User-centered design is critical to the future of streaming

As technology advances, new revenue opportunities arise, such as in streaming media – when people watch videos and audio files without downloading them. In the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, the video streaming market is expected to be worth $112.89 billion by 2030, and companies like Agora Inc. hope to capitalize on this trend by helping the user stay at the forefront of technical development.

Live in Southeast Asia

Although streaming is becoming an increasingly popular form of entertainment in Southeast Asia, the market is dominated by international giants and regional streaming companies. For example, the top five most-watched streaming services in Thailand included Netflix and two local Thai companies, Kitty Live and Monomaxxx. Also in Vietnam, the third most viewed streaming service was local Vietnamese streaming company Fim+.

Because these companies are locally based, they have a better understanding of what is popular in their area and offer more personalized services to their consumers. Therefore, for foreign companies that want to capitalize on this streaming trend but are neither the same size as Netflix nor have a local advantage, selling software that improves customer experience to streaming companies is another option.

Mostly mobile devices

One such company is Agora, which offers real-time communications (RTC) services, such as live streaming. The company offers software services and will increasingly develop mobile products. This means that streaming services using their product will be tailored to the smartphone to provide a more positive user experience on the device.

Traditionally, streaming services are adapted to the laptop, with platforms such as Twitch and Netflix initially emerging as websites and later adapted to the mobile device. Since the computer has much more processing power than a smartphone, streams recorded using software created for the computer may be too demanding for the phone.

It can be argued that the nature of streams created with a phone differs from those created with devices with higher computing power, where one-on-one interactions or meetings may be viewed more often on mobile devices, but videos such as performances or gaming streams may be more likely be more suitable for the computer.

In Southeast Asia, streaming is mostly watched on smartphones. 69% and 89% of users in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively use their mobile devices to consume content, meaning most businesses would benefit from using software designed specifically for the smartphone. This can involve software that prioritizes a stable connection over premium graphics, which can exceed device bandwidth and impact user experience.

“Agora is actively responding to the rapid changes in the APAC video streaming landscape,” said Effie Fang, head of Agora’s APAC sales team. “Our technology not only supports the way companies engage with their audiences, but also drives innovation. By leveraging our advanced real-time communications solutions, companies can increase user engagement and benefit from the explosive growth of the market.”

Ready for the future

Currently, Agora is implementing AI for features such as background noise cancellation and real-time transcription. These aspects of their services are intended to integrate voice, video and interactive features so that the companies using their service can maintain a stream even when people are in busy environments or locations with low-bandwidth networks.

This would encourage users to engage with this company as stream creation and consumption would be smoother, meaning content creators and stream viewers would not have to worry about aspects such as frustrating audio playback, laggy streams, or disconnections.

In the future, Agora plans to further develop its digital solutions with AI and multimodal communication technology. The company is also characterized by its emphasis on developing regional expertise. Agora invests in local training so that its employees can deliver tailored solutions to meet the needs of each market.

This is relevant in Southeast Asia because, as previously mentioned, local streaming services are popular in their respective countries and are therefore likely to require special support as they provide region-specific content. The company hopes to expand in other Asian markets such as South Korea and Japan in areas such as media, entertainment and live commerce.

Companies must always keep the users’ experiences in mind. To achieve this, companies like Agora must optimize solutions for 5G networks, address security and privacy issues, and anticipate future technological advances to ensure those who consume entertainment continue to use their product.

Tony Wang, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Agora, said: “We are experiencing unprecedented growth in the video streaming market and Agora’s technology is at the forefront of this revolution.”

“Our commitment to innovation ensures we meet current needs while anticipating future trends such as AI integration, multimodal communications and immersive AR and VR experiences. The key is to enable companies to deliver real-time, interactive experiences that keep users engaged no matter where they are.”