Custom Live Streaming Software
Development Services

The infrastructure decision you make in week one, Agora, Twilio, or in-house WebRTC, determines whether your platform scales affordably or becomes a cost problem at 50,000 users. Most teams make it without realizing it's a decision at all.

We build real-time WebRTC video on Agora's SDK and HLS broadcast pipelines designed for large concurrent audiences. The architecture decision, the cost model of each option, and the monetization structure are all designed before sprint one starts, not when scaling becomes a problem.

  • WebRTC sub-200ms latency for interactive sessions (auctions, live Q&A, group video) or HLS broadcast for high-concurrency audiences, chosen for your use case, not a default

  • Monetization architecture (subscriptions, pay-per-view, virtual gifts, advertising) designed alongside the content layer, not bolted on after launch when billing breaks on edge cases

  • Agora, Twilio, Daily.co, or self-hosted WebRTC: we recommend the infrastructure that fits your cost model and use case, not a default we prefer

  • Launch a validated v1 in 12 to 16 weeks, then iterate: real infrastructure from sprint one, not a throwaway prototype

3+ years RetentionWeek 1 First milestoneFixed price Pricing

The problem

Sound familiar?

  • Paying per-minute for managed streaming infrastructure that was affordable at 1,000 concurrent users but becomes the largest line on your cloud bill as you scale past 20,000?

  • Live event peak, a concert, a sports final, a product launch, where the platform falls over at the moment that matters most because it was built for average load, not the spike?

Short answer

RaftLabs builds custom live streaming software: WebRTC apps for sub-200ms interactive video, HLS broadcast for large concurrent audiences, OTT and VOD services, sports apps, and enterprise video. We build on Agora, Twilio, and self-hosted WebRTC, and design monetization and scale into the architecture from sprint one. Launch a validated v1 in 12 to 16 weeks, typically $50K to $100K.

Who this is for

Streaming teams we build for

Media and OTT operators

Broadcast streaming built to hold at peak load, with monetization in the architecture.

Interactive video products

Sub-200ms WebRTC for auctions, watch parties, and live participation formats.

Sports and event streamers

Platforms that peak exactly when the audience does, without the per-minute bill becoming the product.

Enterprise video teams

Internal and customer video on infrastructure you control.

Trusted by

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01 Diagnosis

Problems we solve in live streaming

  1. 01
    Problem

    Your platform works fine at 500 concurrent viewers but falls apart above 10,000 because it was never designed for broadcast scale

    Solution

    The jump from low-concurrency testing to production scale is where most streaming platforms fail. HLS delivery for thousands of concurrent viewers requires CDN configuration, adaptive bitrate encoding, and a manifest management layer that a WebRTC-first build doesn't include. When the first major event hits and the player buffers for 30% of viewers, retrofitting broadcast-scale delivery into a system designed for small groups costs as much as a rebuild. Architecture designed for your target concurrency from sprint one avoids the failure at scale.

  2. 02
    Problem

    Your live events generate revenue but you have no monetization infrastructure: access is free or manually gated, and you can't sell pay-per-view or subscriptions

    Solution

    A streaming platform without monetization is content distribution. Pay-per-view event access, subscription tiers for a VOD library, tipping and virtual gifts for interactive streams, embedded advertising slots: each requires billing infrastructure, entitlement management, and a checkout flow designed for impulse buying. When monetization is added after launch, you're retrofitting billing logic into a platform that wasn't designed for it. The billing architecture and the access control model need to be designed together from the start.

  3. 03
    Problem

    Your interactive stream has good content but viewer engagement is passive because the platform has no tools for audience participation during the broadcast

    Solution

    Live streaming engagement metrics for interactive platforms (polls, Q&A, reactions, co-viewing) run 3 to 5 times higher than passive broadcast. According to Restream's 2024 Live Streaming Statistics report, live video generates 37% more engagement than pre-recorded content, and viewers spend three times longer watching a live stream than an equivalent on-demand video. When the platform has no audience participation layer, viewers watch but don't connect. Building interactive features on top of a passive streaming architecture requires adding a real-time messaging layer that wasn't in the original design. Platforms built with WebRTC for interactivity alongside HLS for broadcast delivery from the start can serve both audiences.

  4. 04
    Problem

    Your content library has no discoverability features so viewers watch the live event and then leave instead of staying for on-demand content

    Solution

    Live streaming platforms with VOD libraries need recommendation systems, search, and category browsing to retain viewers between live events. When recordings are uploaded in order without metadata, tagging, or surfacing logic, the library is a flat list. Viewers don't browse flat lists. Content discovery features, a recommendation engine, search with filter, curated collections, and watch history keep the audience on the platform between events and drive subscription retention.

02 What we ship

Our live streaming app development services

  1. Live event broadcasting platform

    When you're streaming a paid event, sports match, concert, or webinar, there's no room for buffering, delays, or crashes.

    We build live event streaming platforms designed to handle peak traffic, real-time engagement, and large audiences. Thousands of users can log in at once and get smooth, real-time streaming.

    Best for: Event organizers, sports leagues, concert venues, webinar hosts, and conference platforms.

    What you get:

    • Multi-camera live streaming (WebRTC under 200ms or high-throughput HLS)
    • Real-time chat, Q&A, polls, and reactions powered by Agora
    • Infrastructure built to handle traffic spikes during ticketed events
    • Automatic recording with instant VOD availability
    • Simulcasting to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch

  2. OTT platform development

    Building an OTT platform is more than streaming video. It's building a complete subscription-based content business.

    We develop end-to-end OTT platforms with production-ready streaming infrastructure, content management, secure monetization, and cross-device apps, all designed to increase retention and recurring revenue.

    Best for: Media companies, content networks, subscription streaming services, entertainment platforms offering premium content.

    What you get:

    • Custom OTT apps for Web, iOS, Android, and Smart TV
    • Video CMS with bulk upload, transcoding, metadata, and publishing workflows
    • Subscription management with Stripe integration and automated billing
    • DRM-secured offline viewing (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay)
    • Advanced analytics to track watch time, retention, churn, and conversion

  3. Video on demand (VOD) platforms

    A successful VOD platform isn't about having thousands of videos. It's about helping users find the right content instantly.

    We build intelligent VOD platforms trained on your content metadata and viewing behavior. They improve content discovery, personalize recommendations, and increase viewer retention from day one.

    Best for: Educational platforms, entertainment services, digital media libraries, and corporate training platforms.

    What you get:

    • Content recommendations using collaborative and content-based models
    • Resume playback and "continue watching" synced across devices
    • Advanced search with genre, language, duration, and custom filters
    • Parental controls with PIN-protected profiles
    • Content analytics to track completion rates, replay behavior, and engagement

  4. Live sports streaming apps

    Live sports streaming demands ultra-low latency, broadcast-quality video, and infrastructure that can handle massive traffic spikes, especially during peak match moments.

    We build high-performance sports streaming apps designed for real-time delivery, pay-per-view reliability, and large concurrent audiences without buffering or delays.

    Best for: Sports leagues, team apps, sports media companies, and pay-per-view (PPV) platforms.

    What you get:

    • Sub-200ms streaming via WebRTC or high-throughput HLS (2 to 4s delay)
    • Multi-angle camera switching with synchronized streams
    • Real-time stats and scoreboard overlays via API integration
    • Instant replay and dynamic highlight clipping within seconds
    • Infrastructure tested to handle 10x expected peak viewers

  5. Webinar and e-learning platforms

    The difference between an average online course platform and one that drives real learning outcomes is engagement.

    Most standard webinar platforms see low completion rates. Interactive learning platforms with quizzes, live Q&A, polls, and breakout sessions significantly improve course completion and knowledge retention.

    We build e-learning platforms where live streaming and interactivity are deeply integrated, so learning stays engaging.

    Best for: Educational institutions, online course creators, corporate training providers, and certification programs.

    What you get:

    • Live classes with synchronized screen sharing and presentation mode
    • Breakout rooms (up to 50 sessions) powered by Agora
    • Real-time quizzes, polls, and live Q&A
    • Automatic session recording with smart chapter markers
    • Completion tracking, quiz analytics, and certificate generation with LMS sync

  6. Social live streaming apps

    A successful social streaming app depends on one thing: creator monetization. If creators can't earn, they leave and their audience follows.

    We build social live streaming apps where revenue tools, engagement features, and growth analytics are built in from day one, helping you create a sustainable creator ecosystem.

    Best for: Creator platforms, influencer networks, community apps, and social commerce businesses.

    What you get:

    • One-tap go-live streaming for instant audience reach
    • Virtual gifting with customizable revenue split and live animations
    • Paid creator subscriptions with exclusive content and private chat
    • Live shopping with product tagging and in-app checkout
    • Creator analytics: earnings breakdown, top supporters, churn rate, and stream performance

  7. Gaming and esports streaming

    In gaming, latency isn't a technical detail. It's the product experience. If chat reactions lag behind gameplay, the platform feels broken.

    We build gaming and esports streaming platforms with ultra-low latency as the foundation, delivering real-time interaction, community engagement, and monetization tools from day one.

    Best for: Gaming platforms, esports organizations, tournament hosts, and game publishers.

    What you get:

    • 1 to 3 second low-latency streaming (low-latency HLS)
    • OBS, XSplit, and RTMP-compatible stream overlays and widgets
    • Live community chat with emotes, badges, and moderation tools
    • Subscriptions, donations, and streamer payout dashboards
    • Real-time tournament bracket and match overlay integration

  8. Enterprise video streaming

    Enterprise video platforms require more than streaming quality. They require security, compliance, and full visibility into who accessed what content.

    We build secure enterprise video streaming solutions where authentication, access control, encryption, and audit tracking are built into the core architecture.

    Best for: Corporations, government agencies, regulated industries, and large distributed organizations, B2B SaaS.

    What you get:

    • Enterprise SSO (SAML 2.0 / OIDC) with Okta, Microsoft Azure Active Directory, and Google Workspace
    • Role-based access control with department-level and time-based permissions
    • End-to-end encrypted streaming with DRM protection
    • Immutable audit logs (who watched, when, duration, IP, device)
    • Native integration with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom

Integrations

Built on the right video infrastructure

Protocol and infrastructure choices happen in sprint one, because they decide what scaling costs later.

Real-time video
Self-hosted WebRTC · Agora · Twilio
Broadcast
HLS for large concurrent audiences
Managed infrastructure stays an option early; the build path exists for when per-minute costs become the largest line item.

03 Buy, build, or wait

Rent while the audience is unproven and per-minute costs are small.

The live streaming software question is really about which infrastructure bet you make in week one, and what it costs when you scale.

Buy or rent

  • Managed infrastructure, for speed to launch

    Renting wins when you need to launch fast and per-minute costs are still smaller than an engineering team.

  • Wait, while the audience is unproven

    Waiting wins when viewership is still a hypothesis and a white-label player can test it.

Build custom

  • When per-minute costs become the cloud bill

    Managed streaming was affordable at 1,000 concurrent viewers and becomes the largest line item past 20,000.

  • When monetization needs its own architecture

    Pay-per-view, subscriptions, and tipping need billing and entitlements designed with the content layer.

  • When peak load is the product

    A concert, a final, or a launch where the platform must hold at the moment that matters most.

Bottom line

Rent while the audience is unproven and per-minute costs are small. Build when scale economics and monetization need an architecture of your own.

04 How we work

How we build streaming platforms

  1. Step 01
    01

    Concurrency and monetization model

    We map your target viewer count, latency needs, and how the platform earns before any infrastructure decision is made.

  2. Step 02
    02

    Infrastructure decision

    We compare managed and self-hosted options against your cost model and lock the stack before the first sprint starts.

  3. Step 03
    03

    Build in phases

    Core streaming ships first on real infrastructure, then monetization, VOD, and analytics layers follow in later phases.

  4. Step 04
    04

    Load test and launch

    We test against multiples of your expected peak before the first public event goes live.

06 Case studies

Streaming work we've shipped

08 Why us

Why choose us?

  • 01

    Infrastructure decided in week one

    WebRTC, HLS, and hosting choices are made in sprint one with scale economics in view, not discovered at 20,000 concurrent viewers.
  • 02

    Monetization in the architecture

    Pay-per-view, subscriptions, and tipping are designed with the content layer, so billing never lags the product.
  • 03

    Fixed price before work starts

    Scope is fixed up front, with a validated v1 in 12 to 16 weeks to test the market before the platform spend deepens.

09 Questions

Common questions

Live streaming delivers content in real-time as events happen, while video on demand (VOD) allows users to watch pre-recorded content at their convenience. We build platforms supporting both.

The typical cost of developing a live streaming platform depends on complexity:

  • Validated v1: core live streaming with your priority features and real infrastructure from sprint one, launched in 12 to 16 weeks to test the market.
  • Full-featured platform: multi-feature streaming with monetization, DRM, a VOD library, and analytics, built to scale.
  • Advanced platform: scoped individually for highly complex requirements like AR/VR integration, AI features, or next-gen streaming experiences.

We scope a fixed price before work starts.

We implement industry-standard protocols including WebRTC, RTMP, HLS, MPEG-DASH, SRT, and CMAF based on your latency and quality requirements.

We use WebRTC for ultra-low latency (under 200ms), optimize CDN delivery, implement edge computing, and use adaptive bitrate streaming to minimize buffering.

Yes, we offer ongoing support including monitoring, updates, feature improvements, and infrastructure optimization.

Streaming software and related services

Get a build-vs-buy plan for your team.

Tell us your target concurrent viewer count, monetization model, and interactivity requirements. We'll scope the right WebRTC and HLS architecture for your use case.

  • Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
  • Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
  • Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
  • 60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
  • All conversations are NDA-protected.