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Arushi Gupta

Video trends

In a world where attention spans are shorter than an Instagram cat video, integrating videos into your product can be your secret weapon to grab eyeballs, build connections, and turn clicks into conversions. But with the immense information available on the internet, how do you filter the best video API for your business? 

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Here’s a list of top 5 video APIs, with detailed information about what they do and their pros and cons. Let’s start! 

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## What are video APIs and why do I need them?

Video APIs are tools that let you add video capabilities to your products or services without building everything from scratch. They handle complex tasks like uploading, encoding, streaming, and playback, saving time and effort. Using video APIs means quicker and cost-effective integration, enhancing user experience with engaging video content. You could be using video APIs for boosting customer engagement or creating a feature-rich app – in both cases, they do the job of simplifying the process, making your offering more appealing and competitive.

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## The best video APIs in 2023

Let us look at the top 5 video APIs that will help you manage your videos and live-streams efficiently.

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### **1. Api.video**

[Api.video](https://api.video/) ranks at the top when it comes to building an app for live streaming videos or creating video-on-demand. The video API lets you build on-demand and livestream videos directly from your application, website or software. What makes api.video the best video streaming API is its scalability, [easy-to-understand documentation](https://docs.api.video/), and affordable [pricing.](https://api.video/pricing/). We also recently launched the Analytics feature – that helps you analyze your users, videos, and live streams.

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Another unique [feature](https://api.video/features/) of api.video is that it does not increase the prices with improvement in quality, that is – we charge you the same for 480 p and 4K resolution. There's also zero platform fee and you only pay for what you use. With volume discounts in place, your costs decrease when the volume increases. 

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**Pros:**

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- Simple and extremely user-friendly API for video hosting and streaming.
- Real-time analytics for viewer engagement.
- Built-in transcoding and adaptive streaming.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing model so you pay only for what you use
- Ability to white-label your videos

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**Cons:**

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- You need a developer to implement the video API 

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_Don’t believe what we say? [Talk to our team](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1692092314770.1692098368002.105&__hssc=54467703.2.1692098368002&__hsfp=3690950987) or [sign-up ](https://dashboard.api.video/register)for a sandbox box and test the features of api.video for yourself._

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### **2. Vimeo**

Vimeo is one of the most popular video streaming API. It is a valuable asset for businesses aiming to incorporate video into their business models without requiring dedicated technical resources of their own. It uses multiple languages like PHP, Python, and Node.js, making it usable by and accessible to a larger variety of businesses. Vimeo is so popular also because of its features of Video Player API, Upload API and Embed API, which give the user immense flexibility of options while creating and editing their content.

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**Pros:**

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- Robust video management and organization.
- Customizable video player and embed options.
- Rich video analytics for insights into viewer behavior.
- Privacy settings and access controls.
- Integration possibilities with applications and workflows.
- Offers APIs for developers.

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**Cons:**

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- Costs can vary based on storage, bandwidth, and features.
- Limited free tier with some restrictions.
- Dependency on an external service for streaming.

### **3. Wowza**

The API provides a range of features, including adaptive bitrate streaming, real-time analytics, and customizable player options. Wowza Video API simplifies the complexities of video streaming, enabling users to deliver high-quality content to global audiences with ease. You could be building interactive live events or deploying video-on-demand services, Wowza Video API is a good option for building video streaming experiences.

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**Pros:**

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- Advanced streaming capabilities for both live streaming and video-on-demand.
- Scalable infrastructure that can accommodate various streaming demands.
- Customizable video players to align with branding.
- Support for multi-platform compatibility, reaching a wider audience.
- Low latency streaming for real-time applications.
- Security features, including secure streaming and authentication.
- Analytics and monitoring tools for insights.

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**Cons:**

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- Complex for those new to streaming APIs.
- Higher costs for advanced features.

### 4. **Muvi**

Muvi Video API is one among the best API for video streaming as it lets developers easily integrate video streaming capabilities into their websites or apps without much technical complexity. It provides a simple and user-friendly solution to stream videos, manage content, and offer an immersive viewing experience to users. With Muvi Video API, you can customize your video player, securely deliver content, and even monetize your videos through pay-per-view or subscription models. 

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**Pros:**

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- End-to-end video streaming solution covering content hosting to monetization.
- Customizable platform for creating branded apps and websites.
- Multi-device compatibility.
- Built-in security features.
- No revenue-sharing model, allowing you to keep your earnings.

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**Cons:**

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- Slightly complex for setting up and managing a full-fledged streaming platform.
- Potentially higher costs for comprehensive features.

### 5. **Twilio**

Twilio Video API stands out for its versatility, allowing smooth integration of video communication across various platforms like web, mobile, and IoT devices. It offers a wide range of communication options beyond standard video chat, such as multi-party conferencing, screen sharing, and recording. Additionally, Twilio's robust infrastructure ensures low-latency and high-quality video streams, making it ideal for real-time applications like virtual events, online collaboration, and telemedicine. The API's reliable global reach, multi-platform support, and extensive developer tools make it an apt as a comprehensive and powerful solution for video communication needs.

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**Pros:**

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- Comprehensive communication platform that includes video capabilities.
- Scalable and reliable infrastructure.
- APIs for embedding video into applications.
- Integration with other Twilio communication tools.

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**Cons:**

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- Primarily designed for communication with video as an added feature.
- Might require additional development effort to fully integrate video functionality.

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Video APIs have changed how we engage with online videos. These tools easily add video features to apps, sites, and services, letting developers create interactive video experiences. Live streaming, playback, and content analysis become simple with video APIs, improving viewing. 

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Now that you know all about video APIs and the best recommendations for the same, let’s get streaming! 

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_[Sign-up](https://dashboard.api.video/register) for a free sandbox account to try out api.video’s video API, or [talk to our team](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1692092314770.1692098368002.105&__hssc=54467703.2.1692098368002&__hsfp=3690950987) to get a demo._



These 5 Powerful Video APIs can help you Boost your Business

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Analytics

Video Sessions (Analytics)

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Doug Twitter

Doug Sillars

Tutorials

In the classic movie *Field of Dreams*, a mysterious voice whispers to Kevin Costner “if you build it, they will come.”  


<video autoplay muted loop>
		<source src="https://media.giphy.com/media/gZuxOq7zSL5DO/giphy.mp4">
</video><br/><br/>


His belief of this statement completely transformed his life and drove him to build a baseball stadium in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa… and they came…<br/>


<video autoplay muted loop>
		<source src="https://media.giphy.com/media/z3WMjg3hu3ce4/giphy.mp4">
</video><br/><br/>


## If you Stream it...

You've created some awesome videos, and uploaded them to api.video.  Great work - it looks awesome.  

Here is a video that we posted in our blog post announcing our new video player:

<iframe src="https://embed.api.video/vod/viTLpKB231ATWOWjkHgi9bf#autoplay#loop" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<br/><br/>

## ...Who will come?

Eventually you want to know, how many people came to see my video?  What can I learn about them? Enter api.video’s powerful [video analytics](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Analytics) API. Using the API, we can transfer all of the view data form our videos into our favourite database, and learn about the viewers of our videos.

Let’s start with grabbing the viewing details for a video. In this case, I’ll use this Planets video that my daughter recorded for her class on astronomy:

<iframe src="https://embed.api.video/vod/vi16NDdXmGxk5QSggW54qw0v#autoplay#loop"  frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

The url for this video is: https://embed.api.video/vod/vi16NDdXmGxk5QSggW54qw0v

First I must [authenticate](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/authentication-tutorial/) myself at API.video, and I receive an access token that is good for an hour.

With the token, I can use the videoId to request all of the view information about my video with the [analytics API](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Analytics).  The videoId for the video is the value at the end of the url (vi16NDdXmGxk5QSggW54qw0v):




In this case, I am requesting 25 results per page, and page one of the data.  That’s actually fine, since I know there are only 19 views on this video.  

The JSON result is pretty long, but here is what one entry looks like:


To me, this is super cool.  A person in Vietnam, using Firefox on Ubuntu, watched this video in June!  And there are 18 more of these to look at and to parse.

### Demo

We have created a demo that takes a videoId and counts the country, device and browser for each view, and places the results on a page. You can try it out at [whoswatched.a.video](https://whoswatched.a.video).

In order to look at the data, I am going to suck the JSON file into Couchbase - a database that uses JSON to create a "table" format similar to SQL. This will allow me to run queries on the JSON much like one would run a database query.

### Creating a database in Couchbase:

Download and install [Couchbase](https://www.couchbase.com/) on your computer.  When the install is complete, you’ll have an admin dashboard open in your browser (on my Mac it is running on localhost:8901).  We’d like to add in our api.video JSON file into a data bucket.  To create the bucket - navigate to the Bucket section and click the "ADD BUCKET" button. I have the memory set at the minimum 100 MB (there are all of 19 entries after all!).


screenshot-2020-08-13-at-13-01-16.png

Great - now we have our data bucket added.  Now we’ll want to import the JSON from api.video, so we can do our analysis.  This is done in the terminal using the ```cbimport``` command:

My username is Administrator with password 123456 (Google Chrome is mighty peeved about my use of an insecure password on localhost), adding a json file into the videoStats bucket.  Each video view has a sessionId, so I use that as a unique key.

I get a success message in my terminal, and looking back at the Couchbase admin panel under Documents, I can see each entry from the JSON has been added:


screenshot-2020-08-13-at-13-12-54.jpg

Now we must index the data. In the Query Editor, enter:

Now we can do data analysis of our video views. For example, to understand the number of views per country:

screenshot-2020-08-13-at-13-14-20.png

That’s pretty cool!  


## Live Stream Analytics

We can do exactly the same thing with live stream analytics. Note: these only show “views” of a live stream.  If you run a live stream and no one watches - there will be no analytics reported.  Further - if your live streams are saved as video on demand (VOD) for later use - any VOD analytics are saved with the newly created VOD video, and will have no connection to the original live stream.

Let’s look at a live stream that has a number of views.  On the [api.video](https://api.video) homepage, we have a demo that allows you to livestream right from the homepage.  The live streamer then “watches” their stream in the browser at the same time that they are broadcasting - guaranteeing that every live stream gets at least one viewer (in the same location as the live streamer!)

The API call is similar to that of the VOD request, I just use the 'live-streams' endpoint as opposed to the 'videos' endpoint I used above.

### GeoLocation  


The live stream demo is hosted in North America and in Europe, and we use geolocation to direct our users to the correct server. Let’s see how well our load balancers are doing. Traffic directed to North America is on the left, and European traffic is on the right:


screenshot-2020-08-13-at-13-16-21.png

It looks like our load balancing is doing a bang up job. :)


Combining the two sets of data (I just created a new bucket with all the data added) allows us to see that api.video’s home page has been live streaming all around the world:


Couchbase results in Google Sheets to create this chart.

screenshot-2020-08-13-at-13-17-03.jpg

### Devices & browsers

Most of the streams are from desktop machines. All 28 phone instances correspond directly to 28 Android devices.(This is due to a limitation in Safari that prevents the demo from working on any iOS device.)  Of our Android users, we see 25 using Chrome, 1 Samsung Internet, 1 Opera (and one hidden variant.)

Desktop users are mostly Windows and Mac (and pretty evenly distributed), but also a good number on Linux/Ubuntu).


screenshot-2020-08-13-at-13-33-04.png

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## Conclusion


The video analytics offered by api.video allow you to better understand who is consuming your content. In this post, we've walked through the steps to extract the data using the Analytics API in JSON format, and then ingested the data into a database for fast and easy queries.  

We used this data to see how the live stream demo on the api.video home page was used in July 2020.

How are you using api.video's analytics? Drop us a note in the [community forum](https://community.api.video) with your use cases!

Analytics with api.video

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api.video team

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?

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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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next.js

video api

api video plugin

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GitHub Yohann

LinkedIn Yohann

Yohann Martzolff

JavaScript

Typescript

Next.js

React

No doubt, Next.js is one of the best React framework for full-stack web applications.

What if you want to create your own video application? A Next.js boilerplate with all [api.video](http://api.video) features is ready for you to begin your journey 🧑‍💻 

## What’s a boilerplate 🤔

A boilerplate is a unit of writing that can be reused without change. The idea is sometimes applied to reusable programming, and that’s the case here: our Next.js boilerplate is a starter pack containing all [api.video](http://api.video) features that anybody can use, without having to change anything in it to start a new project. 

Of course, you are free to modify anything once your application is running!

## What can I achieve with this boilerplate 🥇

After the boilerplate has been bootstrapped, you can run your brand-new application and enjoy [api.video](http://api.video) features!

Upload videos, display them as a list, and play any video in a fully customizable player.

[api.video](http://api.video) proposes many more endpoints to manage and create a complete video application.
Check [our documentation](https://docs.api.video/) to learn about this.

## Get started 🏁

Find out about ***[how to use our boilerplate](https://github.com/vercel/next.js/tree/canary/examples/with-apivideo)*** on the README file, or follow the guide bellow 👇 

1. Create a new Next.js application by running one of the following commands in a new terminal and following the command prompts.

2. Rename the `.env.local.example` file with `.env`.
3. Find your API key in the [api.video](http://api.video) dashboard [API keys section](https://dashboard.api.video/apikeys) and add its value to the API_KEY environment variable in the `.env` file.

💡 If you don’t already have an api.video account, create a free one [here](https://dashboard.api.video/register).

4. Start your application by running `yarn dev` in your terminal, and voilà!

You should be able to see a basic sample app from where you can upload videos and see them as a list.

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Everything in this application is set up to build a complete video application, from Next.js to api.video, enjoy coding! 

Find the full boilerplate in the official Next.js repository [right here](https://github.com/vercel/next.js/tree/canary/examples/with-apivideo).

Start your video project with api.video Next.js boilerplate

api.video Next.js boilerplate: Start your video project the easy way

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api.video Next.js boilerplate: start your video project the easy way

Boost your business with these 5 powerful video APIs

A recent HubSpot marketing report declared short-form video as the most popular and effective social media content format this year! It also said that as per its research, [33% of marketers ](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/hubspot-blog-marketing-industry-trends-report)plan to invest more in short-form video than any other type of social media strategy.

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It seems that the fever of short form videos does not end with marketing specialists but reaches developers and businesses as well. Today, the explosive success of TikTok has inspired many developers to start the journey of the creation of similar apps. But let us all accept it, building a short video app is no small task and it comes with a range of technical challenges.

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In this blog, we'll look into 10 key things that you should consider as you begin the journey of creating a short video app.

&nbsp;

**1. Scalability and performance:** Short video apps are known for their viral nature, which can lead to fast user growth and increase in concurrent users. While building a short video app, ensure that your app can handle this load without compromising performance. Use robust backend architecture, make use of content delivery networks (CDNs), and implement efficient caching mechanisms to manage high traffic loads.

&nbsp;

**2. Video uploading and processing:** Enabling users to upload and share videos with ease is at the core of a short video app. But do not forget that processing and transcoding videos in real-time can require a lot of resources. Implementing a reliable video processing pipeline that handles various video formats, resolutions, and aspect ratios is a big challenge. You can think of utilizing cloud-based transcoding services to offload some of this processing.

&nbsp;

**Did you know?**
_Short-form videos are 2.5 times more engaging than long-form!_

&nbsp;

**3. Content discovery and personalization:** One of the reasons for TikTok's success is its effective content recommendation system - that is, which videos are going to be recommended to which audience. Developing a similar system requires complex algorithms that analyze user behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns. Collaborative filtering, content embeddings, and machine learning models can be a great way to create a personalized content discovery experience for your users.

&nbsp;

**4. Real-time Interactions and notifications:** Short form videos depend a lot on user engagement — likes, comments, shares, and real-time interactions — because this is how the end users will interact with the videos. Therefore, making arrangements for real-time features, such as live comments, notifications, and in-app chat is important. Use a robust backend infrastructure for this and take the help of integration of technologies like WebSockets or MQTT to ensure seamless communication between users.

&nbsp;

**Did you know?**
_Short-form video ad revenue is expected to surpass $10 billion in the coming years_



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**5. User-generated content moderation:** Maintaining a safe and welcoming environment is very important in any social app. Ensure that you develop an effective content moderation system that detects and filters out inappropriate or violating content. Combining automated AI-based content analysis with manual review processes can help create the right balance between automation and human checks.

&nbsp;


**6. Cross-platform compatibility:** Short video apps aim to reach a wide audience across various devices and platforms. Keep in mind to build an app that delivers consistent user experience on iOS, Android, and the web. This will require careful consideration of responsive design, platform-specific optimizations, and maintaining feature parity across different platforms.

&nbsp;

**Did you know?**
_73% of customers prefer watching a short-form video to find out about a service or product_



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**7. Video storage and delivery:** Storing and delivering a vast amount of short-form content efficiently is a technical challenge. Choose cloud-based storage solutions that provide scalability and low-latency access to videos. CDNs play a crucial role in delivering videos quickly to users, regardless of their geographic location.

&nbsp;

**8. Monetization strategies:** Implementing effective monetization strategies while keeping the user experience intact is a delicate balance. Advertisements, in-app purchases, and premium features are common approaches. Integrate these into the app with careful planning and consideration of user preferences.

&nbsp;

**Did you know?**
_In 2023, 90% of global advertisers will increase their investment in short-form videos._



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**9. Data privacy and security:** Short video apps collect a considerable amount of user data, including personal information and engagement patterns. Ensure that you meet robust data privacy and security measures, comply with regulations like GDPR or CCPA, and safeguard user data from breaches; this should be a top priority throughout the development process.

&nbsp;

**10. Intellectual property and copyright concerns:** User-generated content means intellectual property and copyright challenges have to be taken care of. Build a mechanism to detect and resolve copyright infringement while respecting user rights. Integrate features that allow content creators to control the use of their content and provide clear guidelines for users to understand copyright policies.

&nbsp;

**Did you know?**

_96% of video marketers say video marketing has increased user understanding of their product or service._

## How api.video enables you to build a short-form video app


### 1. All-in-one platform that provides everything in one place

With api.video, you get all the important tools required to build your app at one place — player, encoder, a strong content delivery network (CDN), storage, and analytics — so that you don’t waste time in hiring a resource for integrating each of the above. This saves your manpower cost, time, and effort. 


### 2. Easy to implement documentation

Get  a clearly written, easy-to-understand documentation that can be used by developers to integrate videos and live streams to any section of your website, or app without much hassle! Read [how to get started with VOD In 5 minutes](https://docs.api.video/vod/get-started-in-5-minutes).

### 3. Cost effective at scale

With api.video, you are not charged any platform fee and you pay for what you use. With volume discounts, your [costs decrease when the volume of videos increases.](https://api.video/pricing/)

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### 4. Gives you the ability to white-label your videos

Api.video lets your users share videos with their watermarked logo on each video.
You can also add branding within your app by adding your logo to the video player, or using a domain of your choice.

### 5. Integration with your favorite platforms

Use api.video with Bubble, Strapi, Contentful, and 10+ marketplaces to build video solutions on desktop and mobile without writing a single line of code.

### 6. Video tech that scales with you

More users = More videos + More streaming. With api.video, you get scalable servers to ensure that you reach millions of users across the globe. 

### 7. Real-time analytics

With api.video, you also get a complete overview of your users, videos, and live streams with real-time analytics by location, date, device, browser, time, and more.

&nbsp;

In conclusion, creating a short video app like TikTok presents you with some technical challenges that require careful consideration and strategic planning. By choosing the right platform to build your app, you can reduce these technical challenges to a large extent. 

&nbsp;

So, are you ready to create your short form video app that has the potential to rise like TikTok? 

&nbsp;

**[
Sign-up for a free sandbox account](https://dashboard.api.video/register) to try out the product, or [talk to our team](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1692092314770.1692098368002.105&__hssc=54467703.2.1692098368002&__hsfp=3690950987) to get a demo.**



Making a short video app like TikTok: 10 things you must keep in mind

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captions

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Erikka Innes

Captions increase your video's audience. Viewers spend more time watching captioned videos, many people watch videos with the sound off, and you can draw viewers who don't speak the spoken language of your video if you include subtitles. See ["Why You Should Caption Your Videos, Whether They're Classes, Speeches, or Entertainment"](https://api.video/blog/video-trends/why-you-should-caption-your-videos-whether-they-re-classes-speeches-or-entertainm/) if you want all the details and statistics for why you should consider captions for your video content. Another great reason to add captions, is it's easy to do with api.video and Maestra! Let's get started. 

## Prerequisites

* [api.video account](https://dashboard.api.video/register)
* Maestra account (click the blue **Get Started Free** button)
* Sample video with spoken audio (we used one of Doug for this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3C7_kgwrPY, but any video is fine as long as it has clear audio) 

Maestra, auto captions, subtitles, caption a video, subtitle a video

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1. Click **New Subtitle** to bring up the upload panel.
2. On the upload panel under Upload your files, click **My Device**. 
3. For the Select audio language section, we choose **English** because the video is in English. The drop-down offers a 'Most Used Languages' section and an 'All Languages' section. 
4. You can choose different settings. For this walkthrough, we choose **Translate captions to another language** and then for the target language, choose **Spanish**. If you want different settings you can put those instead. 
5. Click **Submit**. 
6. Your video will start transcribing. Once it's complete, click on the title of your video. You can see how well your transcription came out. In this case, it came out pretty well.

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7. The next step is to export a copy of the file with the captions we want. Click the **Export** button in the upper right corner. You'll get a screen listing various choices, including downloading a video with all your captions included. We just want to get a WebVTT file for this walkthrough.
8. Make sure you are on the **Subtitle** tab. 
9. Under Languages, check the **English** and the **Spanish** box. 
10. Click **WebVTT** to download your caption file. The first time you click it, it will say **Ready**. The second time, it downloads a **.zip** file with your information in it. 
11. When you open the **.zip** file, you'll see a caption file in English and one in Spanish. Save these. 

## Add the Video to api.video
We need to add our video to api.video before we can caption it. You have a few choices available to you: 

* [Delegated Uploads for Videos Large and Small](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/delegated-uploads-for-videos-large-and-small-python/) - This tutorial shows you how to use a delegated token to upload a large or small file using Python.
* [Upload a Video From Your Computer] - Upload a video under 128 MB from your computer using Python. 
* [Upload a Video with the api.video API Using a Public URL](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/upload-a-video-with-the-api-video-api-using-a-public-url-python/) - Transfer a video from a public URL to api.video

You can also use a no-code method:

1. Open the api.video dashboard.
2. Click **My videos**.
3. Click **Upload**. 
4. Add your video. 

## Use the Captions Endpoint to Add Captions to Your Video
We can now take the files Maestra generated for us and add them to our video. Here's the code sample we're going to use to do it: 

The code sample hard codes the videoId - but if you want you can retrieve it programmatically. A design where a VTT file's title somehow matches the video's title and then you grab the videoId might be a good way to go. 

In our demo, everything is set up to try to handle a situation where you have multiple caption files. We assume a naming convention like this: 
```title_language tag.vtt``` 

So samples of this would be: doug_en-GB for English from Great Britain and doug_es-ES for Spanish from Spain. 

The language tag in each case is a BCP 47 tag. The appropriate tag is at the end of each file so that it can be sliced from the file name and used in the caption upload. Using Python's regex and os modules we search for every file in the current directory that ends with '.vtt'. If it ends with this, we then retrieve the language tag from the end of the title, open the file in binary, then append the tag and file to a POST request to add a caption. We also modify the URL - it needs to include the videoId and the language tag for the language we want to add. You can see how that's built in the sample.

We have two caption files, so we loop through our .vtt files and send each one to be added. For each successful addition of a caption file, we get a response that looks similar to this: 

```
{
	'uri': '/videos/vi6FZib80ZrC8q73AekJqNDH/captions/es', 
	'src': 'https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi6FZib80ZrC8q73AekJqNDH/captions/es.vtt', 
	'srclang': 'es', 
	'default': False
}
```

* uri - the unique link that you add to https://ws.api.video to reach the video caption file (you must authenticate to view this, so you can't paste it into a browser to see it) 
* src - the location URL of the file
* srclang - what language you're using, written shorthand (instead of es-ES it would be es) 
* default - whether this is the default language for the video 

If you want to make a particular language the default caption, you can specify the language by updating a caption. 

## Check Your Work
You can retrieve details about your captions, but an easy way to check is to look in your dashboard: 

1. Go into your Videos section and click your video.


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2. Click the **Captions** icon directly under the X. You'll see that you can add English or Spanish captions. Give it a try on your own video! 

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Maestra does fairly well with captions, as long as the audio is clear. They offer a free trial for up to 30 minutes of video, so try them out yourself. Maestra lets you automatically create a variety of caption files, but api.video uses the WebVTT format, so you'll want that for any projects on our platform. 

If you want to create your own WebVTT file from scratch, Doug wrote a great post about how to do this here: [How to Add Captions to your Videos](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/how-to-add-captions-to-your-videos/)

## Show a Caption
You can see if a caption was already added with this code: 

## Show All Captions
If you want to see every caption for a video, you can do this: 

## Delete a Caption 
A caption can be removed with the following code: 

## Update a Video Caption
You can update a video caption to make it the default. The code for that would be: 

This is all the basics for using captions. Thanks for tuning in today! 
[Start builind now](https://dashboard.api.video/register)!

Add Captions to Your Video with Maestra and api.video

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Player SDK

video create

Video list

Video upload

Player

Mobile

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Github Mathieu Thiry

LinkedIn Mathieu Thiry

Mathieu Thiry

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

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## 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

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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

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vimeo

_“Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.”_ - Stewart Brand, Writer

&nbsp;

Picture yourself in your office or home, daydreaming about your next thrilling vacation. Two options lie before you: flipping through a travel booklet, or immersing yourself in captivating videos showcasing breathtaking landscapes, mountains, oceans, delicious food, vibrant cultures, and more! If you had to choose, you will surely choose the second option, because let’s all agree, videos are far more realistic and give you the right information quickly. !

&nbsp;

But there are various formats to videos, and video-on-demand is one format in which videos are consumed today — thanks to video-on-demand (VOD) platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Hotstar, and more. 

&nbsp;

Now what are VOD platforms in the first place and how do they work? Let’s find out. 

## What is VOD?

Let’s first understand what is on-demand. On-demand is something that is desired for or wanted. Similarly, [video-on-demand ](https://api.video/what-is/vod-video-on-demand/)or VOD is any content format that gives the audience the power to watch it whenever, wherever, and however they want. It can be found anywhere on the internet for any purpose — be it entertainment, online learning, or e-commerce. Since VOD is streamed through the internet, there is no intervention of cable or satellite connections unlike traditional broadcasting methods. 

&nbsp;

And that is what makes VOD so popular and also, so convenient to use. 

## Benefits of VOD

Now that we know the meaning of VOD, let's look at some of its important benefits.

### VOD offers enhanced engagement

With VOD, you can create multiple videos for your products and services, providing proper descriptions of their features and functionalities. Attendees can watch, understand, and learn about your offerings through these on-demand streaming videos. Moreover, it is a common habit for people to watch various videos, read content, and then make product comparisons before making a decision. This provides you with an opportunity to capture the attention of a global audience for your products and services. 

&nbsp;

_Did you know?_

According to a 2022 study by [Wyzowld](https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/), it was found that a massive 94% of marketers agree that video helped them understand a product or service better. It was also noted that 88% of people had been convinced to buy a product or service after watching the brand's video. Not to mention, the study also found that 96% of people watched an explainer video to know more about a product or service.



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### VOD is convenient for your business

Video on demand allows your audience or customers to watch content according to their will. There are no restrictions on place and time, and they can watch the video as they wish. The best part is that unlike most other general broadcasting services, VOD platforms’ availability is not restricted to certain geographical locations, so viewers from around the world can stream content. 

&nbsp;

_Did you know?_

[77% of Americans](https://www.statista.com/statistics/949965/pay-tv-streaming-satisfaction-rate/) report being happy with the convenience and flexibility of streaming video on demand, while [71% discarded cable TV](https://www.statista.com/statistics/319924/reasons-not-have-cable-usa/) as they can easily find the content they want online. 


### VOD tastes like freedom

VOD platforms offer the freedom to create content with complete control, free from advertisers' guidelines and restrictions. Producing videos-on-demand allows you to share your authentic self with the world. With just an idea, a camera, and an internet connection, you can craft the perfect video content for your product or service, ready to be showcased on your app or website.


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### VOD offers better opportunities at lesser cost

Video-on-demand proves more budget-friendly than hosting a virtual event or live streaming content. As opposed to livestreaming where you can be online for just a defined time — like a day or a week — video-on-demand has no restriction on the availability of your content and that allows people access to your content for a larger duration of time.


## What makes a great VOD platform

There are various aspects of a good VOD streaming platform. Let’s see what they are.

1. ### Customization with a white-label video player

The foremost focus of your product lies on branding. It is always great to have logos, images, and colors to maintain your brand's prominence by white-labeling your videos — and a good VOD platform should let you do that with ease. 

&nbsp;

At api.video, you get complete control to showcase your brand and [stand out with our customizable video streaming API](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/white-labeling-api-video/).

### 2. Content delivery network (CDN)

A content delivery network (CDN) is like the backbone of a VOD platform. A CDN plays a crucial role in delivering videos with minimal buffer time to your users across the globe, making sure they can enjoy smooth and speedy streaming.

### 3. Digital rights management

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a tech tool that safeguards your content from piracy and unauthorized sharing. A good VOD platform usually has a DRM solution that lets you create videos and restrict their viewership to private or public. 

### 4. Multi-user access

A multi-user access feature provides custom access controls and user permissions within your business and for each target audience group. With the [help of built-in safeguards, a good VOD platform](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/workspace/) lets you share your workspaces with other members and collaborate on a project. 

## How is VOD different from live streaming?

The best way to describe the difference between VOD and live streaming is to understand real acting vs. reel acting. In theater, there are no second chances; what happens on stage is the final act. On the other hand, movies and series permit multiple takes, extensive editing, and color correction before producing the final video. Similarly, VOD empowers you to shoot, edit, and upload videos at your pace, granting you the freedom to pause, play, rewind and fast forward. 


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On the other hand, live streaming lacks such options since it takes place in real-time, untouched by editing. If you see the broader aspect, live streaming is a subset `of VOD as live videos can be watched on demand by the viewers at a later date. 

If you are wondering which one’s better, we would say both of them can be combined for a wholesome business package. While VOD offers convenience and accessibility, live streaming is more engaging for the user. 

## Is VOD the right option for you?

In a word, YES. There can be a lot to do in this era of online marketing, but video-on-demand can change your brand in a lot of ways. It is attractive because it grants you complete control over your videos without adhering to advertisers' guidelines. With the ability to shoot, edit, and upload at your own pace, VOD caters to diverse needs and audiences. Viewers can indulge in on-demand content, pause, play, and revisit their favorite moments at their convenience. 

&nbsp;

In a nutshell, VOD is an excellent way to connect with your audience and make a meaningful impact that can go a long way in your business’ growth but you need to evaluate your content goals, target audience, and desired level of control to be able to decide if it is the right option for your business. 

&nbsp;

_If you are looking for an API that lets you integrate videos seamlessly to your product, checkout [api.video](https://api.video/). With usage based pricing that does not burn a hole in your pocket, lightning fast encoding and a developer friendly API, you get everything you need at api.video to integrate VOD in your app or website._

&nbsp;

_[Sign-up ](https://dashboard.api.video/register)for a free sandbox account or [take a look at our features ](https://api.video/features/)now!_

What is VOD and how does it work?

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Artem Matinian

With the upcoming [retirement of Azure Media Services in mid-2024](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/media-services/latest/azure-media-services-retirement), you may be wondering about what to do next. But worry not, because we  have a better and a far more affordable option for you! In this article, we will discuss seamless migration options from Azure to [api.video](http://api.video), give you reasons as to why you should be doing it, and also explain to you a simplified process to execute the migration. 

&nbsp;

Let’s get started. 

## Why should I migrate from Azure Media Services to api.video?

First things first, why should you think about migrating to api.video? What is the benefit? How is it better? 

&nbsp;

Well, let me answer all these questions with some solid facts.

### 1. **api.video charges you zero cost for adaptive bitrate encoding*

Let’s understand this with an example where we compare the encoding of 10,000 minutes at 4K resolution. 


Azure takes **$600** to encode a video of 10,000 minutes at a 4K resolution as you can see in the image below (_source:_ [Azure Pricing Calculator](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/?service=media-services)).

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On the other hand, api.video takes ZERO cost to encode your videos. Yes, encoding is completely free with api.video, whether it is 10,000 minutes of video or 20,000; 480p resolution or 4K – it is absolutely free. 
 
_Check our pricing calculator to learn more about our [pricing].(https://api.video/pricing/)_

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### 2. **Ingestion speed with [api.video](http://api.video) is way better than that with Azure.**

Let’s understand this by uploading and transcoding the same 18.7Mb file to Azure and api.video.

&nbsp;

When you transcode a video with Azure, the time it takes to do the job is 1 minutes and 13 seconds. Note that this is just time taken for transcoding, and I have not yet included the upload time here. 

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When you upload *and* transcode the same video with api.video, the time it takes to do the job is JUST 30 seconds. 

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### 3. **Ease of use of [api.video](http://api.video) surpasses that of Azure**

The process to upload, encode and transcode videos at Azure is complex and often tedious to execute. api.video, on the other hand, has built an interface and documentation that is easy to understand and quick to execute. To validate what we claim, do give the below mentioned links a read and know it for yourself. 🙂

- **api.video:** [Upload and encode a video with api.video](https://docs.api.video/vod/upload-a-video-regular-upload)
- **Azure**: [Upload and encode a video with Azure Media Services](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/media-services/latest/asset-upload-media-how-to)

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Sounds good? If yes, then let’s move to the actual migration steps.

## Migration steps to move from Azure to api.video

If you’ve made up your mind to make the shift, let’s understand the migration steps involved in it to move all your data from Azure Media Services to api.video. 

You can also migrate your videos directly through our [api.video import tool](https://import.api.video/). 

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To start with the migration steps, let us look at a ready script in Node.js for you to follow. Before you start the script, make sure you clone the [Azure Media Serivce to api.video migration script from](https://github.com/apivideo/azure-media-services-api-video-migration) Github. Once you do that, you can follow the guide below.

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Let’s understand what the script is doing.

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1. The script will check for all assets in your Azure Media Service Instance
2. It will get the Storage containers and list the blobs for these storage containers
3. Because of the way Azure is encoding their videos, the script will take the file with the highest resolution (in order not to duplicate the files)
4. Once it gets the list, it will create a video object with the name same as the blob and set the source to the Azure storage URL 
5. The file will then be uploaded and encoded with api.video

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You can also navigate to [api.video](http://api.video) documentation to get more information about how each endpoint works. You can also check the [api.video api reference](https://docs.api.video/reference) or the [api.video guides](https://docs.api.video/) for more details. 

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*Note that the script does not automatically delete the files from your Azure Storage or Azure Media Services, you will have to do that manually. If you wish to keep the sources on Azure Account Storage as backup, you are also welcome to do so.*

## Using the migration script

Here are the steps to use the script to migrate from Azure to api.video.

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1. First, import the modules that are needed, such as:
-    `@api.video/nodejs-client` - api.video node.js client, in order to create the video object, upload and encode the video
-    `@azure/identity` - access Azure services
-    `@azure/arm-mediaservices` - client to access Azure media services

2. Next, pass in credentials that you get from Azure Media Services to the client and the [api.video](http://api.video) client

3. Note that in the previous step, you will also need to update the `.env` file and grab the parameters from Azure. In order to do that, navigate to your Azure Media Service, and select the directory that you would like to migrate.

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