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</p>
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# Media over QUIC
[Media over QUIC](https://moq.dev) (MoQ) is a next-generation live media protocol that provides **real-time latency** at **massive scale**.
Built using modern web technologies, MoQ delivers WebRTC-like latency without the constraints of WebRTC.
The core networking is delegated to a QUIC library but the rest is in application-space, giving you full control over your media pipeline.
**Key Features:**
- 🚀 **Real-time latency** using QUIC for prioritization and partial reliability.
- 📈 **Massive scale** designed for fan-out and supports cross-region clustering.
- 🌐 **Modern Web** using [WebTransport](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebTransport_API), [WebCodecs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebCodecs_API), and [WebAudio](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Audio_API).
- 🎯 **Multi-language** with both Rust (native) and TypeScript (web) libraries.
- 🔧 **Generic** for any live data, not just media. Includes text chat as both an example and a core feature.
> **Note:** This project implements [moq-lite](https://doc.moq.dev/concept/moq-lite), a forwards-compatible subset of the IETF [moq-transport](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-moq-transport/) draft. moq-lite works with any moq-transport CDN (ex. [Cloudflare](https://moq.dev/blog/first-cdn/)). The focus is narrower, prioritizing simplicity and deployability.
## Getting Started
Full documentation lives at **[doc.moq.dev](https://doc.moq.dev)**.
| I want to | Start here |
| --- | --- |
| Try MoQ | [Local demo](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/) or [live web demo](https://moq.dev/) |
| Add streaming to an app | [Choose a library](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/) and [find an example](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/examples) |
| Connect existing media tools | [CLI, OBS, GStreamer, and gateways](https://doc.moq.dev/bin/) |
| Run a relay | [Install](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/install), then [production setup](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/prod) |
| Understand the design | [Concepts](https://doc.moq.dev/concept/) and [protocol drafts](https://doc.moq.dev/draft/) |
| Diagnose a problem | [Troubleshooting](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/troubleshooting) and [inspect a relay](https://doc.moq.dev/bin/inspect) |
| Change this repository | [Repository map](doc/setup/repository.md), [development guide](doc/setup/dev.md), and [contributing](CONTRIBUTING.md) |
| Work with a coding agent | [Agent setup](doc/setup/agent.md); repository instructions start in [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) |
The quickest way to see it in action (requires [Nix](https://nixos.org/download.html) with [flakes](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Flakes)):
```sh
# Runs a relay, demo media, and the web server
nix develop -c just
```
It opens the watch, publish, and stats pages in your browser, or visit <http://localhost:5173/watch.html>. Don't have Nix? See the [demo guide](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/) for manual setup.
## Architecture
MoQ is designed as a layered protocol stack.
**Rule 1**: The CDN MUST NOT know anything about your application, media codecs, or even the available tracks.
Everything could be fully E2EE and the CDN wouldn't care. **No business logic allowed**.
Instead, [`moq-relay`](rs/moq-relay) operates on rules encoded in the [`moq-net`](https://docs.rs/moq-net) header.
These rules are based on video encoding but are generic enough to be used for any live data.
The goal is to keep the server as dumb as possible while supporting a wide range of use-cases.
The media logic is split into another protocol called [`hang`](https://docs.rs/hang).
It's pretty simple and only intended to be used by clients or media servers.
If you want to do something more custom, then you can always extend it or replace it entirely.
Think of `hang` as like HLS/DASH, while `moq-lite` is like HTTP.
```
┌─────────────────┐
│ Application │ 🏢 Your business logic
│ │ - authentication, non-media tracks, etc.
├─────────────────┤
│ hang │ 🎬 Media-specific encoding/streaming
│ │ - codecs, containers, catalog
├─────────────────├
│ moq-lite │ 🚌 Generic pub/sub transport
│ │ - broadcasts, tracks, groups, frames
├─────────────────┤
│ WebTransport │ 🌐 Browser-compatible QUIC
│ QUIC │ - HTTP/3 handshake, multiplexing, etc.
└─────────────────┘
```
## Libraries
Choose by the job you need done. The [library guide](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/)
compares languages; the [repository map](doc/setup/repository.md) locates the
implementation behind each feature.
| Layer | Rust | TypeScript |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Live pub/sub | [moq-net](rs/moq-net) | [@moq/net](js/net) |
| Media catalog and containers | [hang](rs/hang), [moq-mux](rs/moq-mux) | [@moq/hang](js/hang) |
| Capture and playback | [moq-audio](rs/moq-audio), [moq-video](rs/moq-video) | [@moq/publish](js/publish), [@moq/watch](js/watch) |
| Rooms and chat | [moq-room](rs/moq-room) | [@moq/room](js/room) |
| Authorization | [moq-auth](rs/moq-auth) | [@moq/auth](js/auth) |
The Rust core also has [Python](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/py/),
[Swift](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/swift/), [Kotlin](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/kt/),
[Go](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/go/), [Dart](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/dart/),
[C++](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/cpp/), and [C](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/c/) bindings.
[Layers](https://doc.moq.dev/lib/layers) maps their namespaces.
## Protocol
Start with the [layering overview](https://doc.moq.dev/concept/), then use the
[Internet-Drafts index](https://doc.moq.dev/draft/) for the wire and format
specifications. Their editable sources live in [drafts/](drafts/).
## Stability
The `release` branch is stable and is what gets published; `main` is the trunk where breaking API changes land between releases.
Every package follows [semver](https://semver.org): a breaking API change bumps the first nonzero version number (`1.2.0` to `2.0.0`, `0.3.1` to `0.4.0`, `0.0.5` to `0.0.6`).
Breaking wire changes are extremely rare.
## Development
Contributions are welcome, including AI-assisted issues, pull requests, reviews, and comments. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md#ai) for the attribution policy and guidance on when to open an issue before writing code.
```sh
# See all available commands
just --list
# Build everything
just build
# Lint, compile, and test what your branch changed
just check
# Automatically fix some linting errors, same scope
just fix
# Same as the above, over every package
just check --all
just fix --all
```
PRs into `main` get no cloud CI until the merge queue, so run `just ci` before pushing. It runs what the queue runs, the same ground as `just check`, plus two settings: `MOQ_STRICT=1`, which turns a missing tool into an error instead of a skipped check, and `NEXTEST_PROFILE=ci`, which allows a longer hang timeout.
See the [development guide](https://doc.moq.dev/setup/dev) and the [justfile](justfile) for more.
## License
Licensed under either:
- Apache License, Version 2.0 ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE) or https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0)
- MIT license ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
**Exception:** the OBS plugin under [`cpp/obs/`](cpp/obs) is licensed under **GPL-2.0-or-later** (see [`cpp/obs/LICENSE`](cpp/obs/LICENSE)), because it links OBS Studio's `libobs`, which is GPL-2.0. This is a separately-distributable work; per GPLv2 its presence in this repository is mere aggregation and does not affect the MIT/Apache licensing of the rest of the project. `moq-c` and the other moq crates remain MIT/Apache.