Facebook to delete all live videos older than 30 days: What churches need to know

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Did you hear about Facebook’s new live video policy? 

If your church relies on Facebook Live to stream and store past services, you need to take action. Starting February 19, 2025, Facebook will automatically delete live videos after 30 days, a major shift from its previous policy of storing them indefinitely.

This means many churches may lose their libraries of archived live recordings. Let’s take a look at how you can save your church’s recordings, as well as explore better live streaming options for the future.

Why is Facebook making this change?

According to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, this update aligns with industry standards and aims to enhance the live video experience for users. However, according to Meta AI, another key factor is cost—Facebook reportedly spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on live video storage. 

Most live video recordings are watched in the first 30 days. By reducing how long live videos remain available, they can cut costs while encouraging users to be more intentional about saving their content.

How to save your church’s live videos before they’re gone

Facebook will email users before the archived live videos are deleted, giving them 90 days to download or transfer their content. 

To prevent losing valuable sermons, worship services, and special events, Facebook offers several options:

1. Download Your Videos:
   
   • Navigate to your Videos tab (or Live tab on the web).
   • Select the video you want to save.
   • Click [...] (More Options) and select Download video.
2. Bulk Download for Faster Access:
   
   • Click on the Facebook notification about deleting videos.
   • Click on Download live videos.
   • Choose where you want to store your videos.
   • Click Create File. 
3. Transfer to Cloud Storage:
   
   • Click on the Facebook notification about deleting videos.
   • Tap Transfer live videos option.
   • Select a location like Dropbox or Google Drive.
   • Confirm and save your videos securely.
4. Extend Your Storage for Six Months:
   
   • If you need more time, Facebook allows users to postpone deletion for six additional months.
   • When notified, tap Learn more, then Postpone deletion to secure your videos for longer.

A better church alternative: Subsplash Live

While Facebook’s decision may disrupt how churches store live content, it presents an opportunity to switch to a church-focused streaming solution like Subsplash Live.

Subsplash Live allows churches to stream, record, and edit their services with ease. Unlike Facebook, Subsplash Live is built specifically for churches and offers:

• Simultaneous streaming to your website, mobile app, and social channels.
• Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol, ensuring high-quality, uninterrupted broadcasts.
• Up to 5 TB of storage, so you never have to worry about losing past services.
• A dynamic media library with search-friendly tags for quick access to sermons and events.
• Live stream chat allows your viewers to have conversations in a safe, moderated environment. 

Bonus! Use AI to amplify your message & multiply your impact

With Pulpit AI by Subsplash, you can instantly convert sermon videos, audio, and documents into over 20 pieces of content with a click of a button! You’ll get:

• Sermon clips and reels
• Editable captions
• Small group discussion guides
• Blog posts
• Newsletters
• And much more!

Streamline content creation and get back hours each week. Try Pulpit AI for free!

Take action today

If your church has past services stored on Facebook, don’t wait until it’s too late. Download and back up your videos now to avoid losing them permanently. Then, consider a more sustainable solution with Subsplash Live, where your content remains accessible, secure, and optimized for long-term ministry impact.

Ready to explore a better way to stream and store your church services? Learn more about Subsplash Live today!