Is there a way to reduce client-side latency to be...
# ask-ail
lemon-nest-44301
07/11/2025, 7:22 PMIs there a way to reduce client-side latency to below 1-2 seconds?
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tall-airline-16756
07/11/2025, 7:22 PMThanks for reaching out, enx. I'm an AI assistant and I'm here to help. Give me a moment while I research this topic.
tall-airline-16756
07/11/2025, 7:23 PMYou can reduce client-side latency to below 1-2 seconds in LiveKit by leveraging several optimization strategies:
• Leverage LiveKit's global edge network: Use LiveKit Cloud, which connects users to the nearest server and routes media over a private backbone—similar to a CDN for real-time media. This minimizes transmission delays.
• Minimize buffer sizes: WebRTC (the protocol used by LiveKit) typically operates with client-side buffers of 100ms or less, greatly lowering audio and video latency compared to traditional streaming approaches.
• Optimize network connection: Using WiFi 6/7 or a wired ethernet connection can further reduce latency by 10–30ms compared to older wireless standards.
• Keep agents and clients network-proximate: Ensure all critical services—like text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and LLM APIs—are geographically and network-close to your LiveKit agents and clients.
• Monitor with LiveKit's Agents metrics API: Use the metrics API to analyze latency points (e.g., Time To First Token, Time To First Byte) and identify bottlenecks.
Real-world usage reports sub-200ms glass-to-glass latency when these techniques are applied.
Implementing these steps should enable you to significantly reduce client-side latency. If you have a specific use case or need advice on a particular scenario, feel free to provide more details.
Sources: OpenAI and LiveKit partner to turn Advanced Voice into an API | Live Conversations with AI using ChatGPT and WebRTC | Decentraland's Catalyst: using WebRTC to interact in the metaverse | Agents Overview | LiveKit Docs | Voice Assistants | livekit/livekit_composite | DeepWiki | A Tale of Two Protocols: WebRTC vs. HLS for Live Streaming | README.md | AI Agents Framework | livekit/livekit_composite | DeepWiki
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lemon-nest-44301
07/11/2025, 7:25 PMBy latency, I'm referring to the initial connection time to the room. It usually takes around 1-2 seconds for me despite applying all optimization techniques, and it's not ideal for a desktop voice assistant. Is there no way of reducing it further?
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tall-airline-16756
07/11/2025, 7:26 PMHey there! Want to speed up your LiveKit room connection? I've got some super helpful tips that can get you connected in under 2 seconds—perfect for voice assistants and quick communication.
• Use "warm" tokens: Think of this like having your house key ready before you walk up to the door. Generate a token when a user logs in, so you're not fumbling around looking for it when you need to connect.
• Parallelize agent dispatch and room join: Imagine doing two things at once instead of one after the other. By dispatching your agent and joining the room simultaneously, you'll cut down connection time dramatically.
• Pre-warm the connection: It's like warming up your car before a chilly morning. Use the
prepareConnectionwithPreConnectAudio