NOTE: Do not split in two parts, there isn't enough text here to justify splitting and the article focuses on the solution not discussing the choices.
Need to generate video thumbnails efficiently and cost-effectively at scale? Let's build a truly serverless solution using AWS Lambda that costs just pennies to run, compared to using dedicated media processing services.
The solution consists of a Node.js Lambda function that:
It's not super easy, or cheap, to generate thumbnails at scale. The cost factor is especially important in case of videos - with images all you have to do is resize, crop and store the output of the same type. You can offload this responsibility to third-party cloud services to focus on delivering other features, or with just a little bit of work perform the task without leaving your AWS VPC. With videos though the case is different. Video files are much larger, we have to support plenty of different encoding standards, and the end result is no longer a video - we are essentially extracting still images.
When researching options I always turn to solutions native to the platform the application is on. In AWS that's MediaConvert or MediaLive. Both are great when you need professional-grade video processing, but when all you want is to grab a thumbnail from a video... well, they sure can do it but are they designed to handle such use case? Not really.
As surprising as it may be, AWS does not have a service dedicated to generating thumbnails. Available solutions focus on other use-cases such as providing support for streaming media or running advanced video transformation tasks.
The problems are quite obvious when you look at the requirements for building such feature with these services
Should generating a few video thumbnails cost more than your morning coffee? ☕ It's simply because as powerful as those services are, it's and overkill for simple tasks like thumbnail generation.
The real cost of AWS Media services isn't just in dollars - it's in the complexity you often don't need.
Each time I come across a new requirement my mind tunes itself into the "finding the perfect tool for the job" mode. I've been preaching the importance of not going with what you know and always exploring as many alternatives as possible that I may start sounding like a broken record... but I guess I like the tune that record is playing! ??
You can also call it a medical condition. I am fully aware of my engineering OCD issues... ?
But I digress...
Sure, there is other solutions out there, but they often come with their own headaches:
Let's build something that's not just cheaper, but also laser-focused on what we actually need - a serverless solution that generates video thumbnails for literal pennies. ?
The system uses these AWS services and tools:
When a video is uploaded to the source S3 bucket, it triggers an event that queues the processing request. A Lambda function picks it up and processes it using FFmpeg running in a Docker container. The generated thumbnails are then stored in a target S3 bucket. Recoverable transient issues such as throttling or infrastructure-related problems are automatically re-tried, while all other failed events are automatically sent to a dead-letter queue for auditing purposes.
The service automatically generates video thumbnails in two sizes. The larger version includes a semi-transparent video icon in the center of the frame, helping users quickly identify video content.
Sample project
Service
Here's our Dockerfile that packages FFmpeg with Lambda:
Let's break down the costs for processing 1000 videos per month:
That's a 99.7% cost reduction! ?
While this solution is awesome, it's not without its gotchas:
This is just the beginning! You could extend this solution to:
We've built a cost-effective, scalable solution for video thumbnail generation that won't break the bank. No more paying for features you don't need!
Remember: Sometimes the best solution isn't the most expensive or complex one - it's the one that does exactly what you need, nothing more, nothing less.
Found this helpful? Consider following me for more AWS and serverless content! And if your thumbnails come out looking like modern art instead of your video... well, check your video format first, then drop a comment below! ?
All jokes aside, I'd love to hear about your experiences with video processing in AWS. Have you found other creative ways to optimize costs? Share in the comments!
While this solution has been battle-tested in production, please test thoroughly in your own environment before deploying. If anything catches fire, I have a great recipe for marshmallows! ?
Why docker with Lambda - not the first choice, sometimes the only choice, layers alternative
It's super cheap to run compare with AWS Media services
It's fast, run comparison on different file sizes
Testable Ffmpeg
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