How to go live on TikTok in 2024 (with or without 1000 followers)

Livestreams have become a big part of the content on TikTok, with thousands of people having gone viral for their streams. But how do you actually go live?

If you’ve spent any amount of time on TikTok, you have probably scrolled past and even watched a live stream or two when they crop up on your For You Page.

While it can be a chance for hugely popular creators to connect with thousands of followers at the same time, it is not only for big influencers. 

However, some requirements need to be met for a user to be able to go live on TikTok, relating to your age and follower count. Here’s everything you need to know.

TikTok Livestream requirements

To be eligible to go live on TikTok, your account must meet the following two requirements:

• Have at least 1,000 followers.
• The user must be at least 18 years old.

If you’ve met these standards, access to be able to live stream should be available, and if you’ve only recently met the requirements then the option should appear soon.

You also need to follow the community guidelines in each of your live sessions.

Can you go live with less than 1000 followers?

Yes, you can still go live if you’re invited to go live with someone else who does have that following requirement. While the feature only supports accounts with more than 1,000 followers, you can join in on livestreams.

To do this, simply go onto the live stream and click on the “multi-guest LIVE” button to the right of the comment box. You’ll see an option to request to join. Click on this button and wait for the host to approve you. 

You can also ask the live host to invite you by having them press the “multi-guest LIVE” button and then scrolling to the user’s profile and press the “invite” button.

How do you go live on TikTok?

Once you have met the requirements for being able to go live, the process of actually streaming is pretty simple. Just follow these steps:

1. Launch the TikTok app.
2. Press the plus button at the bottom center of your screen.
3. Swipe left to ‘Live’ at the bottom navigation.
4. Select an image and a title for your live video.
5. Tap ‘Go Live’ to start the stream.

Once you are live, viewers will be able to talk to you via live chat, making communication much more instant. It also gives you an opportunity to delve into longer content, like storytimes and vlogs.

You can also have your viewers send you in-app gifts, but you need to make sure to have enabled this before the stream starts.

While not everyone can go live right off the bat, the threshold for being able to is still relatively low, and can serve as a great way to communicate with your followers.

If you want to learn more about how to use TikTok, check out our other guides including the best time to post if you’re a creator and how to block someone on the app.