all the time.

More Gen-Zers Prefer Live Streaming Content

One reason that Instagram Live is growing is because of Gen-Z, who are now the audience who use Instagram Live the most. Sixty percent of users in this generation prefer live content over static posts. And this makes sense, as many Gen-Zers prefer the company of online influencers.

Instagram Live is More Watched Than YouTube and Facebook Live

When you think of the biggest live-streaming platform, you may think of Twitch or YouTube. However, Instagram Live is the true king of live streaming. Instagram Live, as we mentioned, has 100 million people watching. Meanwhile, TikTok and YouTube Live have 85 and 70 million people, respectively.

If you want to become a live streamer, you may want to go with the best. Of course, it may depend on your niche as well, with YouTube being better for gaming or other niches.

Conclusion

Instagram Live is a powerful platform where many people have millions watching them. The most viewed live stream can also come from people you don’t expect, like a Turkish broadcaster.

If you want to become a live streamer, here are some tips before we go.

•   Have a niche and a type of stream in mind. Is your account more about product tutorials? Q&As? A podcast format? You can have a variety of streams as well, but be sure that one is your bread and butter.

•   Stream at a consistent schedule. We aren’t saying you can’t have surprise streams and get an audience, but ideally, you’ll want to stream at times your audience expects. One way to hype your audience is to use the “Schedule” option.

•   Have an interesting title and use SEO-focused hashtags and keywords.

•   Engagement is always important! Answer as many comments as possible.

•   Monetize your streams through badges, affiliate links, or another method.

These methods can help you become a successful streamer. You may start with one person, but soon, it can become a dozen, then a hundred, and then a thousand. As long as you have something interesting to say and offer entertainment, people will want to listen to you.

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