LiveKit C++ Client SDK

Build real-time audio/video applications in C++ with LiveKit.

‍Note: This SDK is currently in Developer Preview. APIs may change before the stable release.

Quick Start

#include "livekit/livekit.h"
 
bool initializeLivekit(const std::string& url, const std::string& token) {
  // Init LiveKit
  livekit::initialize(livekit::LogSink::kConsole);
 
  room_ = std::make_unique<livekit::Room>();
  livekit::RoomOptions options;
  options.auto_subscribe = true;
  options.dynacast = false;
  if (!room_->Connect(url, token, options)) {
    std::cerr << "Failed to connect\n";
    livekit::shutdown();
    return false;
  }
 
  std::cout << "Connected.\n";
 
  // ---- Create & publish AUDIO ----
  // Note: Hook up your own audio capture flow to |audioSource_|
  audioSource_ = std::make_shared<livekit::AudioSource>(48000, 1, 10);
  auto audioTrack = livekit::LocalAudioTrack::createLocalAudioTrack("noise", audioSource_);
 
  livekit::TrackPublishOptions audioOpts;
  audioOpts.source = livekit::TrackSource::SOURCE_MICROPHONE;
 
  try {
    audioPub_ = room_->localParticipant()->publishTrack(audioTrack, audioOpts);
    std::cout << "Published audio: sid=" << audioPub_->sid() << "\n";
  } catch (const std::exception& e) {
    std::cerr << "Failed to publish audio: " << e.what() << "\n";
    return false;
  }
 
  // ---- Create & publish VIDEO ----
  // Note: Hook up your own video capture flow to |videoSource_|
  videoSource_ = std::make_shared<livekit::VideoSource>(1280, 720);
  auto videoTrack = livekit::LocalVideoTrack::createLocalVideoTrack("rgb", videoSource_);
 
  livekit::TrackPublishOptions videoOpts;
  videoOpts.source = livekit::TrackSource::SOURCE_CAMERA;
 
  try {
    videoPub_ = room_->localParticipant()->publishTrack(videoTrack, videoOpts);
    std::cout << "Published video: sid=" << videoPub_->sid() << "\n";
  } catch (const std::exception& e) {
    std::cerr << "Failed to publish video: " << e.what() << "\n";
    return false;
  }
  return true;
}
 
void shutdownLivekit() {
  // Best-effort unpublish
  try {
    if (room_ && audioPub_)
      room_->localParticipant()->unpublishTrack(audioPub_->sid());
    if (room_ && videoPub_)
      room_->localParticipant()->unpublishTrack(videoPub_->sid());
  } catch (...) {
  }
 
  audioPub_.reset();
  videoPub_.reset();
  audioSource_.reset();
  videoSource_.reset();
  room_.reset();
 
  livekit::shutdown();
}

Key Classes

Class	Description
livekit::Room	Main entry point - connect to a LiveKit room
livekit::RoomOptions	Configuration for room connection (auto_subscribe, dynacast, etc.)
livekit::LocalParticipant	The local user - publish tracks and send data
livekit::RemoteParticipant	Other participants in the room
livekit::AudioSource	Audio input source for publishing (sample rate, channels)
livekit::VideoSource	Video input source for publishing (width, height)
livekit::LocalAudioTrack	Local audio track created from AudioSource
livekit::LocalVideoTrack	Local video track created from VideoSource
livekit::LocalTrackPublication	Handle to a published local track
livekit::TrackPublishOptions	Options for publishing (source type, codec, etc.)
livekit::AudioStream	Receive audio from remote participants
livekit::VideoStream	Receive video from remote participants
livekit::RoomDelegate	Callbacks for room events

Installation

See the GitHub README for build instructions.

Requirements:

• CMake ≥ 3.20
• Rust/Cargo (latest stable)
• Platform: Windows, macOS, or Linux

Examples

• SimpleRoom - Basic room connection with audio/video
• SimpleRpc - Remote procedure calls between participants
• SimpleDataStream - Send text and binary data streams

Resources

• GitHub Repository
• LiveKit Documentation
• Community Slack