YouTube Connect: Google building mobile livestreaming app to take on Periscope and Facebook Live

Google is rumoured to be working on a livestreaming app called YouTube Connect to compete directly against Twitter's Periscope and Facebook Live. The app will allow users to log in through their Google or YouTube account on their mobile and begin streaming immediately. Videos will be available for live viewing and also archived on a user's channel.

Google's latest plans reflect the company's bid to diversify and expand its ecosystem of services and apps so that users have no need to use rival apps or platforms. Twitter and Facebook have also been aggressively pushing their platforms to stand up to rising competition from other live-streaming platforms like Meerkat.

During Twitter's Q4 2015 earnings call, chief executive Jack Dorsey highlighted Periscope's importance by saying: "Twitter is live, live commentary, live conversations, and live connections, whether it's breaking news, entertainment, sports, or everyday topics, hearing about and watching a live event unfold is the fastest way to understand the power of Twitter."

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also emphasised the importance of the social networking site's live-streaming option and said it will likely grow in popularity as more people gain access to it.

Earlier in March, there were rumours that Google was targeting virtual reality (VR) in a service that would allow YouTube users to start live streaming 360-degree videos, instead of showing recorded ones. While the VR plan may be a little distant, regular livestreaming could become a reality soon.