Zoom has released a video SDK that developers can use to create video-based applications and desktop experiences with native user interfaces. The Zoom video conferencing app has become more widely known and used during the coronavirus pandemic.

Zoom released its first SDKs in 2019, providing a way to integrate Zoom’s core engine into mobile or desktop apps, so developers could create an app with an option for users to start or join Zoom video meetings from inside the app.

The SDKs handle all the video conferencing related tasks, with a custom UI feature to add page furniture to the meeting rooms.  The SDKs provided support for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Electron and JavaScript.

The new release provides direct access to raw video and audio data,allowing improved interaction between users and the app video stream. The Zoom documentation suggests a typical use might be a gaming video streaming app with direct interaction between the player and viewers based on in-game events or prompts from the community. Another suggested use would be an AR streaming platform with direct viewer access to the on-screen video.

As with the existing Zoom client SDKs, the video SDKs allow screen-sharing from devices, in-session chat messages, and high-quality video and audio streams similar to Zoom’s core capabilities.

The Video SDKs can be used within apps to launch a video communication session, and share screens directly from the user's device. Apps can have the ability to send instant chat messages, and capture and review raw data locally. The SDK also provides the option to broadcast the video session to third-party live streaming providers

One benefit of the video SDKs is that they've been streamlined so offer what Zoom describes as "an enormous reduction in size compared to Client SDKs with all the power of Zoom’s video and audio solutions."

The new SDKs are available for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Web versions, with a free tier offering up to 10,000 session minutes per month. After that additional minutes will be charged on a per-minute basis. There's also an annual volume plan that starts with a $1,000 annual commitment and includes 30,000 session minutes per month with additional minutes charged on a per-minute basis.

More Information

Zoom Video SDK Page

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