The True Value of Customization

The ability to customize a streaming service means much more than most initially believe. While apps like Periscope and Twitch offer simplistic ways to live stream video on the go, their utter lack of customization is a serious drawback. Customizable streaming services grant more features, power, and choice to users, eclipsing the novelty of streaming apps and proving that customization is fundamental to the live streaming process.

An Argument for Complexity

In the modern world, technology is trending towards simplicity. By and large, this is a good thing – just about anyone can figure out how to use a smartphone, and most of our computer operating systems mimic these same principles. Simplicity drives more widespread adoption, which can boost revenue and result in a better product or service.

At the same time, however, simplicity reduces user choice. Complexity isn’t a detriment, so long as it can help people achieve their goals. This is why customization can be a major asset when it comes to live streaming video.

When it comes to live-streaming, the ability to customize and control every aspect of your data and the delivery platform is essential for getting the most out of your streaming content.

Simple Live Streaming Is Easy…

With free streaming media service apps now available on smartphones and tablets, anyone can download an app and begin live streaming in a matter of minutes.

This proliferation is expanding live streaming by leaps and bounds, driving innovation, and making live video consumption and broadcasting more widely understood and utilized. Without a doubt, these technologies are pushing live streaming to the next level.

…But It Has Major Drawbacks

However, these simple live streaming systems aren’t all that good. While they may meet the needs of individual streamers, these platforms often cannot deliver the specific features and support that many businesses and organizations need. Without advanced options and customization, these apps will remain the domain of individuals, not bigger organizations.

When it comes to live streaming, the type of power that customizable features on advanced platforms offer makes a huge difference to businesses. The ability to restrict access to content, brand live streams in certain ways, easily gather detailed analytics, and use custom code around video delivery is crucial for many professional live streamers today.

Customization Sets a Brand Apart

One of the major advantages of being in full control of your data and platform is the ability to set yourself apart from competitors and peers in a media-saturated environment.

Today, effective branding often encompasses customization or putting the consumer in charge of what they are doing. Think of Etsy, or how Nike has implemented a system of mass customization to further corner their market. Customization allows people to stand out in a crowded world.

Maximize Value

When it comes to a live streaming media service, customization provides additional value to the businesses, non-profits, religious congregations, sporting organizations, and other groups that are using the service.

For starters, customization allows the business or organization to be in charge of appearance and branding. This allows the creation of a consistent style to be used across different mediums, such as websites, newsletters, advertising, and products. This branding is essential in helping your audience recognize you instantly, especially for small businesses and non-profits.

Secondly, customization allows for more immersive experiences. More complex systems allow you to combine the functionality of multiple platforms, like video streaming, social media, analytics platforms, data collection, and payment processing systems. This can generate a better experience for the end-user and better outcomes for businesses and organizations.

True Customization via API

Complex application platforms that allow customization make it possible to implement technical solutions that would be unimaginable in other situations. For example, the Dacast live streaming system can be fully customized via our comprehensive API, which allows you full control over your content.

An API, for those who don’t know, is an Application Programming Interface. The Dacast API specifies how external code can interface with the Dacast system, making it easy to create custom solutions for situations that are unique to you.

The simplest use of the Dacast API is to set up a customized video player, such as JWPlayer or Flowplayer, to use with your video content. A more advanced usage of the API is the ability to integrate your video library into your content management system.

The Dacast API is built around the standardized REST protocol to make the system as easy to use as possible. The API syntax is simple and uses predictable, resource-oriented URLs, HTTP response codes for errors, and HTTP authentication and verbs. You can learn more about the Dacast API on the ProgrammableWeb API directory and view some example scripts for using the Dacast API on GitHub.

Customization Is the Future

People are tired of cookie-cutter products that make everything look the same. Some marketing experts argue that self-expression is now dominating consumerism worldwide and that businesses need to meet this demand.

In a world where more and more children are being taught to write code, and where computer literacy is becoming something taught from birth, the ability to have finely tuned control over digital platforms is essential for the future.

The Dacast Solution

For Dacast, live streaming is much more than simply broadcasting a low-quality cell phone video over the Internet. Our broadcasting system is optimized for more demanding users who want access to higher quality broadcasting, flexible bitrate and compression delivery, the ability to use various methods to monetize content, and choice when it comes to resolution and device support.

Dacast also allows broadcasters to embed videos on web pages and Facebook, control access based on geographic restrictions (ideal when dealing with licensing issues), and stream to mobile devices. All of these features are available to audio-only broadcasters as well.

All of these technologies are backed up with a Tier One content delivery network that optimizes streaming speed and quality, maximizes upload speeds, and uses multiple-redundant RAID 5 mirroring with automatic redirects so that even server failures won’t delay your video.

To learn more about Dacast or to start a 14-day free trial today, visit www.Dacast.com.