Design a video streaming platform like Netflix/YouTube
System Design: Video Streaming Platform
Design a large-scale video streaming platform similar to Netflix or YouTube. The platform should support the following core user stories:
- Video Upload/Ingestion: Creators or studios can upload videos.
- Content Catalog: Users can browse and search a catalog of videos.
- Smooth Playback: Users can start playback quickly and stream videos smoothly with adaptive bitrate.
- Cross-Device Continuity: Users can resume playback from where they left off on different devices.
- (Optional) Personalization: Implement recommendations and a personalized home feed.
Functional Requirements:
- Video upload, ingestion, and processing (transcoding, thumbnail generation, captioning).
- Management of video metadata (title, description, tags, privacy, availability).
- Playback supporting multiple bitrates and device formats.
- Basic analytics (views, watch time).
Non-Functional Requirements:
- Low startup latency and minimal buffering.
- High availability for playback.
- Global content delivery.
- Secure content access (signed URLs or DRM are optional considerations).
Scale Assumptions:
- Millions of daily active users.
- Petabyte-scale video storage.
- Ability to handle global traffic spikes.
Explain your proposed architecture, APIs, data storage choices, caching and CDN strategy, and how you will ensure scaling and reliability.
AI interview prep
Core dilemma
Balancing the immense throughput and latency requirements of video streaming (especially for playback) against the complexity and cost of processing, storing, and delivering petabytes of data globally, while maintaining high availability and a seamless user experience.
3 tradeoffs and 2 stress tests locked
Interview prep
Unlock the interviewer X-Ray rubric, tradeoff matrix, stress tests, clarifying questions, and key concepts.
Design a video streaming platform like Netflix/YouTube
System Design: Video Streaming Platform
Design a large-scale video streaming platform similar to Netflix or YouTube. The platform should support the following core user stories:
- Video Upload/Ingestion: Creators or studios can upload videos.
- Content Catalog: Users can browse and search a catalog of videos.
- Smooth Playback: Users can start playback quickly and stream videos smoothly with adaptive bitrate.
- Cross-Device Continuity: Users can resume playback from where they left off on different devices.
- (Optional) Personalization: Implement recommendations and a personalized home feed.
Functional Requirements:
- Video upload, ingestion, and processing (transcoding, thumbnail generation, captioning).
- Management of video metadata (title, description, tags, privacy, availability).
- Playback supporting multiple bitrates and device formats.
- Basic analytics (views, watch time).
Non-Functional Requirements:
- Low startup latency and minimal buffering.
- High availability for playback.
- Global content delivery.
- Secure content access (signed URLs or DRM are optional considerations).
Scale Assumptions:
- Millions of daily active users.
- Petabyte-scale video storage.
- Ability to handle global traffic spikes.
Explain your proposed architecture, APIs, data storage choices, caching and CDN strategy, and how you will ensure scaling and reliability.