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Live Streaming Feature Specification Template
Free template for specifying live streaming features. Covers ingest protocols, adaptive bitrate, latency targets, chat integration, recording,...
Updated 2026-03-05
Live Streaming Feature Specification
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Frequently Asked Questions
What latency target should I choose?+
It depends on the interaction model. Auctions, gaming, and sports betting need sub-second latency (WebRTC). Webinars and Q&A sessions work fine at 2-5 seconds (LL-HLS). Entertainment broadcasts (concerts, talk shows) tolerate 10-30 seconds (standard HLS). Lower latency costs more and reduces viewer scale. Pick the highest latency your use case can tolerate. For more on making infrastructure trade-off decisions, see the [Technical PM Handbook](/technical-pm-guide).
Should I build streaming infrastructure or use a managed service?+
Use a managed service (Mux, AWS IVS, Agora, Cloudflare Stream) unless streaming is your core product. Building RTMP ingest, transcoding, and CDN delivery from scratch requires specialized engineering talent and months of work. Managed services cost more per-stream but save 6-12 months of development time. Use the [build vs. buy](/glossary/build-vs-buy) framework to evaluate the decision.
How do I estimate infrastructure costs for live streaming?+
Costs scale with three variables: concurrent viewers, stream quality (bitrate), and geographic distribution. A rough estimate: $0.01-0.05 per viewer-hour for managed services, depending on quality tier and region. CDN egress is the largest cost component. Build a cost model before launch and set viewer caps if needed. The [TAM Calculator](/tools/tam-calculator) can help model revenue against streaming costs.
How do I handle time zone differences for scheduled live events?+
Store event times in UTC. Display in the viewer's local time zone (auto-detected from browser). Include a "Add to Calendar" button that generates an .ics file with the correct UTC time. Show a countdown timer on the event page. Send reminder notifications 1 hour and 5 minutes before the event in the viewer's time zone.
What recording format and quality should I store?+
Record at source quality (the highest quality the broadcaster sends) in MP4 (H.264 + AAC). This gives you maximum flexibility for post-processing. Generate lower-quality variants for VOD playback after the stream ends. Store recordings for at least 30 days. Define a retention policy early because storage costs add up for long-duration streams. Track storage metrics in your [KPI dashboard](/templates/kpi-dashboard-template).
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