HLS manifest examples - AWS Elemental MediaTailor
Understanding HLS playlist typesHLS origin manifest examplesHLS personalized manifest examplesKey differences in personalized manifestsRelated topics

HLS manifest examples

The following sections provide examples of HLS origin manifests and personalized manifests. Understanding these examples can help you configure and troubleshoot your MediaTailor workflows.

Understanding HLS playlist types

HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) uses two primary types of playlists:

Multivariant playlist

A multivariant playlist is the top-level index file that lists all available renditions of the content. It contains references to variant playlists but does not contain any media segments itself. This playlist allows players to select the most appropriate rendition based on network conditions, device capabilities, or user preferences.

This playlist type is also known by several other names in various contexts, including master playlist, master manifest, primary playlist, main playlist, index file, or master M3U8.

In MediaTailor workflows, the multivariant playlist is the entry point for playback requests and is where ad personalization begins.

Variant playlist

A variant playlist contains the actual media segment information for a specific rendition (quality level) of the content. It includes timing information, segment URLs, and other metadata required for playback of a single rendition.

This playlist type is also known as media playlist, child manifest, chunklist, media M3U8, or rendition playlist.

In MediaTailor workflows, variant playlists are personalized to include both content segments and ad segments in the proper sequence.

For more detailed information about HLS playlist types, see HLS playlist types.

HLS origin manifest examples

The following example shows an HLS multivariant playlist that AWS Elemental MediaTailor received by HLS from the content origin.

#EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-INDEPENDENT-SEGMENTS
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2665726,AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH=2526299,RESOLUTION=960x540,FRAME-RATE=29.970,CODECS="avc1.640029,mp4a.40.2",SUBTITLES="subtitles"
    index_1.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=3956044,AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH=3736264,RESOLUTION=1280x720,FRAME-RATE=29.970,CODECS="avc1.640029,mp4a.40.2",SUBTITLES="subtitles"
    index_2.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=995315,AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH=951107,RESOLUTION=640x360,FRAME-RATE=29.970,CODECS="avc1.4D401E,mp4a.40.2",SUBTITLES="subtitles"
    index_3.m3u8
    #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=SUBTITLES,GROUP-ID="subtitles",NAME="caption_1",DEFAULT=YES,AUTOSELECT=YES,FORCED=NO,LANGUAGE="eng",URI="index_4_0.m3u8"

In this multivariant playlist example:

  • The #EXT-X-STREAM-INF tags define different renditions with varying resolutions and bitrates

  • Each rendition references a variant playlist (e.g., index_1.m3u8)

  • The #EXT-X-MEDIA tag defines a subtitle track

The following example shows an HLS variant playlist that AWS Elemental MediaTailor received by HLS from the content origin. This example uses EXT-X-CUE-OUT and EXT-X-CUE-IN tags to describe ad avail opportunities.

#EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:7
    #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:8779957
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779957.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779958.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:5.372,
    index_1_8779959.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-OATCLS-SCTE35:/DAlAAAAAsvhAP/wFAXwAAAGf+/+AdLfiP4AG3dAAAEBAQAAXytxmQ==
    #EXT-X-CUE-OUT:20.020
    #EXTINF:0.634,
    index_1_8779960.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-X-CUE-OUT-CONT:ElapsedTime=0.634,Duration=21,SCTE35=/DAlAAAAAsvhAP/wFAXwAAAGf+/+AdLfiP4AG3dAAAEBAQAAXytxmQ==
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779961.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-X-CUE-OUT-CONT:ElapsedTime=6.640,Duration=21,SCTE35=/DAlAAAAAsvhAP/wFAXwAAAGf+/+AdLfiP4AG3dAAAEBAQAAXytxmQ==
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779962.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-X-CUE-OUT-CONT:ElapsedTime=12.646,Duration=21,SCTE35=/DAlAAAAAsvhAP/wFAXwAAAGf+/+AdLfiP4AG3dAAAEBAQAAXytxmQ==
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779963.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-X-CUE-OUT-CONT:ElapsedTime=18.652,Duration=21,SCTE35=/DAlAAAAAsvhAP/wFAXwAAAGf+/+AdLfiP4AG3dAAAEBAQAAXytxmQ==
    #EXTINF:1.368,
    index_1_8779964.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-X-CUE-IN
    #EXTINF:4.638,
    index_1_8779965.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779966.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779967.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    index_1_8779968.ts?m=1566416212

In this variant playlist example:

  • The #EXTINF tags specify the duration of each segment

  • The #EXT-X-CUE-OUT tag marks the beginning of an ad break

  • The #EXT-X-CUE-OUT-CONT tags provide information about the ongoing ad break

  • The #EXT-X-CUE-IN tag marks the end of the ad break

HLS personalized manifest examples

The following example shows an HLS multivariant playlist that AWS Elemental MediaTailor personalized.

#EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-MEDIA:LANGUAGE="eng",AUTOSELECT=YES,FORCED=NO,TYPE=SUBTITLES,URI="../../../manifest/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/3.m3u8",GROUP-ID="subtitles",DEFAULT=YES,NAME="caption_1"
    #EXT-X-INDEPENDENT-SEGMENTS
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:CODECS="avc1.640029,mp4a.40.2",AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH=2526299,RESOLUTION=960x540,SUBTITLES="subtitles",FRAME-RATE=29.97,BANDWIDTH=2665726
    ../../../manifest/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/0.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:CODECS="avc1.640029,mp4a.40.2",AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH=3736264,RESOLUTION=1280x720,SUBTITLES="subtitles",FRAME-RATE=29.97,BANDWIDTH=3956044
    ../../../manifest/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/1.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:CODECS="avc1.4D401E,mp4a.40.2",AVERAGE-BANDWIDTH=951107,RESOLUTION=640x360,SUBTITLES="subtitles",FRAME-RATE=29.97,BANDWIDTH=995315
    ../../../manifest/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/2.m3u8

Notice how MediaTailor has modified the variant playlist URLs to include session-specific information that enables personalized ad insertion.

The following example shows a variant playlist that AWS Elemental MediaTailor personalized.

#EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:6
    #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:7
    #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:8779957
    #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY-SEQUENCE:0
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779957.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779958.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:5.372,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779959.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY
    #EXTINF:3.066667,
    ../../../../segment/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/0/8779960
    #EXTINF:3.0,
    ../../../../segment/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/0/8779961
    #EXTINF:3.0,
    ../../../../segment/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/0/8779962
    #EXTINF:3.0,
    ../../../../segment/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/0/8779963
    #EXTINF:2.966667,
    ../../../../segment/43f3e412052f2808dd84ea1da90e92e914edddee/external-canary-hls/ee1696a8-4f7f-4c4c-99de-9821131847e8/0/8779964
    #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779963.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:1.368,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779964.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:4.638,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779965.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779966.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779967.ts?m=1566416212
    #EXTINF:6.006,
    https://777788889999.mediapackage.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/out/v1/e309ffd02ba8498d864dcaacff7a5ad9/index_1_8779968.ts?m=1566416212

In this personalized variant playlist example:

  • MediaTailor has inserted ad segments between the content segments

  • The #EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY tags mark the transitions between content and ads

  • Content segments are served from the origin server (MediaPackage in this example)

  • Ad segments are served from MediaTailor's ad segment storage

Key differences in personalized manifests

When MediaTailor personalizes HLS manifests, it makes several important changes:

Multivariant playlist changes

  • Variant playlist URLs are rewritten to point to MediaTailor-managed URLs that include session information

  • The order of tags may be reorganized for optimal playback

Variant playlist changes

  • Ad markers (EXT-X-CUE-OUT, EXT-X-CUE-IN) are replaced with actual ad segments

  • Discontinuity markers (EXT-X-DISCONTINUITY) are added at content/ad boundaries

  • Content segment URLs are rewritten to point to the origin or CDN

  • Ad segment URLs are added to point to MediaTailor's ad segment storage

Understanding these changes can help you troubleshoot issues in your MediaTailor workflows and ensure proper configuration of your CDN and player.

For more information about HLS manifests and MediaTailor, see the following topics: