Uploading a video to Livepeer Studio is simple, and takes just a few minutes. Here are step-by-step instructions to upload a video to Livepeer Studio.

. Next, click on “Let’s Go” in the top right corner. If you already have a Livepeer Studio account, log in here.

If you don’t have an account, click “Create New Account,” and fill out the required information. Make sure to check your email to verify the account.

After logging into your Livepeer Studio account, you will be directed to the dashboard. Click “Assets” in the menu located on the left side of the page. Then, click “Upload Asset.”

You will be prompted to select (or drag and drop) your video asset. You can upload MP4 or MOV file formats, and can upload up to 20 files at a time. Once you have selected the desired video files, click “Upload.”

Videos may take a few minutes to upload depending on file size. Do not close the browser during the uploading process.

Once your video has finished uploading, it’s ready to be shared. Click on the “Share” button to copy the link or embed your video. When you click on “Copy Link,” the URL will be automatically copied to your clipboard.

The URL will direct the viewer to your video using the Livepeer player.

If you would like to embed the Livepeer player in your frontend, click “Embed,” and then click “Copy Code.” The iframe embed code will be automatically copied to your clipboard, and can be placed wherever you would like the video asset to be played.

Step 4: Save to Decentralized Storage (Optional)

By default, video assets are stored with Livepeer, but they can also be uploaded to decentralized storage providers such as IPFS. To do so, click “Save to IPFS,” and your video will be pinned to the IPFS network.

You have just successfully uploaded a video to Livepeer Studio, and your video is ready to be shared with your audience.

To learn more about adding video to your web3 app, check out the 

. If you have any questions about integrating video with Livepeer Studio, join the 

If you've decided to live stream content online, you must do a few things. Setting up the camera is the most obvious part of the process, but that’s only step one.

Streaming your live video content online requires encoding the video so that your company can transmit the data appropriately and transcode it for real-time consumption.


If you don’t know what video encoding is and why you need it, in this article, we’ll explain everything you should know so that you can live stream your content without any hiccups.

In the context of video, encoding is the process of taking raw video content — the content that your video device records — and transforming it into a format that’s compatible with an electronic device.

Encoding vs. transcoding: what’s the difference?

Encoding is not the same as transcoding, despite their similar names. The main difference between both concepts is that encoding refers to the process of taking your video content and making it easy to consume on a computer, phone, or tablet. On the other hand, transcoding takes an encoded video and decodes it in different sizes, resolutions, bitrates, and more.

Encoding makes your video recording consumable by computers and other devices

Transcoding adapts your video's size, resolution, and bitrate for each viewer's Internet bandwidth

Video Transcoding: What is it, why is it important, and how can I do it?

At first, the need for encoding seems a bit redundant. You may think to yourself that video doesn't need to be changed from the format it's recorded. After all, when you record a video with your phone, it's immediately ready to playback afterward. That happens because your phone automatically encodes and decodes your video after it's recorded.


At some point, you must have downloaded a video that wasn't consumable on your computer or phone. You may recall the problem was tied to the "codecs" or the "format." Before we get into these concepts, we need to go over the details of what makes encoding necessary.


Video cameras record content so that each frame is a picture. Therefore, a video is a compilation of still images, much like hand-drawn animations.


The problem with this setup is that each second of a video is made up of 24 to 60 frames (also known as “frames per second” or “fps”). Multiply your recording’s fps by its amount of seconds, and you will get the total number of frames per video. Multiply that number by the size of each frame (which can vary from a few dozen to hundreds of kilobytes, or even megabytes), and you will get a massive number that will be impossible to playback and transmit online.

To overcome this issue, you encode your recording so that each frame is smaller and easier to play. Better yet, the video will be smaller while losing little to no quality.


Still, this explanation doesn't explain everything about encoding, so let's take a deeper dive into the technicalities of encoding.

Imagine you have recorded a two-minute video on your camera. When you connect your camera to your computer, the camera’s software will automatically:

Use a codec (short for “coder/decoder” or “compressor-decompressor”) that compresses the file

Format the new compressed file into a video format (or “container”)

These two steps are what encoding is all about. Let’s go over them individually to understand this even better.

Codecs are algorithms that transform a raw video file into an asset that you can consume on a device like a computer or a phone. What makes codecs crucial in the encoding process is that they compress a video file by using either of the two compression formats:

, which leaves the video intact, making the file heavier but higher-quality

, which reduces the video in a non-noticeable way so that it’s smaller and easier to consume and transmit online

As the acronym suggests, codecs compress the file, so it’s easier to store and transmit, but they also decompress it to make it compatible with other devices. Some codecs can compress both video and audio files, while some can’t. In any case, codecs are always paired together so that you can compress both parts simultaneously.

There are dozens of codecs for each of the two compression formats, each with benefits and disadvantages. The five most popular ones are the following:

: The most popular and widely supported codec for live streaming.

: The replacement for H.264 can provide two times the performance of its predecessor, despite not being as widely supported.

: An open-source, royalty-free video codec that leverages lossless compression. It’s better suited for ultra-high definition (UHD).

: Another open-source, royalty-free video codec that brings consistent, high-quality video.

: The successor of H.265 is predicted to boost compression rates by 50%. Just like its forebear, it’s yet too early to see if it’s as good as it’s deemed and still lacks wide support.



H.264 and H.265 are perfect for high-definition videos intended for live streaming. The drawback? They come with a costly license fee.

AV1 and VP9 are the best free alternatives capable of providing similar performance to the previous ones, with VP9 better suited if you plan to target Android devices.



An encoding video format is a file that contains (hence its name) the compressed audio and video file. It also includes the metadata, which allows the video player to use the audio and video codecs properly, among other things.

Although a video container and its extension aren’t necessarily the same thing, they are often treated as equal, with some of the most widely-used ones being:

: Popular due to its high compatibility with both Windows and Mac operating systems. It also keeps the audio quality high after compression. The only drawbacks are that it’s impossible to set and modify aspect ratios manually and that the compression results in visible quality losses.

: An open-source format that offers lossless compression and high resolution. Sadly, few mobile players support MKV while it offers a slow loading speed. Its compression also generates large video files.

: Famous for offering laser-sharp quality and high compatibility with other video formats. However, its lossy compression leads to poorer quality and a large file size.

: The best format for file size efficiency, loading speed, and compression. It’s light on bandwidth, guarantees lossless compression, and supports overlay texts. Sadly, it depends on different codecs for best results and has relatively high loading times.

: A Google-backed video format crafted for web videos. HTML5 supports the format and focuses on keeping clips small. Despite using lossless compression with small file sizes, the problem is that it results in relatively low-video quality, offers limited support for mobile devices, and has no support for Mozilla Firefox.



Just as it happens with codecs, each encoding format carries its benefits and challenges. Some offer better compatibility with video players, while others focus on quality instead of compression.

How to implement encoding for live streaming?

Encoding a video is a relatively straightforward process that requires some planning to find the right codecs and formats for your needs. But when it comes to encoding for live streaming, things get a bit more complicated.

The first point is that the video content needs to be encoded fast so it can then be transcoded and transmitted online (what we call “streaming”). The compression format must be lossy to enable fast encoding. Sure, the quality may not be the highest, but it’s the most convenient for speed.

The codecs previously mentioned offer lossy compression, the most widely used being H.264.

Most smartphones come with a built-in encoder, making it easy to live stream from social media and messaging apps. However, specific encoding software and hardware may be necessary for companies that need high-quality live streaming.

Imagine that you want to live stream an event in a physical location, like a retail shop. You set up your cameras, lights, microphones, computer, and Internet connection.


, the encoder takes the raw digital data from the cameras and microphones and transforms them to be transcoded and appropriately streamed.

Since encoding live-streamed content requires a higher capacity than what we mentioned so far, you will need to set up a special hardware or software encoder.


Roughly speaking, encoding hardware is suited for professional broadcasting (think CNN or the BBC). Although it provides the most reliable and faster results due to the machine focusing solely on encoding, its costs and lack of upgrading options (e.g., switching) aren’t worth it for most streamers.

Live streaming encoding software offers a similar capacity at a much lower price. Even if the latency is higher, encoding software represents an effective alternative. There are many options available, three of the most popular being:

: A free, open-source, easy-to-use platform with real-time video and audio capturing and mixing and more.

: Starts at $599 (one-time fee) and offers unlimited sources, multiple bitrate streaming, among other things.

: Compatible for Windows only, this encoder offers a wide range of features and it’s free to use for up to four inputs and video up to 768 x 576 resolution. Its paid plans offer up to 1,000 inputs and 4K resolution.

When selecting an encoding software, you need to guarantee it meets the following criteria:

Compatible with your setup, including your computer, microphone, and camera

Offers some editing and mixing capabilities

Once you have chosen and set up your encoding software, you must connect it with your transcoding solution, such as the one Livepeer Video Services offers. This last part is crucial, as no matter how good the encoding may be, if it’s not properly ingested, packaged, and transported through the servers, your viewers will not enjoy your live stream.

To learn more about how crucial transcoding is and how you can set it up, check our guide on the subject:

What is Video Encoding

India is home to a massive pool of software developers. In the 1980-90’s, nearly all developers

. In recent years, however, India has enjoyed 

Many Indian entrepreneurs and developers are transitioning into web3 despite a 

 underlines India’s ascendency to one of the top international crypto hubs.

Livepeer Studio welcomes the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs and developers ready to build web3 video applications across this region. 

, Head of Marketing at Livepeer, recently chatted with 

 to discuss the web3 developer community in India. Below are some insights gathered from the discussion.

Historically, almost all Indian software developers worked at large, established firms. Job security and high pay were enticing, and software developers made more than twice the salary of the average worker. Additionally, India’s education system was a “walled garden” that funneled students into these firms.

“People in India, they were very focused on these IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) and IIMs (Indian Institute of Management)… people used to prepare 4 or 5 years just to get into these IIT and IIM programs [because the only] data sources from where you could learn from was this teacher and [these Institutes] started becoming a huge centralized hub,” says Susmit Lavania.

Eventually, the widespread availability of the internet and online education disrupted this established system. Lavania believes “students started realizing that they could gain much more knowledge than the professor [or] the college itself.” Many Indian developers realized that following the traditional route of working at large technology firms meant limiting personal growth, receiving low-impact work, and developing overly-specialized skills. So instead, Indian developers forged alternative career paths that provided opportunities that better aligned with their interests and goals.

India’s “Progressive Decentralization”

This shift from a “job mentality” to an “entrepreneurial mentality” has been accelerated by Indian developers’ passion for web3. Web3 provides a collaborative environment for developers to build protocols and make an impact by pursuing their dreams.

“People actually want to make an impact rather than [having] job security or all of those things. They want to do something for this society in a collaborative manner. So web3 is becoming stronger and stronger, because it appeals to this [sense of community],” according to Susmit Lavania.

Interestingly, both Vansh Gehlot and Susmit Lavania noted that web2 will remain as the dominant ecosystem for the next 5-6 years and developers should be wary of ignoring web2 altogether. In their opinion, web2 technologies, like data structures and algorithms, form the foundation of web3, and the ability to combine web2 and web3 is a necessary skill.

At the same time, they envision a trend of “progressive decentralization” - a consistent transition into more decentralized technologies and organizations - in the coming decade. With non-custodial wallets, modular blockchains like 

, developers have the basic infrastructure to build competitive web3-native protocols and innovate decentralized, open-source ecosystems. Vansh specifically named AR, VR, and NFTs as technologies that will drive decentralization and eventually lead to a new era where “everyone is building on web3.”

Lavania says India’s web3 community is “very welcoming and collaborative in nature.” Everyone works together to solve problems - “people feel whole. Your contribution matters. That's the best part.” In web3, he found a community made of like-minded, passionate people that strive to make a positive impact and constantly learn about new technologies and innovations.

Gehlot echoed those sentiments, adding “the feeling of reward and the generous nature of everyone is the [most] important thing because there is [no hierarchy]… everyone is rewarded equally… and that's what makes it different from the web2 world.” He believes web3’s influence on Indian work culture is just beginning, as “People love to be a part of these kinds of companies” and the web3 model is “the future that web2 companies should be looking into.”

Looking forward, Gehlot says that education around web3 is going to be very important. The current community is very enthusiastic and follows industry trends closely, but they are young and require mentoring to fully understand web3’s potential.

Like many countries, India’s largest cities - Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi - are hotspots for web3 development. Dense populations and modern facilities enable events, like conferences and meetups, for community building. In particular, Gehlot recommends hackathons as one of the best places to develop skills and build networks, which is how he became a co-founder of Dragverse. He also offered encouragement for those just starting their web3 journey, stressing that “no one should think of themselves as [inexperienced] – all of us have some unique criteria to be a part of any hackathon.”

Lavania noted the effects of the pandemic and the rise of remote work, which made online communities even more important. He recommends using resources, like Discord and Github, to build online networks and to explore web3 with a hands-on approach by testing different protocols.

India has become a hub of web3 development and venture capital investment thanks to the efforts of Startup India and the rise of online education. While every country has unique obstacles, like India’s centralized collegiate system, the positive influence of web3 and its core values of decentralization and open-source collaboration is universal. Indian developers and entrepreneurs, like Vansh Gehlot and Susmit Lavania, are excited about the “progressive decentralization” that will revolutionize Indian work culture, disrupt centralized web2 platforms, and empower their communities.


In the 1980-90’s, nearly all Indian developers worked at large firms. In recent years, however, India has enjoyed exponential growth in local startups following its Startup India initiative launched in 2016. Livepeer Studio welcomes the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs and developers ready to build web3 video applications across this region.

How to Upload a Video to Livepeer Studio

Step 1: Create a Livepeer Studio Account

Step 2: Upload a Video Asset

Step 3: Share Video

Step 4: Save to Decentralized Storage (Optional)

Step 5: Upload Complete!