FAQ about live stream recording - ApsaraVideo Live - Alibaba Cloud Documentation Center

This topic provides answers to some commonly asked questions about live stream recording.

How long does it take for recordings to be generated after a live stream ends? Can I adjust the time?

By default, after a live stream ends or is disconnected, recordings are generated in 3 minutes.

We recommend that you not specify a time that is excessively short or long. If the time is excessively short, a large number of recordings may be generated when a live stream is unexpectedly disconnected due to reasons such as network fluctuations. If the time is excessively long, recordings may require a long period of time to be generated after a live stream ends.

Why are no recordings generated even if I configured a recording template?

By default, after a live stream ends or is disconnected, recordings are generated in 3 minutes. You can apply to change the time.
Check whether the AppName and StreamName parameters in the recording template are the same as those in the ingest URL. Recordings are generated only when the AppName and StreamName parameters in the recording template are the same as those in the ingest URL.
If you store recordings in Object Storage Service (OSS), check whether the OSS bucket resides in the same region as the streaming domain. If the OSS bucket and the streaming domain reside in different regions, recording is not allowed.

Can I store recordings in ApsaraVideo VOD and OSS at the same time?

ApsaraVideo Live does not allow recordings to be stored in ApsaraVideo VOD and OSS at the same time. You must choose only one storage method.

How do I obtain recordings?

After a live stream is recorded, you can use the following methods to obtain the recordings.

Method 1: View the recordings in the ApsaraVideo Live console. For more information, see Manage recordings.
Method 2: Query the recordings by calling the DescribeLiveStreamRecordContent operation.
For example, for the live stream aliyundoc.com/live/teststream that starts from 2019-02-15 09:00:00 to 2019-02-15 21:00:00, you can call the DescribeLiveStreamRecordContent operation to query the recording content. Take note that the values of StartTime and EndTime are in UTC.
```
/?AppName=live
&DomainName=aliyundoc.com
&StreamName=teststream
&StartTime=2019-02-15T01:00:00Z
&EndTime=2019-02-15T13:00:00Z
&<Common request parameters>
```

Can I download recordings that are stored in OSS by calling an API operation?

ApsaraVideo Live does not provide an API operation that you can call to download recordings that are stored in OSS. However, you can call an API operation provided by OSS to download them. For more information, see Simple download.

How do I obtain the playback URL of a recording that is stored in OSS?

For information about how to obtain the playback URL of a recording that is stored in OSS, see Share objects with object URLs.

How do I select the transcoding template for a live stream that is recorded to ApsaraVideo VOD?

To transcode a live stream that is recorded to ApsaraVideo VOD, you must first create a transcoding template in the ApsaraVideo VOD console. For more information, see Transcoding templates. The region of the transcoding template that you use in ApsaraVideo VOD must be the same as the region where your domain name resides. For example, if your domain name resides in the China (Shanghai) region, the transcoding template that you use in ApsaraVideo VOD must also reside in the China (Shanghai) region.

What do I do if I cannot watch a recorded video in the ApsaraVideo Live console?

For information about how to watch a recorded video in the ApsaraVideo Live console, see Manage recordings. If you cannot watch a recorded video, perform the following steps to troubleshoot the issue.

Log on to the OSS console and check whether the access control list (ACL) of the OSS bucket is private.
If the ACL of the bucket is private, ApsaraVideo Live cannot obtain the signed URL of the recorded video. You must set the ACL of the bucket to public-read. For more information, see Bucket ACLs.
You can also obtain the signed URL by referring to How do I obtain the playback URL of a recording that is stored in OSS? and then use other players to play the video.
Check whether HTTPS-based access is enabled for the domain name.
The ApsaraVideo Live console works based on HTTPS. Therefore, you can play recorded videos only from HTTPS URLs. If the bucket uses the default domain name that is assigned by OSS, HTTPS-based access is supported because OSS automatically configures an HTTPS certificate for the default domain name. If the bucket uses a custom domain name, you must configure an HTTPS certificate for the domain name. For more information, see Installation overview.
You can also obtain the playback URL of the recording by referring to How do I obtain the playback URL of a recording that is stored in OSS? and then use ApsaraVideo Player that is based on HTTP to play the video.
Check whether the bucket supports cross-origin resource sharing (CORS).
For information about how to troubleshoot CORS issues, see OSS CORS errors and troubleshooting.

If you still cannot play the video after the preceding measures are taken, submit a ticket to contact Alibaba Cloud technical support. For more information, see Contact us.

Why does an error occur when I call RealTimeRecordCommand to manually record a live stream?

You must configure recording rules before you can call RealTimeRecordCommand to manually record a live stream. For more information, see Live stream recording.

Recording indexes can generate only M3U8 files. How do I use an M3U8 file to generate an MP4 file?

You can use ApsaraVideo Media Processing to transcode the file and convert it to the MP4 format. For more information, see Submit a transcoding job.

What is the function of a recording cycle?

A recording cycle is the maximum length of a recording. If the duration of a live stream exceeds the recording cycle, multiple recordings are generated. You can set the recording cycle to a value from 15 to 360 minutes. You can configure the recording cycle when you configure a recording template in the ApsaraVideo Live console. You can also call the AddLiveRecordVodConfig operation to configure the recording cycle for live streams that are recorded to ApsaraVideo VOD or call the AddLiveAppRecordConfig operation to configure the recording cycle for live streams that are recorded to OSS.

A live stream is recorded to OSS and the M3U8, FLV, and MP4 formats are configured in the recording template. Why are a large number of excessively short recordings in the M3U8, FLV, and MP4 formats generated after the live stream ends?

Perform the following steps to troubleshoot the issue.

Check whether frequent disconnections occur during stream ingest and whether the disconnections last for more than 3 minutes. If a recorded live stream is disconnected for more than 3 minutes, new recordings are generated.
Check whether the recording cycle that you configure in the recording template is excessively short. If the duration of a live stream exceeds the specified recording cycle, new recordings are generated.