This topic describes the billing rules for audio and video calls.
Introduction
Alibaba Cloud Real-Time Communication (RTC) charges you for real-time audio and video calls. Billing is based on the total daily call duration, measured in minutes, and the collection resolution of all subscribed video streams.
Billing details
Audio and video call fee = (Unit price for audio calls × Audio call duration) + (Unit price for each video resolution tier × Duration for the corresponding tier)
The video call resolution tier, such as 480p or lower, is determined by the collection resolution of all video streams that a user subscribes to.
Duration is measured in seconds but billed in minutes. Durations are rounded up to the next whole minute. For example, if a call lasts less than one minute, it is billed as one minute.
Unit price for audio calls: This price applies when a user subscribes only to audio streams.
Audio call duration: Billing starts when a user successfully subscribes to an audio stream and ends when the user stops the subscription.
Unit price for each video resolution tier: The billing tier is determined by the sum of the resolutions of all video streams that a user subscribes to.
Video call duration: Billing starts when a user successfully subscribes to a video stream and ends when the user stops the subscription.
If a publisher sends a video stream, but a subscriber receives only the audio from that stream, the usage is billed at the audio rate.
If you subscribe to both the audio and video of a stream, you are charged only for the video. The audio is not billed separately.
Unit price
Call Specifications | Unit price (CNY/1,000 minutes) |
Audio | 6 |
Standard Definition (SD) Collection resolution ≤ 307,200 (640 × 480) | 12 |
High Definition (HD) 307,200 (640 × 480) < Collection resolution ≤ 921,600 (1280 × 720) | 24 |
Full High Definition (Full HD) 921,600 (1280 × 720) < Collection resolution ≤ 2,073,600 (1920 × 1080) | 60 |
2K video 2,073,600 (1920 × 1080) < Collection resolution ≤ 3,686,400 (2560 × 1440) | 108 |
2K+ video 3,686,400 (2560 × 1440) < Collection resolution ≤ 8,847,360 (4096 × 2160) | 252 |
Billing examples
The prices in the following examples are for reference only.
Example 1:
Users A, B, and C join a channel for an audio call that lasts 2,100 seconds.
Usage calculation:
The three users are in an audio-only call. Usage is billed at the audio rate.
The call duration is 2,100 seconds, which is 35 minutes.
Fee calculation:
Total fee = Unit price for audio calls (CNY 0.006/minute) × Call duration (35 minutes) × 3
Example 2:
Users A, B, and C join a channel for a video call that lasts 3,700 seconds. The video resolution for users A and B is 640 × 480. The video resolution for user C is 1280 × 720.
Usage calculation:
The three users are in a video call, so there are no audio call charges.
User A subscribes to the video streams from B and C. The resolution tier for user A is Full High Definition (Full HD). The collection resolution is (640 × 480 for B) + (1280 × 720 for C) = 1,228,800.
User B subscribes to the video streams from A and C. The resolution tier for user B is Full High Definition (Full HD). The collection resolution is (640 × 480 for A) + (1280 × 720 for C) = 1,228,800.
User C subscribes to the video streams from A and B. The resolution tier for user C is High Definition (HD). The collection resolution is (640 × 480 for A) + (640 × 480 for B) = 614,400.
The call duration is 3,700 seconds, which is 62 minutes (rounded up).
Fee calculation:
A's audio/video call fee = Video call unit price (CNY 0.06 per minute) × Video call usage (62 minutes)
Fee for user B = Unit price for Full HD (CNY 0.06/minute) × Call duration (62 minutes)
Cost of audio/video calls for C = Video call rate (CNY 0.024/minute) × Video call duration (62 minutes)
Total fee = Fee for user A + Fee for user B + Fee for user C
Example 3:
Users A, B, and C join a channel for a call that lasts 600 seconds. User C publishes only an audio stream. The video resolution for user A is 640 × 480, and for user B is 1280 × 720.
Usage calculation:
In an audio/video call with three participants, if Participant C sends only an audio stream, the call still incurs both audio and video charges.
User A subscribes to the video stream from B and the audio stream from C. The resolution tier for user A is High Definition (HD). The collection resolution is (1280 × 720 for B) + (0 for C) = 921,600.
User B subscribes to the video stream from A and the audio stream from C. The resolution tier for user B is Standard Definition (SD). The collection resolution is (640 × 480 for A) + (0 for C) = 307,200.
User C subscribes to the video streams from A and B. The resolution tier for user C is Full High Definition (Full HD). The collection resolution is (640 × 480 for A) + (1280 × 720 for B) = 1,228,800.
The call duration is 600 seconds, which is 10 minutes.
Fee calculation:
Real-Time Communication fee for A = Video call unit price (CNY 0.024/minute) × Video call duration (10 minutes)
Fee for user B = Unit price for SD (CNY 0.012/minute) × Call duration (10 minutes)
Cost of Real-Time Communication for C = Unit price for video calls (CNY 0.06/minute) × Video call duration (10 minutes)
Total cost = Real-Time Communication cost for A + Real-Time Communication cost for B + Real-Time Communication cost for C
Notes
Alibaba Cloud RTC generates and settles your bill for the previous day at approximately 02:00 each day. The actual time that your bill is generated may vary.
If you use the bypass streaming and cloud recording services, their fees are calculated separately. For more information, see Billing for bypass streaming and Billing for cloud recording.