ApsaraVideo Real-time Communication (ARTC) charges for audio/video communication based on the type and duration of the streams users subscribe to.
Audio charges begin as soon as any user or bot (such as an AI agent or a recording bot) joins an ARTC channel, even if they are the only participant.
To avoid unintended charges, ensure that all participants exit the channel when a session is complete and all server-side tasks, such as cloud recording, are terminated.
Formula
Audio/video communication fees are the sum of the usage costs for all users in a channel.
Cost per user = Unit price for audio × Billable audio duration + Unit price for video × Billable video duration.
Pricing
Audio/video communication is billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. Usage is metered per minute. Each partial minute used is billed as a full minute. Bills for the previous day are generated and automatically deducted from your account daily after midnight.
Stream type | Specification | Resolution | Price (USD per minute) |
Audio | Audio | Audio-only | 0.00086 |
Video | Up to 480P | ≤ 720 × 480 | 0.00171 |
Up to 720P | > 720 × 480 and ≤ 1280 × 720 | 0.00343 | |
Above 720P | > 1280 × 720 | 0.01286 |
The stream type and specification are determined by users who publish the streams.
Billable duration
Billable audio duration
Billable audio duration = Total time a user is in the channel - Total time the user is receiving any video stream
Any period a user spends in a channel without receiving a video stream is counted as billable audio duration.
If a user subscribes to multiple audio streams simultaneously (for example, in a multi-person audio conference), they are billed for only a single audio stream.
Billable video duration
Billable video duration is the cumulative time of each video stream a user receives. It is calculated by aggregating the duration of each subscribed stream and applying tiered pricing based on resolution.
Duration of each video stream: Measured from the moment a user starts receiving a specific remote stream until they stop receiving it.
Tiered pricing: Each video stream is categorized into a pricing tier based on its resolution. Each tier has a different price per minute.
Multi-stream summation: When a user receives multiple video streams simultaneously, the system adds the duration of each stream to its corresponding tier.
Simultaneous audio and video subscriptions: If a user subscribes to both audio and video streams, only the video usage is billed for that period. This prevents double-charging.
Billing examples
Usage of a single user
The following diagram shows a user's 60-minute session timeline:
Audio cost = (Duration without subscription + Audio subscription duration) × Unit price for audio = (10 minutes + 20 minutes) × USD 0.00086 per minute = USD 0.0258.
Video cost = Video subscription duration (480P) × Unit price for 480P video + Video subscription duration (720P) × Unit price for 720P = 20 minutes × USD 0.00171 per minute + 10 minutes × USD 0.00343 per minute = USD 0.0685.
Audio-only communication
Users A, B, and C join a channel for an audio communication, which lasts for 1,790 seconds. The billable audio duration of each user is 30 minutes.
Total cost = Unit price for audio × Billable audio duration × Number of users = USD 0.00086 per minute × 30 minutes × 3 = USD 0.0774.
Audio and video communication
Users A, B, and C join a channel. The communication lasts for 590 seconds. The billable duration is 10 minutes. During this period, User A publishes a 640×360 video stream, User B publishes a 1280×720 video stream, and User C publishes an audio-only stream. Their subscriptions are as follows:
Subscriber | Stream of User A | Stream of User B | Stream of User C | Description |
A | - | - | Yes | User A receives no video streams and is billed for audio only. |
B | Yes | - | Yes | User B receives User A's video stream. The simultaneous audio subscription to User C is not charged. |
C | Yes | Yes | - | User C receives video streams from both User A and User B. |
User A's cost = USD 0.00086 per minute × 10 minutes = USD 0.0086.
User B's cost = USD 0.00171 per minute × 10 minutes = USD 0.0171.
User C's cost = USD 0.00171 per minute × 10 minutes + USD 0.00343 per minute × 10 minutes = USD 0.0514.
Total cost = Costs of Users A, B, and C = USD 0.0771.