Periscope is a live-stream video app that many are predicting will disrupt the news industry as ordinary citizens are given the power to broadcast live from their phones from wherever they are. The first time I logged on, for example, I clicked on a video feed that took me straight to a protest happening on the Brooklyn Bridge -- about two miles from my apartment, but suddenly it was like I was there.
In another sense, Periscope and other live-stream apps like Meerkat have given birth to a new content experience that puts live entertainment in the foreground. In two months already, micro celebrities have cropped up on the app and gained steady followings of users who tune in every day to see what they're up to. It's like reality TV, but a little more real. Plus, an added feature is that comments from viewers float up on screen for the host to screen and answer right there and then.
Here's a round-up of some Periscope celebrities to watch:
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Amanda Oleander - She was among the first of Periscope's personalities to make waves in larger circles when New York Magazine wrote about her in a glamorous spread. She's E! Online's artist/illustrator and is known for offering a beginner's guide to life in LA full of quirky tours of the city, punctuated by her sweet, geeky laugh. For a typical post, see her invite a random stranger to play golf with her in her local grocery store.
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Chris Hadfield - He's an astronaut who once sent viral videos from the International Space Station. Now he's Periscoping from Earth, happy to answer all and any questions about space and the world of science. Or show off what's new in Canada, his home country, these days.
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Ellen Degeneres - It might be cheating to count a big TV star, but Ellen Degeneres is a good Periscoper. Her spontaneous brand of joy (recall, of course, the dancing) translates well to the app, where she gives backstage tours of her show, and gives fans a view of the stage during her monologue. Ellen Vision!
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BradmanTV - He's a blue-haired comedian who broadcasts his walks through New York City. He seems to roam around the city in search of what's new - RedNoseDay cropping up in Herald Square, breezy walks through Central Park. If Amanda Oleander is the guide to LA, then perhaps Bradman is NY's city scout.
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Katja Glieson - As she describes herself, "An Aussie in La-La Land," Glieson is a singer whose feed is filled with live renditions of songs her fans request. Hear her sing "At Last" by Etta James or greet everyone as she gets ready to go to a meeting
Whether mundane, wacky, or wild, Periscope and its other live-stream broadcast cousins are changing the way that content creators interact with their followers. If you choose to adopt Periscope for your social business, think live. And do something random!