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About VideoSDK

VideoSDK is a developer platform for building real-time audio, video, and interactive live streaming experiences across web, mobile, desktop, server, and embedded applications.

It provides APIs, SDKs, and managed real-time communication infrastructure for adding capabilities such as one-to-one and group video calls, audio rooms, screen sharing, Interactive Live Streaming (ILS), HLS, RTMP livestreaming, cloud recording, transcription, real-time messaging, telephony, and media processing without building and operating the complete underlying communication infrastructure yourself.

VideoSDK supports applications across JavaScript, React, React Native, Android, iOS, Flutter, Unity, Python, C++, and IoT, along with REST APIs and server-side SDKs.

What is VideoSDK?​

VideoSDK provides the real-time communication layer between users, applications, and devices.

At its core is a Meeting or Room - a virtual space where participants connect and exchange audio, video, screen sharing, and application data in real time.

The core VideoSDK concepts include:

  • Meeting / Room - the real-time space where participants communicate.
  • Participant - a user or client connected to a meeting.
  • MediaStream - a collection of audio and video tracks.
  • Track - an individual audio or video stream.
  • Session - an active instance of a meeting containing one or more participants.
  • Events - notifications for participant, media, meeting, and SDK state changes.

Learn more in Concepts and Architecture.

About WebRTC​

Traditional web protocols such as HTTP are optimized for request-response communication rather than continuous, low-latency media.

WebRTC is designed for transmitting real-time audio, video, and data. It provides capabilities needed for interactive communication while adapting to changing network conditions.

Building production applications directly with WebRTC can require managing signaling, media routing, NAT and firewall traversal, reconnection, bandwidth changes, participant state, scalability, recording, and other infrastructure.

VideoSDK abstracts much of this complexity through higher-level SDKs and managed infrastructure, allowing developers to focus on their application's communication experience.

For more information about network performance, see Understanding Call Quality.

Why use VideoSDK?​

VideoSDK provides reusable communication primitives instead of requiring developers to build the entire media stack themselves.

Build custom experiences: Use VideoSDK SDKs and APIs to control your interface, participant behavior, layouts, media, events, permissions, and application workflows.

Build across platforms: Use SDKs for web, mobile, native, backend, gaming, and embedded environments while working with the same core concepts of rooms, participants, and media.

Use managed real-time infrastructure: VideoSDK handles the underlying communication infrastructure required to route and manage real-time media between participants.

Add communication features as needed: Combine audio/video calling with recording, live streaming, transcription, PubSub, telephony, and other platform capabilities.

What can I build?​

VideoSDK can power a wide range of real-time communication applications, including:

  • Video conferencing: One-to-one and group audio/video meetings.
  • Audio rooms: Voice-first conversations and communities.
  • Interactive live streaming: Host-and-audience experiences with real-time participation.
  • Virtual classrooms: Live teaching, tutoring, collaboration, and student interaction.
  • Telehealth: Virtual consultations and remote patient communication.
  • Video KYC: Real-time identity and onboarding workflows.
  • Live commerce: Product demonstrations, consultations, and interactive shopping.
  • Customer support: Video and audio support inside web and mobile applications.
  • Social and gaming: Group rooms, watch parties, creator experiences, and in-game communication.
  • Robotics and IoT: Real-time communication with connected and embedded devices.

VideoSDK provides the communication foundation while your application defines the user experience and business logic.

How does VideoSDK work?​

A typical VideoSDK application follows a simple flow:

  1. Your backend generates a secure JWT access token.
  2. Your application creates or selects a meeting using the REST API.
  3. The client initializes the appropriate VideoSDK SDK.
  4. A participant joins the meeting.
  5. Participants publish and receive audio, video, screen sharing, or data.
  6. Your application responds to participant and meeting events.
  7. Additional services such as recording, livestreaming, or transcription can operate on the same session.

For the complete room and participant model, see Concepts and Architecture.

Audio and video communication​

VideoSDK's Audio and Video Calling SDK provides the building blocks for real-time communication.

Applications can implement camera and microphone controls, screen sharing, waiting rooms, rendering media, active-speaker interfaces, optimize media tracks, device selection, remote participant controls, call-quality monitoring, and custom layouts.

For collaboration beyond media, PubSub can be used for chat, reactions, polls, Q&A, notifications, and other real-time application messages.

Interactive Live Streaming​

VideoSDK supports Interactive Live Streaming (ILS) for applications where hosts broadcast while viewers participate in real time.

Participants can join using different modes. Hosts can publish audio and video, while audience participants can receive media and interact through application features. Audience members can also be promoted to publishing roles when required.

ILS is suitable for live commerce, webinars, auctions, virtual events, creator broadcasts, live classes, and interactive communities.

Start with the Interactive Live Streaming Quickstart.

VideoSDK also supports HLS for broader HTTP-based distribution and RTMP livestreaming for broadcasting meetings to compatible external platforms.

Recording and transcription​

VideoSDK provides cloud recording for capturing meetings, participants, and individual media tracks.

Recorded sessions can be used for playback, compliance, training, education, support, archives, analytics, and post-call processing.

VideoSDK also supports real-time and post-session transcription, enabling applications to create captions, searchable conversations, transcripts, and meeting summaries.

SDKs and APIs​

VideoSDK provides SDKs for:

For backend applications, use the REST APIs or Server SDK.

For a faster integration with a ready-made meeting interface, use VideoSDK Prebuilt.

Security​

VideoSDK provides security and access-control capabilities for real-time communication applications.

Every participant connecting to a meeting uses JWT-based authentication. Production applications should generate access tokens from a secure backend and keep API secrets outside client applications.

VideoSDK also provides End-to-End Encryption for supported media workflows.

Additional controls include geo-fencing, Geo-IP restrictions, cloud proxy controls, firewall configuration, and Content Security Policy guidance for enterprise and security-sensitive environments.

VideoSDK also provides guidance for ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, and CERT-IN compliance.

Additional platform services​

VideoSDK includes supporting services that extend the core audio and video platform.

These include:

These services can be combined depending on the communication experience your application requires.

How can I learn more?​

Start with the section that matches what you are building:

Use the documentation navigation to explore implementation guides, API references, platform-specific SDKs, best practices, and example applications.

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