This article was taken from the January 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Want some real reality TV? Just log in to YouNow. The New York-based lifecasting site -- a cross between Chatroulette and Twitch -- claims it hosts 100,000 daily broadcasts. "Other live video services focus on utility," says founder Adi Sideman, 44. "We built a place to meet new people and for self expression."
Founded in 2011 and backed by Union Square Ventures and Orens Capital, YouNow claims 100 million monthly users who watch via the site and smartphone app. New broadcasts are tagged and move up or down a queue according to votes.
Alongside thousands of YouNow users inviting people into their homes, the service is popular among budding social-media stars -- in June, the musician Shawn Mendes debuted his first single, "Life of the Party", live to 35,000 fans.
The broadcast trended, and the song jumped to third on the iTunes chart during the performance. (In October, YouNow announced YouTube-style revenue-sharing for top users.)
Other stars include Sydnie Brazile, a musician who won a music contest on YouNow in 2013, and has since been signed up to a song-writing contract. It's this quality of broadcasts that has surprised Sideman the most. "They really put their heart and soul into it," he says.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
