If livestreaming is going to continue its slow upward slog, it’d better figure out a way to ramp up the fun factor. Facebook Live is trying hard to get more people broadcasting and just added some cool Prisma filters, but that doesn’t make the average broadcast any less dull; meanwhile, Twitter’s Periscope feels more like a poor man’s C-SPAN. (Rumor has it Instagram is working on its own live platform as well.)

Fresh from the death of the permanently pruned short video app Vine, co-creators Colin Kroll and Rus Yusupov have shifted their attention to livestreaming with the launch of Hype. Hype takes the simple environment of an app like Periscope and loads it with features that let you customize your broadcast. You can layer photos, videos, music, animated GIFs, text, and emojis, even drag in bubbles capturing comments from your viewers. (Viewers can also indicate their approval by tapping to dispatch a hail of sparkles across the screen.)

Hype broadcasts can be archived and shared across social media, and users can even set up subscriptions.

PRO Hype is an app of high quirk — with broadcasts cluttered with loops, clips, and goofy glyphs. But this anything-goes approach to what livestreaming can look like makes for a unique experience. This could catch on bigly.

CON Hype isn’t all that hype at the moment — content is limited to some bored bedroom vloggers, some very lo-fi talk shows (including one hosted by a plastic dinosaur), and some freaky experimentalism. Don’t expect a coherent form just yet; do expect modest displays of massive potential. And lots of sparkles.

MICHAEL ANDOR BRODEUR

Michael Andor Brodeur can be reached at mbrodeur@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MBrodeur.