Player SDK

video create

Video list

Video upload

Player

Mobile

Normal

thumbnail_mathieu_round-1.png

mathieu_round-1.png

github-brands.svg

Github Mathieu Thiry

linkedin_logo_initials.png

LinkedIn Mathieu Thiry

Mathieu Thiry

Tutorials

React

Typescript

Next.js

This tutorial will show how quick and straightforward it is to build a TikTok clone as a progressive web app (PWA) with [api.video](https://api.video) and Next.js. A PWA is a website that looks and behaves like a mobile app. It can have all the capabilities of a native mobile app, like design and functionality, and you can even install it on your phone!

TikTok’s core functionality is to create and share short-form content. So today, we will focus on these crucial features:
- **Get** videos with [@api.video-node.js-client](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-nodejs-client) package
- **Display** videos with [@api.video/react-player](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-react-player) package
- **Upload** videos with [@api.video-typescript-uploader](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-typescript-uploader) package
    
Thanks to these 3 easy-to-use api.video tools, you will have everything you need to build a **smooth scrolling** TikTok feed. Let's start 🎬
    

*NB: You can see the demo [here](https://api-video-tiktok-demo.vercel.app) and the complete code [here](https://github.com/apivideo/tiktok_clone). We invite you to clone the project, insert your free-to-use API key from our Sandbox environment and start testing it with your videos!*

Screenshot TikTok demo on desktop screen size

large_cover_image_tiktok_clone.png

medium_cover_image_tiktok_clone.png

small_cover_image_tiktok_clone.png

thumbnail_cover_image_tiktok_clone.png

cover_image_tiktok_clone.png

## Quick Setup

As in this tutorial, we will focus on the core features. We provide two links on how to start the project easily: 

We created a dedicated [tutorial](https://github.com/apivideo/Next.js_Starters-) on building a **new Next.js application** using Create Next App and Typescript. Please follow these [instructions](https://github.com/apivideo/Next.js_Starters-) to get an up-to-date Next.js app.

1. Transform the Next.js app into a PWA with [next-pwa](https://www.npmjs.com/package/next-pwa). Complete all steps with this article [here](https://blog.avneesh.tech/how-to-create-a-pwa-with-nextjs).
2. Once inside our project, install api.video’s [Node.js client](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-nodejs-client), [typescript video uploader](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@api.video/video-uploader), [react’s player SDK](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@api.video/react-player), and [swr](https://www.npmjs.com/package/swr) for data fetching.

## Get videos

## Back-end: **Create API routes with api.video/nodejs-client**

You can declare the API under the `pages/api` directory. When you declare a file or folder inside `pages/api`, it will generate an URL endpoint that matches `/api/<folder>/<file>`. We set our API key in an environment variable in the `.env.local` file for security.

Now create a `pages/api/videos/index.ts` file. Inside this file, add the following code:

We can get videos in just a few lines of code by applying the method `list`. Check more methods you can use with our *nodejs* client [here](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-nodejs-client/blob/main/doc/api/VideosApi.md#list).

### Front-end: Client-side data fetching

**Initialize swr**

[useSWR](https://swr.vercel.app/docs/getting-started) is a React Hook library made by Vercel. It fetches data from an API or other external source, then saves that data in a cache and renders the data. We configure swr in `_app.tsx`.

The useSWR hook takes two parameters and returns data. It accepts the following:

- A `Key`: API URL we are calling.
- A `fetcher`: a function that returns the fetched data.

We call `useSWR` hook. Once we get the result, we store data in the state `videos`. Then, we  `map` videos around  `VideoComponent`, whose role is to display videos.

### How to create smooth scrolling

thumbnail_screenshot_mobile.png

screenshot_mobile.png

The app has a `height: 100vh`. It has 2 sections. The first one, the div `app__video`, is scrollable with a `height: calc(100%-50px)`, and the second one, the upload section, has a fixed `height: 50px`.

**CSS scroll snap**

As written above, the class `app__videos` has the property `scroll-snap-type: y mandatory;` and  `overflow-y: scroll;` making the scroll vertical. This property allows for the creation of well-controlled scroll experiences by declaring a scroll snapping position, in our case, at the `start` of the video. To obtain this perfect result, we just need to add the property `scroll-snap-align: start` to the child component, here the `ApiVideoPlayer` *(see code in the section below.)*

## Display videos

We are going to use [api.video react player component](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-react-player), which allows us to display our videos in just a few lines of code. The only requirement is to pass the `videoId`. Create a `ref` to manipulate methods like `pause` or `play` easily. We set the `object-fit` CSS property in `cover` to ensure that even a landscape video will take the full size.

## Upload a video

[api.video](http://api.video) provides a [typescript library](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@api.video/video-uploader) to upload videos to api.video using delegated upload token. The easiest way to create an upload token is to open your api.video’s dashboard, go to the upload tokens section from the sidebar, then click on the “*Create upload token*” button. Find the full guide [here](https://docs.api.video/vod/delegated-upload-tokens).

**Upload using delegated upload token**

We create a hidden input with a type `file` that we activate programmatically. Create a new object `VideoUploader`, and add two options, the `upload token` set as an environment variable for security purposes and the current `file` to upload.

That’s it. You are done 🎉. Now you can safely and efficiently upload videos.

## Conclusion

We recreated TikTok thanks to api.video’s features in just a few steps. We did not cover every topic, but the entire code is available [here](https://github.com/apivideo/tiktok_clone).

And we're done! To start building right now, check out our **[docs](https://docs.api.video/)** and **[sign up for a free account](https://dashboard.api.video/register)**.

***BONUS***

In this part, I will explain how **to send** 💟’s

Each video object has a `metadata` property containing an array of key-value objects. So we can add a ‘*likes*’ metadata with a numeric value and increase this value when the user has pressed on the 🤍 icon!

To record the new data, we need to update the video by making an API call 

Note: Find a full description of the upload method [here](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-nodejs-client/blob/main/doc/api/VideosApi.md#update). 

Build your own TikTok with PWA and api.video

large_cover-tiktok-s-clone.png

medium_cover-tiktok-s-clone.png

small_cover-tiktok-s-clone.png

thumbnail_cover-tiktok-s-clone.png

cover-tiktok-s-clone.png

Chapters

doug.jpg

twitter-brands.svg

Doug Twitter

Doug Sillars

JavaScript

When reading a book, chapters help the reader understand a change has taken place - perhaps a new narrator, or a different point of view is used in each chapter.


Chapters in videos can be used in much the same way. If you need a specific moment in a long video, chapter titles may help you quickly find the part of the video you were looking for.  Here at api.video, we have a native chapter ability in our video player:

In the above version of Big Buck Bunny, I have added several chapters.  This is done with a VTT file.  It looks like this:

```
WEBVTT

1
00:00:34.000 --> 00:01:17.000
Bunny wakes up.

2
00:01:17.000 --> 00:02:30.000
Butterfly 1

3
00:02:30.000 --> 00:04:12.000
Plotting
4
00:04:12.000 --> 00:05:15.000
Construction

5
00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:42.000
Bow

6
00:05:42.000 --> 00:06:35.000
Falling Stuff

7
00:06:35.000 --> 00:07:42.000
Flying Squirrel


8
00:07:42.000 --> 00:09:41.000
Kite

9
00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:42.000
Post Credits

```

These intervals in the VTT file are shown as sections on the playback line at the bottom of the player, and clicking the chapter button lists them all.

## But what if you want an External button?

Super easy.  Using the Player SDK, you can seek to any time you wish.  So, as an example, you can create a series of buttons:

```
    <button id ="bunnyWakes">Bunny wakes</button><br/>
        <button id ="Butterfly">Butterfly</button><br/>
        <button id ="Plotting">Plotting</button><br/>
        <button id ="Construction">Construction</button><br/>
        <button id ="Bow">Bow</button><br/>
        <button id ="Falling">Falling Stuff</button><br/>
        <button id ="FlyingSquirrel">FlyingSquirrel</button><br/>
        <button id ="Kite">Kite</button><br/>
        <button id ="Post">Post Credits</button><br/>
```

Now, we can use an eventListener on these buttons, and using the api.video Player SDK, we can seek to the required time.  Here's the JavaScript that makes this magic happen:

```
      window.player = new PlayerSdk("#target", { 
            id: "vi1UQBDAMqAPCRxB3dmw1thc", 
            autoplay:true,
            muted:true
        });
        
        window.onload = function(){
            document.getElementById("bunnyWakes").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(34);
            });
            document.getElementById("Butterfly").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(77);
            });
            document.getElementById("Plotting").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(150);
            });
            document.getElementById("Construction").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(252);
            });
            document.getElementById("Bow").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(315);
            });
            document.getElementById("Falling").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(342);
            });
            document.getElementById("FlyingSquirrel").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(395);
            });
            document.getElementById("Kite").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(462);
            });
            document.getElementById("Post").addEventListener("click", function() {
                player.setCurrentTime(581);
            });

        }
```

First, we create a player with the player SDK, and insert the Big Buck Bunny video.  Then the eventlisteners work as fastforward/rewind buttons to the exact starting points of each chapter.  Note that the VTT file is in HH:MM:SS.000 time format, while the player.setCurrentTime is in seconds.

With these buttons (and a little CSS to make them pretty), you can build a web interface to your videos that incorporate a chapter skipping functionality, just like inside the api.video player.



Video Chapters: Using external buttons for controls

medium_1599px-chapteronesign.jpeg

small_1599px-chapteronesign.jpeg

thumbnail_1599px-chapteronesign.jpeg

1599px-chapteronesign.jpeg

With so many of us wearing headphones all day for calls, music, podcasts, etc, no one likes having the volume unexpectedly blast their ears. Using the api.video player SDK, you can set a warning when the volume is inadvertently set too high. Let's walk through how it works!


## Setting up the SDK

In this simple HTML page, we have a div for the video, and a paragraph for text:

```
<head>
    ...
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@api.video/player-sdk" ></script>
</head>

<body>
	<div id="target" style="align:center;width:75%;"></div>
	<p id="text"></p>
</body>
</html>
```
We add a script to load the player SDK.  Now we can instantiate the player with JavaScript:

```
   <script type="text/javascript">
        window.player = new PlayerSdk("#target", { 
            id: "vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27", 
            autoplay:true,
            muted:true
        });
     
    </script>

```

This creates the video, using the videoId and tells the player to autoplay the video while muted.  (This is the way to ensure that autoplay works in all browsers, but sadly is muted).

## Volume control

When a video is muted, the user will click/touch on the volume control. In this case we do not want them to accidently turn the volume too high, so we're going to set an initial maximum volume of 50% (in reality, this is kind of low, but test for yourself.)

We do this by setting the event listener for ```volumechange```, so whenever there is a change in volume, we can apply our script.

Here's the code for the volume change:

```
            var warning=false;
            player.addEventListener('volumechange', function(volume) { 
            var vol = volume.volume;
                console.log(`volume has changed: ${vol}`); 
                if(vol >0.50){
                    console.log("too loud!");
                    if(warning){
                        //they've been warned
                        document.body.style.backgroundColor = "red";
                        document.getElementById("text").innerHTML= "THIS IS LOUD";
                    }
                    else{
                        //warn user
                        warning=true;
                        player.setVolume(.5);
                        document.getElementById("text").innerHTML= "Are you sure? Loud volumes can damage hearing";
                    }
                }else if(vol<.50){
                        warning=false;
                        document.body.style.backgroundColor = "green";
                        document.getElementById("text").innerHTML="Nice and soft.";
                    }
		                else{ //exactly 0.5
                    document.getElementById("text").innerHTML= "Are you sure? Loud volumes can damage hearing";
                }

            });

```

First, we declare the boolean ```warning``` as false.  If the player detects a volume change, we look to see if the volume is over or under 50%. 

### High volume

If the volume is set to over 50%, we initially reset it to 50% and ask, "are you sure?", and the warning boolean is flipped to true.  If the user tries to go over 50% **again**, we let them set the higher volume (and change the page background to red).

### Low volume

If the volume is set to under 50%, we change the background to green.

## That's it

The code is on [Github](https://github.com/dougsillars/videoVolume), and the demo is live at [volumewarning.a.video](https://volumewarning.a.video/).  

Here's a video of the demo in action:








Volume warnings

medium_372340532b4c1b79eccc.jpg

small_372340532b4c1b79eccc.jpg

thumbnail_372340532b4c1b79eccc.jpg

372340532b4c1b79eccc.jpg

## Animated video preview


Traditionally, a video preview on the web is a poster image from the video, with a big play button in the middle.  The poster can be a unique image, but more typically is a frame from the actual video. The poster is an attribute of the video tag, so adding the image is very easy.

But animation draws your eye. When you see the page moving, you're going to look to see what is going on, and by seeing that there is a movie, can watch it.  So, how can you add an animated preview?

Many applications that use an animated preview use an animated GIF. We all love GIFs, and use them in our Slack conversations, add them on Twitter, often to great comedic effect. But - when you use a gif on Twitter - guess what?  It is actually a looping mp4!

So why do many video APIs fall back to animated GIFs?

Another image of the same street musician playing

large_streetmusicianplaying.jpg

medium_streetmusicianplaying.jpg

small_streetmusicianplaying.jpg

thumbnail_streetmusicianplaying.jpg

streetmusicianplaying.jpg



## GIF: Not intended as a platform for animation

If we enter our time machine back to 1989, we can read what the creators of GIF have to say about animated GIFs: it is right in the [specifications](https://www.w3.org/Graphics/GIF/spec-gif89a.txt):

>Animation - The Graphics Interchange Format is not intended as a platform for
animation, even though it can be done in a limited way.

The reason is that video uses time based compression - allowing for compression across frames of the video, while a 15 fps animated GIFs has 15 static GIF images per second. That means: really big files.  


## Using HTML5 video

With just a few lines of code, we can loop the actual video file without any editing of the file:

```
<video loop muted autoplay controls id="video">
	<source src="vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27.mp4#t=5">
</video>

<script>
	var video = document.getElementById("video");
	var START_TIME = 5;
    var END_TIME=10;

	 video.addEventListener("timeupdate", () => {
		 console.log(video.currentTime);
		 if(video.currentTime >= END_TIME){
			 video.currentTime = START_TIME;
			video.play();
	      }
	  });
	
	
	</script>

```

In the video tag, we append the video url with #t=5, telling the video player to start the playback at 5 seconds. Aside: if we used #t=5,10, it will stop the video at t=10 seconds, but the video does not loop.

To ensure the video loops, we add a listener to 'timeupdate' (which fires every 250 ms).  When this exceeds the end time, we reset to start time, and begin the video playback again.

## Using api.video


We can do the exact same thing with api.video [player SDK](https://docs.api.video/sdks/player/apivideo-player-sdk):

```
    <iframe id="target" width="100%" height="100%"></iframe>
    <script>
        const START_TIME = 5;
        const ENDTIME = 10;

        // create the player in the #target element
        var player = new PlayerSdk("#target", {
            id: "vi5oDagRVJBSKHxSiPux5rYD",
            autoplay: true,
            muted: true,
            hideControls: true,
        });

        player.addEventListener("ready", () => {
            player.setCurrentTime(START_TIME);
        })

        setInterval(() => {
            player.getCurrentTime((time) => {
                if (time >= ENDTIME) {
                    player.setCurrentTime(START_TIME);
                }
            });
        }, 200);
    </script>
```

You can try it out in a [JSFiddle](https://jsfiddle.net/3f4gpnjd/1/)

## Using video

The great thing about the implementations above is that no additional files have to be generated: we keep using video to display video.  Do you want to change the interval of the loop?  All you need to do is change the start/stop variables in the JavaScript, and the change will be instantaneous. A GIF would require re-encoding.

If the user decides to watch the video, you already have a great deal of the files needed to start the video in your local cache - so playback will be super fast.

## Conclusion

We can create looping "GIF-like" experiences with videos uploaded to api.video with just a few lines of JavaScript.  There's no added cost to creating or changing your files - since it is all based on the video files already in the system. And, since we are just programmatically playing back a selected part of the video, making changes on the start, finish and duration of the video is easy.  Try it yourself.  Create an [api.video](https://my.api.video) account today!

*Thanks to Olivier Lando from the Ecosystem team for creating the JSFiddle.*

Adding an "animated GIF" with api.video

large_output.jpg

medium_output.jpg

small_output.jpg

thumbnail_output.jpg

output.jpg

Sometimes your video content flows nicely from one video to another. If this is the case, having the player automatically load the 'next' video in a sequence would be convenient.

In this post, we'll use the [JavaScript Player SDK](https://docs.api.video/sdks/player/apivideo-player-sdk) to control the videos that appear in the player.  The demo application is available at [watch.a.video/playlist](https://watch.a.video/playlist), and the code is on [GitHub](https://github.com/dougsillars/videoPlaylist/blob/main/index.html).



## Video Playlist

Each video at api.video has a unique videoId. You can get this value from the video API, or you can extract it from the go.api.video URL for each video. I selected four videos from my account, and created an array with their videoIds:

```
var videos = [
            "vi7RSVfjmrCmQZgS12j7VW5X", //Edinburgh bagpipes
            "vi4uIigPjKOXiVnBGLjHDIMs", //clouds from a plane
            "vi3DZ8BOJBt3DxqenDSDXL1Z", //Zurich Christmas church
            "vi1rdVw3OxmAzpCM7mJmlz2c" //Munich surfing
        ];
var counter = 0;
```
 
This array will be our playlist.  We also create a counter that we will use to loop through the array.

## Creating a video player instance

The SDK makes it very easy to create a video on a page.  The first step is to include the [SDK script](https://github.com/apivideo/player-sdk/tree/master/dist) file:
```
<script src="sdk.js"></script>
```

In the above example, I simply have a div with the ID myVideo:

```
<div id="myVideo" ></div>
```

when the page loads, we call the createVideo function. This will use the player SDK to create a player instance in the myVideo div.  The videoId is set to the first video in the videos array, and we tell the player to autoplay - so the video starts as soon as it has loaded.

```
window.onload = createVideo(counter);

        function createVideo(counter) {
            console.log("video", counter +videos[counter]);
            window.player = new PlayerSdk("#myVideo", { 
               id: videos[counter], 
                autoplay: true
                // ... other optional options s
            });
            player.addEventListener('play', function() { 
                //console.log("playing");
                onPlay(counter);
            });
            player.addEventListener('ended',function() { 
                console.log("ended");
                counter ++;
                //if we hit the end of the array - start over again
                if (counter == videos.length){
                    counter = 0;
                }
                onEnd(counter);
            });
    
        }
```

There are 2 listeners attached to the player we created: 'play' and 'ended'

### Play Listener

The play listener fires when the video starts playing. Obviously, this happens at the start, but also when unpaused, and also whenever there is a 'seek' - the user jumps ahead or behind in the video.

the onPlay() function simply updates the 'videoInfo' div:

```
        function onPlay(counter) {
           // console.log("onPlay");
            console.log("counter" ,counter);
            document.getElementById('videoInfo').innerHTML = "video playing " + counter;
            console.log("video playing");
        }
```

### Ended Listener

When the video ends, this event fires.  We increment the counter (or if we are an the end of the array - we reset counter to 0), and call onEnd():

```
        function onEnd(counter){
            //console.log("onEnd");
            document.getElementById('videoInfo').innerHTML = "video over" ;
            //console.log("video over");
            player.destroy();
            //video is over - so start another one...
            createVideo(counter);
        }
```

onEnd destroys the current player, and then calls the createVideo function to create a new player with the new video in it.  

## Jump to the next/previous video

There are 2 arrow images to the left and to the right of the video. Clicking these will cause the video to skip to the next video (the right arrow) or the previous video (left arrow).

This is controlled with a clicklistener. Here's how we move to the "previous" video:

```
        document.getElementById("prev").onclick = function() {
            counter--;
            if( counter < 0){
                counter = videos.length -1;
            }
            player.destroy();
            createVideo(counter);
        }
```

It simply decreases the counter by 1 (and handles the case if we are at counter=0 by going to the last video), destroys the current player, and creates a new player with the new counter value. 

The "next" clickListener works the same way (and the code is in the repo.

## Playlist

onEnd calling createVideo creates a loop: after the video ends, start the next video.  This effectively creates a playlist that can be controlled by the array.


## Conclusion

Using the api.video Player SDK, we have created a way to play one video after another.  Give it a try, and let us know what you think on our [community page](https://community.api.video)!




Creating Video Playlists

small_playlist.png

thumbnail_playlist.png

playlist.png

codec

small_cedric.jpeg

thumbnail_cedric.jpeg

cedric.jpeg

Cédric Montet

Product updates

At api.video, our goal is for video to be easy and affordable for anyone to build, be it individuals or organizations. We understand that achieving this goal means reducing costs at some stage of the video streaming process. That’s why, we now offer adaptive bitrate encoding for your videos at zero cost. 

&nbsp;

Yes, you heard me right. 

&nbsp;

**Encoding videos will be absolutely free for all video qualities (1080p or 4K) at [api.video](https://api.video/) - no hidden calculations, footer notes or tricks.**

(Check out this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouosgLbW7Ts) for more details) 


## A step towards making video streaming affordable

Video encoding is crucial as it makes it possible for videos to be shared and played smoothly on the internet. It is why we are easily able to consume various types of video media, whether it’s a YouTube video, our favorite shows on Netflix, or even catching up with friends across the globe on Zoom. Video encoding basically makes the world go around in regards to anything related to video and video content.

&nbsp;

We at api.video recognize that. From [increasing the transcoding and playback speed ](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/2021-in-review/)to building [specialized hardware like ASICs](https://api.video/blog/video-trends/the-comeback-of-specialized-hardware/) cards to increase our transcoding capacities, we've been working to make video streaming easier for you every day. And after dedicating ample time to engaging with our customers and learning about their concerns, free encoding seemed to be the next step in this direction. 

&nbsp;

So, we worked tirelessly behind the scenes to give you what no one else will - free encoding for all video qualities, be it 360p or 4K. 

## How does free video encoding benefit you as a customer

The benefit is straightforward: you save a LOT of money!

&nbsp;

- With free video encoding, you will have one less thing to worry about. As you know, you pay for three things for streaming videos — encoding, hosting, and delivery – out of which encoding is the most expensive, especially if you have a lot of videos. Free video encoding will allow you to focus your attention and resources to what is most important.

&nbsp;

- As the video needs of your app users grow, you might need to scale up your encoding capacity. Free video encoding services will give you the power to scale without any additional costs, meaning your users can handle more videos without increasing your expenses.

&nbsp;

- You can [migrate from your previous provider to api.video](https://api.video/compare/azure-media-services/) without paying an ‘entry tax’ to us. With free video encoding, you no longer need to spend money on encoding videos with a new provider when you have already paid for encoding with an older one.

&nbsp;

Now with all the saved cost, you can allocate your resources and money to a place where it is actually important – building your product and delighting your users. 

## How to get started

To use the free video encoding benefit, getting started is easy. 

&nbsp;

- If you’re a new user, [sign-up](https://dashboard.api.video/register) for a free sandbox account and start uploading your videos
- If you are looking to migrate from another vendor, [import](https://import.api.video/) your videos from your current vendor
- If you have any questions, [talk to us](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1694417789132.1694427271479.149&__hssc=54467703.3.1694427271479&__hsfp=3654297906) by booking a slot in our calendar

&nbsp;

To know more about our[ features](https://api.video/features/), [pricing](https://api.video/pricing/) or ask any other questions, [talk to our team ](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1694162373815.1694167498585.144&__hssc=54467703.1.1694167498585&__hsfp=3654297906)and we will help you out. 

&nbsp;

Or, you can straightaway [sign-up](https://dashboard.api.video/register) for a free sandbox account and check our product out for yourself. 


Huge pricing update: Introducing video encoding at no cost

large_Blog_Zero Cost (2).png

medium_Blog_Zero Cost (2).png

small_Blog_Zero Cost (2).png

thumbnail_Blog_Zero Cost (2).png

Blog_Zero Cost (2).png

api.video team

Video trends

Modern technology has been helpful for an increasingly fast and simple method of consuming various types of video media, whether it’s a YouTube video, our favorite shows on Netflix, or even catching up with friends across the globe on Zoom. Despite the relative ease of doing anything related to video, a few complex processes take place behind the scenes, away from public view. One such process is video encoding.

Video encoding basically makes the world go around in regards to anything related to video and video content. Thanks to the technologies behind the video encoding process, it has become much easier for people and companies to share video content on the internet. But what exactly is video encoding, and what happens during the process? We’ll take a closer look at this and much more in this handy guide to video encoding.

## What is video encoding?

In a nutshell, video encoding occurs when you take raw video footage, either from a digital camera or an analog film camera, and digitally compress it to make it a more manageable file size. Video encoding happens daily in both professional and personal capacities, and many people don’t realize it.

But, without encoding, services like Netflix and YouTube would not exist – or, at least, not in the same way that it does today. Without it, we couldn’t send videos of our beloved pets to our friends and family as easily as we can today.

## Why is video encoding used?

There are a variety of reasons why video encoding is used, but all factors point to the single function of video encoding – **compression**.

This is done to ensure optimal performance and compatibility with a selected suite of software and hardware, be it for DVD/Blu-ray playback, mobile viewing, online video streaming, or general video editing. A file's video and audio information undergo transformation and compression during the encoding process, all in accordance with the requirements of the selected encoding standard.

On a professional level, the ability to compress raw video into more manageable sizes makes it easier to transmit video content such as training, promotion, presentation, and so on over the internet. 

On a personal level, video encoding makes it much easier to send videos taken from your phone directly to friends and family. Most modern-day personal devices have built-in video encoding capabilities to allow for this to happen without a second thought.

To put things in perspective, uncompressed or unencoded video can have a data rate that’s as low as 3,000 Mbps and as high as 12,000 Mbps, depending on the length and quality of the video recorded. 

**Without encoding, it would take up to days for anyone to not just transmit video, but to be able to consume it, too.**

## Differences between video encoding and video transcoding

You need to be familiar with two more [essential terms related to video encoding](https://api.video/what-is/) – transcoding and codecs.

Transcoding relates to the conversion from one digital encoding format to another. It takes the already encoded video file, decompresses it, and then alters it before re-encoding or compressing it into a different codec. Codecs are what allow encoding to occur in the first place. They are software or hardware that gives us the ability to compress video to make them more easily stored and delivered tightly.

While you may hear “encoding” and “transcoding” used interchangeably, the two terms actually mean different things. Putting it succinctly, encoding is the initial process of compressing a video from a source – such as a camera – into a codec, while transcoding takes an already encoded video file to convert it into a different codec.

## Examples of video codecs

In order to understand video encoding, you must first be familiar with two interrelated terms: [video codecs and video formats](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/every-video-format-codec-and-container-explained/). These also tend to be used interchangeably, but much like the terms encoding and transcoding, they refer to two different things.

Video formats are the type of files in which the compressed video/audio is stored. Also known as a “container”, you can tell what a video format is by looking at the file’s extension — the three to four characters that sit after a period in a file name. Here are some of the most common video formats used today:

* MP4
* FLV
* MOV
* MKV
* LXF
* MXF
* AVI
* WebM
* QT

On the other hand, **the codec is short for “Coder / Decoder” (compression / decompression)** and relates to the video compression algorithms that allow encoding to happen. Over the years, codecs have gone through multiple iterations as it coincides with the increasing sophistication and rise in the quality of filmmaking. 

If you’re a content creator, you might be aware of some of the video codecs that exist today:

- **H.264 – also known as AVC, this is the most widely-used video codec available on every platform and mobile device.**
- H.265 – also known as HEVC, stands for High-Efficiency Video Coding, and it’s slowly overtaking H.264 as the standard. This codec can compress video much more efficiently than its predecessor.
- **VP9 – is an open-source, royalty-free codec developed by Google and is considered the direct competitor of H.265. The video compression codec VP9 was created to reduce file sizes, making streaming videos simpler.**
- **AV1 – is another royalty-free, open-source codec released in 2019 by the non-profit Alliance for Open Media. It was developed to become the successor to Google’s VP9 and contend with HEVC more directly.**

## How do different technologies handle video encoding

As you may have suspected, there are a majority of ways that different technologies handle the video encoding process. Let’s take a look at the most common technologies that use video and how video encoding works on each of them:

### Video editing software

When it comes to video content creation, a majority of people will use one of two video editing software — Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple’s Final Cut Pro. Both of these video editing software handle video encoding in very similar ways: when exporting the finished video.

Depending on which device the video content is recorded on, it will already be encoded and formatted according to the settings of the device. For those using iPhones recording 1080p video at 25 frames per second (FPS), for example, the iPhone will automatically encode the video using H.264 and contain it in a .mov file format. The video editing software will “open up” the container to get to the encoded, compressed video file within so the editing process can begin.

After editing the footage is complete, it will need to be exported, which typically concerns video encoding. The edited raw media taken from a recording device such as a camera will be encoded via the codec of the person’s choosing before being put into a .mp4 container once they’ve hit “export”. As we’ve mentioned before, the most common codec used in video content creation is H.264 for HD videos, with 4K videos using H.265. 

### Websites

Different websites utilize different techniques to handle video encoding – with a majority of the major sites like YouTube, Netflix, and so on using their own technologies to handle the process. A majority of social media websites allow you to upload video files directly onto the site to share, although most of them require the files to be saved in specific containers. 

These websites will take your video file and transcode it before using their own systems and serves to re-encode it to match multiple display resolutions. This process will happen regardless of your video file's original codec and settings. Different websites have different processes, but companies that don’t have the capacity to build their own video encoding systems can use a third-party application programming interface (or API) to handle this process. These APIs act as [dedicated video encoder](https://api.video/encoding/) that allows companies to add on-demand videos to their websites more efficiently.

Using [api.video](http://api.video) as an example, all of the videos submitted to the platform will be transformed into H.264 codec in an MP4 container. This may be done using transmuxing and/or transcoding.

We expect the video bitrate to be lower than 16 Mbps for up to 1080p resolution and 50 Mbps for up to 4K resolution. We accept any bitrates, however, we will scale them down to the limits mentioned because anything above is usually challenging for most viewers’ connection to watch.

### API

The ability to generate, store, and distribute video is made possible via a video API. [api.video](http://api.video)’s solution can be tailored to suit any specific need. 

The backend process of video on demand (VOD) is exceptionally complex, even if you’re a software programmer specializing in video. It is necessary to encode, package, and typically transcode the data before sending it to any of several possible destinations. All of these things, and more, may be done with minimal fuss using api.video.

Our API basically keeps the complexities of streaming media hidden from view, so you can rapidly develop apps with as much control as you need. This saves time and effort so developers can concentrate on making the product.

## Conclusion

As you can see through this video encoding guide, a lot of work goes into making the video you watch and the video you share possible. Without video encoding compressing raw video footage, it could take days to upload and transmit video content over the internet and perhaps even longer to be able to download and enjoy them. 

The best part about encoding at api.video is that is offered at ZERO cost. You will only be charged for delivery and hosting of your videos, and the encoding will be free. Now integrate your videos in minutes with api.video or [contact us](https://api.video/contact) for more information.

A Guide to Video Encoding & Video Codecs

large_poster-3.png

medium_poster-3.png

small_poster-3.png

thumbnail_poster-3.png

poster-3.png

Erikka Innes

Encoding and transcoding are often used interchangeably but they have slightly different definitions. **Encoding is the initial process of converting raw video files into a specific digital format or codec.** It involves compressing and packaging the video data, often to reduce file size while maintaining acceptable quality. Encoding prepares the video for storage, transmission, or playback.

&nbsp;

**Transcoding, on the other hand, involves converting a video from one digital format or codec to another.** This is typically done to optimize the video for different devices or platforms, adapt to varying network conditions, or ensure compatibility with specific playback requirements. Transcoding occurs after encoding and often involves changing resolution, bitrates, or formats without altering the content itself.

## What goes on behind encoding a video?

It's easy to say that encoding is when you go from an _uncompressed source_ to a _compressed source_, but you may ask, what exactly do compressed and uncompressed sources mean?

&nbsp;

Uncompressed sources are video files that contain data that comes directly from a camera sensor vs. encoded video. In the digital space, it's SDI (Serial Digital Interface) or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). Both of them are popular standards. You'll find HDMI in places like your GoPro camera, or a mini camcorder. These days, you might also find HDMI in professional settings, but SDI is more common due to its reliability. Another example of an uncompressed source would be something analog, for instance, VHS tapes.

&nbsp;

A compressed sources, on the other hand, are video files that have undergone compression during the encoding process. Compression involves reducing the file size by removing unnecessary information or encoding the data in a more efficient format. This process results in a smaller file size, making it more manageable for storage, transmission, and playback.


## What are the types of transcoding methods?

There are three types of transcoding, depending on what you are trying to do to get a video to suit a particular browser, player, or platform:

* **Lossless-to-lossless** - This type of transcoding maintains the quality of your video across formats but allows you to take advantage of better hardware or compression algorithms. 
* **Lossless-to-lossy** - This type of transcoding will decrease your video in quality, but it will benefit you in ways such as – you will get a smaller and/or faster playing file, or a file that is compatible with the requirements of a particular platform, player, or browser.
* **Lossy-to-lossless** - Sometimes people think this means they are regaining quality. This isn't the case in this type of transcoding. If you transcode from a lossy format to a lossless format, all that it means is that you will not lose additional quality in the conversion process. You will not regain data you already lost through compression.

## Codecs for encoding and transcoding

For both encoding and transcoding, you will need to make use of codecs. A codec's job is to compress and decompress video files. It's right there in the name -  **co**mpress **dec**ompress or encode decode. So basically, codec is an algorithm that takes the video and shrinks it or changes it into a format that makes it compatible with the requirements of wherever you want the video to play. There are many codecs because there are many ways to compress a video or livestream for playback.



## What is transmuxing?

Now that you know the difference between encoding and transcoding, let's throw one more term in there - transmuxing. Transmuxing is when you change the container for a video instead of the format. It's a way of repackaging a video to make it compatible somewhere without changing what's in the file. 

&nbsp;

This process is faster than encoding or transcoding and takes less computing power because you only change the container, not the file. It's great when you need to quickly make something available, but the downside is that it doesn't handle things like making multiple video resolutions available. If you choose a container type that's incompatible with your video file, you may also cause compatibility issues, resulting in not being able to play the video.

## In closing

* **Encoding** - Encoding happens when you compress a raw data file from a video camera sensor or an analog source like a VHS tape. 
* **Transcoding** - Transcoding happens when you take an already compressed video file and change it to another format.
* **Transmuxing** - Transmuxing happens when you change the container of a video file but leave the video file untouched. 

We hope that explains the difference between encoding and transcoding clearly. 

_If you are looking for an affordable video API solution that does not burn a hole in your pocket for transcoding and encoding videos, check out our offerings on our [homepage](https://api.video/) or [sign-up for a free account here](https://dashboard.api.video/register)!_

Encoding and transcoding: what's the difference? 

Encoding and Transcoding - What's the Difference?

large_encoding-and-transcoding-whats-the-difference.jpg

medium_encoding-and-transcoding-whats-the-difference.jpg

small_encoding-and-transcoding-whats-the-difference.jpg

thumbnail_encoding-and-transcoding-whats-the-difference.jpg

encoding-and-transcoding-whats-the-difference.jpg

Once I upload my video, how quickly will it be ready to be viewed?

Our reply to this question has always been “it's really fast.”  And it is really fast. But, the dev team gave me access to the backend database, and pointed me to a few tables that might be helpful (thanks to Thomas Persohn for your patient help!)

Thus armed, I waded into a sea of data to better understand how fast our videos are encoded at api.video

## Encoding

When a video is uploaded to api.video, it is re-encoded to a HLS stream, with several different video dimensions and bitrates.  This allows api.video to deliver properly sized video to all users - no matter the device or network connection. (Read our post on [Responsive video delivery](https://api.video/blog/video-trends/responsive-video-delivery/) to learn more.)

> Summary:  All videos are encoded at 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p and 2160p. However, the videos are only encoded up to the initial size of the video (so if the original video is 720p, there will not be 1080p or 2160p versions available). 

**FYI:** For our customers, encoding is absolutely free – we offer adaptive bitrate encoding at zero cost. 

How long does this step take? If a customer uploads a video to our service - they want to know how efficient api.video creates the content for viewing.

### Data in the study

We are constantly making adjustments to our infrastructure to speed the encoding step of our video (and that is one reason this post is dated 2H 2020 - we expect to be faster in early 2021). The last major adjustment was made in mid October, so the data presented in this study from every video uploaded to the api.video service between 15 October and 2 December 2020.

### Parameters that affect encoding

There are 2 major parameters that affect the speed of encoding a new video stream: the output dimensions and the length (duration) of the video.  

#### Dimensions

The output video dimensions have a huge impact on video creation - a 3840 × 2160 (or 4K or 2160p) video has millions more pixels than a 320x240 (240p) video, so it takes a lot longer to create.  In general, the videos exit the encoding process from smallest to largest.

#### Duration

If a video is 30 frames per second, and is 60 seconds long, there are 1800 frames to be created.  If a 30 frame per second video is an hour long 3600s), there are 108,000 frames to be created, so the longer the video - the more time for creation.

## Analysis

To better understand the encoding time, I divided the data by the size of the output video size, and looked at 2 lengths of video  - those under 5 minutes, and videos that are 45-75 minutes long (we are often asked how long a 1 hour video takes to encode).

I calculated encoding time for each bucket of video using percentiles.  

> Quick review - percentiles break the data into 100 evenly sized segments, so the 25th percentile is when 25% of the videos have been encoded. The median is the 50th percentile, and is when 50% of videos have been encoded.  We report here to the 95th percentile for video encoding.

### Short videos - under 5 minutes long

Many of the videos uploaded to api.video are short - under 5 minutes long.  These videos are generally ready to play in a few seconds:



The above chart has a lot of data, the 25, 50, 75, 90 and 95th percentile encoding times for all 6 variants of the video that api.video creates.

The median video is ready to play (at 240p) in 5.6 seconds, but a 720p version will be ready in 15s after encoding begins, and the 4K version will be ready in 37 seconds.

95% of all videos (under 5 minutes) will be playable in 32.6s, and will have 1080p versions ready in just over 2 minutes (140s).

### Long videos - 45 - 75 minutes long

Our most frequently asked question on encoding is "how long for a 1 hour video to be encoded and ready?"  Here are the numbers:


Observant viewers will see there are no 4K videos in this report. At this time, there are very few 4K streams that reach the 1 hour timeframe, and the data was quite noisy.  Hopefully, more of our 'long uploads' will add 4K support, so we can add this metric in our next update.

The median hour long video (red line) will be ready to play (at 240p) in just over 9 minutes (555s), and a 720p version will be ready about 18 minutes after encoding begins (1099s).

95% of hour long videos will have a 240p version ready in 33 minutes, and 720p in 54 (3230s).  the 1080p version will be available for 95% of videos in 108 minutes,

## Conclusion

Short videos will be ready to play - even at high resolution - in under a minute: the median 4K encoding for a short video is 37s. 

Hour long videos take longer to encode, and the median 720p video will be ready in 18 minutes.  95% of 720p videos will be ready to play in 54 minutes.

This is really fast! You can have responsive streaming video ready for your customers in just a few minutes with a simple upload!

That said, our team is working hard in the background to improve our infrastructure to make our encoding speeds even faster! 

We're really excited to have hard numbers to share with you on our encoding speeds, and we cannot wait to re-benchmark this data in 2021 to see how much faster your videos will be encoded as we improve our service.

Do you have questions about api.video or video encoding? Reach out on our [community page](https://community.api.video).


How fast does api.video encode video? 2H 2020 data

medium_gif.jpg

small_gif.jpg

thumbnail_gif.jpg

gif.jpg

Huge pricing update! Introducing video encoding at zero cost

Featured article

# api.video blog

Blog

Follow the api.video Blog to explore tutorials, video use cases, and learn about on-demand and live-streaming video updates.

Video on demand

Live streaming

Analytics

See all features

Online learning

Short-form videos

Marketplace & E-commerce

Video messaging and recording

Quick start guides

Documentation

Ecosystem catalog

Clients & SDKs

Community

Blog

Demos

Help center

Blog

Huge pricing update! Introducing video encoding at zero cost