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Hangouts On Air is now available to all, allows recorded or live broadcasting

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Google launched Hangouts On Air last year to select broadcasters, which allows recorded or live conversations with friends to broadcast, but today the search engine made the popular feature available to Google+ users worldwide.

Engineering Director Chee Chew explained the option’s functions on the Official Google Blog:

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. With just a few clicks, you’ll be able 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.

Chew also gave a list of upcoming broadcasts (PST times): CBS This Morning: May 8 at 4:20 a.m.; Conan O’Brien: May 8 at 7:30 p.m.; CNBC: May 10 at 1:15 p.m.; Global Poverty Project: May 10 at 4:00 p.m.; Cadbury UK: May 11 at 1:30 p.m.; The Nerdist: May 11 at 3:00 p.m.; and, Jamie Oliver on Food Revolution Day.

9to5Mac used Hangouts On Air last month—as a select broadcaster—to record our first podcast. The feature is rolling out to all users gradually over the next few weeks.

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