Playback ID
A playback ID is the public identifier a video platform puts in a stream URL so a player can request that video, separate from the internal ID used to manage the file. Keeping the two apart means a platform can make a video public or private, or rotate access, without touching the asset itself.
Why it matters
Separating the public playback ID from the internal asset ID lets a business control access without re-uploading or re-encoding. It can retire a leaked link, move a video from public to paid, or issue time-limited links, protecting revenue from shared URLs.
How it works
- When a video is uploaded, the platform creates the asset and one or more playback IDs for it.
- The playback ID goes into the stream URL that the player requests.
- Public playback IDs play for anyone; signed ones need a valid, unexpired token.
- Removing or replacing a playback ID changes access without touching the stored video.
Playback ID vs media ID: what is the difference?
A media ID identifies the stored video inside the platform and is used by the API to manage it. A playback ID is the public identifier in stream URLs that players use to request the video. Keeping them separate means access can change without touching the stored asset.
How do I make a video private?
You make a video private by requiring a signed token to play it. The platform issues a signed playback ID, and your server creates a short-lived token, usually a JWT (JSON Web Token), for each authorized viewer. Links shared without a valid token stop working once the token expires. Teams can lock down paid videos on FastPix without re-uploading them, because signed playback IDs use JWTs created with the team's signing keys.
Where it's used
SaaS products and subscription services issue a playback ID per video, and a signed, expiring one for paid content, so a shared link stops working once its token expires.
Where it usually goes wrong, and how FastPix handles it
Teams that put permanent, unsigned links in their apps cannot stop a leaked URL from being shared, short of deleting and re-uploading the video.
In FastPix, every media file and live stream has one or more playback IDs, which can be public or signed with a JWT using signing keys. Signed playback IDs only play with a valid token. So a leaked link stops working when its token expires, and paid content stays paid without re-uploading anything.
