APIs for Video Streaming: Working with Online Video was Never so Easy.

Why should you care?

Your software is your competitive advantage. There is no advantage using the same out-of-box program to create a similar experience as everyone else. Especially if it’s your USP, this way it doesn’t offer any distinct advantage.

If software is yourUSP, then tailoring it to fit your customers’ and your unique needs is exceptionally significant. This tailored approach helps in setting you apart from the competition and gain competitive advantage. APIs make this possible, and integration of Video into your software is no exception to this rule.

Behind the scenes, there are tools called Video APIs that help developers and product builders easily add high-quality videos to their websites and applications without having to deal with complicated code. These APIs make life easier by eliminating the complexities involved with video.

Let's start by simplifying the concept of video APIs.

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What is a video API?

A video API allows developers to automate creating, recording, storing, analysing, streaming, and distributing video files. Using video APIs, software developers and product builders can quickly integrate video functionality into their applications or website without performing a lot of manual coding and simply connecting it in a ready-to-use package. It also enables the delivery of the video stream to the end user using a content delivery network (CDN).

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Let’s Take an Example:

Imagine you're a software developer or a business professional responsible for creating a videoconferencing system for your company. Instead of investing weeks in constructing a video system completely from the ground up, you can opt for a video API that offers video conferencing capabilities.

This API takes care of all the technical backend work, such as video encoding, streaming, and recording, allowing you to concentrate on tailoring the user interface and seamlessly incorporating the video conferencing solution into your organization 's current processes.

SDK vs. API – What is the difference?

When you're exploring video solutions, you might come across the terms SDK and API, and it can be a bit confusing. We've already talked about APIs, which are like ready-to-use tools for connecting with other software. Now, let's talk about SDKs, which stands for Software Development Kit. An SDK is a package of development tools that includes APIs, and they serve specific purposes.

Imagine a video platform offering you an SDK with various tools, like runtimes and compilers, in addition to APIs. This allows you to create and manage the resources that the platform offers.

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Now, you might wonder, is an SDK better than an API? Well, it's not a matter of one being better than the other. SDKs contain APIs, so they work together. Most of the Online video platforms provide APIs within their SDKs, but to keep things simple, we'll focus on just APIs.

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Why use APIs for video streaming?

APIs are crucial for video streaming because they provide a standardized way for applications to inter act with video platforms. They enable features like user authentication, video upload, playback, and analytics, simplifying development and ensuring a seamless experience for users. Without APIs, building video streaming functionality would be complex and time-consuming.

Take an Example:‍

Imagine you're a software developer or product builder creating a mobile application that lets people watch and share videos, much like YouTube. To make this happen, you need to integrate a video streaming feature into your app. Here's a real-world example of why and how video streaming API is used:

1. User Access: When users log in to your app, you want to ensure it's secure. The video streaming API helps authenticate users, guaranteeing that only authorized individuals can upload and view videos.

2. Uploading Videos: When someone wants to share a video, your app uses the video streaming API to send the video file along with details like the title and description. The API takes care of processing, compressing, and storing the video on its servers.

3. Watching Videos: When a user wants to watch a video, your app contacts the video streaming API, which sends back the video content. This ensures that videos can be played smoothly, whether online or for viewing later.

4. Managing Videos: Users might need to edit or remove their videos. You use the API to request actions like updating video info, deleting videos, or implementing content policies. 

5. View Counts and Insights: To show user show popular their videos are, the API provides data on views and other engagement statistics.

6. Personalized Suggestions: Your app can offer personalized video recommendations by utilizing data from the API, like user likes, dislikes, and comments, to suggest similar videos.

7. Monetization: If your app includes ads or subscription options, the API helps you integrate ads and manage subscriptions, allowing you to earn revenue while offering free content.

Benefits of using video APIs

With the growing need for efficient video content management, Video APIs have become an indispensable tool in the digital media landscape. Here are the key benefits of using Video APIs:

1. Seamless Integration: Video APIs simplify the process of integrating video content and features into your existing applications, enabling you to create robust and secure multimedia solutions with ease.

2. Enhanced Productivity: By auto mating various tasks, video APIs substantially reduce the time and effort required for developing, managing, and deploying video projects. This translates to increased productivity in your video-related projects.

3. Flexibility and Innovation: Video APIs empower developers to swiftly introduce new features to deliver video content to users.This versatility makes them an invaluable asset for software developers and product builders seeking to innovate. 

4. Cost Savings: Video APIs cut down development, maintenance, and storage costs. They are particularly beneficial for small businesses that may lack the resources to build an entire video infrastructure from scratch.

5. Scalability: Video APIs are capable of handling large volumes of video data and traffic. This scalability ensures they can seamlessly adapt to the evolving needs of your application sand business. 

6. Enhanced Security: APIs also contribute to secure your video content through encryption methods and other security measures. This becomes especially crucial for companies dealing with sensitive video data, operating within regulated industries, and adhering to data regulation policies like GDPR or CCPA.

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What are the different types of video APIs?

1. Video on Demand (VOD) Streaming API: VOD streaming APIs take pre-recorded videos as their initial input, often in formats such as MP4or MOV. These APIs then perform encoding to prepare the content for streaming, using widely recognized streaming protocols like DASH and HLS.

2. Live Streaming Video API:

A live streaming video API receives its input from the live event's video feed and subsequently broadcasts it to users. The choice of underlying technology for live streaming video APIs hinges on factors such as desired latency and the user volume you aim to accommodate. WebRTC is used for minimal latency and smaller user populations, while HLS is suited for slightly higher latency but can efficiently support thousands of concurrent users.

3. Video Player API: Some video streaming APIs come equipped with their own video players. These players can often be extensively customized via the API, allowing you to craft unique player experiences for different viewer groups.You'll have the freedom to adjust various elements of the player's interface, including color schemes and branding elements. Additionally, while certain video streaming APIs provide their own players, others may recommend third-party player solutions that seamlessly integrate with their services.

4. Video Analytics API: Video analyticsAPIs help gather insights from video streams, such as viewer engagement, audience demographics, and content performance. You might also have the ability to access session information, such as the how much of the video that was viewed, the portions that were skipped, or whether users watched it at an increased speed of 2x.

5. Ad Insertion and Monetization APIs: These APIs help integrate advertisements into video content. They enable functionalities like ad insertion, tracking, and reporting. The Google Ad Manager API and VAST(Video Ad Serving Template) are used for video advertising.

How to choose the right video streaming API for your product?

When it comes to choosing the right video API for your product, it's important to make an informed decision by asking yourself (and possibly all other stakeholders working with video) a series of key questions.Here’s a checklist that you can consider:

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How fastPix video API can solve your online video needs?

FastPix is the API for video, empowering developers and product builders worldwide to effortlessly integrate video into their products, applications and services. Easy-to-use API for on-demand video, and live streaming enables seamless integration of high-quality videos into anything that could be imagined, with just a few lines of code.Gain a competitive edge in video workflows with a single source of end-to-endQoE (Quality of Experience) data analytics that is required to deliver high-impact experiences. 

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To keep it simple: FastPix handles the tech stack so users can craft mind-blowing video experiences to drive success in the digital landscape. Users can focus less on the complexities of video and more on the product experiences and business outcomes.

Click here, to learn more about how FastPix supercharges the online video experience with the power of API.