Media3 Smoothstreaming Playback

Trigger

Use when an app must play SmoothStreaming manifests or add media3-exoplayer-smoothstreaming.

Rules

• Start with streaming-media-architecture for ownership, KMP split, preload, and telemetry.
• Pin Media3 to 1.10.1 through the version catalog.
• Keep SmoothStreaming code in Android source sets.
• Use this only when the stream source is SmoothStreaming; prefer HLS/DASH skills for modern adaptive delivery.
• Validate manifest URI, DRM needs, subtitles, and live/VOD behavior before changing UI.
• Track manifest parse errors separately from HTTP, DRM, codec, and renderer failures.
• Reuse shared ABR, load-control, and network policy from existing playback infrastructure.
• MUST set MimeTypes.APPLICATION_SS on the MediaItem when the URI does not end in .ism/Manifest; otherwise Media3 cannot infer the stream type.

Example

media3-exoplayer = { module = "androidx.media3:media3-exoplayer", version.ref = "media3" }
media3-exoplayer-smoothstreaming = { module = "androidx.media3:media3-exoplayer-smoothstreaming", version.ref = "media3" }

// URI ends in .ism/Manifest: type is inferred.
player.setMediaItem(MediaItem.fromUri(smoothStreamingManifestUri))
player.prepare()

// URI does not end in .ism/Manifest: set the MIME type explicitly.
player.setMediaItem(
    MediaItem.Builder()
        .setUri(opaqueManifestUri)
        .setMimeType(MimeTypes.APPLICATION_SS)
        .build()
)
player.prepare()

Do Not

• Do not convert HLS/DASH tasks into SmoothStreaming work.
• Do not hide manifest failures behind a generic "video failed" message.
• Do not duplicate ABR policy already covered by media3-bandwidth-abr.

Related

• media3-hls-dash-adaptive-streaming
• media3-bandwidth-abr
• media3-drm-widevine-setup

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: sunnat629
• Source: sunnat629/android-media-pack
• License: Apache-2.0

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.