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StreamGate Overview

StreamGate is a ticket-gated video streaming platform that lets you distribute unique access codes to viewers, granting them secure, time-limited access to live streams and recordings. No accounts, no passwords — just a simple code entry and instant playback.

Who Is It For?​

  • Event organizers running paid live streams (conferences, concerts, workshops)
  • Educators distributing recorded lectures to enrolled students
  • Businesses sharing internal town halls or training sessions with controlled access
  • Content creators selling access to premium video content

Two Services, One Platform​

StreamGate runs as two cooperating services in a single monorepo:

ServiceRoleTechPort
Platform AppViewer portal, admin console, API, databaseNext.js, Prisma, SQLite/PostgreSQL3000
HLS Media ServerJWT-validated HLS stream deliveryExpress.js4000

They share one HMAC secret (PLAYBACK_SIGNING_SECRET) for signing and verifying JWT playback tokens. The HLS server has zero database dependencies — it validates every request using pure cryptography.

Architecture​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        Viewer's Browser                             │
│  ┌──────────────┐       ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ Token Entry   │       │ HLS Player (hls.js)                  │    │
│  │ Page          │       │ Authorization: Bearer <JWT>           │    │
│  └──────┬───────┘       └──────────────┬───────────────────────┘    │
│         │                              │                            │
└─────────┼──────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┘
          │                              │
          │ POST /api/tokens/validate    │ GET /streams/:eventId/*.m3u8
          │                              │ GET /streams/:eventId/*.ts
          ▼                              ▼
┌─────────────────────┐       ┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Platform App       │       │   HLS Media Server        │
│   (Next.js :3000)    │       │   (Express :4000)          │
│                      │       │                            │
│ • Token validation   │       │ • JWT signature check      │
│ • JWT issuance       │       │   (HMAC-SHA256, ~0.01ms)   │
│ • Admin console      │       │ • Revocation cache         │
│ • Revocation sync    │◄──────│   (polls every 30s)        │
│ • Session tracking   │       │ • Serves .m3u8 + .ts       │
│                      │       │ • Local / proxy / hybrid    │
│   ┌──────────┐       │       └──────────────────────────┘
│   │ Database │       │
│   │ SQLite/PG│       │
│   └──────────┘       │
└──────────────────────┘

Key Features​

🎟️ Token-Gated Access​

Distribute unique 12-character access codes to your audience. Each code is tied to a specific event and has a configurable expiration window.

🔐 JWT-Secured Streaming​

Every HLS segment request is validated with a short-lived JWT — no database hit required. Sub-millisecond verification at any scale.

⚡ Real-Time Revocation​

Revoke access codes instantly from the admin console. The HLS server's in-memory cache syncs every 30 seconds, blocking revoked tokens across all edge nodes.

📱 Single-Device Enforcement​

Each token can only be used on one device at a time. Session heartbeats detect and prevent concurrent usage.

📺 Live + VOD Support​

Stream live events via RTMP-to-HLS transcoding (FFmpeg), then automatically transition to VOD rewatch within the access window.

🛠️ Admin Console​

Full-featured management interface for creating events, generating tokens in bulk, monitoring active sessions, and revoking access.

Next Steps​