The ApsaraVideo Player SDK requires a license for authorization. You can obtain a license by purchasing one or qualifying for a free offer based on your spending on eligible Alibaba Cloud services.
Licensing workflow
To use the Player SDK in your application, complete the following steps:
Obtain a license -- Purchase a paid license or qualify for a free license based on your spending.
Bind the license -- Associate the license with your application in the ApsaraVideo VOD console.
Integrate the license -- Add the license credentials (License Key and License File) to your application code.
This topic covers step 1. For steps 2 and 3, see Integrate a license.
Obtain a license
Each license edition includes a specific set of features. For a detailed comparison, see Player SDK feature details. For billing questions, see the Player billing FAQ.
Purchase a paid license
Purchase the Player SDK on the ApsaraVideo MediaBox SDK purchase page. After purchase, see Integrate a license to bind and integrate the license.
Qualify for a free license
If your cumulative spending on ApsaraVideo VOD, ApsaraVideo Live, and Intelligent Media Services meets the following threshold within a rolling 31-day window, you qualify for a free Player SDK license.
To apply, visit the Player SDK free offer application.
Spending threshold (list price) | Eligible services | Purchase amount (USD) | Offer |
>= USD 15,000 | ApsaraVideo VOD, ApsaraVideo Live, Intelligent Media Services | Free one-year license for the Player SDK Professional Edition |
The 31-day window is calculated on a rolling basis from T-30 to T, where T is the current date (inclusive) and T-30 is 30 days before the current date (inclusive).
Renew a license
Renew your license before it expires to prevent service interruptions. Two situations may prevent you from renewing directly from the License Management page:
Empty instance ID — The instance ID column for the order on the License Management page is empty.
Console error during renewal — A red error message appears at the bottom of the renewal page: Order configuration parameters do not meet validation criteria. Please reconfigure the product! This prevents you from completing the renewal by clicking Buy Now.
If you encounter either situation, purchase a new license and bind it to your application, or submit an Alibaba Cloud ticket for renewal.
In most cases, renew your license directly from the License Management page (Method 1). If the instance ID of your license order is empty or a console error occurs during renewal, use Method 2 instead.
Method 1: Renew from the License Management page (recommended)
Renewal applies to the entire license order. If your license order includes multiple SDK entitlements, all of them are renewed together. You cannot change the configuration during renewal. If you have questions, submit an Alibaba Cloud ticket.
Go to the My Authorizations page in the ApsaraVideo VOD console.
Select the License Management tab, then find and save the instance ID that is bound to the target application.
If the instance ID is empty or an error occurs in the console during renewal, use Method 2: Purchase a new license and bind the application or submit an Alibaba Cloud ticket for renewal.
Go to the Renewals page in the Expenses and Costs console. Search for the saved instance ID, find the order, and then click Renew in the Actions column.
On the ApsaraVideo MediaBox renewal page, confirm your current configuration and the renewal duration, and then click Buy Now to complete the renewal.
(Recommended) Enable auto-renewal to prevent expiration.
Method 2: Purchase a new license and bind the application
If the instance ID is empty for your purchased SDK license or if an error occurs during renewal, you must purchase a new license from the ApsaraVideo MediaBox purchase page before your current license expires. After the purchase, follow the instructions in Bind license to prevent service interruptions.