# Adding alternate media to a playlist Specify Rendition Playlists that can override the main presentation. ## Overview Adding alternate media to a Multivariant Playlist allows a provider to specify one of a set of variant playlists as an *override* of the main presentation. The client plays only the override media (audio or video), and suppresses any media of the same type from the main presentation, if present. This allows a presentation to offer multiple versions of the media without requiring the provider to store duplicate media, or requiring the client to download all variants when it only needs one. It also allows additional media to be offered subsequently without remastering the original content. ### Add alternate media Here’s an example of a Multivariant Playlist that provides additional audio renditions: ```swift #EXTM3U #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio",LANGUAGE="eng",NAME="English",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES,URI="eng/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio",LANGUAGE="fre",NAME="Français",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="fre/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio",LANGUAGE="sp",NAME="Espanol",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="sp/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=195023,CODECS="avc1.42e00a,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio" lo/prog_index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=591680,CODECS="avc1.42e01e,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio" hi/prog_index.m3u8 ``` The tags used in this Multivariant Playlist example include: - `EXT-X-MEDIA`: Identifies an element of a media selection group. All the elements of a media selection group must have similar characteristics, for example, the same codecs and the same maximum bandwidth. - `EXT-X-STREAM-INF`: indicates that the next URL in the Multivariant Playlist identifies a Rendition Playlist. See [Creating a Multivariant Playlist](/documentation/HTTP-Live-Streaming/creating-a-multivariant-playlist) for the basic parameters. The EXT-X-MEDIA tag has the following parameters: - `TYPE`: (Required) A string indicating the type of media. Valid values are `AUDIO`, `VIDEO`, `SUBTITLES`, and `CLOSED-CAPTIONS`. - `GROUP-ID`: (Required) A string specifying the group that the media selection belongs to. - `LANGUAGE`: (Optional) A string that identifies the primary language used in the media selection. - `NAME `: (Required) A string that describes the primary language used in the media selection. - `AUTOSELECT`: (Optional) A string that indicates that the client may play the media selection in the absence of explicit user preference. Valid values are `YES` and `NO`. If the value of `DEFAULT` is `YES`, this value must also be `YES`. - `DEFAULT`: (Optional) A string indicating that the media selection should be played if the user hasn’t selected another option. Valid values are `YES` and `NO`. - `INSTREAM-ID`: (Required for closed captions) A string that specifies a rendition within the segments in the media playlist. When the `TYPE` attribute is `CLOSED-CAPTIONS`, the `INSTREAM-ID` must have one of the following values: `CC1`, `CC3`, `CC3`, `CC4`, or `SERVICEn`, where `n` is between 1 and 63. - `ASSOC-LANGUAGE`: (Optional) A string containing a language tag for the rendition. An associated language is often different from the language specified in the `LANGUAGE` attribute. - `CHANNELS`: (Required when two renditions have the same codec but a different number of channels) An ordered string that indicates the maximum number of independent, simultaneous audio channels present in a media segment. - `URI`: (Optional) A string containing a URI that identifies the media playlist file. If the `TYPE` is `CLOSED-CAPTIONS`, this attribute must be omitted. When this attribute is omitted, the media content is in the original variant. When its URI attribute is omitted, the `EXT-X-MEDIA` tag can indicate that the media described is included in the URI of the `EXT-X-STREAM-INF` tag. The `EXT-X-STREAM-INF` tag has the following parameters: - `AUDIO`: (Optional) A quoted string that indicates the set of audio streams that may be used when playing the presentation. This value must match the value of the `GROUP-ID` attribute of an `EXT-X-MEDIA` tag elsewhere in the Multivariant Playlist whose `TYPE` attribute is `AUDIO`. - `VIDEO`: (Optional) A quoted string that indicates the set of video streams that may be used when playing the presentation. This value must match the value of the `GROUP-ID` attribute of an `EXT-X-MEDIA` tag elsewhere in the Multivariant Playlist whose `TYPE` attribute is `VIDEO`. - `SUBTITLES`: (Optional) A quoted string that indicates the set of subtitle renditions that can be used. This value must match the value of the `GROUP-ID` attribute of an `EXT-X-MEDIA` tag elsewhere in the Multivariant Playlist whose `TYPE` attribute is `SUBTITLE`. - `CLOSED-CAPTIONS`: (Optional) Either a quoted string that indicates the set of closed captions that can be used or an enumerated string with the value of `NONE`. When this value is a quoted string, it must match the value of the `GROUP-ID` attribute of an `EXT-X-MEDIA` tag elsewhere in the Multivariant Playlist whose `TYPE` attribute is `CLOSED-CAPTIONS`. If the enumerated value is `NONE`, all `EXT-X-STREAM-INF` tags must have this attribute with a value of `NONE`. You can have multiple audio groups to allow changes in codes or bit rate. However, each audio group in a variant must have the same alternates in it. For example, you can’t have English in one audio group and leave it out of the other group. The following example defines two audio groups, one for low bit rates and one for high bit rates. Both audio groups define the same set of languages but are called based on the available bandwidth. ```swift #EXTM3U #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio-lo",LANGUAGE="eng",NAME="English",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES,URI="englo/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio-lo",LANGUAGE="fre",NAME="Français",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="frelo/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio-lo",LANGUAGE="es",NAME="Espanol",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="splo/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio-hi",LANGUAGE="eng",NAME="English",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES,URI="eng/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio-hi",LANGUAGE="fre",NAME="Français",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="fre/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="audio-hi",LANGUAGE="es",NAME="Espanol",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="sp/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=195023,CODECS="mp4a.40.5",AUDIO="audio-lo" lo/prog_index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=260000,CODECS="avc1.42e01e,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio-lo" hi/prog_index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=591680,CODECS="mp4a.40.2,avc1.64001e",AUDIO="audio-hi" lo/prog_index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=650000,CODECS="avc1.42e01e,mp4a.40.2",AUDIO="audio-hi" hi/prog_index.m3u8 ``` ### Combine Groups and Single Options You can have both a group and a single stream in a playlist. This is often done when you have multiple camera angles that all use the same audio. Create a group for the video streams and then declare the single audio stream. The following example shows a playlist with three camera angles and a single audio stream: ```swift #EXTM3U #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="500kbs",NAME="Angle1",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="500kbs",NAME="Angle2",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="Angle2/500kbs/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="500kbs",NAME="Angle3",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="Angle3/500kbs/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="aac",LANGUAGE="en",NAME="English",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES,URI="eng/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=754857,CODECS="mp4a.40.2,avc1.4d401e",VIDEO="500kbs",AUDIO="aac" Angle1/500kbs/prog_index.m3u8 ``` To provide different streams for different bit rates, a different video group ID is needed for each bit rate. ```swift #EXTM3U #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="200kbs",NAME="Angle1",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="200kbs",NAME="Angle2",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="Angle2/200kbs/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="200kbs",NAME="Angle3",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="Angle3/200kbs/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="500kbs",NAME="Angle1",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="500kbs",NAME="Angle2",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="Angle2/500kbs/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=VIDEO,GROUP-ID="500kbs",NAME="Angle3",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=NO,URI="Angle3/500kbs/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-MEDIA:TYPE=AUDIO,GROUP-ID="aac",LANGUAGE="en",NAME="English",AUTOSELECT=YES,DEFAULT=YES,URI="eng/prog_index.m3u8" #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=300000,CODECS="mp4a.40.2,avc1.4d401e",VIDEO="200kbs",AUDIO="aac" Angle1/200kbs/prog_index.m3u #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=754857,CODECS="mp4a.40.2,avc1.4d401e",VIDEO="500kbs",AUDIO="aac" Angle1/500kbs/prog_index.m3u8 ``` --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. 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