Ant Media offers both the community and Enterprise editions of the software. You can run the community version of the software for free and you don’t have to pay for anything. However, the Enterprise edition is a paid license that allows you to benefit from running a scalable live-streaming infrastructure.
So, in an event that you want to stream to a large number of concurrent viewers, you will need to use the Enterprise Ant Media Edition either on-cloud or on-premise. This will enable you to deploy a scalable infrastructure to fit your live-streaming needs.
Now, the cost of running Ant Media server on AWS to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers can be calculated based on a couple of factors you need to put into consideration here: These factors include:
ec2 instance costs
Ant Media recommends allocating at least 4 CPU cores and 8GB RAM per 200 concurrent users. This means that if you’re to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers, you will need to run 5 server instances each with 4 CPU cores and 8GB RAM. Here is a table showing the amount of CPU and RAM you would need to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers based on various video resolutions, Bitrate, and Fram Rate:
| Video Resolution | Bit Rate | Frame Rate | CPU Cores | RAM (GB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 480p | 1 Mbps | 30 fps | 20 | 40 |
| 720p | 2 Mbps | 30 fps | 30 | 60 |
| 1080p | 3 Mbps | 30 fps | 40 | 80 |
| 1440p | 5 Mbps | 30 fps | 60 | 120 |
| 4K | 10 Mbps | 30 fps | 80 | 160 |
By leveraging AWS’s computing power and storage capabilities, Ant Media server can be run at scale, ensuring that streams are delivered without interruptions or delays. AWS provides the ability to seamlessly scale up or down as per your streaming demand. It’s a reliable and cost-effective solution for businesses that require high-quality streaming infrastructure.
4-core CPU AWS Server Instances
If you’re planning to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers, you can use AWS server instances to build your infrastructure. Here are some of the AWS instance types each with 4 CPU cores, suitable for running Ant Media to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers
| Instance Type | vCPUs | RAM (GiB) | On-Demand Price (per hour) | 24-Hour Cost | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| t3.xlarge | 4 | 16 | $0.166 | $3.984 | $139.44 |
| m5.xlarge | 4 | 16 | $0.384 | $9.216 | $322.56 |
| r5.xlarge | 4 | 32 | $0.37 | $8.88 | $310.80 |
| c5.xlarge | 4 | 8 | $0.34 | $8.16 | $285.60 |
Since you would need 5 AWS instances each with 4 CPU cores to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers, here is the total price breakdown based on various AWS instance types:
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Price per Hour (5 instances) | Price per 24 Hours (5 instances) | Price per Month (5 instances) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| t3.xlarge | 4 | 16 | $1.5 | $36 | $1095 |
| m5.xlarge | 4 | 16 | $0.96 | $23.04 | $700.8 |
| r5.xlarge | 4 | 32 | $1.26 | $30.24 | $919.8 |
| c5.xlarge | 4 | 8 | $0.85 | $20.4 | $620.5 |
8-core CPU AWS Server Instances
You would need 3 AWS instances each with 8 CPU cores to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers. Here are some of the 8-Core CPU AWS instances suitable for running Ant Media server to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers.
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Price per Hour ($) | Price per 24 Hours ($) | Price per Month ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c5.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.34 | 8.16 | 560.64 |
| c5d.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.38 | 9.12 | 624.96 |
| c5n.2xlarge | 8 | 21 | 0.42 | 10.08 | 691.20 |
| m5a.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.34 | 8.16 | 560.64 |
| m5ad.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.39 | 9.36 | 642.24 |
| m5d.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.37 | 8.88 | 608.16 |
| r5a.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.44 | 10.56 | 725.76 |
| r5ad.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.49 | 11.76 | 806.40 |
| r5d.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | 0.47 | 11.28 | 774.72 |
Here is the total price breakdown when deploying 3 instances each with an 8-core CPU based on various AWS instance types
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Price per Hour (3 instances) | Price per 24 Hours (3 instances) | Price per Month (3 instances) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C5.2xLarge | 8 | 16 | $0.804 | $19.296 | $587.22 |
| c5d.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | $0.948 | $22.752 | $693.18 |
| c5n.2xlarge | 8 | 21 | $1.056 | $25.344 | $772.80 |
| m5a.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | $0.69 | $16.56 | $504.38 |
| m5ad.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.834 | $20.016 | $610.62 |
| m5d.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.768 | $18.432 | $561.06 |
| r5a.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | $0.87 | $20.88 | $635.55 |
| r5ad.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $1.014 | $24.336 | $742.62 |
| r5d.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.948 | $22.752 | $693.18 |
16-core CPU AWS Server Instances
You would need 2 AWS instances each with 16 CPU cores to stream to an audience of 1000 concurrent viewers. Here are some of the 16-Core CPU AWS instances suitable for running Ant Media to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Price per Hour ($) | Price per 24 Hours ($) | Price per Month ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c5.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.68 | 16.32 | 1,121.28 |
| c5d.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.76 | 18.24 | 1,248.96 |
| c5n.4xlarge | 16 | 42 | 0.84 | 20.16 | 1,382.40 |
| m5a.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.68 | 16.32 | 1,121.28 |
| m5ad.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.78 | 18.72 | 1,283.52 |
| m5d.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.74 | 17.76 | 1,216.64 |
| r5a.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.88 | 21.12 | 1,451.52 |
| r5ad.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.98 | 23.52 | 1,612.16 |
| r5d.4xlarge | 16 | 32 | 0.94 | 22.56 | 1,545.28 |
Here is the total price breakdown when deploying 2 instances each with a 16-core CPU based on various AWS instance types
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Price per Hour (2 instances) | Price per 24 Hours (2 instances) | Price per Month (2 instances) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C5.2xLarge | 8 | 16 | $0.536 | $25.728 | $783.36 |
| c5d.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | $0.632 | $30.336 | $923.04 |
| c5n.2xlarge | 8 | 21 | $0.704 | $33.792 | $1,029.12 |
| m5a.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | $0.46 | $22.08 | $670.32 |
| m5ad.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.558 | $26.832 | $816.96 |
| m5d.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.512 | $24.576 | $748.80 |
| r5a.2xlarge | 8 | 16 | $0.58 | $27.84 | $846.72 |
| r5ad.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.676 | $32.448 | $988.32 |
| r5d.2xlarge | 8 | 32 | $0.632 | $30.336 | $923.04 |
32-core CPU AWS Server Instances
You would need one AWS server instance with a 32-core CPU to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers. Here are some of the 32-Core CPU AWS instances suitable for running Ant Media to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers
| Instance Type | vCPU | Memory (GiB) | Price per Hour ($) | Price per 24 Hours ($) | Price per Month ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c5.9xlarge | 32 | 72 | 1.36 | 32.64 | 2,243.20 |
| c5d.9xlarge | 32 | 72 | 1.52 | 36.48 | 2,496.96 |
| c5n.9xlarge | 36 | 96 | 1.68 | 40.32 | 2,764.80 |
| m5a.8xlarge | 32 | 64 | 1.36 | 32.64 | 2,243.20 |
| m5ad.8xlarge | 32 | 64 | 1.56 | 37.44 | 2,566.08 |
| m5d.8xlarge | 32 | 64 | 1.48 | 35.52 | 2,432.64 |
| r5a.8xlarge | 32 | 64 | 1.76 | 42.24 | 2,902.08 |
| r5ad.8xlarge | 32 | 64 | 1.96 | 47.04 | 3,224.64 |
| r5d.8xlarge | 32 | 64 | 1.88 | 45.12 | 3,090.24 |
Bandwidth & Data Transfer costs
When viewers watch or listen to content streamed by Ant Media Server, they consume data, which results in data transfer.
When a viewer requests to access a video or audio stream from Ant Media Server, data is transferred from the server to the viewer’s device over the internet. The amount of data transferred is dependent on various factors, such as the video or audio quality, the length of the stream, and the number of viewers.
For example, if a viewer watches a 10-minute video streamed by Ant Media Server at 1080p resolution, the server would need to transfer a large amount of data to the viewer’s device to ensure the video is streamed smoothly. This data transfer results in data usage for the viewer, which could impact their internet usage and potentially result in additional data charges from their internet service provider.
Here is a table that shows the bandwidth required to stream to 1 viewer based on the parameters like video resolutions, standard frame rates, and bitrates:
| Video Resolution | Bit Rate (Mbps) | Frame Rate (fps) | Total Monthly Data Transfer (GB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 480p | 0.5 | 15 | 5.13 |
| 480p | 1 | 30 | 11.00 |
| 720p | 1 | 30 | 15.81 |
| 720p | 1.5 | 30 | 23.71 |
| 1080p | 2 | 30 | 33.77 |
| 1080p | 3 | 30 | 50.66 |
| 4K | 8 | 30 | 217.51 |
Here is a table that shows the total amount of bandwidth required to stream to 1000 concurrent viewers using Ant Media, based on different video resolutions, standard frame rates, and bitrates:
| Video Resolution | Bit Rate (Mbps) | Frame Rate (fps) | Total Monthly Data Transfer (TB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 480p | 0.5 | 15 | 155.52 |
| 480p | 1 | 30 | 331.78 |
| 720p | 1 | 30 | 476.78 |
| 720p | 1.5 | 30 | 715.16 |
| 1080p | 2 | 30 | 1021.33 |
| 1080p | 3 | 30 | 1532.00 |
| 4K | 8 | 30 | 6590.22 |
Estimated AWS Data Transfer costs for Ant Media Streaming
AWS offers a regressive pricing model, where the costs decrease when more data is transferred. Here’s a table of estimated AWS data transfer prices for EC2 to the internet:
| Data Transfer Type | Price per GB (US East) |
|---|---|
| First 1 GB/month | Free |
| Up to 10 TB/month | $0.09 |
| Next 40 TB/month | $0.085 |
| Next 100 TB/month | $0.07 |
| Next 350 TB/month | $0.05 |
| Over 500 TB/month | Contact AWS Support |
Software license costs
Ant Media charges $0.33/hr to run the enterprise edition of the software on AWS. Now, if you want to run a stream for 24 hours per day, then you’ll need to multiply the hourly cost by 24 to get the daily cost:
$0.33/hour x 24 hours/day = $7.92/day
To find the total cost of running a stream for 24 hours per month, you need to multiply the daily cost by the number of days in a month.
Assuming a month has 30 days, the total cost for running a stream for 24 hours per month would be:
$7.92/day x 30 days/month = $237.60/month
So the total cost for running a stream for 24 hours per month with Ant Media enterprise edition on AWS would be $237.60.
Conclusion
To sum it up, you will need to put into consideration the type of ec2 instances you want to deploy, the video resolutions and their corresponding bitrates, and the total number of hours you want to stream per month. With all these metrics in mind, you’re able to understand the estimated amount of money you’re likely to pay when streaming to 1000 concurrent viewers using Ant Media Server.
More Ant Media Server articles to explore
- How to Secure HLS & DASH Streams in Ant Media Server?
- Solved: SSL not installing on Ant Media Server
- How to install an SSL Certificate on Ant Media Server
- How can I update Ant Media Server on Ubuntu?
- How to open Ant Media Ports through the Firewall?
- Solved: Protect Ant Media Streams from getting embedded
- What you need to know before deploying Ant Media in AWS Cluster
- Solved: Ant Media stream refusing to play after embedding
- How to embed Ant Media Player in WordPress Website
- How can I enable Adaptive Bitrate streaming in Ant Media Server?
- How much bandwidth does Ant Media Server need?
- How to Optimize the Performance of Ant Media Server
- Why does my Ant Media stream keep buffering?
- How to secure your Ant Media Livestreams?
- Can I use the ant media community license in a cluster?
- How many Streaming channels can you set up on Ant Media?
- Do I necessarily need a GPU to stream Full HD using Ant Media Server?
- How much computing power do you need for Ant Media Server?
- SOLVED: Your live stream will play automatically as soon as it’s available
