At Zanvent, my friends and I collaboratively built and rapidly launched innovative digital products. ZanventStream was our Twitch clone developed in 2019 to support local streamers in Bangladesh. Despite not achieving large-scale success, our hands-on experience in brand creation, app development, marketing, and community engagement was invaluable, leading to a vibrant community and significant industry connections before we decided to shut down the platform.
Screenshots
Web Platform
Mobile App
Key Features
- Live Streaming: Real-time video streaming with low latency
- Interactive Chat: Real-time chat with emotes and moderation
- Channel Pages: Customizable streamer profiles and channels
- Follow System: Subscribe to favorite streamers for notifications
- Stream Discovery: Browse and discover live streams by category
- Monetization: Support for donations and subscriptions
- Analytics Dashboard: Stream statistics and viewer insights
- BDIX Powered: BDIX (Bangladesh Internet Exchange) allowed the users to stream in high quality with almost no buffering!
Tech Stack
Frontend
- React
- Socket.io: Real-time bidirectional communication for chat
Backend
- Node.js
- MySQL
- SRS (Simple Realtime Server): RTMP streaming server
Streaming Infrastructure
- RTMP Ingest: Accept streams from OBS and other broadcasting software
- HLS/DASH Delivery: Adaptive bitrate streaming to viewers
- CDN Integration
Development Journey
The project taught us valuable lessons in:
- Rapid Development: Building and launching a complex platform quickly
- Community Building: Growing and engaging a user base
- Marketing: Promoting the platform to local streamers
- Infrastructure: Managing streaming servers and bandwidth
- Monetization: Implementing payment systems for creators
Challenges Overcome
- Scaling: Handling concurrent streams and viewers
- Low Latency: Optimizing streaming delay for better interaction
- Moderation: Building tools for chat and content moderation
- Storage: Managing VOD (Video on Demand) storage efficiently
- Bandwidth Costs: Optimizing video delivery to reduce costs
Community Impact
Built a vibrant community of streamers and viewers in Bangladesh, providing local content creators with a platform to showcase their talents. The experience gained in building and operating this platform was invaluable for our future careers.
Why We Shut Down :(
After running the platform for several months, we made the difficult decision to shut it down due to:
- High infrastructure and bandwidth costs
- Difficulty competing with established platforms (Twitch & Facebook LIVE)
- Limited monetization opportunities in the local market
- Team members moving on to other opportunities
Key Takeaways
This project was an incredible learning experience that taught us about building scalable real-time applications, community management, and the realities of running a consumer-facing platform. The connections and experience gained continue to benefit us in our professional careers.