How to Build a Flutter Streaming App

Live streaming has become an essential means of distributing media content to people worldwide. However, setting up and maintaining a live streaming platform can be challenging, despite its benefits of capturing people’s attention and providing immediate experiences. In this article, we will introduce the ZEGOCLOUD platform to build a Flutter streaming app easily.

Why ZEGOCLOUD SDK for Live Streaming App with Flutter

ZEGOCLOUD is a cloud service provider that offers live streaming SDK for various platforms and devices, including iOS, Android, Web, Windows, and MacOS. It provides efficient video encoding and decoding algorithms, which significantly improve the quality and stability of the live streaming process.

Additionally, it offers a rich set of live streaming features such as beauty filters, watermarks, picture-in-picture, and more, which can meet the needs of different users. For how to build a live streaming app with Flutter faster and easier, ZEGOCLOUD has announced brand-new pre-built UIKits with a Flutter live streaming kit. Through it, You can complete the development of a live-streaming app within 10 minutes.

Flutter Live Streaming Kit handles all the logic and UI of the live streaming function. Include:

• UI and interaction of the live Streaming module
• Message sending and display
• Audio and video data transmission
• Camera and microphone management
• Live Viewer Statistics

You only need to implement business-related logic. For example:

• User login registration
• Live List Management
• Top up and send gifts, etc.

Preparation

• A ZEGOCLOUD developer account–Sign up
• Flutter 1.12 or later.
• Basic understanding of Flutter development

Implement live streaming

Create Project

Run the following code to create a new project.

flutter create --template app.

Add live button

Insert two buttons, one to start life and one to watch live.

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(const MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  const MyApp({Key? key}) : super(key: key);

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return const MaterialApp(title: 'Flutter Demo', home: HomePage());
  }
}

class HomePage extends StatelessWidget {
  const HomePage({Key? key}) : super(key: key);
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        body: Center(
          child: Column(
            mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
            children: [
              ElevatedButton(
                  child: const Text('Start a live'),
                  onPressed: () => jumpToLivePage(context, isHost: true)),
              ElevatedButton(
                  child: const Text('Watch a live'),
                  onPressed: () => jumpToLivePage(context, isHost: false)),
            ],
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }

  jumpToLivePage(BuildContext context, {required bool isHost}) {}
}

Set ZegoUIKitPrebuiltLiveStreaming as a dependency

Run the following command in your project root directory:

flutter pub add zego_uikit_prebuilt_live_streaming

Import the SDK

Now in your Dart code, import the prebuilt LiveStreaming Kit SDK.

import 'package:zego_uikit_prebuilt_live_streaming/zego_uikit_prebuilt_live_streaming.dart';

Implement live streaming

Use ZegoUIKitPrebuiltLiveStreaming to quickly build a live-streaming page

class LivePage extends StatelessWidget {
  const LivePage({Key? key, this.isHost = false}) : super(key: key);
  final bool isHost;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return SafeArea(
      child: ZegoUIKitPrebuiltLiveStreaming(
        appID: , // use your appID
        appSign: 'yourAppSign', // use your appSign
        userID: userID,
        userName: 'user_$userID',
        liveID: 'testLiveID',
        config: isHost
            ? ZegoUIKitPrebuiltLiveStreamingConfig.host()
            : ZegoUIKitPrebuiltLiveStreamingConfig.audience(),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Now, you can create a new live or watch a live one by navigating to this live page.

void jumpToLivePage(BuildContext context, {required bool isHost}) {
  Navigator.push(context, MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => LivePage(isHost: isHost)));
}

Configure your project

• Android:

1. You need to open the your_project/android/app/build.gradle file, and modify the compileSdkVersion to 33.

2. Add app permissions.
   Open the file your_project/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml, and add the following code:

   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.BLUETOOTH" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />

3. Prevent code obfuscation.

To prevent obfuscation of the SDK public class names, do the following:

a. In your project’s your_project > android > app folder, create a proguard-rules.pro file with the following content as shown below:

-keep class **.zego.** { *; }

b. Add the following config code to the release part of the your_project/android/app/build.gradle file.

proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'

• iOS:

1. Add app permissions.

a. open the your_project/ios/Podfile file, and add the following to the post_install do |installer| part:

# Start of the permission_handler configuration
target.build_configurations.each do |config|
  config.build_settings['GCC_PREPROCESSOR_DEFINITIONS'] ||= [
    '$(inherited)',
    'PERMISSION_CAMERA=1',
    'PERMISSION_MICROPHONE=1',
  ]
end
# End of the permission_handler configuration

b. open the your_project/ios/Runner/Info.plist file, and add the following to the dict part:

    <key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
    <string>We require camera access to connect to a live</string>
    <key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
    <string>We require microphone access to connect to a live</string>

Run a Demo

Conclusion

Live streaming can be the best growth engine for businesses if utilized well. The live streaming app might be the most excellent option for running a business or earning money through exciting content. Develop a video streaming app, create your own streaming service, and grow your company.