Ad configurations define various aspects of ad playback, including ad calls, timing, beacons and other ad configuration options. Server-side ad settings define the ads that can be requested during video on demand (VOD) videos and during live events. Server-side ads take advantage of Brightcove's Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) technology and provide these main features:
- Since ads are stitched into the on-demand or live video stream on the server side, they are not affected by ad blockers
- For live events, ads are inserted at cue points sent from your encoder or you can create an instant cue point using the
- You can configure fill slates to fill any unused ad time
To learn more about server-side advertising, see Implementing Server-Side Ads with the Brightcove Player.
VOD and live ad configurations are managed from two separate panels in the Admin module, both grouped under Distribution in the Admin sidebar. To access either panel, you must be a user with the Administrator role.
- Sign in to Studio.
- Open the Admin module.
- In the Admin sidebar, under Distribution, click either VOD Server-Side Ad Settings or NextGen Live Settings.
This topic covers both panels:
Creating a VOD ad configuration
The VOD Server-Side Ad Settings panel lists every existing VOD configuration, showing the Name, Response Type and Created date for each.
To add a VOD ad configuration, follow these steps:
- In the Admin sidebar, under Distribution, click VOD Server-Side Ad Settings.
- In the Configurations section, click New. The Add VOD Server-Side Configuration dialog opens.
- Enter a Name.
- Select an Ad Server Response Type:
- GAM Ad Rules - Proprietary format for Google Ad Manager (GAM, formerly Google DFP)
- GAM VMAP - Video Multiple Ad Playlist (VMAP)
- Smart XML - Proprietary format for FreeWheel
- VAST 3.0 - Digital Video Ad Serving Template (VAST)
For details, see the Video Cloud SSAI API document.
- Enter the Ad Tag.
- Select Disable server-side beacons to disable server-side beacons. When disabled, SSAI will not fire any beacons server-side and will include all beacons in the VMAP output.
- Click Add.
To edit an ad configuration, click the configuration name, make your changes, then click Save. To delete or duplicate a configuration, select it from the list and use the corresponding action.
Once VOD ad configurations have been created, open the Players module and click on a player to view its properties. When the Enable Server-Side (SSAI) advertising property is enabled, an ad configuration can be selected. For information on configuring player advertising, see
Creating a Live ad configuration
The NextGen Live Settings panel lists every existing Live configuration, showing the Name, Response Type and Ad Server URL for each.
To add a Live ad configuration, follow these steps:
- In the Admin sidebar, under Distribution, click NextGen Live Settings.
- In the Configurations section, click New. The Add Next-Gen Live Configuration dialog opens.
- Enter a Name.
- Enter the Ad Server URL. Include the full address of the ad server.
- Select an Ad Server Response Type:
- DFP - Proprietary format for Google Ad Manager (GAM, formerly Google DFP)
- VAST - Digital Video Ad Serving Template (VAST)
- VMAP - Video Multiple Ad Playlist (VMAP)
- (Optional) Under Custom Headers, click Add to add custom headers required by your ad server. Standard headers (X-Forwarded-For, X-Device-User-Agent) are included automatically. Up to 10 custom headers are supported.
- (Optional) Under Custom Beacons, click Add to add tracking beacons for custom channels at specific ad events (start, firstQuartile, midpoint, complete, etc.). Up to 10 custom beacons are supported.
- Click Add.
To edit an ad configuration, click the configuration name, make your changes, then click Save. To delete or duplicate a configuration, select it from the list and use the corresponding action.
Once Live ad configurations have been created, when an event is created with the Enable Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) property enabled, an ad configuration can be selected in the Control Room. For information on creating live events, see
Player Enhancements for Live SSAI
Brightcove's Player Enhancements for Live SSAI allows you to add client-side components to live streams, including ad counts, ad countdown timers, click through ads and companion ads. For details, see the Overview: Player Enhancements for Live SSAI document.
To use this feature, contact your Customer Success Manager to enable your account for:
- Live streams
- Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI)
- Player Enhancements for Live SSAI
To add player enhancements, follow the steps in Creating a Live ad configuration above and select the client-side components that you want to add to your live stream before clicking Add.