ApsaraVideo Player SDK

Benefits

After you integrate ApsaraVideo Player SDK, you can better use the ApsaraVideo VOD service and build your comprehensive and closed-loop video-on-demand (VOD) business.

• Optimal performance: ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports the stable playback of a large number of media files. ApsaraVideo Player SDK makes instant loading and an ultra-low stuttering rate possible by using various features such as network optimization, preloading, and local caching based on best practices. This ensures a smooth playback experience.

• High compatibility: ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports multiple platforms such as web, Android, iOS, Flutter, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Multi-screen playback is supported to fulfill your business needs. ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides unified operations for different platforms. This simplifies the process of cross-platform integration.

• Data visualization: ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides the data tracking feature and data dashboards for you to obtain macro statistics on playback behavior data and gain insight into the preferences of users. For more information, see Statistical analysis.

Core competencies

• Stable and smooth playback experience

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK brings stable and reliable performance. It supports more than 100 million playback requests (video views) per day, an instant loading rate greater than 95%, and a stuttering duration of less than 100 ms within 100 seconds. Comprehensive playback solutions and the device-adaptive software and hardware decoding feature ensure smooth playback.

• One-off integration covering multiple platforms

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports multiple platforms such as web, Android, iOS, Flutter, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Multi-screen playback is supported to fulfill your business requirements. ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides unified operations for different platforms. This simplifies the process of cross-platform integration.

• Diverse playback features

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides various features such as pseudo-live streaming for Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) streams, image masking for live comments, Advanced SubStation Alpha (ASS) subtitle files, and image quality enhancement on the device side. ApsaraVideo Player SDK offers solutions for various scenarios to meet your business requirements.

• Composite video security solution

  ApsaraVideo VOD supports HTTP-Live-Streaming (HLS) encryption, Alibaba Cloud proprietary cryptography, and digital rights management (DRM) encryption. You can use ApsaraVideo Player SDK to decode files that are encoded by using the preceding encryption methods. This prevents infringements such as unauthorized download and distribution.

• Comprehensive data service system

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides macro statistics and the real-time monitoring feature for your business based on the data tracking feature. Full-link tracing capabilities are provided at the user level or playback session (video view) level. This helps you troubleshoot playback exceptions and prevent user experience degradation.

• Live streaming and VOD integration

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports common live streaming and VOD scenarios. This meets your business requirements in different scenarios.

Scenarios

• Short videos

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK implements instant loading by using various features such as network optimization, preloading, and local caching based on best practices. This ensures a smooth playback experience.

• Long videos

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides features such as adaptive bitrate streaming, unchanged audio pitch at different playback speeds, and image quality enhancement on the device side. ApsaraVideo Player SDK works with ApsaraVideo VOD to support multiple features for long videos, such as the snapshots above the progress bar, image masking for live comments, and ASS subtitles. In addition, multiple security policies are provided to ensure video security.

• Online education

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK covers multiple platforms. It supports mobile devices on Android and iOS, and desktop devices on Windows, macOS, and Linux. ApsaraVideo Player SDK also provides ApsaraVideo Player SDK for Web and ApsaraVideo Player SDK for Flutter as cross-platform solutions. ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports multiple encryption methods for copyright protection, including HLS encryption, Alibaba Cloud proprietary cryptography, and DRM encryption. You can select an encryption method as needed.

• Live streaming and Live to VOD

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports common protocols used for live streaming and VOD scenarios. It seamlessly integrates with ApsaraVideo Live and supports time shifting during live streaming, pseudo-live streaming, and playback of live recordings. This helps you build your closed-loop audio and video business.

Version states and technical support policies

To optimize user experience, ApsaraVideo Player keeps updating player SDKs to release new features, improve player performance, and fix issues. ApsaraVideo VOD preserves the API compatibility to a great extent during version updates. We recommend that you update your player SDK to the latest version at your earliest opportunity to improve your playback experience.

ApsaraVideo Player SDK versions are classified into four states based on the release date: Recommended, Supported, Not Recommended, and Not Supported. ApsaraVideo VOD provides different technical support services for player SDKs in different states.

For more information about the versions of ApsaraVideo Player SDK, see Release notes of ApsaraVideo Player SDKs. The following table describes the version states and technical support policies for ApsaraVideo Player SDK.

References

• For more information about the features of ApsaraVideo Player SDK, see Features.

• For more information about how to download ApsaraVideo Player SDK, see Download ApsaraVideo Player SDK.

• For more information about licenses, see Manage a license.

• For more information about how to integrate ApsaraVideo Player SDK, see one of the following topics based on your business requirements: The following table describes the details.

  • Quick integration