April 2021 Summaries

Mux, a company focused on making video integration into applications easier, has raised $100 million in its Series D funding round from investors including Coatue, Accel, and A16Z. The company plans to use the funds to further develop its technology and market reach, as it believes that online video is still in its early stages with significant growth potential. Mux's products, Video and Data, aim to simplify live and on-demand video integration into applications through a single API call, while also providing detailed analytics for developers. The company has grown from 38 to 63 employees in the past year and plans to continue expanding its team and customer base as it seeks to democratize video technology.

Every February, millions of viewers tune into one of the biggest sporting events of the year. For the past three years, Mux Data has been monitoring livestreams to ensure an optimized stream for an average of 3.9 million viewers. The company faced challenges during its first live stream, including unexpected traffic patterns and a surge in users viewing quality of experience metrics within their dashboard. They learned that practice is imperative but doesn't make perfect, and having a team of specialists at the ready is crucial for handling high-stakes situations. Mux Data also emphasized the importance of testing with real traffic and tuning Kafka, Clickhouse, and data collection layers for peak performance. The company continues to learn from each event and applies those lessons to improve their products and services.

The text discusses the challenges faced by Mux's Live Streaming API when using Google Cloud's Network Load Balancer for managing non-HTTP connections, particularly long-lived TCP flows such as RTMP. It explains how they discovered that virtual load balancers don't always simulate their physical counterparts as expected and how this led to occasional disconnects in live streaming. The solution proposed was to integrate the existing health checking system with a traditional L4 load-balancing setup using Envoy, which resulted in improved connection reliability.

Oak National Academy was created in April 2020 as a rapid response to the Covid-19 pandemic, offering virtual lessons for UK school children during lockdown. By February 2021, they had reached over 100 million lessons. In an effort to make their educational content more accessible, Oak National Academy has partnered with eleven major telecoms providers in the UK to implement 'zero rating', meaning that families can access all of Oak's lessons without being charged for data or having it count towards any data limits. This initiative is particularly beneficial for students who rely on mobile data for internet access and could face significant charges for consuming large amounts of video content.

Mux introduces Multi-Organization User Access to enhance account management for its customers. This feature allows Video and Data users to work more efficiently by centralizing administration and operation across multiple accounts. Suitable for larger enterprises, service providers, resellers, and agencies or consultancies, the new access control system is automatically enabled at no additional cost.

Device detection is crucial for video analytics platforms like Mux Data, which helps measure viewership and quality of users' experience. The user agent string provides information about the device, operating system version, and browser version. However, inconsistencies in how different libraries interpret this data can make accurate device detection challenging. Business models and pricing structures of various device detection services also vary significantly. To improve accuracy and consistency, it is essential to choose a vendor that aligns with your business model and apply necessary post-processing rules. As technology evolves, device detection methodologies will continue to change, adding complexity to the process.

The company has enhanced device detection for improved accuracy, providing better insights into viewer experiences and issue tracking across various devices. Key data points that have been improved include Operating System, Operating System Version, Browser, Browser Version, Device Type, and Device. These updates are available to all Mux Data customers at no additional cost. Users of the Mux SDK for AVPlayer, ExoPlayer, or Roku will automatically receive the updated detection, while those with custom integrations need to update to the latest version. Web-based SDK users should also update to the latest versions, which are smaller in size and more efficient. The company encourages feedback on desired improvements.

Onboarding new hires during a global pandemic presents unique challenges, but companies like Mux have adapted their onboarding processes to accommodate remote work. Mux's People Ops team has developed a structured and intentional approach to virtual onboarding, ensuring that new employees are acclimated and productive within 90 days. The process includes pre-arrival preparations, first week introductions, and ongoing support through the 30-60-90 day plan. By prioritizing employee engagement and feedback, Mux aims to create a supportive work environment that fosters growth and retention, even in a remote setting.