On September 12th, Google will consolidate two of its live-streaming services. The tech giant’s Hangouts On Air feature, which lets its users broadcast their Google+ Hangouts, will now only be available through YouTube Live.
Hangouts On Air was made available to some users when Google+ first launched in 2011 and was extended to all users a year later. The live-streaming format has been used to power several notable web series, including Vaginal Fantasy, in which hosts Felicia Day, Veronica Belmont, Kiala Kazabee, and Bonnie Burton read erotic literature.
Instead of discontinuing Hangouts On Air completely, Google is moving it to YouTube Live. The six-step process for using Hangouts On Air from its new home can be found over at VentureBeat.
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Given that Hangouts On Air is sticking around, the intention of the move is clear. Google has taken multiple steps to separate Google+ from its other properties, and this decision falls squarely into that category. The most significant uncoupling of Google+ and YouTube came in 2015, when Google opted its users would no longer need Google+ accounts in order to leave YouTube comments. That decision reversed a controversial 2013 change that was derided by the YouTube community shortly after it was implemented.
