← Glossary
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)
Apple's adaptive streaming protocol that delivers video as a sequence of small HTTP-downloaded segments.
HLS breaks video into short segments described by an .m3u8 manifest file, letting the player switch between bitrates as network conditions change and request each segment over plain HTTP. It's the dominant streaming protocol on Apple platforms and widely supported elsewhere. SSAI systems modify the HLS manifest to splice ad segments and DATERANGE cue markers directly into the content stream so the player sees one continuous, ad-inclusive playlist.