Working with ID3 segment tags
You can include ID3 tags in every segment in the HLS outputs and MediaPackage outputs in an AWS Elemental MediaLive channel. Typically, you include ID3 segment tags in an output if you know that a downstream system expects the data and can interpret it.
You should obtain the requirements for the contents of the tag from a representative of the downstream system.
How the feature works
You enable the feature. For an HLS output group, you set up individual HLS output groups in a channel so that ID3 segment tagging is enabled for all the outputs in the output group. For a MediaPackage output group, there is no setup. Tagging is always enabled in these output groups.
You then create an ID3 segment tag action in the channel schedule and specify the contents of the tag. There are two options for the contents:
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You provide the content for the Field in the ID3 tag portion of the ID3 frame. The Field is always type TXXX. MediaLive constructs the entire ID3 frame.
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You provide the entire ID3 frame.
At the start time for the action, the channel starts to insert the tag content in every segment in the HLS and MediaPackage outputs.
You can change the contents of the tag, by creating a new action. At the start time of the new action, MediaLive starts inserting the contents of the new tag in every segment.
Comparison to ID3 metadata
A feature that is similar to ID3 segment tagging is ID3 timed metadata. You can set up the channel to include both sets of metadata. Both sets are inserted in the same PID, but as different types of ID3 metadata.
Here is a comparison of the two features:
| Topic | ID3 segment tags that uses the tag option | ID3 segment tags that uses the ID3 option | ID3 timed metadata |
|---|---|---|---|
| One time or repeat? | Repeat At the start time of the action, MediaLive starts inserting ID3 tags in every segment in the applicable outputs. It continues to insert in every segment, typically for the life of the channel. |
Repeat At the start time of the action, MediaLive starts inserting ID3 tags in every segment in the applicable outputs. It continues to insert in every segment, typically for the life of the channel. |
One-time At the start time of the action, MediaLive inserts the ID3 metadata in the applicable outputs, as a one-time event. |
| Applicable output groups | HLS and MediaPackage output groups. You must enable the ID3 segment tag feature in the applicable output groups. | HLS and MediaPackage output groups. You must enable the ID3 segment tag feature in the applicable output groups. | Archive, HLS, MediaPackage, and UDP output groups. You must enable the ID3 timed metadata feature in the applicable output groups. |
| You provide clear text or base64? |
Clear text You provide only the value for the TXXX field inside the ID3 tag. You specify this value as clear text. |
Base64 You provide a fully formed ID3 metadata item (including both a header and a frame, as per the ID3 specification) and encode it as base64. |
Base64 You provide a fully formed ID3 metadata item (including both a header and a frame, as per the ID3 specification) and encode it as base64. |
| Typical contents |
Content that you want to repeat in every segment Typically, the content consists in all or part of variable text in the form of MediaLive variable data. For example, it might consist of the date and time, and the current segment number, meaning that the tag contents are different in each segment. |
Content that you want to repeat in every segment |
Content that you want to include once
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