Synq launches video API to free developers from building their own CMS

Norway based, developer oriented video company, Synq has launched an API, allowing app developers to let end users upload, store, and playback videos. The service — Video API for Developers — frees developers from having to develop their own video content management system or licensing the existing ones. “Our platform gives developers the needed flexibility to implement advanced video capabilities in existing infrastructure from any source, and at the same time prep them for AR, VR and the power of machine learning,” Stian Haugem Founder and CEO, Synq was quoted as saying by Techcrunch. The company was founded in 2014 by Stian Hauge and Kasper-Niclas Andersen; and currently has 13 members in its team. It is now looking to establish a team in the US too.

What can the Synq API do?

• Simple video upload and storage
• Transcoding into various formats for a variety of platforms
• A customizable, embedded player
• Attaching custom video metadata (like tags, groups, playlists, and so on)
• Webhook notifications for various events
• Geo-local content delivery

The service is platform agnostic and can provide video capabilities to any mobile, web or backend system. The Synq API uses Amazon S3 for storing all videos (original and transcoded). Developers can sign up for a 14-day free trial with a fair usage limit; one hour of videos and 10GB of content delivery (CDN). Once the trial expires, developers can continue to use Synq by adding a payment method. Prices start as low as $0.039/ GB/mo for storage; $0.083/minute for transcoding; and $0.069/GB for CDN. There is no tiered pricing or monthly spend requirement. Developers only pay for what they actually use – with all features included. Synq competes with video services like Vimeo, Brightcove, Kaltura and the ilk. Hauge, according to the Techcrunch feels that the “customizability of their offerings are (sic) restricted”. “They use rigid data structures, standardized workflows and only have limited APIs available. Synq is developers-first with an API that allows for fully programmable queries and webhooks,” Hauge told the tech portal. Synq claims to have clients like DNV GL, Eventmobi, Syncano, ID Effector, and itv.