Introducing Zype Live 3: A New Foundation for Scalable Live Streaming

We’re reaching out to share an important update to Zype Live and introduce Zype Live 3, our next-generation live streaming architecture.

Live 3 represents a major evolution of Zype’s live capabilities. It delivers a more scalable, flexible, and self-service live streaming experience, while laying the foundation for advanced live features we’ll be rolling out over the course of 2026.

What’s new with Zype Live 3 – a modern, scalable live architecture

Live 3 introduces a new backend designed for reliability and scale, enabling faster provisioning, improved performance, real-time analytics, higher resolutions, lower latency, and long-term extensibility.

• Self-service live encoder provisioning and consolidated management: Create, configure, and manage live encoders along with all inputs and outputs in a single, unified experience within Zype Admin.
• Self-service RTMP reStreaming: Configure and manage RTMP restream destinations directly, without additional setup or support involvement.
• Extended Live DVR & Catch-Up TV: Live 3 supports longer DVR recording windows, including:
  • Extended Live DVR recording times
  • Up to 14-day Catch-Up TV support for eligible workflows
• Native SSAI Ad Insertion Support: Live 3 introduces native Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) with SCTE-35 ad signaling, including SSAI ad macro support and ad delivery aligned with our existing Playout product capabilities.
• Enhanced Live Caption support: Additional support for embedded CEA-608/708 and SCTE-20 closed captions for live streaming workflows, in addition to existing supported formats.
• Enhanced Zype Live API: Live 3 is supported by an updated Zype Live API that complements the new architecture and feature set.  Existing Live API functionality remains backwards compatible, ensuring current integrations continue to operate while enabling access to new Live 3 encoders and capabilities.

What’s coming next: 2026 roadmap highlights

With Live 3 in place, Zype will be introducing additional live enhancements over time, including:

• 4K+ live encoding and delivery support
• Expanded source protocol ingestion, including SRT, Zixi, RTP-FEC, RIST, and HLS Pull
• Expanded destination reStreaming protocols, including SRT and Zixi
• Low-latency live streaming, with tested glass-to-glass latency as low as ~4 seconds for supported workflows (low-latency testing conducted using SRT inputs with a 500ms ingestion buffer)
• Audio normalization support
• Multi-track audio support
• Expanded codec, format, frame rate, color space, and protocol support
• Live DRM encryption and playback support
• AI transcription, translation, and captioning
• Nielsen ID3 watermarking support
• Zype Live UI Workflow Enhancement

Legacy Zype Live sunset & migration

As part of this transition:

• Live 3 will be Zype’s live streaming platform going forward
• Legacy Live infrastructure will be retired following the migration period
• Customers running 24/7 or always-on live channels will need to migrate to Live 3 prior to the legacy Live sunset date

If you primarily use on-demand video, playout, apps creator, or only use Live occasionally, no immediate action may be required unless you plan to use Live in the future or have an existing provisioned encoder.

Live billing & analytics updates

With the introduction of Live 3, Zype is updating how Live usage is measured, captured, and billed as part of a broader platform-wide effort to simplify billing and usage across Zype product lines.

• Live Stream Hours will be retired as a capturable and billable metric and replaced with Live Gigabytes (GB).
• Live usage will move to a data-based (GB) measurement model, aligned with other Zype products.
• Analytics capture for Live will continue under the Analytics 3 architecture, with improved consistency across Live, Playout, and VOD workflows.

As part of this transition, the following legacy usage and billing SKUs will be removed from the Zype platform and Admin Usage Reports by the end of Q1:

• Live Stream Hour (replaced with Live Gigabytes)
• Paywalled vs non-Paywalled
• Playout Ad SSAI GB

Full details on Live 3 billing, usage calculations, and reporting changes are available in the Help Center: Live 3 Billing & Usage Changes.

Key dates

• January 26, 2026: Live migration period begins for select customers
• February 9, 2026: Live 3 generally available for all customers
• February 27, 2026: Legacy Live sunset (access to Zype Live 1 encoders removed)

What you should do next

For existing Zype Live customers, the transition to Live 3 will be largely seamless. 

The existing Zype Live workflow will remain the same, and the existing Zype Live API will continue to function against the new Live 3 backend.

• Review Getting Started with Live 3
• Review the Live 3 API Documentation
• Review Live 3 Billing & Usage Changes
• Review the Manual Live Migration Guide if you plan to migrate existing streams yourself

If you have questions or would like help planning your migration, simply reply to this email or contact support@zype.com.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we evolve Zype Live.