Over the past decade, live streaming has evolved from a digital novelty to a cultural mainstay. Originating from pixelated broadcasts in East London's underground scene, platforms like Boiler Room have transformed once-ephemeral musical events into a permanent fixture online. By 2016, Boiler Room streamed over 3.5 billion minutes of live DJ performances, attracting up to 400,000 viewers per event - setting a new standard in integrating live music with video, driving a new era in music listening and interaction.

This shift has reshaped how we engage with music virtually, with live performances now immortalized and shared widely on social media platforms like Instagram, enhancing their virality. The significance of live streaming became even more apparent during global lockdowns, helping maintain the communal spirit of music worldwide despite physical separation.

As the world's open and decentralized video infrastructure network, Livepeer is committed to powering the future of innovation and creativity in global live streaming. Today, Livepeer powers pioneering DJ streaming platforms like The Lot Radio,  and the future for this community in the Livepeer ecosystem looks bright.

Refraction Joins Livepeer’s Video Disruptor Program

We are excited to announce a collaboration with Refraction in line with this mission. This partnership, initiated through Livepeer's Video Disruptor Grants program, aims to explore new frontiers in video technology and creative experiences.

Refraction is a global, artist-owned community leading the next wave of digital art, music, and culture — online, on-chain, and IRL  .. Refraction has a deep understanding of how technology is a tool of culture and content and the need for creator-focused platforms that are not just technologically sound, but also culturally driven.

As a Livepeer Video Disruptor,  Refraction is redefining the possibilities of live streaming through the prism of Web3 technologies.

Understanding Video Creator Needs

Beginning with the question - what do livestream artists want from video technology? - Refraction has spent the last few months researching and discovering the needs of creators. Through a series of focus groups, Refraction engaged directly with creators to understand their perspectives on streaming, introducing them to Livepeer's ecosystem of video tools and applications, and fostering a dialogue with our developer community on how technologies can be tailored to meet creators' needs. The insights gathered revealed a shared understanding among musicians of the necessity to adapt to the visual-centric nature of the internet. However, the technical and logistical hurdles of live streaming remain significant challenges.

The findings also highlighted a flawed model of content ownership inherent to Web2 technologies, where creators do not own the content and engagement they generate on siloed platforms. This environment spurred the interest in exploring how a more interactive and equitable live streaming platform could benefit both artists and fans. Imagine a marketplace where moments from live streams can be owned and traded as tokens or NFTs, directly supporting artists and fostering a deeper connection between creators and their audiences.

Redefining Creative Livestreaming

Refraction's research highlighted the desire of artists to easily pair their audio content with visually compelling themes designed by the Refraction community. This approach could democratize the audio-visual experience, making high-quality live streaming accessible without requiring extensive technical expertise.

Thanks to this collaboration and Livepeer’s Video Disruptor Grants program, Refraction will be able to tease a new prototype bringing the talents of visual artists, DJs and musicians together to create generative, audio-visual video content. This new tool, designed with direct input from artists during a comprehensive Discovery phase, seeks to redefine engagement and creativity in live streaming.

The prototype reflects deep insights gained from initial research with creators, focusing on their needs and the challenges they face in the digital space. By refining our technology and potentially creating new, experimental products, we aim to give artists a platform that they lead—a stark shift from traditional, centralized platforms.

The Road Ahead

As we move forward, the next steps involve rigorous testing and development with the creative community. Artists will actively use the prototype to create content, providing essential feedback that will guide further customizations. This iterative process ensures that the final product not only meets but exceeds the creator's expectations.

The culmination of this project will see the integration of this creative output into Refraction's evolving platform, showcasing a content player that displays the collective works generated through this initiative. This is more than just a technological achievement; it’s a movement towards empowering creators and engaging audiences in more meaningful ways through decentralized infrastructure.

Stay tuned to our social media channels for updates on this pioneering initiative as we continue to reimagine the future of live music and performance, merging artistry, technology, and community in a celebration of decentralized innovation.