Streaming content is one of the most common features in many of our lives; whether you watch Youtube, TikTok, Instagram, etc. One common thing with all these streaming services is they are centralized. This means that one person or organization is in control of what content is going to stream, if content should be taken down, or if certain topics should be completely avoided.
This may not sound like a huge problem, as we have different platforms to choose from. However, for content creators this is becoming problematic. Creators spend lots of time and energy creating content for us to view and it’s becoming more common for it to be deleted at any time. You may think this is for a violation against the terms and services of the platform, but it’s not. This is happening to creators for uploads that haven’t violated any regulations. Another dilemma is severe censorship, many streaming platforms are banned in other countries, restricting access to content creation as well as viewing.
Luckily there is a solution that is available which is decentralized live streaming, and it works by using technology from the blockchain
What is Decentralized Live Streaming?
Decentralized
live streaming is when a single entity cannot control a streaming service’s
content. Instead, decentralized networks are owned by communities, meaning
those who are involved have a voice, and can say what is hosted. Ultimately
giving more power to the community.
Decentralized streaming works by acting as a thin layer that
connects all the pieces through a single decentralized ledger. The blockchain
layer then acts as the trust and openness in the system, verifying as it works.
Here are a few examples of decentralized live streaming
services:
Livepeer:
Livepeer is a decentralized live streaming service that is on the Ethereum network. It works by using blockchain technology and distributed transcoding.
Digital transcoding is when a file is split into multiple pieces, which are then transcoded on separate computers. As the files are split up and store fragments of each file on separate host computers, no single company or entity owns the information making it a decentralized network.
For more information on livepeer you can head to their webpage: https://livepeer.org/primer
Xeenon:
Xeenon is a decentralized live streaming platform that we have been working on. The platform works by allowing users to pick available broadcasts that are currently live streaming. Once the user picks something to watch, the smart contract ensures that the end user (the viewer) pays the broadcaster for the streaming content they just viewed. The fee that the end user pays, goes toward paying the transforming fee. Ultimately making streaming for content creators cost less than other alternatives.
This type of technology is going to change the way we view content in the future, which will have may perks. A few perks we can expect is anyone from any country can create and view content. As well as content creators getting paid what they are worth without platforms taking a percentage of their fees.
Other Advantages Include:
- Live streaming provides a deeper, more personalized connection to audiences
- A wider range of content
- It’s more secure
- No restrictions on who can broadcast or view
- It’s cheaper than other streaming alternatives
- Reach people around the world with no limits
How to Build and Technologies Used?
Building and developing decentralized streaming takes the efforts of both the client and the dev team. Clients need to do their part which includes research, find market value, and user flow diagrams to name a few. The client needs to do their part and make sure that their app will have value, as most dev teams won’t tell you if your app has value or not. It’s best for you to research and put in the time to make sure your idea is going to succeed. Putting in this work is absolutely necessary as you cannot simply have an idea and tell the dev team to “build it”.
After the client does their part its time for them to find a dev team who has the
skills and expertise to execute your plan. This can be a difficult experience
as you want to find a team you trust and who will keep in touch with you along the way. Some of our clients have shared with us how tedious it can be to find a dev team. One client shared they were actively looking for two months before they found us. They kept meeting teams who were not skilled enough or who were hesitant in the blockchain space.
For Xeenon we worked with the customer on their user flow diagram of what they were wanting. We then had to determine both on the front end and the back end what technologies would be needed to accomplish the ideal user experience they desired. Next, we went through a POC phase (proof of concept), this is the process of testing in order to discover the possibilities of the technology. A POC phase determines if an idea can be turned into a reality, this is an important phase to determine what is possible to build and what software programs are needed to make it the most efficient.
For this project we used:
- React with next.js
- Reactive Native for mobile phone
- Docker and Kubernotes for app containerization and orchestration
- Next.js for backend API
- Pusher for websockets
- FRAX token for payment
- Solidity for contract development
- Livepeer for video broadcasting, transcoding, and streaming
Decentralized live streaming provides a great way to get your content out in front of people in real time, making connections with your audience. It’s refreshing to see an alternative that allows content creators to openly share their thoughts, experience, and knowledge without the censorship we see on centralized platforms.
In this fast-growing market of live streaming there are so many opportunities that are available. Decentralized streaming is a competitive industry that is consistently changing and evolving rapidly. New technologies within blockchain are essential to making your product stand out. Differentiate yourself and come up with new and invigorating ideas to make live streaming the best it can be.
Building an app or website doesn’t have to be difficult though, at Chainwave we have helped multiple clients and are continuously expanding our knowledge and expertise. We are here to chat about building your project.