Google has updated its YouTube (News - Alert) iOS app to version 1.3, including….drumroll…support for live streaming.
That’s a functionality that would have been nice for iPhone (News - Alert)-toting music fans to have over the weekend, when the Coachella Festival live-streamed its performances to the Web-based version of YouTube. But a consolation prize may be coming up: K-Pop music phenomenon (and snappy dresser) PSY will be looking to leverage his “Gangnam Style” success with a live performance on Saturday, April 20, of his second single, “Gentleman.”
The event will be streamed at www.youtube.com/officialpsy.
“Less than four months after he shattered records by hitting the 1 billion mark, the artist who made K-Pop global is back to perform his second single… live for the first time ever,” said Sun Lee, product marketing manager for APAC at YouTube, in a blog. “This Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Korean Standard Time (2:30 a.m. PST), PSY will kick off a live streamed concert from the Seoul World Cup Stadium and share his new single with the world.”
If the ability to watch K-Pop history unfold live via mobile phone is not one’s cup of tea, Google has made other improvements in this version of the Apple (News - Alert) app as well, including quick access to new uploads from subscriptions through the "My Subscriptions" feed, and the ability to queue videos for playback on TV, One Channel branding for video creator channels and various stability, and a number of performance improvements.
Google has been steadily updating its YouTube app over the last few months. In February, for instance, it announced the ability to pair the iOS app with Google TV for pushing YouTube videos to the big screen in the living room—something it had rolled out for Android (News - Alert) late last year.
“Have an iPhone or iPad and a Google TV? You can now play and control videos from your YouTube app for iOS on your TV, like a remote control for YouTube,” the company said in a blog. “Anyone on the same Wi-Fi can join in to control the video or add videos to a playlist (Harlem Shake marathon anyone?).”
The company added, “This automatic pairing feature is also available on the YouTube app for Android, and it’s coming to more TVs this year from LG, Sony, Panasonic (News - Alert) and others.”