Google+ Hangouts on Air now available to all

Google Plus introduced Hangouts On Air last year to a limited number of broadcasters, which allowed them to “hangout” with many of their fans for all the world to see. The internet giant is now extending Hangouts On Air to everyone, according to a blog post by Google’s Engineering Director, Chee Chew.

“Today we’re excited to launch Hangouts On Air to Google+ users worldwide. So if you have something to say—as an aspiring artist, a global celebrity, or a concerned citizen—you can now go live in front of a global audience,” says Chew.

The normal hangout feature on Google Plus only allows 10 individuals to be part of a hangout. This has led a few high-profile individuals to broadcast their Hangouts using third-party video recording apps for those who couldn’t be part of the hangout.

What’s new?

As Google explains, Hangouts On Air will allow users to:
Broadcast publicly. By checking “Enable Hangouts On Air,” you can broadcast your live hangout—from the Google+ stream, your YouTube channel or your website—to the entire world.
See how many viewers you’ve got. During your broadcast, you can look inside the hangout to see how many people are watching live.
Record and re-share. Once you’re off the air, we’ll upload a public recording to your YouTube channel, and to your original Google+ post. This way it’s easy to share and discuss your broadcast after it’s over.

Google will gradually roll the new feature to users worldwide over the next couple weeks. The internet giant has also suggested some public hangouts that you can tune in to while you’re waiting to gain access yourself:

• CBS This Morning: May 8th at 4:20am PT / 7:20am ET
• Cadbury UK: May 11th at 1:30pm PT / 4:30pm ET
• Conan O’Brien: May 8th at 7:30pm PT / 10:30pm ET
• The Nerdist: May 11th at 3:00pm PT / 6:00pm ET
• CNBC: May 10th at 1:15pm PT / 4:15pm ET
• Jamie Oliver on Food Revolution Day: May 19th at 5:00pm PT / 8:00pm ET
• Global Poverty Project: May 10th at 4:00pm PT / 7:00pm ET
• A special series from The New York Times’ Opinion department

You can sign in to Google+ to see what’s live right now, or find inspiration in the many broadcasts that have already aired.