Streaming backends ​

Waasabi currently supports two components to provide the video streaming functionality (but integrating further options is already underway).

Waasabi MUX API backend ​

MUX provides a commercial professional streaming backend, suitable for a variety of needs. Small-scale deployments can be used cost-effectively, while more demanding usecases (such as conferences) can count on its reliability, but in those cases plan for having to foot a reasonable, but not cheap bill.

Earlier editions of the RustFest Global used the MUX backend to live-stream the whole-day online conference world-wide to hundreds of people, with a final cost of a few dollars per person.

Waasabi PeerTube backend ​

The PeerTube backend is the first supported streaming backend coming from our recent work in integrating decentralized, peer to peer solutions into Waasabi -- an effort supported by the NLNet foundation's NGI0 programme.

Waasabi's PeerTube backend not only provides a self-contained, open source and libre solution for the live stream, but also allows the users to gain access to an emerging Fediverse of independent social media services.

While its federated peer-to-peer nature alleviates the need for powerful dedicated hardware, ensuring stability and reliability if PeerTube instances at larger scales becomes a non-trivial issue and for large, mission-critical deployments we recommend to enlist people with sufficient expertise to manage the hardware and software internals of Waasabi & PeerTube.