How to Integrate RTMP Live Stream in React JS Video Call App?

Introduction

Integrating RTMP into a React JS video call application seamlessly adds cutting-edge technology with a user-friendly interface. Experience real-time communication with high-quality video streaming, as RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) ensures quick transmission of audiovisual data over the internet.

Integrating this protocol into React JS empowers developers to create immersive video call experiences within their applications. In the below guide, you will learn modern ReactJS video-calling applications with live streaming using RTMP and VideoSDK.

Getting Started with VideoSDK

To utilize the RTMP feature, we need to leverage the capabilities provided by VideoSDK. Before we delve into the implementation steps, let's make sure you have completed the necessary prerequisites.

Create a VideoSDK Account

Go to your VideoSDK dashboard and sign up if you don't have an account. This account gives you access to the required Video SDK token, which acts as an authentication key that allows your application to interact with VideoSDK functionality.

Generate your Auth Token

Visit your VideoSDK dashboard and navigate to the "API Key" section to generate your auth token. This token is crucial in authorizing your application to use VideoSDK features.

Consider referring to the provided tutorial for a more visual understanding of the account creation and token generation process.

Prerequisites and Setup

Before proceeding, ensure that your development environment meets the following requirements:

• VideoSDK Developer Account (Not having one?, follow VideoSDK Dashboard)
• Basic understanding of React.
• React VideoSDK
• Make sure Node and NPM are installed on your device.
• Basic understanding of Hooks (useState, useRef, useEffect)
• React Context API (optional)

Follow the steps to create the environment necessary to add video calls to your app. You can also find the code sample for Quickstart here.​

Create a new React App using the below command.

$ npx create-react-app videosdk-rtc-react-app

⬇️ Install VideoSDK​

It is necessary to set up VideoSDK within your project before going into the details of integrating the RTMP feature. Installing VideoSDK using NPM or Yarn will depend on the needs of your project.

• For NPM

$ npm install "@videosdk.live/react-sdk"

//For the Participants Video
$ npm install "react-player"

• For Yarn

$ yarn add "@videosdk.live/react-sdk"

//For the Participants Video
$ yarn add "react-player"

You are going to use functional components to leverage React's reusable component architecture. There will be components for users, videos and controls (mic, camera, leave) over the video.

App Architecture

The App will contain a MeetingView component which includes a ParticipantView component which will render the participant's name, video, audio, etc. It will also have a Controls component that will allow the user to perform operations like leave and toggle media.

You will be working on the following files:

• API.js: Responsible for handling API calls such as generating unique meetingId and token
• App.js: Responsible for rendering MeetingView and joining the meeting.

Essential Steps to Implement Video Calling Functionality

To add video capability to your React application, you must first complete a sequence of prerequisites.

Step 1: Get started with API.js​

Before moving on, you must create an API request to generate a unique meetingId. You will need an authentication token, which you can create either through the videosdk-rtc-api-server-examples or directly from the VideoSDK Dashboard for developers.

//This is the Auth token, you will use it to generate a meeting and connect to it
export const authToken = "<Generated-from-dashbaord>";
// API call to create a meeting
export const createMeeting = async ({ token }) => {
  const res = await fetch(`https://api.videosdk.live/v2/rooms`, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      authorization: `${authToken}`,
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({}),
  });
  //Destructuring the roomId from the response
  const { roomId } = await res.json();
  return roomId;
};

Step 2: Wireframe App.js with all the components​

To build up a wireframe of App.js, you need to use VideoSDK Hooks and Context Providers. VideoSDK provides MeetingProvider, MeetingConsumer, useMeeting, and useParticipant hooks.

First, you need to understand the Context of Provider and Consumer. Context is primarily used when some data needs to be accessible by many components at different nesting levels.

• MeetingProvider: This is the Context Provider. It accepts value config and token as props. The Provider component accepts a value prop to be passed to consuming components that are descendants of this Provider. One Provider can be connected to many consumers. Providers can be nested to override values deeper within the tree.
• MeetingConsumer: This is the Context Consumer. All consumers that are descendants of a Provider will re-render whenever the Provider’s value prop changes.
• useMeeting: This is the meeting hook API. It includes all the information related to meetings such as join/leave, enable/disable the mic or webcam, etc.
• useParticipant: This is the participant hook API. It is responsible for handling all the events and props related to one particular participant such as name, webcamStream, micStream, etc.

The Meeting Context provides a way to listen for any changes that occur when a participant joins the meeting or makes modifications to their microphone, camera, and other settings.

Begin by making a few changes to the code in the App.js file.

import "./App.css";
import React, { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
import {
  MeetingProvider,
  MeetingConsumer,
  useMeeting,
  useParticipant,
} from "@videosdk.live/react-sdk";
import { authToken, createMeeting } from "./API";
import ReactPlayer from "react-player";

function JoinScreen({ getMeetingAndToken }) {
  return null;
}

function ParticipantView(props) {
  return null;
}

function Controls(props) {
  return null;
}

function MeetingView(props) {
  return null;
}

function App() {
  const [meetingId, setMeetingId] = useState(null);

  //Getting the meeting id by calling the api we just wrote
  const getMeetingAndToken = async (id) => {
    const meetingId =
      id == null ? await createMeeting({ token: authToken }) : id;
    setMeetingId(meetingId);
  };

  //This will set Meeting Id to null when meeting is left or ended
  const onMeetingLeave = () => {
    setMeetingId(null);
  };

  return authToken && meetingId ? (
    <MeetingProvider
      config={{
        meetingId,
        micEnabled: true,
        webcamEnabled: true,
        name: "C.V. Raman",
      }}
      token={authToken}
    >
      <MeetingView meetingId={meetingId} onMeetingLeave={onMeetingLeave} />
    </MeetingProvider>
  ) : (
    <JoinScreen getMeetingAndToken={getMeetingAndToken} />
  );
}

export default App;

Step 3: Implement Join Screen​

The join screen will serve as a medium to either schedule a new meeting or join an existing one.

function JoinScreen({ getMeetingAndToken }) {
  const [meetingId, setMeetingId] = useState(null);
  const onClick = async () => {
    await getMeetingAndToken(meetingId);
  };
  return (
    <div>
      <input
        type="text"
        placeholder="Enter Meeting Id"
        onChange={(e) => {
          setMeetingId(e.target.value);
        }}
      />
      <button onClick={onClick}>Join</button>
      {" or "}
      <button onClick={onClick}>Create Meeting</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Output

Step 4: Implement MeetingView and Controls​

The next step is to create MeetingView and Controls components to manage features such as join, leave, mute, and unmute.

function MeetingView(props) {
  const [joined, setJoined] = useState(null);
  //Get the method which will be used to join the meeting.
  //We will also get the participants list to display all participants
  const { join, participants } = useMeeting({
    //callback for when meeting is joined successfully
    onMeetingJoined: () => {
      setJoined("JOINED");
    },
    //callback for when meeting is left
    onMeetingLeft: () => {
      props.onMeetingLeave();
    },
  });
  const joinMeeting = () => {
    setJoined("JOINING");
    join();
  };

  return (
    <div className="container">
      <h3>Meeting Id: {props.meetingId}</h3>
      {joined && joined == "JOINED" ? (
        <div>
          <Controls />
          //For rendering all the participants in the meeting
          {[...participants.keys()].map((participantId) => (
            <ParticipantView
              participantId={participantId}
              key={participantId}
            />
          ))}
        </div>
      ) : joined && joined == "JOINING" ? (
        <p>Joining the meeting...</p>
      ) : (
        <button onClick={joinMeeting}>Join</button>
      )}
    </div>
  );
}

function Controls() {
  const { leave, toggleMic, toggleWebcam } = useMeeting();
  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => leave()}>Leave</button>
      <button onClick={() => toggleMic()}>toggleMic</button>
      <button onClick={() => toggleWebcam()}>toggleWebcam</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Output of Controls Component

Step 5: Implement Participant View​

Before implementing the participant view, you need to understand a couple of concepts.

5.1 Forwarding Ref for mic and camera

The useRef hook is responsible for referencing the audio and video components. It will be used to play and stop the audio and video of the participant.

const webcamRef = useRef(null);
const micRef = useRef(null);

5.2 useParticipant Hook

The useParticipant hook is responsible for handling all the properties and events of one particular participant who joined the meeting. It will take participantId as an argument.

const { webcamStream, micStream, webcamOn, micOn } = useParticipant(
  props.participantId
);

5.3 MediaStream API

The MediaStream API is beneficial for adding a MediaTrack to the audio/video tag, enabling the playback of audio or video.

const webcamRef = useRef(null);
const mediaStream = new MediaStream();
mediaStream.addTrack(webcamStream.track);

webcamRef.current.srcObject = mediaStream;
webcamRef.current
  .play()
  .catch((error) => console.error("videoElem.current.play() failed", error));

5.4 Implement ParticipantView​

Now you can use both of the hooks and the API to create ParticipantView

function ParticipantView(props) {
  const micRef = useRef(null);
  const { webcamStream, micStream, webcamOn, micOn, isLocal, displayName } =
    useParticipant(props.participantId);

  const videoStream = useMemo(() => {
    if (webcamOn && webcamStream) {
      const mediaStream = new MediaStream();
      mediaStream.addTrack(webcamStream.track);
      return mediaStream;
    }
  }, [webcamStream, webcamOn]);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (micRef.current) {
      if (micOn && micStream) {
        const mediaStream = new MediaStream();
        mediaStream.addTrack(micStream.track);

        micRef.current.srcObject = mediaStream;
        micRef.current
          .play()
          .catch((error) =>
            console.error("videoElem.current.play() failed", error)
          );
      } else {
        micRef.current.srcObject = null;
      }
    }
  }, [micStream, micOn]);

  return (
    <div>
      <p>
        Participant: {displayName} | Webcam: {webcamOn ? "ON" : "OFF"} | Mic:{" "}
        {micOn ? "ON" : "OFF"}
      </p>
      <audio ref={micRef} autoPlay playsInline muted={isLocal} />
      {webcamOn && (
        <ReactPlayer
          //
          playsinline // extremely crucial prop
          pip={false}
          light={false}
          controls={false}
          muted={true}
          playing={true}
          //
          url={videoStream}
          //
          height={"300px"}
          width={"300px"}
          onError={(err) => {
            console.log(err, "participant video error");
          }}
        />
      )}
    </div>
  );
}

You can check out the complete quick start example here.

Integrate RTMP Stream

RTMP is a widely used protocol for live streaming video content from VideoSDK to platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and others.

To initiate live streaming from VideoSDK to platforms supporting RTMP ingestion, you simply need to provide the platform-specific stream key and stream URL. This enables VideoSDK to connect to the platform's RTMP server and transmit the live video stream.

Furthermore, VideoSDK offers flexibility in configuring livestream layouts. You can achieve this by either selecting different prebuilt layouts in the configuration or by providing your custom template for live streaming, catering to your specific layout preferences.

This guide will provide an overview of how to implement starting and stopping RTMP live streaming with VideoSDK.

Start Live Stream

The startLivestream() method, accessible from the useMeeting hook, is used to initiate the RTMP livestream of a meeting. This method accepts the following two parameters:

• 1. outputs: This parameter takes an array of objects containing the RTMP url and streamKey specific to the platform where you want to initiate the livestream.
• 2. config (optional): This parameter defines the layout configuration for the livestream.

const config = {
  // Layout Configuration
  layout: {
    type: "GRID", // "SPOTLIGHT" | "SIDEBAR",  Default : "GRID"
    priority: "SPEAKER", // "PIN", Default : "SPEAKER"
    gridSize: 4, // MAX : 4
  },

  // Theme of livestream layout
  theme: "DARK", //  "LIGHT" | "DEFAULT"
};

const outputs = [
  {
    url: "<RTMP_URL>",
    streamKey: "<RTMP_STREAM_KEY>",
  },
];

startLivestream(outputs, config);

Stop Live Stream

The stopLivestream() method, accessible from the useMeeting hook is used to stop the RTMP livestream of a meeting.

Example:

import { useMeeting } from "@videosdk.live/react-sdk";

const MeetingView = () => {
  const { startLivestream, stopLivestream } = useMeeting();

  const handleStartLivestream = () => {
    // Start Livestream
    startLivestream(
      [
        {
          url: "rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2",
          streamKey: "key",
        },
      ],
      {
        layout: {
          type: "GRID",
          priority: "SPEAKER",
          gridSize: 4,
        },
        theme: "DARK",
      }
    );
  };

  const handleStopLivestream = () => {
    // Start Livestream
    stopLivestream();
  };

  return (
    <>
      <button onClick={handleStartLivestream}>Start Livestream</button>
      <button onClick={handleStopLivestream}>Stop Livestream</button>
    </>
  );
};

Event associated with Livestream​

The onLivestreamStateChanged() event is triggered whenever the state of the meeting livestream changes.

import { Constants, useMeeting } from "@videosdk.live/react-sdk";

function onLivestreamStateChanged(data) {
  const { status } = data;

  if (status === Constants.livestreamEvents.LIVESTREAM_STARTING) {
    console.log("Meeting livestream is starting");
  } else if (status === Constants.livestreamEvents.LIVESTREAM_STARTED) {
    console.log("Meeting livestream is started");
  } else if (status === Constants.livestreamEvents.LIVESTREAM_STOPPING) {
    console.log("Meeting livestream is stopping");
  } else if (status === Constants.livestreamEvents.LIVESTREAM_STOPPED) {
    console.log("Meeting livestream is stopped");
  } else {
    //
  }
 }

const {
  meetingId
  ...
} = useMeeting({
  onLivestreamStateChanged,
});

Custom Template​

With VideoSDK, you have the option to employ your own custom-designed layout template for livestreaming a meeting. To use a custom template, Follow this guide to create and set up the template. Once the template is configured, you can initiate recording using the REST API, specifying the templateURL parameter.

✨ Want to Add More Features to React JS Video Calling App?

If you found this guide helpful and want to explore more features for your React video-calling app,

Check out these additional resources:

• HLS Player: Link
• Active Speaker Indication: Link
• Image Capture Feature: Link
• Screen Share Feature: Link
• Chat Feature: Link
• Collaborative Whiteboard: Link
• Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode: Link

Wrap-up

Integrating RTMP live streaming into your React JS video call app with the VideoSDK React API helps with real-time communication. You can seamlessly incorporate RTMP functionality, enhancing the app's capabilities and user experience.

With RTMP, users can engage in high-quality live video streaming, making the communication process more immersive and dynamic. Elevate your app today and bring your community closer through the power of live streaming with VideoSDK.

If you are new here and want to build an interactive react app with free resources, you can Sign up with VideoSDK and get? 10000 free minutes every month. This will help your new video-calling app go to the next level without any costs associated with initial usage, allowing you to focus on building and scaling your application effectively.