Alibaba Cloud ApsaraVideo VOD provides short video SDKs for iOS and Android mobile platforms. These SDKs integrate features such as video recording, cropping, editing, merging, and uploading. You can integrate the short video SDK into your application and perform secondary development based on the open-source UI to meet the requirements of various business scenarios.
Core competencies
Quick and cost-effective integration
You can integrate the short video SDK into your services in as little as 2 hours. This allows you to quickly implement features provided by the short video SDK in your applications without developing them yourself.
Easy-to-use APIs
The short video SDK provides intuitive APIs. The Professional Edition allows you to customize the UI based on your business requirements.
Comprehensive features for various usage scenarios
The recording feature supports resumable recording, real-time filters, efficient retouching (supports Alibaba Cloud Beauty Effect SDK and FaceUnity beauty sticker SDK), and facial recognition APIs for face stickers. You can import, compress, and crop local videos, and add advanced features such as theme templates, animated stickers, subtitles, and music to videos.
High stability and reliability based on service iterations
The short video SDK is stable and reliable, having been tested by more than 1,000 applications.
Intelligent production for quick video creation
High-quality video templates are provided. You can upload media materials and easily produce high-quality, creative videos based on these templates.
Featured functions
Alibaba Cloud provides a demo application for you to experience short video recording and editing.
Video recording
The short video SDK provides various features such as duet recording, resumable recording, video clip deletion, tap to shoot, tap and hold to shoot, common retouching effects, real-time filters, flash setting, real-time watermarks, camera switching, resolution settings, face stickers from the built-in face sticker library, mixed audio streams and speed ramping effects. Additionally, the Professional Edition can integrate with third-party facial augmented reality (AR) services to support advanced face and skin retouching.
Video editing
The short video SDK supports basic editing features such as video cropping, music addition, and stream merging. It also supports special effect editing features such as filters (including static and animated filters), transitions, subtitles (including regular and bubble subtitles), stickers (including animated and static stickers), sound effects, and doodles (supporting brush thickness adjustment, color adjustment, and revocation).
Animated stickers
You can add animated stickers to videos on the editing UI. After adding an animated sticker, you can adjust its display duration and the point in time when you want to display it.
Draft box
You can generate a draft after editing a new video or editing a video stored in the draft box. Multiple drafts are listed in the draft box. Editing changes to a draft video in the draft box are synchronized to the cloud.
Feature list
The following table describes the features provided by the short video SDK and the support for these features in the Basic Edition, Standard Edition, and Professional Edition. In the table, ✓ indicates that the feature is supported, and × indicates that the feature is not supported.
Feature | Description | Basic Edition | Standard Edition | Professional Edition | Module description on the Professional Edition purchase page | |
Interface | Default UI | Provides a default UI. You can modify the layout and UI for secondary development. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | You can use this feature free of charge. |
Custom UI | Provides the complete source code for UI interaction. You can customize the UI based on your requirements. You can also replace icons and change the background color. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Video recording | Resolution and aspect ratio | Supports recording in standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) and ultra-high definition (UHD), and provides multiple video aspect ratios, such as 16:9, 4:3, and 1:1. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Definition | Allows you to specify the frame rate and quality level, or configure custom Group of Picture (GOP) settings and bitrates to generate videos at different resolutions. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Multi-clip recording | Supports resumable recording and continuous recording. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Custom duration | Allows you to set the maximum and minimum recording duration. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Speed | Supports both slow and fast recording modes. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Recording control | Allows you to switch frames, switch cameras, use flashlight, specify the exposure level, change the focal length, and configure the focus mode. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Photo capture | Captures the current image, and saves the image as a photo. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Background music | Allows you to add music on the recording UI. Music resources are provided by a third party at an additional cost. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Real-time watermark | Allows you to add watermarks when you record videos. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Real-time filter | Allows you to switch filters in real time during video preview. You can also create a custom filter. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Real-time effects | Allows you to add common effects such as dithering and screen split during preview. You can also add a custom effect. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Face stickers | Allows you to add effects such as face stickers by using the built-in facial recognition feature. | × | × | ✓ | ||
Facial recognition APIs | Supports integration of third-party facial recognition services to allow users to add face stickers during recording. | × | × | ✓ | ||
Custom rendering | Supports custom rendering for the collected data that is returned in callbacks. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Basic retouching | Allows you to add retouching effects in real time and change the retouching level during recording. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Advanced retouching | Supports integration of third-party retouching services (supports Alibaba Cloud Beauty Effect SDK and FaceUnity beauty sticker SDK at an additional cost), including skin smoothing, skin reddening, skin whitening, big eyes, and face slimming effects. | × | × | ✓ | ||
Duet recording | Allows you to record a duet that consists of a video that is being taken by the camera and an existing video. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Mixed audio streams | Supports real-time mixing of multiple audio streams during recording. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Echo removal | Supports echo removal from the recording source during recording. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Noise reduction | Supports noise reduction during recording. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Screen recording | Allows you to record a screen and generate a video. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Multi-source recording | Combines videos that are recorded by cameras, videos that are recorded for a screen, and videos from local devices to generate a video. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Basic video editing | Video import | Allows you to import local videos and edit the videos. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Photo cropping | Allows you to crop photos by image size. The padding and cropping modes are supported. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Video cropping | Allows you to crop videos by image size or video duration. The padding and cropping modes are supported. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Cropping based on the original aspect ratio | Allows you to crop videos by duration based on the original aspect ratio. This helps reduce the time that is required for video cropping. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Video transcoding | Allows you to configure the encoding format, bitrate, GOP settings, and frame rate to generate videos based on different compression ratios. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Preview by frame | Allows you to view the frame image on which the reference cursor appears in the preview window when you move the timeline. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Video snapshotting | Allows you to render the current video frame and save the snapshot as an image based on the current timeline. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Stream merging | Allows you to import and merge multiple images and video streams to generate a video file. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Layout for multiple videos | Allows you to import multiple videos and specify the position and size of the videos to generate a video with multiple images. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) | Allows you to add videos that overlap each other on the main video track to generate a video file with the PiP effect. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Background music | Allows you to add music that is not affected by time effects. Music resources are provided by a third party at an additional cost. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Dubbing by using local audio files | Allows you to add local audio files to a video. You can also add time effects such as fast-forward and slow-motion effects. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Video effects | Time effect | Allows you to add the fast or slow motion, reverse playback, and repetition effects to videos. | × | ✓ | ✓ | You can use this feature free of charge. |
Image editing | Allows you to change the brightness, white balance, sharpness, vignette, and contrast of an image on the editing UI. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Static filters | Allows you to switch between a Lookup Table (LUT) filter or a shader script filter on the editing UI in real time. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Effect filter | Allows you to add animated filters such as out of body and phantom on the editing UI. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Transition | Allows you to add transition effects such as translation, fade, and shutter between adjacent videos or photos. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Frame animation | Allows you to shift, zoom, and modify animations such as stickers and subtitles, on videos and images. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Static stickers | Allows you to add static stickers to a video in time on the editing UI. After you add a static sticker, you can change the display duration of the static sticker and the point in time when you want to display the static sticker. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Doodle | Allows you to adjust the style, size, and color of the paint brush. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
End watermarks | Allows you to add end watermarks to videos. You can specify the display duration of the end watermarks. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Custom rendering | Supports custom rendering for encoded frame data that is returned in callbacks. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Noise reduction | Supports noise reduction for audio clips. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Audio fade-in and fade-out | Supports audio fade-in and fade-out effects. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Mute | Allows you to mute the original audio of the current video and music. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Sound effects | Allows you to use voice effects such as lolita and male voices to edit the original audio on the editing UI. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Animated stickers | Animated stickers | You can add an image sequence (animated image) to the editing interface at any time point. The sequence also supports time adjustment. | × | × | ✓ | Corresponds to Animated Stickers on the Audio and Video Terminal SDK purchase page. |
Theme template | MV | Allows you to add MVs and switch among MVs on the editing UI. | × | × | ✓ | Corresponds to MV on the Audio and Video Terminal SDK purchase page. |
Subtitles | Regular subtitles | Allows you to add multiple subtitles. You can configure the position, size, angle, color, and font of subtitles. You can also specify the display duration of the subtitles, and the point in time when you want to display the subtitles. | × | × | ✓ | Corresponds to Subtitles on the Audio and Video Terminal SDK purchase page. |
Bubble subtitles | Allows you to add a background to subtitles. You can add animated backgrounds and configure subtitle borders. | × | × | ✓ | ||
Word art | Supports the multi-colored text style that uses art effects. | × | × | ✓ | ||
Subtitle flipping | Allows you to combine subtitle effects. You can manage the effects and specify the point in time based on your business requirements. | × | × | ✓ | ||
Draft box | Draft | Allows you to save the videos that you record or edit as drafts. You can directly edit the drafts when you want to use them. | × | ✓ | ✓ | You can use this feature free of charge. |
Draft list | Allows you to add edited videos to the draft list. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Synchronization of drafts to the cloud | Allows you to upload and download video drafts. | × | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Others | Album selection | Allows you to filter videos by album or by video duration. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | You can use this feature free of charge. |
Thumbnail | Allows you to extract frames from a video at a specified time point and generate thumbnails by using the frames. You can quickly generate thumbnails when you use the fast mode. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Video information | Allows you to extract common information about a video, including the resolution, frame rate, and encoding format. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Upload to VOD | You can use ApsaraVideo VOD for media asset management, cloud-based transcoding, and content moderation. | ✓ Note The Basic Edition supports video upload by using the upload SDK. | ✓ Note The Standard Edition supports video upload by using the upload SDK. | ✓ Note The Professional Edition supports video upload by using the upload SDK. In addition, the Professional Edition integrates the core classes that are used for video upload in the editing and compositing scenarios. | ||
Expert support | Technical support for the short video SDK. | DingTalk group | ||||
License management
To use the short video SDK, you must obtain a license. For more information, see Obtain a license for the short video SDK.
Supported media formats
The short video SDK supports the following media formats:
Type | Format |
Video | MP4, MOV, FLV |
Audio | MP3, AAC, PCM |
Image | JPG, PNG, GIF |
Resources
The resources of the short video SDK include facial recognition model resources, filter resources, and animated filter resources. These SDK resources can be stored on the network or packaged into an APK file. To reduce the size of the SDK package, we recommend that you store the SDK resources on the network and download the resources when you start the application.
The short video SDK does not support assets streams. If you package the resources into an APK file, you must copy the resources to the SD card after you start the application. You can obtain the resource files and usage instructions from the downloaded SDK package.
Scaling mode
If the aspect ratio of an image or a video is different from the aspect ratio of the output video, you must select a scaling mode.
The short video SDK supports the following scaling modes:
Padding pattern | Processing method |
Cropping mode | Maintains the original aspect ratio and crops the image to display only the center area. |
Scaling pattern | Maintains the original aspect ratio and displays the complete image by filling the blank area with a specified color. |
Encoding format
The short video SDK supports the following encoding formats:
Encoding format | Description |
Software encoding | Uses the CPU to encode a video. Compared with hardware encoding, software encoding allows you to configure more parameters. At the same bitrate, a software-encoded video is clearer than a hardware-encoded video. However, software encoding is slow. In addition, the CPU load is high and the temperature of the mobile phone increases during software encoding. |
Hardware encoding | Uses other hardware instead of the CPU to encode a video. Hardware encoding is faster and places lower load on the CPU than software encoding. However, the clarity of a hardware-encoded video is slightly lower than the clarity of a software-encoded video. In addition, hardware encoding may fail on some Android devices. |
References
You can learn about some basic concepts of ApsaraVideo VOD.
If you want to learn how to integrate the short video SDK into your project code, see the following topics: