Cloud Computing in the Media and Entertainment Industry

Cloud computing offers numerous benefits for businesses of all sizes. In the past, the IT industry mostly used cloud computing for software development and testing, disaster recovery, data backup, and more. However, different industries worldwide now recognize the importance of cloud computing. From automotive and retail to agriculture and healthcare, many industries today use the cloud because of its high flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and more.

Image source

The need for cloud computing in the media and entertainment industry is significantly increasing. Why? Think of how often you pull up a YouTube video, a movie on Netflix, or an album on Spotify. Demand for quick access to entertainment anywhere, any time is increasing. Hence, media and entertainment companies worldwide are migrating to the cloud to ensure fast digital content delivery. The media cloud essentially helps media companies to provide Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming services to deliver digital content directly to customers over the internet. Cloud media eliminates the need for a system operator to deliver content to viewers.

But, what is a media cloud?

In this article, we’ll provide a thorough understanding of media cloud hosting, cloud media orchestration, cloud media workflow, cloud video streaming, cloud video encoding, cloud video transcoding, advanced media processing in the cloud, batch processing in cloud, and more.

A Cloud for Streaming Media

In today’s digital world, linear television that involves the traditional broadcasting system is outdated. People now prefer streaming platforms that give them the freedom to watch their favorite content anytime, anywhere.
Media and entertainment companies must find ways to meet the demand and expectations of audiences and retain their loyalty. This is where the need for cloud computing in the media and entertainment industry arises.

What Is Media Streaming?

Before we discuss the role of the cloud in stream media and media streaming services, let’s first discuss cloud storage media streaming.
Streaming media refers to multimedia, such as video or audio, that is delivered over the internet in compressed form. Users can play such media content immediately without the need to save or download it to their hard drive first. Users can pause, rewind, or fast-forward the streaming video or audio just like they can with a downloaded media file.

Another modern term related to streaming media is OTT (Over-the-Top) media service. OTT is essentially any streaming service that provides media content over the internet. Examples of OTT services include Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. We’ll dig deeper into these later.

How Does Cloud Computing Help with OTT and Streaming Media?

OTT services involve formatting several video files for delivery to any device with an internet connection. OTT broadcasting or streaming involves complex workflows and requires powerful infrastructure.
Using on-premise systems for OTT media steaming can affect the quality of experience that audiences expect. On-premise systems don’t usually offer the high computing capacity and scalability required to deliver content without any interruptions. Additionally, on-premises OTT streaming services require complex ongoing maintenance and involve high costs.

Cloud computing technology solves all of these issues. For example, cloud computing simplifies processes so that there isn’t any complex cloud media workflow. Cloud media streaming has emerged as the perfect solution for OTT services. The cloud offers the scalability and flexibility required to handle complex and advanced workflows. The media cloud helps companies to manage, distribute, and protect digital content efficiently. The result? Customers can watch smooth, crystal-clear videos that don’t buffer or skip! Simply put, cloud computing reduces streaming latency to provide a better user experience.
Applications of cloud computing in the media and entertainment industry include cloud video and audio streaming, cloud-based audio recording, media asset management cloud, cloud media archive, and more.

Cloud Video Streaming

Image source

A cloud video streaming solution involves streaming and storing videos in the cloud using a network of video streaming servers in the cloud.
Some of the key features of the best cloud service for video streaming and best cloud storage for streaming video include:

1. Efficient video hosting: allows video streaming service providers to deliver content anytime
2. Ability to live stream video to cloud storage: cloud service for video streaming allows you to record live streams and stream video from cloud storage anytime.
3. A cloud video encoder or cloud video encoding service: essential for cloud-based live video streaming. Cloud media file encoding or video encoding in the cloud refers to converting a video file from one format into another.
4. A cloud video transcoding service: allows you to prepare your videos to be delivered on the web. Transcoding means creating different versions of the same video, each version with a different size and quality.
5. Video analytics support.
6. A cloud-based media player: such as an HTML5 video player.

Use Case: Netflix

An example of a cloud-based streaming OTT service provider is Netflix. Netflix uses a cloud media player and cloud-based media server for cloud-based video streaming, cloud video processing, cloud-based video encoding, cloud-based video transcoding, cloud media analysis, and more. Some other popular examples of cloud video streaming services include Hulu and YouTube.

Cloud-Based Audio Streaming

Cloud audio streaming means delivering audio, such as music, over the internet. With cloud music services, you can access songs online and listen to them whenever you want. Some cloud-based music streaming services also provide cloud storage for audio files. This allows you to upload your audio files remotely or record them with an audio cloud recorder.

Use Case: Spotify

An example of a cloud-based audio streaming service is Spotify, which allows you to stream music over the internet via an audio cloud player. Spotify also allows users to create saved playlists, store songs, and listen in offline mode.

Cloud Media Processing

Media processing mainly involves video (including audio) and image processing to create different versions of media content. The purpose of audio, video, and image processing is to convert these files into formats that suit their expected usage.

Cloud-Based Image Processing

Image source

So, what is cloud photo processing or image cloud processing?

Image processing refers to running an image through computerized algorithms to analyze the image and extract meaningful information from it.
Image processing requires huge storage before processing even begins. Cloud image processing or cloud photo processing can provide immense storage space and processing capabilities. This is the main reason that cloud computing image processing is becoming increasingly popular.

Image processing in cloud computing is used in different fields such as satellite applications, medical science, security applications, and more.

Applications of Cloud Computing in Satellite Image Processing

Satellite images are images of the earth collected through satellites. These images are used for weather forecasting, navigation, cartography, and more. Since satellites produce a large amount of image data, scientists and researchers need advanced image analysis tools and powerful computing resources to process these images, which the image processing cloud can provide.

Cloud Video Processing

Video processing is considered a sub-field of image processing because a video stream essentially consists of several images. However, the output signal is still a video stream.
Cloud video processing involves the usage of cloud-based audio editing and cloud-based video processing software for editing the images and audio present in video files. A third-party cloud service provider maintains the software, and you can choose to store your files in the cloud. Cloud video editing refers to the process of uploading video files to the cloud. You can then edit and encode the video files in your browser.

Cloud Media Storage Hosting

In the past, if you wanted to save a huge collection of your favorite songs, you needed some sort of device, such as USBs or CDs, with large storage space. This also means you needed physical space to store the devices where you saved your music collection.
With the advent of cloud-based media storage or media cloud storage, you don’t need any device to save your favorite songs. You can use cloud storage for media files or audio cloud storage to save your music in the cloud and access it anytime from anywhere.
Cloud storage for media also includes cloud storage for streaming video. This means you can stream video to cloud storage and allow users to access it anytime. The best cloud storage for media streaming is highly secure.

Learn more about cloud storage in another of our blogs.

Advantages of Cloud Computing in the Media and Entertainment Industry

The media and entertainment cloud offers several benefits:

Quicker Time to Market

Media companies can get customized media cloud hosting plans, such as cloud video storage and streaming, from video streaming cloud service providers. This gives a crucial competitive edge as media cloud computing enhances user experience and helps deliver content to users more quickly compared to traditional methods.

Cost Reductions

On-premises OTT streaming involves several costs, such as purchasing and maintaining hardware, power consumption, replacing the hardware, etc. However, with cloud media services, there are no such costs as the cloud service provider is responsible for everything. Additionally, cloud services are based on a pay-per-use model, which further minimizes the cost.

Scalability

Cloud computing offers on-demand capabilities with incredible flexibility. This means media companies can scale up or scale down depending on their needs. For example, when media broadcasters need a large amount of computing and networking resources, they can simply scale up and increase cloud storage. This allows businesses to respond to customer demands more efficiently.

Lower Latency

On-premise servers are located at only the one specific location on the premises of the media organization. On the other hand, cloud media servers can be located anywhere in the world. Hence, cloud-based media companies can deliver content to viewers via the closest best media streaming server or data center, which reduces streaming latency, and improves the user experience.

There’s a Cloud for That. Ridge.

Ridge’s Anywhere Cloud allows for companies in any segment of the media and entertainment industry to deliver content with lightning speed, and scale to their heart’s desire. Ridge’s ability to have PoPs anywhere by connecting to data centers around the world allows for hyper-low latency when delivering media content, which is optimal for customers who want to stream their favorite Netflix flicks! Media companies do not need to worry about building their own infrastructure any time they need to be in any location, Ridge takes care of that. Their business can grow untethered while delivering to customers all over the world!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the applications of cloud computing in the media and entertainment industry?

Cloud media services include cloud audio recording, cloud audio editor, cloud media management, cloud media asset management, cloud collaboration for audio, cloud-based audio conferencing, and more.

What is cloud processing or processing cloud?

Cloud-based processing or media cloud processing includes audio, video, and image processing in the cloud. Image processing cloud computing is used in different fields, such as medical science, security applications, satellite applications, and more.

What is cloud video streaming?

Cloud computing for video streaming refers to streaming and storing videos in the cloud using a network of servers. The best cloud for video streaming allows the streaming service providers to deliver uninterrupted video content and enhance user experience.

What is the process as a service in cloud computing?

Process cloud service or process as a service in cloud computing utilizes the efficiency of cloud media solutions to provide organizations with all the resources, such as the latest tools, technologies, and processes, they need to operate.