ApsaraVideo Live is a live audio and video streaming platform built on advanced technologies for content ingest, distribution, and large-scale, distributed real-time transcoding. The service enables you to deliver smooth, high-definition, and ultra-low latency live streams to large concurrent audiences.
Why choose ApsaraVideo Live?
Global coverage and reliability: Uses a global network of over 3,200 points of presence (POPs) and nine core centers to ensure a stable, high-quality viewing experience worldwide.
Ultra-low latency for real-time experience: Delivers an exceptional real-time viewing experience with end-to-end latency as low as 200 to 400 ms using Real-Time Streaming (RTS).
Cost-effective HD streaming: Uses Narrowband HD™ transcoding technology to reduce bitrates by 30% to 50% while maintaining video quality. This saves bandwidth costs and improves the playback experience on poor networks.
Flexible, scenario-based solutions: Offers a complete suite of solutions, from standard streaming to ApsaraVideo Real-time Communication (ARTC), to meet diverse needs ranging from broadcast distribution to highly interactive co-streaming.
Powerful media processing capabilities: Features a rich set of built-in capabilities, including Production Studio, AI-powered content moderation, transcoding, and recording, to enhance content quality and production efficiency.
Seamless ecosystem integration: Integrates seamlessly with other Alibaba Cloud services, such as ApsaraVideo VOD, short-form video services, and intelligent media services, to easily repurpose content and extend its value.
Core features
To support various live streaming scenarios, ApsaraVideo Live provides standard streaming, Real-Time Streaming (RTS), ApsaraVideo Real-time Communication (ARTC), and Production Studio.
Feature | Advantages | End-to-end latency | Use cases | Billing |
Low cost, supports large-scale, high-concurrency one-way viewing. |
| Media distribution for low-interaction scenarios: Ideal for broadcast media scenarios where the main focus is viewing and minor synchronization differences between viewers are acceptable. | ||
Ultra-low latency and high synchronization among viewers. |
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Supports real-time audio and video communication among multiple users for maximum interactivity. | 150 to 400 ms. | Media communication for high-interaction scenarios: Suitable for social chat and real-time AI interaction scenarios. When combined with ApsaraVideo Live, it enables co-streaming, transforming viewers into participants and enhancing user connections. | ||
Provides professional, cloud-based director capabilities for content creation and repurposing. | Depends on the selected output streaming solution. | Integrates features such as AI-powered video recognition, bilingual translation, ad replacement, and various interactive tools to create innovative production effects. Suitable for content production and management in gaming and e-sports, e-commerce, and online education scenarios. |
Architecture
ApsaraVideo Live provides server-side services for live stream ingest, distribution, and real-time media processing.
Live stream ingest: A streamer captures content from a device. The content is then reliably ingested into an Alibaba Cloud live center through a nearby ingest point of presence (POP) using the Push SDK.
Media processing: After a stream enters a live center, it can be processed on demand with features such as transcoding, time shifting, recording, and snapshots.
Content delivery and playback: The processed stream is distributed to viewers through globally distributed points of presence (POPs). Integrating the ApsaraVideo Player SDK on client devices ensures a smooth playback experience.
Content repurposing: Recorded content can be automatically transferred to the ApsaraVideo VOD system for short-form video editing and secondary distribution, creating a seamless live-to-VOD workflow.
SDK support
SDK/platform | Android | iOS | Web | WeChat mini program | Windows | Flutter | HarmonyOS | Uni-app | Linux |
Get started
The following table provides a quick guide to activating and using different ApsaraVideo Live products.
Billing
ApsaraVideo Live billing includes fees for live stream acceleration, media processing, real-time communication, and other services. For more information, see Billing overview.
FAQ
How do I choose a live center?
Operations in the Chinese mainland: If you ingest and play streams only within the Chinese mainland and do not require media processing, you can select any live center in a region within the Chinese mainland. Edge POPs are automatically selected based on proximity.
Global operations: If both streamers and viewers are outside the Chinese mainland, select a nearby live center, such as Singapore, to ingest streams through the nearest edge POPs.
If you need to perform processing such as creating snapshots or recordings, ensure that your storage service, such as an OSS bucket, is in the same region as the live center to avoid cross-region latency that could affect processing efficiency.
How do I choose the right streaming protocol?
The key to choosing a protocol is balancing latency and compatibility:
For ultra-low latency interaction: We recommend the ARTC protocol. This requires using Alibaba Cloud's Push SDK and ApsaraVideo Player SDK for ingest and playback.
For standard low-latency ingest: We recommend the RTMP protocol.
For broad playback compatibility: You can use the HLS protocol, but it has higher latency.
What are the differences between standard streaming and Real-Time Streaming (RTS)?
Solution | RTS | Standard live streaming |
Ingest protocol | RTMP, ARTC | RTMP |
Playback protocol | ARTC (based on WebRTC) | RTMP, FLV, HLS |
Performance in poor network conditions | Maintains smooth playback with up to 30% packet loss. | Limited resilience in poor network conditions. |
Compatibility |
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Coverage | Global | Global |
End-to-End latency |
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Best practices |