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Inside the Jitsi Architecture: How Videobridge, Prosody & Jicofo Work Together

10 min Avkash Kakdiya

Jitsi’s architecture is a solid system built to deliver flexible, scalable video conferencing. Whether you’re new to Jitsi, a business owner trying to get it, or an agency reselling white-label video tools, knowing how Videobridge, Prosody, and Jicofo fit together is key. This article breaks down these main parts, how they interact behind the scenes, and how you can tweak the platform to match your brand or project.

API Overview

Jitsi offers several APIs letting developers add video conferencing features or build custom apps. At its core, Jitsi provides APIs through these parts:

  • Jitsi Videobridge API: Handles video routing without mixing streams. Instead, it sends video packets straight to each participant, cutting down on server CPU use. This boosts scalability for group calls.

  • Jicofo API: Manages signaling, coordinates video bridges, and keeps track of the conference status, making sure everyone connects as they should.

  • Prosody API: As an XMPP server, Prosody handles authentication, presence, and group chats used for signaling in Jitsi Meet.

How these APIs work together

  1. When someone joins a call, Prosody authenticates them and manages their XMPP session.
  2. Jicofo controls the meeting flow, allocates resources, and triggers Videobridge sessions.
  3. Videobridge routes media streams directly between users, avoiding the heavy lifting of mixing streams on the server.

For example, a SaaS provider using Jitsi Meet’s iframe API supported hundreds of calls at once without hitting performance issues thanks to Videobridge. They used Jicofo to automate session control and Prosody to smoothly handle user permissions.

Security and compliance

Jitsi supports secure protocols like DTLS-SRTP to encrypt media. Prosody can integrate external authentication like JWT Tokens and LDAP to meet enterprise security needs. This setup covers data privacy and keeps communications safe, which many businesses require.

UI Elements

Getting Jitsi means understanding its front-end too. Its default UI uses React, designed to be straightforward, responsive, and easy to extend.

Core UI elements

  • Video Grid: Shows participant videos dynamically, with tile or speaker views.
  • Controls Toolbar: Offers mic, camera, screen sharing toggles, chat, and invite buttons.
  • Chat Panel: Lets users type messages during calls.
  • Participants Pane: Lists attendees, hosts, and their statuses.
  • Notifications: Alerts users about connection quality, recording, or network issues.

Developers can customize or rebuild these React components and CSS styles. Agencies often simplify the UI for users or add features like waiting rooms and custom layouts.

Example: Tailoring the UI

An ed-tech company used Jitsi for virtual classes but wanted to hide advanced controls from younger students. They modified React components and tweaked the config file to show only essentials like mute and raise hand. This made the interface safer and less confusing without losing Jitsi’s reliable video backend.

Branding Options

Beyond core functions, a professional, branded interface matters for businesses and agencies offering video services.

Custom branding options include:

  • Logo and favicon swap: Replace default Jitsi logos with your own.
  • Color schemes: Change main colors, buttons, and highlights to match your brand.
  • Startup/welcome screen: Customize the intro screens users see before joining.
  • Watermarks and overlays: Add branded marks or lower-thirds for webinars.
  • Localized content: Adjust UI text for different languages or regions.

Since Jitsi Meet is open source, these changes are straightforward via config files or by building a custom front end on top of Jitsi.

Case Study: Agency White-Labeling

A digital agency rebranding Jitsi swapped the entire UI look and added their logos. They also improved the welcome page with company-specific terms and privacy info for legal coverage. This helped their client look polished while using Jitsi’s scalable backend.

Example Customizations

Customization goes deeper than branding. Many projects need to adapt or extend Jitsi to fit workflows, add features, or boost performance.

Adding authentication

While open conferences are standard, many orgs need user checks. Integrating Prosody with custom auth modules (like JWT Tokens) locks down meeting access.

Custom layouts and UI tweaks

Developers create layouts like spotlight mode (highlighting speakers) or sidebar chats by modifying React components or using config settings.

Recording and streaming

Jitsi supports recording via Jibri, which captures streams from Videobridge. Custom recording setups add value for business uses.

Large meeting support

Managing bandwidth is key for big calls. Videobridge supports simulcast and scalable video coding, adjusting quality based on device and network. This helps calls run smoother across different situations.

Real-world example

A healthcare app used Jitsi for teleconsultations, adding HIPAA-compliant auth via Prosody with external checks. They removed chat for privacy and added custom notifications for recording status. It took some deep work with Jitsi components but boosted patient trust and ease of use.

Resources

If you want to build, customize, or understand Jitsi, good docs and community help go a long way.

Official documentation

Community and forums

Tutorials

You’ll find plenty of tutorials on YouTube and Medium about setting up secure Jitsi instances, customizing UIs, and advanced features. These help newcomers and agencies alike.


Conclusion

Knowing Jitsi’s architecture means knowing how Videobridge, Prosody, and Jicofo work together to deliver scalable, secure video calls. The APIs let you integrate and control conferences, while the UI adapts to different needs. Branding and customizations open options for businesses and agencies who want tailored or white-label setups.

If you plan to build or resell video conferencing, mastering Jitsi’s core will help you provide reliable, branded, and secure services. Start testing the APIs, tweak the UI to your brand, and use community help to scale your setup.

Want to set up your own Jitsi video solution? Check out the official docs, join forums, and start building video tools that fit your users’ needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jitsi architecture centers on Videobridge, Prosody, and Jicofo, which together enable scalable, secure video calls.

Videobridge forwards video packets to participants without mixing streams, lowering server load and improving call quality.

You can change UI elements, swap logos, tweak colors, and adjust API behavior to match your brand or user needs.

Yes, Jitsi’s open-source, modular design makes it a solid choice for agencies building white-label solutions.

Jitsi supports end-to-end encryption and uses secure protocols, meeting many security standards for safe communications.

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