ApsaraVideo VOD:Introduction to player SDK

Benefits

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

• Optimal performance: ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports stable playback of many media files. It enables instant loading and an ultra-low stuttering rate through various features such as network optimization, preloading, and local caching based on best practices. This ensures a smooth playback experience.

• Full platform coverage: ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports Web, Android, iOS, Flutter, and HarmonyOS NEXT platforms. This effectively supports multi-screen playback scenarios and meets diverse customer requirements. The SDK provides unified operations across different platforms, simplifying cross-platform integration.

• Data visualization: ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides data tracking features and data dashboards for you to obtain macro statistics on playback behavior data and gain insight into user preferences. For more information, see Playback data statistics.

Advantages

• Stable and smooth playback experience

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK delivers 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 device-adaptive software and hardware decoding ensure smooth playback.

• One-off integration covering multiple platforms

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK supports Web, Android, iOS, Flutter, and HarmonyOS NEXT platforms. This effectively supports multi-screen playback scenarios and meets diverse customer requirements. The SDK provides unified operations across different platforms, simplifying 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. The 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 using these encryption methods. This prevents infringements such as unauthorized download and distribution.

• Comprehensive data service system

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides macro statistics and real-time monitoring 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, meeting your business requirements across different scenarios.

Scenarios

• Short videos

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK implements instant loading through 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. It works with ApsaraVideo VOD to support multiple features for long videos, such as snapshots above the progress bar, image masking for live comments, and ASS subtitles. Additionally, multiple security policies are provided to ensure video security.

• Online education

  ApsaraVideo Player SDK provides full platform coverage to meet your business requirements. It supports mobile platforms (Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS NEXT) and cross-platform solutions (Web and Flutter). It also supports multiple encryption methods for effective copyright protection, including HLS encryption, Alibaba Cloud proprietary cryptography, and DRM encryption. You can choose an encryption method based on your needs.

• 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.

License information

1. ApsaraVideo Player SDK for mobile platforms has added the Professional Edition based on the Standard Edition since February 14, 2025 (starting from version 7.0.0). To obtain the Professional Edition, contact your sales representative. For instructions on how to authorize after obtaining the License, see Integrate player License.

2. When you purchase resources of ApsaraVideo VOD, ApsaraVideo Live, or Intelligent Media Services that reach a certain amount, you can obtain a one-year License authorization for the Professional Edition of ApsaraVideo Player SDK for free. For more information, see ApsaraVideo Player SDK billing.

3. The newly obtained License for the Professional Edition of ApsaraVideo Player SDK for mobile platforms supports only version 7.0.0 or later. Before you obtain the License, make sure that you check the version of ApsaraVideo Player SDK that is integrated in your application.

Version status classification and technical support policy

To optimize user experience, ApsaraVideo Player keeps updating player SDKs to release new features, improve player performance, and fix issues. ApsaraVideo VOD preserves 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.

Based on the release time, we classify ApsaraVideo Player versions into four states: Recommended, Supported, Deprecated, and Unsupported. The technical support services that we provide vary based on the state of the player version.

For information about the versions of ApsaraVideo Player SDK, see Download ApsaraVideo Player SDK. The following table describes the version status classification and technical support policy:

References

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

• To download ApsaraVideo Player SDK, see Download ApsaraVideo Player SDK.

• For more information about License management, see License management.

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

  • Quick integration of Web player

  • Quick integration of Android player

  • Quick integration of iOS player

  • Quick integration of Flutter player