Switcher Brand Refresh: Stepping Outside the Studio

After ten years, Switcher is stepping outside the Studio! Announcing our 2024 brand refresh, some big product updates, and the future of Switcher — but first, how’d we get here?

• A look back at Switcher
• What’s changing?

A look back at Switcher Studio 

Ten years ago (before Periscope and Facebook Live even existed) Nick and Dan were all in with live video. For four years, they’d been running a live video production agency, helping businesses create and stream video online. 

But they noticed a problem: Live video had big barriers to entry. 

The problem

To put it simply: In 2014, producing pro-quality livestreams was really hard and really, really expensive. 

Even with a big equipment budget, high-quality live streaming required significant tech savvy. It’s obvious why businesses in 2014 didn’t see livestreaming as a viable long-term strategy.  

The opportunity 

So … what if there were an easy, affordable way to create incredible live video? A vision began to crystalize.

Partnering with fellow co-founders Ernesto, Matt, and Gabe, Nick and Dan launched a fully mobile video production app for iOS — a video switcher and livestream encoder in one platform. 

Switcher Studio was born 

Turns out people liked the idea. Our first users could stream from anywhere, wirelessly sync up to 4 iOS devices, and switch angles in real time. Within the year, Switcher Studio was named an official Facebook Live launch partner. We had a pretty good feeling about our little startup.

Level up your live video

Over the next few years, we grew our user base, our team, and our features. 

Like, a lot. 

Four camera angles grew to nine camera angles. “Multicam” became “multimedia.” And direct platform integrations made streaming even easier. And those are just a few of the really big updates. 

(Not to mention that the original team of five grew to over 30 team members across the globe.) 

Most importantly: In over 118 countries, multicamera livestreams and videos were being #MadeWithSwitcher. Feedback from our users was informing new features every day. 

Enter 2020, and, well … you can imagine. 

We saw a huge spike in new users as events like graduations, football games, worship services, weddings, and conferences went remote. And with every new use case, we learned more about how to make our software better.

A shifting video landscape  

By 2021, we’d already built an incredible app for video production. And while we were continuing to add creation features and functionalities, we started to realize that Switcher Studio could — and should — do more. 

A video-driven world

We don’t want to be dramatic, but Since Switcher Studio’s 2014 launch, it seems like video has taken over. 

• Livestreaming isn’t just for a select few — it’s for everyone. 

• For businesses, video is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. 

• And the platforms supporting user-created video content … well let’s just say there are a lot.

Video production < video outcomes 

Video now isn’t just easier to create and consume. From engaging communities to increasing brand recognition, from driving subscribers to boosting sales — more and more, video is becoming a means to an end. 

Create, share, monetize

When we noticed this shift, we responded. We expanded our creation tools. We added Multistreaming functionality, a solution for short-form, and a live shopping integration. And with each addition, we started to feel less like a “livestream creation app” and more like a “video workflow.”

Own your video content

In this new, video-driven world, our users were encountering new barriers. We saw increasing frustrations with social hosting platforms (we’re looking at you, algorithm) and an eagerness to take ownership of video content. 

Cue Switcher’s very own embeddable video player, allowing our users to embed, upload, and stream directly to a domain or a private link. Plus, our users could monetize their content on their terms with integrated paywalls.

A lot has changed since 2014 … 

Switcher brand refresh: What’s changing?

After a decade, we’re not just a livestreaming app anymore — we are an all-in-one, end-to-end video (and livestreaming) powerhouse. We’re overdue for a brand refresh. 

Our name

So, what’s really changing? Our name, (kind of). 

Much like Cher and Madonna, we’re dropping our second name and sticking to just one simple and easy-to-remember moniker: “Switcher.” We love the name (heck, we call ourselves “Switcheroos,”) and don’t want to lose our connection to our origins. Plus, we’re not less “video creation” now, we’re just also a lot more. 

Your video isn’t just in the studio anymore — and neither are we. 

Our look

It’s not just our name … our whole look is getting refreshed.

• Our icon and logo have been simplified and streamlined (just like your video workflow). 

• We’ve also expanded our color palette (just like our suite of tools). 

We’re not abandoning the branding that got us this far, but it will be more sleek, more exciting, and more fun (just like our vision for the future).

A more unified video workflow

For ten years, the Switcher Studio iOS app was only for live video creation. (Even when we added hosting, embedding, and monetization to our suite of tools.) 

Now, we’re unifying the Switcher experience across your devices:  

• For subscribers at the Business tier and above, videos created with the Switcher app are automatically uploaded to your video library …

• … which is now easily accessible from the app. 

So now you can upload, download, and manage your cloud assets without logging into the browser-based dashboard. Talk about a time-saver.

And if you’re a long-time user, don’t worry. We’re not changing the way you create with the Switcher app. We’re just connecting the dots between creation and management.

What’s not changing?

What’s not changing? Our URL, our social media handles, the way our creation app works, or our core belief in the power of video. 

Switcher: Where your video lives

We’ve expanded beyond our 2014 vision of “simplifying livestream production.” But whether creating, sharing, hosting, or monetizing, we’re still working to make video success more achievable for our users. Since 2014, we’ve been reimagining the business of video, and we’re going to keep doing just that. (If you’re new here, give Switcher a try free for 14 days. We think you’ll like it.)

If you’re already a Switcher user — whether you’ve been here since the beginning or you’re just starting your video journey — thank you. We know video is essential to you and your business, and the software you choose makes a big impact.

We’re proud to be where your video lives.