Video Streaming Mobile App Development with Flutter

The Client

Lynk, an innovative US-based startup, was founded in response to the social limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially launched as a virtual speed dating app, Lynk quickly evolved into a comprehensive video streaming and sharing platform. The mobile application now allows users to engage in a variety of interactive experiences, including conducting video streams, participating in direct video chats, hosting online events, as well as arranging virtual dates. The app is also used by US celebrities and influencers to organize fan clubs and host exclusive events for their followers.

Designed to handle the demands of modern online interaction, Lynk is capable of supporting more than 100,000 concurrent video streams.

Binary Studio feels like a true partner - they bring their experience to the table instead of just executing the vision.

The team is honest, communicative, and accommodating.

Video Streaming Mobile App Development with Flutter-1

Radhika Mitter

SVP Product Development

Video Streaming Mobile App Development with Flutter-2 USA

Objectives

The Lynk founders were looking for a software development company that could handle a video streaming mobile app development from the initial concept to a fully-released product. Following recommendation from a trusted business partner, they began collaboration with Binary Studio. The first step was to create a proof of concept (POC) for speed dating app.

Once the POC was approved by investors, Binary Studio developed and released a minimum viable product (MVP). From there, the team moved on to a full-featured social media app development, quickly expanding to keep up with the growing list of new features.

A core functionality of the app was video streaming, which was used in various events and user interactions. As Lynk evolved, Binary Studio focused on achieving the following key milestones:

01

Create a POC for the speed dating mobile app to validate the concept.
02

Build an MVP based on wireframes and high-fidelity mock-ups provided by the client.
03

Expand the platform by adding social media and business communication features.
04

Ensure the app can handle high loads for video streams, supporting up to 100,000 concurrent users per event.

Binary Studio demonstrated capability to work independently, taking ownership of the project from concept to release. The team remained flexible and responsive, rapidly scaling their efforts to meet the increasing demands and deliver high-quality features and improvements on time.

Solution and Outcome

The collaboration began with one Binary Studio engineer working closely with Lynk's CTO to create the POC. As the project progressed and the MVP was released, the team gradually expanded to include three Flutter engineers, two .NET engineers, a QA specialist, a tech lead, and a project manager. Binary Studio supported the entire product development process, from capturing the founder's initial idea and requirements to releasing the app on the app stores.
Lynk also entrusted Binary Studio with the selection of technical solutions that would enable the implementation of the desired functionality. This allowed the team to leverage various tools and frameworks to tackle non-trivial tasks and find the most effective approaches.

Flutter

.NET

SignalR

Node.js

React

MS SQL

CosmosDB

MongoDB

Redis

Azure

Kubernetes

This has been achieved through three main project stages:

Stage 1
The POC phase lasted two months, during which the primary focus was on implementing video chatting functionality while ensuring efficient resource usage on user devices.
After carefully evaluating the project requirements, time constraints, and available resources, we decided to use Flutter cross-platform framework for the app development. Flutter's excellent performance, mature ecosystem, and rapid development capabilities made it the ideal choice for building a high-quality, feature-rich application.
Stage 2
With the successful completion of the POC phase, the project transitioned into the development stage.
In addition to Flutter, our team also used Swift and Kotlin to develop native modules for iOS and Android. These modules handled camera access, video streaming, and communication with the video streaming provider, Agora.
The Binary Studio team developed a modular backend architecture using .Net, C++, and Rust. This approach ensured scalability, maintainability, and efficient server-side processing. Communication between the client-side application and the backend services was handled through a REST API.. At the same time, backend modules used the gRPC framework to communicate with each other.
To enable real-time functionality, such as live video streaming and instant updates, the team utilized SignalR, a library that facilitates bi-directional communication between the client and the server. WebSockets was employed as the transport protocol for SignalR, offering a full-duplex, low-latency communication channel for seamless data synchronization.
Stage 3
After successfully launching the dating functionality, we focused on expanding Lynk's features and target audience. The goal was to transform the dating app into a social media platform that catered to various user needs, including social interactions and business networking.
Lynk has evolved into a video streaming mobile app that consists of three modules:
1. The Dating module that offers:
- Virtual speed dating events based on interests and topics
- Timed video interactions to assess compatibility
- Chat-based conversations after mutual interest is expressed
- Video date requests with customizable day, time, and duration
- Lynk Feed for uploading and sharing videos showcasing personality
- Virtual gifts and "vibe check" video meets for potential matches
2. The Community module that includes:
- Interest and topic-based virtual events for fostering friendships
- Ability to make new friends with similar interests
- Lynk Feed for uploading and sharing videos
3. The Business module, which provides:
- Exclusive internal events for organizations
- 1-on-1 interactions among guests
- Live streaming to all participants
- Introductions between people across the organization
Throughout this expansion, the Binary Studio team ensured seamless integration of these new features while maintaining optimal app performance. A Binary Studio project manager was introduced to the team, implementing Scrum methodology to streamline the development process and boost efficiency.
In addition to the app's enhancements, the Binary Studio team developed a React-based admin panel to simplify app store releases and centralize the application's management.
Stage 4
Lynk's expanding user base required us to optimize the app's performance for heavy load. The app's video streaming nature meant that a large number of users could simultaneously join an event, putting significant strain on the system.
To emulate high loads, Binary Studio team applied the Nitro framework using Node.js to generate bots that simulated real user behavior. This approach allowed the team to identify and address potential performance bottlenecks.
One of the critical aspects of handling high loads was database management. Throughout the development lifecycle, we worked with various databases, including MS SQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB to handle different data storage requirements. Our team also implemented Redis for caching to optimize performance and moved logs to CosmoDB to manage high loads effectively.
To further enhance the app's scalability, we experimented with ready-to-use solutions like PlanetScale, which offered built-in scaling capabilities.
The microservices architecture implemented in the previous stages proved beneficial in supporting high loads. The modular design allowed for easy scaling of individual components, ensuring the app could handle increased traffic and usage.
As a result, we ensured Lynk to support over 100,000 concurrent users during events, maintain high-quality video streaming, and provide a seamless user experience.

Video Streaming Mobile App Development with Flutter-14

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Excellence in video streaming mobile app development

Binary Studio played a pivotal role in transforming Lynk from a startup idea into a high-performance video streaming and social networking application.
One of the standout features was the superior image quality during streaming sessions, which was especially appreciated by Lynk's users. Binary Studio's dedication to delivering outstanding quality and the expertise in video technology enabled us to optimize the app's performance and provide a seamless user experience.
Throughout the development process, Binary Studio demonstrated a proactive approach, efficiently managing the project and proposing innovative solutions to overcome challenges. The team's ability to work independently and maintain open communication with the client ensured smooth collaboration and successful delivery of the application. The client highly appreciated Binary Studio's strong product ownership, exceptional quality, and proficiency in managing processes autonomously.

About Binary Studio

Binary Studio is a boutique software development company, regularly praised for its unique blend of engineering excellence and product ownership that enables its clients to build robust and scalable software products.
With our development team made up of top 0.5% international tech talent, we build web and mobile platforms using Node.js, .NET, React Native, Flutter, and integrating AI and ML. We also offer full-cycle QA and project management services to ensure the efficient delivery.
Our clients see us as a trusted partner dedicated to turning visions into great products. This is proven by 200+ delivered projects, more than two decades of business excellence, and stellar customer reviews.

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