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Digital Video Infrastructure: The Complete Guide

Video APIs are ushering in a new era of functionality and personalization in the world of streaming. Learn about seven popular types of Video API's and why they are important.

According to one of the largest databases of APIs, there are over 700 video APIs at the disposal of software developers. For product and development teams that leverage video APIs, the added functionality afforded to video functions is a clear path to increasing engagement while saving time and money.

Below, we look at some of the functionality, personalization, and benefits that video APIs can provide so you have a better understanding of how they may work for you.

Encode: compress an input file and prepare it for delivery over the internet. Companies decide how much to compress the file and how much data to discard. 

Stream (HLS): deliver media content to internet-enabled devices as a continuous stream of data and users can watch directly without downloading the data to their computer or device.

Live Stream (Encode + Event): stream live content from a mobile app, broadcast software, or hardware encoder and broadcast to any device.

Store Metadata (Thumbnails, Title, Description): retrieve, deploy, create, update or delete page layouts, and the content’s organization parameters. Intended for managing the metadata internal model, not editing the video content.

Manage Playout Services: playout programming, monetization, distribution, and analytics platforms.

Video platform APIs are a clever way to manage your video content, usually with a built-in CMS, so you can easily import, manage, and curate videos and workflows. More sophisticated video infrastructure partners allow you to leverage subsets within the platform APIs, and manage specific types of parameters.

For example, if you are managing video playlists, some available functionality could be playlist creation, updating, deletion, and the ability to create relationships between two or more playlists. For example, if you had a “Comedy” playlist, a nested playlist could be “Dark Comedies,” “Slapstick Comedies,” or “Romantic Comedies.”

Similarly, these types of settings can be managed across video Categories, Apps, Subtitles, Devices, Video Sources, Users, Encoders, Live Events, and more.

Content rule APIs allow you to set specific access to videos, categories, or playlists. 

For example, Zype’s Content Rules can deny countries that should not be allowed to view certain content. We also have a Consumer Super Watcher setting that provides specific privileges to administrators so they can bypass all content rules.

Consumer entitlement APIs allow you to manage the use of paid or code redeemed content for specific consumers. Generally, these entitlements are given via monetization options such as with the purchase of a movie, playlists, or pass plans.

Video monetization APIs help to manage your subscribers. For example, you would start with the creation of the types of subscriptions you want to offer, then manage that subscription with updates, deletions, or cancellations. 

Other forms of video monetization that be realized within this type of API include video rentals, ads, or monetization frameworks around SVOD, TVOD, and AVOD. With pre-integrated payment solutions like PayPal, or Apple Pay, you can make upselling easier by offering your subscribers with solutions they are likely to already have.

Video player APIs help with complex processes related to a high quality streaming experience. This can include, for example, Adaptive Bitrate streaming support (ABR) to ensure a great viewing experience regardless of the viewer’s bandwidth. 

Other features of a video player API might include continuous play settings, age gates, analytics integrations, social sharing, attribution settings, and more.  

Using open protocols to allow secure authorization such as with OAuth, video providers can provide secure, delegated access.

Video analytics APIs help you to make important decisions based on what your viewers are watching, for how long, on what devices, and from which regions. 

The Zype video analytics API helps across several key categories:

Streaming analytics: shows how much content has been viewed during given time periods.

Engagement analytics: shows how viewers are watching content on their devices.

Attribution analytics: shows where video requests were generated from across the web.

Revenue analytics: shows how much revenue you’ve generated during given time periods from paywalled video content.

Consumer analytics: shows consumer activity such as sign-ups, transactions, cancellations, and metadata.

Most recently, Google made waves in 2020 with their Transcoder API release. This API facilitates the creation of consumer streaming formats for direct-to-consumer media content. Google’s transcoder API even includes functionality for an ad break keyframe. 

This function allows providers to insert their desired and tailored ads within their programming. Providers can leverage the Transcode API to distribute content through Google’s own Cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN) or via third-party CDNs. 

Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Elemental API is another example of a video API that can be integrated into a company’s existing video hosting infrastructure. AWS Elemental “processes video streams in real time, taking a live video source and compressing it into multiple versions for distribution to viewers.” 

The arduous task of ensuring live video is accurately compressed for continuous, uninterrupted streaming is now possible on a large-scale by leveraging encoders that are powerful enough to produce an accurate and timely video playback experience. 

Low-level APIs, from cloud providers like AWS and Google, require you to build and integrate a series of products around it for content management systems (CMS) and paywalls. Other companies choose to invest in Video Infrastructure APIs that provide an all-encompassing package of features that are equipped to cut out the guesswork. 

Zype’s arrangement of products, for example, are designed to facilitate the publishing, management, personalization, and distribution of video across every channel from a single platform. 

Companies turn to Zype for expertly crafted API products that handle transcoding and delivery, content and playlist management, app endpoint management, playout, paywall, analytics, and connectors to other parts of the stack.

Should You Build Your Own Streaming Technology or Use APIs?

Companies are often faced with the decision of “do we build?” or “do we buy?” as they formulate their technology strategy for video streaming. When teams are tasked with building internally there are a slew of factors to coordinate; with plenty of room for errors--as well as personalization. The double-edged sword of building lies in the team’s ability to execute the task; while staying true to the established development budget. 

Otherwise, the arduous task could lead to costly mistakes that directly impact the project’s success and the client’s UX.  The building, optimizing, scaling, and maintaining of a video content platform is costly, time-consuming, and complex; especially for businesses whose expertise and primary focus lie elsewhere.

If the ultimate goal is to create a compelling video streaming experience that increases a company’s reach and broadens its customer base while driving revenue, there is a strong argument for leveraging Video APIs. While the “build” process can be properly overseen by the right internal team of developers, many companies find that their time (and money) are better invested by utilizing APIs. 

Teams can still be in control of their innovation cycles while using APIs. The important aspect about video APIs, in particular, is that there are readily available services and integrations that can manage complex parts of their tech stack that will add considerable value. Rather than spending time and resources building these services from scratch, video APIs can handle much of the work that teams are seeking to implement.

Still Wondering, What Exactly Are Video APIs?

The term Video API is an umbrella term for any API that relates directly to the streaming and facilitating of video content. The API that a company elects to integrate with their video player or application will be the key determining factor that will dictate the quality of the end user’s viewing experience. 

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) have grown in importance for decades, and their applications are now an essential piece of the app development process. APIs exist to facilitate communications among multiple servers, and now, with the rise of video streaming, video APIs are a crucial part of the OTT app pipeline. 

An API, differing from a plug-in that adds features to existing software, defines how a component interacts with a system and enables the communication between them.

There are many choices available to content-hungry consumers in the modern age of streaming. Forward-thinking OTT providers that are agile and care about personalizing their audience’s experience should incorporate video APIs to solve the video stack’s complexity.

Zype’s Endpoint API Services allow customers to produce and publish custom OTT video streaming applications on the web and manage set-top, smart TV, gaming, and mobile app marketplaces. Zype’s platform creates a “realm” around a content owner’s property (website, OTT endpoints, mobile apps, etc.) where consumers can use the same single authentication method everywhere. All endpoint apps pass player requests and engagement analytics data back into the Zype platform.

Zype OTT (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android Mobile, gaming consoles, smart TVs)

Zype app production tools (push-button production services for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV)

Consumer account management widgets, device linking authentication widgets


If the world of API-first has left your team intrigued on how to proceed, and you are still unsure of just how to integrate APIs into streams or manage these different protocols, then reach out to our team of experts at Zype. We provide the infrastructure, APIs, and tools to help developers launch awesome video apps and experiences.

Zype provides easy to use API endpoints to build typically challenging workflows like creating, scheduling, and archiving Live Events through a single API call. We’ve built a comprehensive and connected API-first video infrastructure for engineers and developers to consider as they are developing their projects. 

Video APIs: Functionality, Personalization, & Benefits

Video APIs are ushering in a new era of functionality in the streaming world. Learn the types of Video API's and why they are important.

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3 How YouTube's 'Watch On' Button Could Change Video Embeds

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Digital video headlines. Handpicked weekly.

According to a recent Deloitte report on digital media trends, 47 percent of Americans now watch free ad-supported streaming TV services, or “FASTs.” FASTS are any free, ad-supported streaming video service that may include on-demand, linear programming, or both. 

The linear TV aspect of FASTS is essentially a free version of cable TV that mimics the lean-back experience of linear TV, with a programming grid. Some of the most popular FAST services include Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Peacock, Samsung TV+, and Xumo.

CNBC reports that traditional media executives expect about 25 million U.S. households to cancel their longstanding pay-TV subscriptions over the next five years, providing the assumption many of these consumers will seek free, ad-supported alternatives.

The pandemic has much to do with these changes, but as the Deloitte survey mentions, “the COVID-19 story isn’t so much “before and after” as it is “before and FASTer.”

While the average US home now subscribes to four OTT video services, the costs of stacking multiple subscription-based offerings are too much for many consumers. As a result, more consumers are canceling services for those they find to suit their interests at any given moment. On the contrary, you never really cancel a FAST, and Deloitte’s market research found that 37% of consumers enjoy the variety of content options available to them on free streaming services. 

Pluto TV has a global reach of nearly 36 million monthly active users, with 28.4 million in the United States, and Tubi saw its viewership jump 58 percent (to 2.5 billion hours) in 2020. Its audience reach is almost 80 percent greater than the top 25 cable networks. 

The success of FASTS can be attributed to:

Carry lower ad-loads than pay TV’s average of 12 minutes and 12 seconds per hour

BYOD (Bring your own device) FASTS are available on every mobile and Connected TV device and come pre-installed on many smart TV platforms such as Samsung, LG, Roku, and Vizio, which significantly increases their adoption

So while the business model of linear TV (paying $200 per month for access to a certain number of linear channels) is dying, linear TV as a viewing experience is proving to be as popular as ever.

Suppose you are a video content distributor with a wealth of content you’d like to get eyeballs on. In that case, you’re probably wondering how FASTS and ad-supported linear streaming can improve your OTT distribution strategy.

A FAST channel is a linear channel that appears on a free, ad-supported streaming TV service. Like its cable channel counterpart, a FAST channel is delivered in a scheduled manner. For example, if a viewer wants to watch a specific show, such as the original Unsolved Mysteries series, the viewer must tune into the channel at a particular time. The content on FAST channels generally falls into three broad buckets;  older TV shows or movies, packaged digital-first video clips, and streaming services leveraging library content to make their owned-and-operated services stand out, such as ViacomCBS using Pluto to promote two of its series, “Clarice” and “The Equalizer.”

Contingent upon many factors, including channel placement, ad fill rate, average CPM, content quality, duration, refresh rate, FAST channels can generate anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000+ in gross monthly revenue.

Each FAST service offers a mix of its own 24/7 curated linear channels in addition to channels that third-party content distributors operate. When considering FAST as part of your distribution strategy, here’s what you need to know.

These are channels that are curated and operated by the FAST service. For example, Xumo’s Action, Comedy, Westerns, SciFi & Fantasy, Black Cinema, Action, and Documentaries channels. 

Who’s it great for? Content owners with small libraries, B2B content distributors, independent movie studios, etc.

These channels bear your company’s name or service and house your programming. Examples of branded FAST channels include Cheddar, Crackle, FilmRise Free Movies, Hallmark Movies & More. Unlike theme channels operated by the FAST services, you are responsible for your channel’s operation, which requires an investment in resources and technology.

Who’s it great for? SVOD/AVOD streaming services, digital-first content producers, news organizations, etc.

Considerations when launching your own branded FAST channel

You’ll want to keep in mind two areas when launching your FAST channel: content quality and scheduling. 

Content Quantity - As a reference point, you’ll want to launch with 100-250 hours of content and refresh 10-20 hours of your content each month. When viewers come back to your channel, you don’t want them seeing the same content they’ve seen before.

Scheduling - There are two primary ways of scheduling your programming on a  FAST channel, looped playlists and scheduled. As the name suggests, a looped playlist takes a playlist of on-demand videos and loops them. Although they’re simple to program, looped playlists don’t have the look-and-feel that you’d expect from a traditional TV channel. Scheduled playlists are more involved to schedule but can incite better viewer engagement habits.

How Content Owners can Harness FAST’s Potential

TV[R]EV research estimates that OTT will amass about 25 billion in ad-spend from advertisers by 2025, with FASTs to receive the lion’s share. 

If you are a content distributor considering your FAST channel’s launch, you may be wondering the best way to get started. Zype Playout helps video product teams navigate the challenging linear live broadcasting landscape and grow their distribution footprint across multiple FAST services. 

It also provides an all-encompassing solution to facilitate a FAST streaming solution for companies of all sizes. Playout is a programming, monetization, distribution, and analytics platform with the fastest stream start times in the industry. 

Playout offers workflows for selecting and ordering playlists of videos to create linear channel schedules, scheduling broadcasts, and encoding and packaging linear channels for RTMP or HLS based distribution. SSAI is supported, with integrations available for FreeWheel and Google Ad Manager.

Zype Playout takes the guesswork out of distributing FAST channels. Learn more here. 

Free Ad Supported Streaming: Tap Into the Massive Audience Behind the Free TV Movement

FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming): Look deeper into why linear OTT is already the next big thing in ad-supported streaming.

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VideoFuel: Android Stream Hours Near 1 Trillion, The Digital Migration of Broadcasters, And More

This Week in the Digital Video Industry

1 Android Phone Users Streamed Almost 1 Trillion Hours in 2020

2 Pandemic Accelerates Broadcasters' Digital Migration Plans

3 How YouTube's 'Watch On' Button Could Change Video Embeds

4 Roku Confirms Plans For Original Content For The Roku Channel

5 Cinedigm Keeps Up Streaming M&A Hot Streak

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