December 2021 Summaries

Stream Club, a creator-first live streaming studio, has partnered with Mux to make it easier for developers to build live streaming applications. They recently launched Stream Club Cloud, enabling developers to add live streaming to any web application in just a few lines of code. By joining forces with Mux, they aim to deliver a more seamless process for building live video applications and provide a single platform that supports all live video needs. Their goal is to create user-friendly software that abstracts away the complexity of live video, enabling developers to focus on creating engaging content and innovative features.

Stream Club, a platform for creating live video broadcasts, has been acquired by Mux, a company focused on making Live Streaming accessible to everyone. The acquisition aims to integrate Stream Club's browser-based broadcasting tool and cloud service into the Mux platform, enabling developers to build native live streaming studio functionality into their applications. This will allow users to go live right from their browser without needing additional third-party software or accounts on other platforms.

Mux has launched the beta version of Low-Latency Live Streaming (LL-HLS) and observed its adoption across various use cases such as live shopping, virtual events, creator platforms, and more. Since launch, improvements have been made in the player ecosystem with updates from Apple's LL-HLS open standard, iOS 15, HLS.js 1.0.11, and Video.js 7.16.0 for better playback. Mux has also introduced a new API to switch latency modes for live streams and the <mux-video> element for easier integration of low-latency video into apps. Upcoming updates include a metric to calculate live stream latency in Mux Data. The company continues to work on further lowering latency, improving reliability, and enhancing player interoperability while welcoming feedback from users.

Playback Restrictions, a new security feature by Mux Video, has been launched to prevent unauthorized playback of video content. The first method is Referrer Validation, which allows creators to specify domains where their videos can be played and set custom rules for playback restrictions. This feature works on browsers but not native iOS and Android apps. It's available at no additional cost for Mux Video customers.

At Mux, the company is scaling its team while considering how to help new members build exceptional developer product companies. The founders identified key characteristics for success: being authentically great, intentionally transparent, treating every customer surprisingly well, designing with intentionality, and engaging in consultative sales and marketing, as well as being an engaged community member. These principles guide the company's approach to product development, customer experience, and business operations.

Mux has been working on an open-source project called Media Chrome, which separates UI components from the playback engine. This separation allows designers and front-end developers to focus on player UX without worrying about the underlying playback technology. The project uses HTML and CSS for styling and offers a range of customizable slots for different layouts and icons. Currently, Media Chrome is aimed at developers and designers building playback experiences on the web, with plans to expand its offerings in the future.