Streaming policies are a key component that define how content is packaged and delivered to end users. They determine the streaming protocols and encryption options available when content is accessed.
In this article:
What are streaming policies?
Streaming policies specify the technical parameters for content delivery. When you create a streaming locator (which generates the URL for accessing your content), you associate it with a streaming policy that defines:
Streaming protocols supported:
MPEG-DASH.
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming).
Encryption and content protection:
Clear streaming (no encryption).
Envelope encryption (AES-128).
Common Encryption (CENC) with PlayReady and/or Widevine DRM.
FairPlay DRM for Apple devices.
How streaming policies are used
When you want to make content available for streaming, you create a streaming locator that links three components together:
Your encoded asset (the media content).
A streaming policy (defines how to deliver it).
A streaming endpoint (the actual delivery infrastructure).
The streaming locator generates URLs that clients use to access your content, and the streaming policy determines what formats and protections those URLs provide.
Predefined streaming policies
Ravnur provides six built-in streaming policies you can use immediately:
Predefined_ClearStreamingOnly - delivers content without encryption.
Predefined_DownloadAndClearStreaming - allows both downloading and clear streaming.
Predefined_DownloadOnly - no streaming, but permits downloading.
Predefined_ClearKey - uses AES-128 encryption.
Predefined_MultiDrmCencStreaming - uses multiple DRM systems (PlayReady, Widevine).
Predefined_MultiDrmStreaming - includes PlayReady, Widevine, and FairPlay.
Key purposes of custom streaming policies
Security & encryption: They allow you to define exactly how content should be protected, such as using AES-128 clear key encryption or multiple Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems like PlayReady, Widevine, and FairPlay.
Protocol control: You can specify which streaming protocols are enabled (e.g., HLS, DASH, or Smooth Streaming) to ensure compatibility with specific target devices while blocking others.
Selective track encryption: Custom policies let you choose which tracks (video or audio) remain unencrypted, allowing for scenarios like "clear" trailers followed by encrypted feature content.
Custom Key Delivery: You can point to a custom service for delivering content keys to end-user players, rather than using the default Ravnur Media Services license issuer.
Access expiration: They allow you to set specific time-based restrictions for when a streaming locator—and thus the content—is available to viewers.
Custom streaming policies
You can create custom streaming policies when the predefined ones don't meet your specific needs. This allows you to specify exactly which protocols and protection schemes you want to support.
When to create a custom policy
🔵 Selective protocol support - When you only want to support specific streaming protocols (e.g., HLS and DASH only) to reduce surface area or simplify testing.
🔵 Specific DRM combinations - When you need particular DRM systems. For example, PlayReady for Windows/Xbox but not Widevine, or vice versa. The predefined multi-DRM policies include all systems.
🔵 Custom encryption settings - When you need to specify particular encryption schemes or key delivery configurations not covered by the defaults.
🔵 Token requirements - When different content protection token authentication schemes or requirements are needed.
🔵 Business/Compliance needs - When specific licensing agreements or regulatory requirements dictate exactly which DRM systems and protocols you can use.
Using multiple streaming policies with one asset
A single asset can be associated with multiple streaming policies by creating multiple streaming locators, each with a different policy. This is a common and powerful pattern that enables flexible content delivery strategies.
Example use cases
Tiered access model:
Streaming locator 1 uses
Predefined_ClearStreamingOnlyfor free preview or trailer content.Streaming locator 2 uses
Predefined_MultiDrmCencStreamingfor premium subscribers with full content protection.
Each locator generates its own unique URL, allowing you to direct different users to different endpoints based on their subscription level, region, or device capabilities.
Development and production environments:
One policy for internal testing (clear streaming).
Another policy for production deployment (encrypted with DRM).
Benefits
The same encoded asset serves multiple use cases without re-encoding, which is efficient and cost-effective. Streaming policies are reusable across multiple assets, so you typically define the policies you need once and then reference them when creating streaming locators for different pieces of content. This separation of concerns makes it easier to manage how your content is delivered at scale.