Published: 11/5/2024, Updated 11/15/2024
Livepeer Studio Landing Page
Vrtuhub has integrated its native Video on Demand (VOD) and Live Streaming capabilities with Livepeer Studio, a top Over-the-top media service (OTT) powered by the underlying decentralised Livepeer network. This integration enhances accessibility and lowers the barriers for teams, developers, and businesses seeking quick native video hosting and playback capabilities without the complexities of infrastructure setup, maintenance, or gateway management.
In my research into white label video solutions I’ve found cost concerns to be the major concern and the belief that building a video platform is expensive to run, burns through capital so finding a cost effective solution was my biggest consideration.
During my research into white-label video solutions, I discovered that cost concerns are often the primary barrier for many businesses & startups, as the belief that building a video platform is expensive and largely unprofitable can impact growth. Finding a cost-effective Live streaming and VOD solution became my top priority.
Livepeer Studio's decentralised infrastructure presents a compelling advantage, with reported savings of up to 74%. This significant reduction in costs allows me to focus on building and growing my startup with an emphasis on long-term sustainability while minimising operational expenses.
In the pursuit of a robust yet cost effective decentralised Over-the-top media service (OTT), I found Livepeer Studio to be amongst the best and most complete live streaming and VOD solutions. The comprehensive documentation and extensive offerings coupled with a rich ‘complete’ feature set facilitated a seamless and encouraging transition. I strongly believe that Vrtuhub will evolve into a distribution platform, with Livepeer Studio as the foundational OTT solution to power our growth.
The Livepeer SDK stands out for its user-friendly design and straightforward implementation, which I greatly appreciate. Furthermore, when comparing Livepeer Studio to other VOD, streaming, and transcoding, and white-label services, it’s clear that its decentralised infrastructure & easy to integrate API offers a significant cost advantage. This positions Livepeer Studio as an exceptional choice for startups, businesses, and creators seeking to scale efficiently while saving on development costs along the way.
In contrast, my previous experience with Theta Edge Cloud was disappointing; it was marred by a frustrating developer experience, uninspiring integration API, and lacklustre vision. These issues diminished any perceived value in building with them, and the pitfalls of that integration and the more compelling offerings from their competitors made it strategically unwise for both my business and development goals. I’ve seen the phrase ‘Theta is all just marketing’ being thrown around, and in my experience Theta Edge Cloud fell short in a number of ways.
My integration with Livepeer Studio has been exciting, where the emphasis is on practicality, support, encouragement coupled with an active developer community. I am certain vrtuhub will benefit greatly from a cost-effective, decentralised transcoding and content delivery solution that delivers a seamless and scalable video experience for users.
The success stories of some ‘powered by Livepeer’ projects has also raised my confidence in Livepeer and the opportunities on offer.
You can read more about these success stories here:
Minds Finds Livepeer Studio to be the Perfect Tech Partner for Live Streaming - https://livepeer.studio/blog/case-study-minds
The Fishtank Live Phenomenon - https://livepeer.studio/blog/case-study-fishtank
Out With Old Technology, in with Livepeer Studio Live Streaming - https://livepeer.studio/blog/case-study-switchboard
Why The Lot Radio Streams 24/7 With Livepeer Studio - https://livepeer.studio/blog/lotradio
Livepeer Studio Dashboard
The Livepeer Studio API simplifies the process of building sustainable video applications by leveraging its decentralised and cost-saving transcoding network. It's easy to use API and straightford SDK integration seamlessly connect with major backends like Firebase, Supabase, and Appwrite, supporting platforms built with React, TypeScript, Go, and Python, as well as cURL, JavaScript, PHP, and Java.
Extensive documentation is available here , offering detailed guidelines and request/response code examples to aid in application development and laying out your database schema. If that wasn’t helpful enough they’ve also implemented a helpful AI assistant that has helped me a few times to clear up any confusions surrounding the documentation.
If you're already familiar with frameworks like React, Next.js, Flutter, or, in our case, SvelteKit, you should find the process of integrating Livepeer Studio straightforward and manageable.
Real-Time Video Streaming: Engage users instantly with live streaming, facilitating real-time interaction and keeping audiences captivated.
Video on Demand (VOD): Allow users to access video content whenever they want, creating a flexible, on-demand experience that can boost user satisfaction and retention.
Transcoding: Transcoding is essential for delivering seamless video playback on diverse devices and varying internet speeds. With transcoding, our integration adjusts the playback video resolution for playback on a wider range of devices. This ensures that even users on low bandwidth or older devices can still access and enjoy high-quality video content, without buffering interruptions or resolution limitations. By optimising video quality on the fly, transcoding maximises accessibility, leading to a broader and more inclusive audience reach.
Vrtuhub Tech Example Page
While platforms like YouTube offer free video hosting and distribution, this model comes with significant trade-offs. Many businesses perceive YouTube’s free service as a low-risk opportunity to reach a wider audience without incurring infrastructure costs. However, this approach has hidden limitations and long-term risks, especially for businesses aiming to expand.
At Vrtuhub, we believe that developing our own video hosting platform, despite the additional overheads, allows us to build a scalable and sustainable business model that drives traffic and revenue to a greater extent than what is possible through YouTube alone.
Control Over Advertising
Hosting videos directly on our platform gives us control over advertising strategies, in contrast to platforms like YouTube, where ad placement and type are often dictated by third-party policies. By building our own advertisement model, we can ensure a seamless, non-intrusive ad experience that aligns with your brand’s messaging.
Control Over Content
At Vrtuhub, we maintain control over the content published on our platform by allowing ambassadors and team members from our approved projects to contribute to the platform. This selective approach ensures that all content aligns with our brand values and ambitions, fostering a focused narrative that resonates with our target audience. By curating contributions from trusted sources, we not only build credibility within our niche but also establish a consistent brand identity that differentiates us from competitors. This commitment to quality and relevance enhances our reputation as a leading voice in our industry, creating a community of engaged users who trust and value the content we provide.
Enhanced Brand Authority and Content Control
When hosting content on external platforms, the brand experience is diluted by external interfaces, ads, and platform branding. With our bespoke platform, our content becomes a fully branded experience, strengthening our brand authority and identity.
Building Relationships & Forming Partnerships
Publishing content directly on our platform allows us to cultivate strong relationships with advertisers and establish mutually beneficial partnerships. This direct approach enables us to customise content, events, and offerings that not only foster a vibrant community but also generate revenue in alignment with our audience’s interests. The result is a deeply synergistic experience for all creators partners, creating lasting value and engagement for everyone involved.
Improved SEO and Traffic Retention
Hosting videos directly on your website not only keeps users on your platform longer but also enhances SEO by reducing bounce rates and increasing dwell time. When users find your content through search engines or direct visits, they stay within your ecosystem rather than being directed to third-party platforms. This approach can:
Strengthen your domain authority as users spend more time on your site.
Encourage users to explore additional content, products, or services you offer.
Improve search rankings by boosting engagement metrics, which are factors in SEO algorithms.
Appwrite Landing Page
We’ve integrated Appwrite, an open-source database solution, as our backend, opting for Appwrite Cloud to utilise its fully managed backend-as-a-service offerings. As a solo startup founder, this approach significantly alleviates the workload by automating backend management. Appwrite's free tier provides excellent support for the early stages of development, while their Growth package, priced at just $15.00 per month, offers ample resources for startups and scalable plans for projects that are on the rise. With a strong commitment to open source, Appwrite ensures long-term flexibility through its self-hosted options and migration tools.
Through the use of Appwrite Functions and event triggers, we’ve achieved a seamless and secure integration with the Livepeer Studio SDK, delivering robust and efficient video solutions. The server-side SDK, paired with Appwrite’s flexible permissions, safeguards user data and resources while ensuring that content remains easily distributable and accessible. This combination not only enhances security but also provides a smooth, reliable experience for end-users, aligning with our commitment to delivering high-quality, scalable video services.
Our platform is built with SvelteKit, leveraging its server-side rendering (SSR) and dynamic page rendering capabilities to optimise SEO, achieve fast load times, and ensure a responsive design across both desktop and mobile devices. SvelteKit creates a developer-friendly environment with an intuitive learning curve, making it the ideal choice for developing a streamlined and scalable solution.
For those interested in developing platforms or tools for the Livepeer network, Livepeer offers an active grants program designed to fund individuals, independent teams, non-profits, companies, universities, and academic researchers. This program supports innovative projects that contribute to the Livepeer ecosystem. You can learn more and apply for grants here .
Recently, Vrtuhub was approved for a $2,000 microgrant through this program. Microgrants are more accessible due to their smaller funding amounts and simpler approval processes. For larger-scale projects, Livepeer also offers "Video Disruptor" and "Open Network" grants, which provide up to $15,000 in funding to support impactful initiatives within the network.
Livepeer also provides up to $3,000 in streaming credits to support projects in their growth phase. This allows teams to focus on building and scaling their user base without immediate billing concerns, helping them refine their business model and user experience. You can apply for streaming credits here .
The Livepeer DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organization) actively engages with the community to leverage its treasury in funding public goods. Although the definition of "public goods" can be flexible, projects that benefit the broader Livepeer ecosystem are typically considered. While the DAO currently lacks a formal structure for funding higher-risk applications, the Orchestrators community plays a significant role in the decision-making process. To engage with the DAO, join their Discord for inquiries or participate in discussions on the Livepeer forums.
Choosing the right video-on-demand (VOD), live streaming, and broadcasting solution is essential for startups and businesses looking to scale effectively. At Vrtuhub, our integration with Livepeer Studio reflects our commitment to building a robust and sustainable video platform that prioritises both cost-effectiveness for businesses and an exceptional user experience for viewers.
By leveraging the benefits of Livepeer's comprehensive package, we enhance our operational efficiency and position ourselves to cultivate deeper relationships with our audience and partners. The support provided by Livepeer’s grants, credits, and community initiatives not only empowers us to innovate and grow but also fosters collaboration among developers, entrepreneurs, and content creators who share a vision for a decentralised future.
Additionally, the seamless integration of Appwrite as our backend database solution streamlines our development process, allowing us to focus on delivering high-quality video experiences without the burdens associated with traditional infrastructure management.
As we continue to refine and expand our offerings at Vrtuhub, we are excited about the potential for growth and transformation within the highly sought after crypto marketing sector. I encourage more platforms and applications to emerge, powered by the Livepeer network, and invite you to join their supportive community on Discord for valuable resources and connections.
Disclaimer: The following article reflects the personal viewpoint of the author Bilal Khan and is not intended to serve as professional financial guidance. Its primary purpose is to provide educational and engaging content. Please be aware that investing in cryptocurrency involves significant risks, and there are no assured returns. Always conduct thorough research before making any financial decisions.