My requirement is: -On upload of a supported video file, convert the file to common formats to maximize web compatibility.
Essentially, I want to take a non-web-supported video file, and converted it to WEBM and MPEG4. This will take place on a Windows Server VM inside Microsoft Azure.
ffmpeg seems to be the de facto standard for video conversion yet it introduces licensing hell, not only with GPL/LGPL but by not offering a commercial license, meaning I now have to worry about paying royalties to MPEG-LA.
Can anyone advise on MPEG-LAs licensing model as it applies to SaaS? I will not be distributing ffmpeg (runs server side) and the conversion takes place on Windows (Server) OS.
Disclaimer: IANAL
I've managed to get some degree of answer from the MPEG LA themselves. Their licensing model is based on distribution of software in the non-web-delivered sense and so is based around number of installs. As this doesn't apply to SaaS, it was a little bit trickier to get to the answer of the MPEG-LA licensing liability for a SaaS company.
The conclusion was ultimately based upon the purpose of the software and whether or not it replaces an otherwise installed tool that offers transcoding capabilities. It was decided that because our product does transcoding behind the scenes, and does not offer it as a service to users, nor does it offer any configuration of the transcoding to users, and has a volume of less than 100,000 users, it is not liable for licensing fees or royalties.
Our product trancodes simple for the purpose of browser compatibility. Users are not directly benefiting from this transcoding (as a service for that purpose) and it is not something the we sell or ever intend to.
My advice for those looking for advice regarding MPEG-LA is to contact them. Their licensing is quite outdated so be prepared for a long and detailed discussion, and be as clear as possible.
Finally, my contact at MPEG-LA said that it's often easier just to use an already licensed product for this purpose. That, of course, is easier said than done given that there aren't many commercially available, highly scalable, and automated products on the market for this purpose.
@evilSnobu mentioned in a comment the presence of Azure Media Services. This is a little on the expensive side for me, and limited in its output formats (MPEG4 and MPEG2 only), but it may be what you need...