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Artem Matinian

Tutorials

React Native

NodeJS

Next.js

How do you make sure that your live stream viewer stays **engaged**? what are the tools that you can leverage in order to make **the most out of the experience**? and how can you **analyze the viewer's reaction**?

In this article, you can learn about the way you can integrate real-time communication into your live stream in order to make an engaging user experience with your live streams.

Although we will only learn how to share emojis between viewers in your live stream, you will be able to leverage the example in order to build **robust analytics** that will provide you **great insight into when and how the viewers reacted to the stream**.

We’ll leverage [api.video](http://api.video) with **Ably** to create a real-time communication scenario where one viewer of the live stream will post an emoji, and all of the other viewers of the same live stream will be able to see the reaction.

Check out the diagram below on how this works:

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## Why do Livestream viewers need to be engaged?

Live streaming is growing at a very rapid pace. Let’s talk statistics:

Did you know that the revenue for the entire video streaming app industry reached **$82.3 billion in 2022**, and is projected to reach **$115 billion by 2026.** according to some resources it’s going to be **$118 billion by 2025**. ([Business of Apps](https://www.notion.so/5c096d5c490d48ba989db87d3ffb1ed0))

Live commerce-initiated sales could account for as much as **10 to 20 percent** of all e-commerce by 2026 ([McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/its-showtime-how-live-commerce-is-transforming-the-shopping-experience)) and **41.2%** of consumers said they tune in to live streams focused on home products, and **37.5%** said they watch [live shopping events](https://tinuiti.com/blog/paid-social/live-shopping-tips/) for electronics ([Retail Touchpoints](https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/digital-commerce/livestreaming-update-coresight-debunks-5-common-myths)).

In 2022, there were **532 million** esports viewers worldwide ([Insider Intelligence](https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/esports-ecosystem-market-report/)).

**52%** of live video viewers stream content through social media ([eMarketer](https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/livestream-viewers-social-media)).

Brands earn nearly **40%** more engagement with Instagram Reels compared to other Instagram content formats ([Business Wire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005644/en/Brands-Earn-Nearly-40-More-Engagement-with-Reels-Compared-to-Other-Instagram-Content-Formats)).

And this is just a small part of some impressive live stream and video content statistics. So you ask yourself, how do I start integrating livestream into my app or website? 

## How to build a scalable and engaging live stream quickly?

What we’ll be leveraging:

- [api.video](http://api.video) to create and deliver the live stream
- [Ably](https://ably.com/) for the real-time communication handling
- For streaming, you can use OBS, [one of our live streaming SDKs](https://docs.api.video/sdks/livestream/react-native-livestream-component), or stream directly from the [api.video](http://api.video) dashboard

With [api.video](http://api.video), you can integrate livestream into any project in a few minutes. You can find the article on how to get started here: https://docs.api.video/docs/create-a-live-stream

We’ll start with this simple example that was built using Next.js. You can go ahead and clone it from here: https://github.com/apivideo/livestream-with-realtime-ably

Let’s break it down; what are we looking at here? 

### The [api.video](http://api.video) React Player module

We are using [api.video](http://api.video) in order to create a stream and then the api.video React player SDK in order to create a responsive on-screen video delivery while removing the control elements. 

If you navigate to the `src/pages/index.tsx` file, here’s where we consume the player and buildout the video delivery:

We consume the [api.video](http://api.video) React player SDK here:
`import ApiVideoPlayer from '@api.video/react-player';`

And we pass it as a component to be rendered:

**Disclaimer! In this example, the streamId is hardcoded in the index file, however, you’ll probably want to serve the streamId dynamically from your backend when you get to production.** 

You can notice that we are passing the `ApiVideoPlayer` component all of these parameters; let’s break it down a bit; I’ll focus on the important ones:

- With Style, we are passing CSS parameters in order for the video to fit the screen first while the `size` parameter is dynamic, as `size` is a state:

Each time you resize the window, the video player size will adapt to the size of the screen.

- `chromeless` parameter removes all the player controls, which will give the user a better experience.
- With the `video` parameter, we are passing an object that includes the stream id and the optional parameter `live` that is set to true in order to give the player the indication that we are passing in a live stream and not a video

Getting the live stream id can be done in two ways. 

**Programmatically**:

1. You can leverage the livestream endpoint in order to get the list of livestream ids from your workspace: https://docs.api.video/reference/get_live-streams

2. You’ll get a JSON response from which you can get the stream id you need:


**Manually from the dashboard:**

1. Click on the live stream in Live Streams

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You can find more information about the [api.video](http://api.video) React Player in our documentation: https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-react-player

### Everyone loves Emojis!

Now let’s get to the fun part; the example gives you the ability to share emojis between all the viewers of the stream; each person in the stream gets an emoji picker; once the emoji is clicked, a cool little animation will play where the emoji is hovering and then disappearing. The cool thing about that is that the animation will be played to all the viewers.

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This example is very basic; however, you can take the example and **expand** on it in order to create **real-time statistics** for the live stream session, for example: 

- Count the reactions from the users
- Map the different reaction emojis and get the timeframe with the most reactions
- Get real-time feedback from the users
- And more

The emoji animation is built with **React Simple Animate**  https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-simple-animate, it has a bit of complex logic, but you are free to reuse it in your app. You can find the actual animation parameters in `src/utils/randomframevalues.tsx`  

The random values are being passed to the `<AnimateKeyframes>` component that includes the actual emoji:

Go ahead and play around with the random values and the parameters, should be fun 😃

### Spread the emojis

And now we get to the challenge, how do you get these emojis across to all other users? this was an interesting task, but with Ably, it wasn’t that difficult to implement. 

We created a new class that is called `MessageHandler` where we use the Ably node library:

`import Ably from 'ably';`

Ably has a great API that allows you to create channels, get users to subscribe to them, and then broadcast and listen to any events that happen inside these channels; that’s a great fit for our use case! 

In the example, all you need to do is to replace the values of the `#apiKey`  with the one that you get from Ably:

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**Disclaimer! Please note that these keys should be consumed from the backend. In this example, just to make it easy, we expose the keys on the front end. Please ensure that the backend serves the keys when you go to production.**

**Briefly on what we are doing in the `MessageHandler` class:**

When we use Ably there are a few things we need to understand and utilize:

- Channels
- Users
- Subscriptions (listeners)
- Message publishing

Every time the user opens a new window, they will be assigned a user id for a session (this logic works in the `index.tsx` file); the userId is passed to the class when it is initialized in order to create a unique user id for each user that watches the stream. 

Then we use the stream id as the channel id for Ably, of course, you can generate any channel id, however, it’s easier to just leverage the values that we already have. 

We then subscribe to the same channel and also broadcast the messages to it at the same time. 

The caveat is that we set the listener in the `/src/components/emoji.tsx` file, if you look closely at the listener, we have a logic that will make sure that the listener is not getting duplicated. We check if there are no listeners created already; if there aren’t, we create one. This situation is caused by the fact that each time the state changes, React will re-render and will run the same code again, causing the listener to be created multiple times, so we do something like this:

Finally, we have two functions to generate the message (which will include the emoji) and publish the message to the channel.

Now that you know how it works, you can run the example and play around with it. Just make sure to install all the dependent modules by running `npm install` or `yarn install`

After the installation is done, run the example by `npm run dev`

The example will run on `localhost:3000`

Happy Hacking! 🙂

If you have any questions about the article, feel free to raise issues on the [Github repo](https://github.com/apivideo/livestream-with-realtime-ably), reach out to me directly: artem@api.video, or just open a ticket with our support team.

Boost your live streams

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Boost your live streams with user engagement 

live - create

API client

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GitHub Yohann

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LinkedIn Yohann

Yohann Martzolff

JavaScript

In this tutorial, you will learn how to build our own live streaming broadcast application with React Native and api.video.
We're also going to use TypeScript, but you can choose either TypeScript or JavaScript. Both work well with api.video's clients. For further details, check out our [official repository](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-reactnative-live-stream).

Congratulations! The live streaming app is done!

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## Getting started

First, follow the development setup steps from [React Native's official documentation](https://reactnative.dev/docs/environment-setup).

If you're new to React Native, you may also need to [learn the basics](https://reactnative.dev/docs/tutorial).

Make sure that you have the latest Node stable version installed.

*Quick reminder: iOS development is only enabled for macOS users. If you're on Windows or Linux, you can develop for Android.*

The official React Native documentation states, "you can follow the **Expo CLI Quickstart** to learn how to build your iOS app using Expo instead."


## Create a new React Native app

Open a new terminal. Go to the folder of your choice and run the following command to create a new React Native application with TypeScript:

### Launch the application

Inside your new project start Metro to bundle your application:

Once Metro is connected and ready, open another terminal. Go to your project folder, and launch your application.

This command line can take several minutes to finish, stay calm and grab a coffee ☕

If everything is set up correctly, you should see your new app running in your iOS / Android emulator like this

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## Add the live stream client to your app

Congratulations! 🎉 You've just created a React Native application!
Now, it's time to install the [api.video RTMP live stream client](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-reactnative-live-stream) into it to live stream directly from your mobile device for free.


### Installation

At this time, the `npx react-native init` command creates a React Native application with `yarn`.

Yarn is a package manager, like NPM. Don't worry if you've not worked with it before; it's easy to use and similar to NPM.


To install the api.video RTMP live stream client, open a terminal. Go to your project folder and run this command:

For iOS usage, you will need to complete two more steps:
1. Install the native dependencies with [Cocoapods](https://cocoapods.org/):

2. This project contains Swift code. If it's your first dependency with swift code, you’ll need to create an empty Swift file in your project (with the bridging header) from Xcode. [You can find instructions here](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-reactnative-live-stream/#ios).


### Permissions

⚠️ Both iOS and Android need permission to broadcast from your device's camera and record audio.

You will also need to ask for internet permission for Android.

#### Android

From your project folder, open the `AndroidManifest.xml` file. It’s located in the `LiveStreamApp/android/app/src/main` directory.
Add the following content just under the opening `<manifest>` tag to enable internet, audio recording, and the camera for your application:

#### iOS

From your project folder, open the `Info.plist` file. It’s located in the `LiveStreamApp/ios/LiveStreamApp` directory.
Add the following content just under the opening `<dict>` tag to enable the camera and microphone:

Don't forget to add the app description, as shown above, if you want to deploy your application in stores.

#### Sign your iOS application (optional)

You may need to [sign your iOS application](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-reactnative-live-stream#ios). I recommend doing it now to avoid issues later. 

### Usage

#### Component

Change your `App.tsx` file with the following code:

⚠️ You may need to relaunch your Metro after this.

A black screen with a round button at the bottom should appear in your emulator: it's your live stream view.

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#### Launch your first live stream

If you want to test to live stream from an actual device (iOS in our case), open Xcode. Click on “Open a project or file,” select the `LiveStreamApp/ios` folder, and open it.
Connect your device to your iMac/Macbook and run your application.
For Android, you can check the [official documentation](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/device).

You will need to change `YOUR_STREAM_KEY` to a real one. You can find yours in the [api.video dashboard](https://dashboard.api.video/). If you don't have an account yet, create one, it's free.
Then, create a livestream from the overview or the “Live streams” page.

Find this action card and click on "Start live stream"

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A modal will appear with several pieces of information in it, including the shareable link and stream key. Save the shareable link to access your live stream later.

This modal should appear once you click on "Start live stream"

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💡 You can also use the [api.video](https://api.video/) API to create a live stream and retrieve your stream key dynamically. [Find how to do this right here](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Live-Streams#create-live-stream).

Paste your stream key in place of `YOUR_STREAM_KEY`.

Click on the button in your application; it should turn red. Them, go to the shareable link you just saved. There you go! You can see what your mobile is streaming in real-time! If it's not the case, wait a few seconds and check your stream key value.


## Make it dynamic

Our application is working; we can now do an actual live stream directly from our smartphone. 
But api.video RTMP live stream client allows us to customize our live stream the way we want. 
In this section, we will see how to customize our live stream parameters and make our application UI better.

Check the [official README](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-reactnative-live-stream/tree/v1.0.0) for exhaustive information about the `@api.video/react-native-livestream` package.

Some properties can be updated during the live stream:

- Camera: front or back
- Audio: muted or not

We can leave these properties on the live stream view. This way, we can update them during our live stream.


### Add icons

We will need icons in our application.
Install the corresponding dependency before going further.

1. Stop your application
2. Delete the pods (only for iOS usage.)

3. Add the [react-native-vector-icons](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-native-vector-icons) NPM package:

4. Go into `/ios` and install your pods (only for iOS usage.)

5. To display an icon, import it and use it as a component

⚠️ An import error could be displayed in Visual Studio Code, but it should work anyway.


### Live stream view

Right now, we only have a single button at the bottom of our live stream view, contained in the `App.tsx` file.

We can customize this component a little bit to make it more obvious.

#### Streaming button

Let's add text if our live stream is not running and an icon when it is.
Replace the above code by this one:

Don't forget to update your style to display the streaming button conditionally:

#### Camera button

To change the camera input (front or back), we need to add a button we can access during our live stream.

To do this, a local state is needed, like the `streaming` one:

1. Add it in your `App` component and replace your static string for the camera props:

2. Handle the change of camera with this handler. Place it in your `App` component:

3. Add this code under your streaming button. It’s our camera icon component:

When you press the camera icon, displayed in the bottom right corner, you should switch from the back camera to the front and vice versa.

#### Muted button

We may want to mute our stream at a specific time. For this, we also need a local state and a button.

1. Add a new local state under the other ones and replace your static boolean for the `isMuted` props:

2. Handle the change of `muted` state with this handler. Place it in your `App` component:

3. Add this code under your camera button. It’s our mute icon component:

When you press the mute icon, displayed in the bottom left corner, you should switch from muted to unmuted.

And voilà! You can now launch a live stream directly from your device, choose which camera you want to use, and allow sound recording or not.

## And now what?

Congratulations! You just created a fully functional live streaming broadcast application. You can go further and implement the logic to modify all other settings provided by [api.video](https://api.video).
You can check the [React Native live streaming sample application](https://github.com/apivideo/api.video-reactnative-live-stream/tree/main/example) to get an idea of the potential of this tool (product?).

api.video provides two development environments. The sandbox allows you to live stream directly from your computer or mobile, but a watermark will be applied to your video and there is a 30 minute limit for live streams. 

To avoid these limitations, try one of the plans found [here](https://api.video/pricing) and go into production mode 🚀

How to build a live streaming app in 3 steps

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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

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api.video

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

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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?

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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?

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Doug Sillars

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

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Huge pricing update! Introducing video encoding at zero cost

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Huge pricing update! Introducing video encoding at zero cost