App Highlight: File.video — Decentralized Video Hosting For Everyone. Built on Livepeer and Filecoin

Today we are excited to showcase a web3 application called File.video, which aims to provide decentralized video hosting for everyone.

The functionality of this app is simple but powerful. Users can choose a video file to upload, and they’ll receive back a playback URL from which the video can be shared and viewed. Behind the scenes the video is transcoded into different bitrates to enable playback on varying connection speeds, and served over the HLS protocol for a reliable viewing experience across device types.

What is of particular note however, is that this application was built on web3 infrastructure — leveraging Livepeer’s software and decentralized network for video ingest and transcoding, and the newly launched Filecoin network for persistence and content delivery.

Video makes up 80% of the bandwidth on the internet, but due to a fragmented and complex technical stack, developers often have to rely on proprietary, centralized, and expensive infrastructure services to create the video experiences they want. These high costs make it very difficult for developers to validate their products and compete with attention-monetized social platforms that often offer users free streaming in exchange for yielding control over their audiences, monetization, and content. But the web3 stack, and the order of magnitude cost reductions enabled by the open marketplaces like Livepeer and Filecoin, are the building blocks for a better way.

File.video and the backing Demux gateway were built by Livepeer community members BUIDL Labs, with design by Basement Studios. The open source codebase of File.video, and the backing Demux gateway, serves as a blueprint for how developers can create compelling video applications leveraging the advantages of this stack. While Livepeer focuses largely on live streamed content, this app shows how developers leveraged the network to expand the capabilities and create a VOD experience when combined with Filecoin. Check it out, fork it, and get building to create great live streaming and on demand video experiences.