LiveKit Explained: The Open-Source Framework for Real-Time Audio and Video at Scale

Real-time communication powers the modern digital world, from virtual healthcare and remote education to online gaming and live broadcasting. Today’s users expect seamless, low-latency, high-quality media experiences across devices. For developers building these applications, selecting the right communication infrastructure is critical. That’s where LiveKit comes in.

LiveKit is an open-source platform that provides the building blocks for real-time audio and video apps. With support for WebRTC, AI integrations, and flexible deployment options (cloud or self-hosted), LiveKit helps developers build scalable, production-grade communication tools that meet the highest standards for performance and privacy.

What Is LiveKit?

LiveKit is a real-time communication framework designed to simplify the creation of interactive audio and video applications. Built on WebRTC, LiveKit provides:

• A robust media server
• Client SDKs for multiple platforms
• End-to-end media encryption
• AI integration support
• Cloud and self-hosted deployment models