IDN Media expands Indonesia’s media portfolio with IDN Live using Amazon IVS

A live streaming platform connects creators with communities and leverages Jakarta’s point of presence for a high-quality, low-latency experience across networks

As the go-to entertainment and information destination for Indonesian Millennials and Gen Z, IDN Media has rapidly grown since opening its doors in 2014. With origins as a local digital news site catering to Millennials and Gen Z in Indonesia, the company has continued to broaden its service slate, which now includes specialized content sites and platforms, a creator economy, event services, feature film production, programmatic out-of-home ad sales, and more. One of its latest offerings, IDN Live, adds live streaming to its long list of capabilities, with the platform’s video powered by Amazon Interactive Video Service (Amazon IVS) on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Part of the IDN Media platform, IDN Live launched in 2021, backed by a commitment to deliver the best live streaming experience for audiences and creators. Most of the developers working on the app had no prior experience building a live video platform, and much of the company’s infrastructure remained on in-house servers as it was just beginning to transition to the cloud. While building its own video content delivery network (CDN) was briefly considered, the cost of buying and maintaining hardware to support the projected audience was out of budget.

“From the beginning, we knew we needed the support of a much more capable cloud provider that could assist our team of avid learners as we grow alongside our ideas and ambitions. For me, Amazon IVS was always the way to go. I’m very familiar with AWS and know the power that it brings to solutions,” explained Louis Larry, Chief Technology Officer at IDN Media.

IDN Live streamers comprise influencers, some of whom receive compensation from the company based on audience retention and user-generated content (UGC). The platform currently averages 60–100 live streams per day, with half from influencers and half from UGC. Viewers can watch streams for free but are encouraged to reward their favorite streamers with virtual gifts.

Audiences can interact during live streams via the chat feature based on the Amazon IVS Chat SDK. Most people tune into live streams on mobile devices, which receive the video in HD or the highest quality that the viewer’s network supports without compromising the experience. With IDN Live’s viewership concentrated in Indonesia, which has a population of 270 million people spanning many islands, the Amazon IVS Jakarta point of presence (PoP) has been key to ensuring low latency and high-quality video delivery.

“The quality of the internet varies significantly in Indonesia. Big cities like Jakarta and Bali have strong 3G or 4G, but a lot of the rural areas have slow 3G or 2G, so bandwidth is pretty important. We’re very thankful for the Amazon IVS team launching the Jakarta PoP,” Larry noted.

While admittedly early in its live streaming journey, the IDN Live development team is working on implementing more Amazon IVS features and further building out its platform with offerings like video replays on-demand, more robust mobile tools for broadcasters, and enhanced visibility for stream metrics. Offering IDN Live as a white-label platform that brands and startups can customize is also on the roadmap.

As of April 2023, IDN Media has migrated all its digital media infrastructure to AWS, in addition to leveraging Amazon IVS for live streaming. Having grown to become the leading media company for Millennial and Gen Z demographics in Indonesia, the focus for IDN Media is to expand its audience and provide more personalized and high-quality content. In the long term, it aims to diversify revenue streams and create new opportunities for growth.

Larry concluded, “We are constantly striving to improve our digital media portfolio by delivering high-quality content to our readers. With the transition to AWS, we have experienced significantly less downtime, allowing us to create better engagement. This has enabled us to focus on delivering content that informs, educates, and inspires our audience. By leveraging AWS technology and solutions, we can innovate quickly, ensure scalability, and provide the best possible product to our customers.”

To learn more about IDN, please visit its website at IDN.media.

For more information on building with live video, check out: https://aws.amazon.com/ivs/