Azure Media Services overview

• 10/24/2017
• 2 minutes to read
• Contributors
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Microsoft Azure Media Services is an extensible cloud-based platform that enables developers to build scalable media management and delivery applications. Media Services is based on REST APIs that enable you to securely upload, store, encode, and package video or audio content for both on-demand and live streaming delivery to various clients (for example, TV, PC, and mobile devices).

You can build end-to-end workflows using entirely Media Services. You can also choose to use third-party components for some parts of your workflow. For example, encode using a third-party encoder. Then, upload, protect, package, deliver using Media Services.

You can choose to stream your content live or deliver content on-demand. The topic also links to other relevant topics.

Media Services learning paths

You can view AMS learning paths here:

• AMS Live Streaming Workflow
• AMS on-Demand Streaming Workflow

Prerequisites

To start using Azure Media Services, you should have the following:

• An Azure account. If you don't have an account, you can create a free trial account in just a couple of minutes. For details, see Azure Free Trial.
• An Azure Media Services account. For more information, see Create Account.

• (Optional) Set up development environment. Choose .NET or REST API for your development environment. For more information, see Set up environment.

  Also, learn how to connect programmatically to AMS API.

• A standard or premium streaming endpoint in started state. For more information, see Managing streaming endpoints

SDKs and tools

To build Media Services solutions, you can use:

• Media Services REST API
• One of the available client SDKs:
  • Azure Media Services SDK for .NET,
  • Azure SDK for Java,
  • Azure PHP SDK,
  • Azure Media Services for Node.js (This is a non-Microsoft version of a Node.js SDK. It is maintained by a community and currently does not have a 100% coverage of the AMS APIs).
• Existing tools:
  • Azure portal
  • Azure-Media-Services-Explorer (Azure Media Services Explorer (AMSE) is a Winforms/C# application for Windows)

Code samples

Find multiple code samples in the Azure Code Samples gallery: Azure Media Services code samples.

Concepts

For Azure Media Services concepts, see Concepts.

Supported scenarios and availability of Media Services across data centers

For detailed information, see AMS scenarios and availability of features and services across data centers.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

• For Media Services Encoding, we guarantee 99.9% availability of REST API transactions.
• For Streaming, we will successfully service requests with a 99.9% availability guarantee for existing media content when a standard or premium streaming endpoint is purchased.
• For Live Channels, we guarantee that running Channels will have external connectivity at least 99.9% of the time.
• For Content Protection, we guarantee that we will successfully fulfill key requests at least 99.9% of the time.
• For Indexer, we will successfully service Indexer Task requests processed with an Encoding Reserved Unit 99.9% of the time.

For more information, see Microsoft Azure SLA.

For information about availability in datacenters, see the Availability section.

Support

Azure Support provides support options for Azure, including Media Services.

Provide feedback

Use the User Voice forum to provide feedback and make suggestions on how to improve Azure Media Services. You also can go directly to one of the following categories:

• Azure Media Player
• Client SDK libraries
• Encoding and processing
• Live streaming
• Media Analytics
• Azure portal
• REST API and platform
• Video-on-demand streaming