# Stream media to a channel (/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media)

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Playing media files during online business presentations, educational sessions, or casual meetups heightens user engagement. Video SDK enables you to add media playing functionality to your app.

This page shows you how to use media player-related APIs to play local or online media resources with remote users in Interactive Live Streaming channels.

## Understand the tech

To play a media file in a channel, you open the file using a media player instance. When the file is ready to be played, you set up the local video container to display the media player output. You update channel media options to start publishing the media player stream, and stop publishing the camera and microphone streams. The remote user sees the camera and microphone streams of the media publishing user replaced by media streams.

**Media player flow**

![Media player](https://assets-docs.agora.io/images/video-sdk/play-media.svg)

## Prerequisites

Ensure that you have implemented the [SDK quickstart](/en/realtime-media/video/get-started-sdk) in your project.

## Implement the logic

To implement a media player in your app, follow these steps:

1. After initializing an `RtcEngine` instance, create an `IMediaPlayer` object and register a player observer by calling the `registerPlayerObserver` method.

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  <CodeBlockTab value="java">
    ```java
    mRtcEngine = RtcEngine.create(config);

     // Create a media player object
     mediaPlayer = mRtcEngine.createMediaPlayer();
     // Register a player observer
     mediaPlayer.registerPlayerObserver(this);
    ```
  </CodeBlockTab>

  <CodeBlockTab value="kotlin">
    ```kotlin
    mRtcEngine = RtcEngine.create(config)

     // Create a media player object
     mediaPlayer = mRtcEngine.createMediaPlayer()
     // Register a player observer
     mediaPlayer.registerPlayerObserver(this)
    ```
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2. Implement the callbacks for the media player observer. Observe the player's state through the `onPlayerStateChanged` callback, get the current media file's playback progress through `onPositionChanged`, and handle player events through the `onPlayerEvent` callback.

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    ```java
    @Override
      // Observe the player's state
      public void onPlayerStateChanged(io.agora.mediaplayer.Constants.MediaPlayerState mediaPlayerState, io.agora.mediaplayer.Constants.MediaPlayerError mediaPlayerError) {
        Log.e(TAG, "onPlayerStateChanged mediaPlayerState " + mediaPlayerState);
        Log.e(TAG, "onPlayerStateChanged mediaPlayerError " + mediaPlayerError);
        if (mediaPlayerState.equals(PLAYER_STATE_OPEN_COMPLETED)) {
          setMediaPlayerViewEnable(true);
        } else if (mediaPlayerState.equals(PLAYER_STATE_IDLE) || mediaPlayerState.equals(PLAYER_STATE_PLAYBACK_COMPLETED)) {
          setMediaPlayerViewEnable(false);
        }
      }

      @Override
      // Observe the current playback progress
      public void onPositionChanged(long position) {
        Log.e(TAG, "onPositionChanged position " + position);
        if (playerDuration > 0) {
          final int result = (int) ((float) position / (float) playerDuration * 100);
          handler.post(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
              progressBar.setProgress(Long.valueOf(result).intValue());
            }
          });
        }
      }

      @Override
      // Observe player events
      public void onPlayerEvent(io.agora.mediaplayer.Constants.MediaPlayerEvent mediaPlayerEvent) {
        Log.e(TAG, " onPlayerEvent mediaPlayerEvent " + mediaPlayerEvent);
      }
    ```
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  <CodeBlockTab value="kotlin">
    ```kotlin
    // Observe the player's state
      override fun onPlayerStateChanged(
        mediaPlayerState: io.agora.mediaplayer.Constants.MediaPlayerState,
        mediaPlayerError: io.agora.mediaplayer.Constants.MediaPlayerError
      ) {
        Log.e(TAG, "onPlayerStateChanged mediaPlayerState $mediaPlayerState")
        Log.e(TAG, "onPlayerStateChanged mediaPlayerError $mediaPlayerError")

        when (mediaPlayerState) {
          PLAYER_STATE_OPEN_COMPLETED -> setMediaPlayerViewEnable(true)
          PLAYER_STATE_IDLE, PLAYER_STATE_PLAYBACK_COMPLETED -> setMediaPlayerViewEnable(false)
        }
      }

      // Observe the current playback progress
      override fun onPositionChanged(position: Long) {
        Log.e(TAG, "onPositionChanged position $position")

        if (playerDuration > 0) {
          val result = (position.toFloat() / playerDuration.toFloat() * 100).toInt()
          handler.post {
            progressBar.progress = result
          }
        }
      }

      // Observe player events
      override fun onPlayerEvent(mediaPlayerEvent: io.agora.mediaplayer.Constants.MediaPlayerEvent) {
        Log.e(TAG, "onPlayerEvent mediaPlayerEvent $mediaPlayerEvent")
      }
    ```
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3. Call `setupLocalVideo` to render the local media player view.

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    ```java
    VideoCanvas videoCanvas = new VideoCanvas(surfaceView, Constants.RENDER_MODE_HIDDEN, Constants.VIDEO_MIRROR_MODE_AUTO,
      Constants.VIDEO_SOURCE_MEDIA_PLAYER, mediaPlayer.getMediaPlayerId(), 0);
      mRtcEngine.setupLocalVideo(videoCanvas);
    ```
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  <CodeBlockTab value="kotlin">
    ```kotlin
    val videoCanvas = VideoCanvas(
       surfaceView,
       Constants.RENDER_MODE_HIDDEN,
       Constants.VIDEO_MIRROR_MODE_AUTO,
       Constants.VIDEO_SOURCE_MEDIA_PLAYER,
       mediaPlayer.mediaPlayerId,
       0
     )

     mRtcEngine.setupLocalVideo(videoCanvas)
    ```
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4. When joining a channel, use `ChannelMediaOptions` to set the media player ID, publish media player audio and video, and share media resources with remote users in the channel.

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    ```java
    private ChannelMediaOptions options = new ChannelMediaOptions();

      // Set up options
      options.publishMediaPlayerId = mediaPlayer.getMediaPlayerId();
      options.publishMediaPlayerAudioTrack = true;
      options.publishMediaPlayerVideoTrack = true;

      // Join the channel
      int res = mRtcEngine.joinChannel(accessToken, channelId, 0, options);
    ```
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  <CodeBlockTab value="kotlin">
    ```kotlin
    val options = ChannelMediaOptions()

     // Set up options
     options.publishMediaPlayerId = mediaPlayer.mediaPlayerId
     options.publishMediaPlayerAudioTrack = true
     options.publishMediaPlayerVideoTrack = true

     // Join the channel
     val res = mRtcEngine.joinChannel(accessToken, channelId, 0, options)
    ```
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5. Use the `open` method to open a local or online media file.

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  <CodeBlockTab value="java">
    ```java
    mediaPlayer.open(url, 0);
    ```
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    ```kotlin
    mediaPlayer.open(url, 0)
    ```
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6. Call the `play` method to play the media file.

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  <CodeBlockTab value="java">
    ```java
    mediaPlayer.play();
    ```
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    ```kotlin
    mediaPlayer?.play()
    ```
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  <CalloutDescription>
    Call the `play` method to play the media file only after receiving the `onPlayerStateChanged` callback reporting the player state as `PLAYER_STATE_OPEN_COMPLETED`.

    7. When a user leaves the channel, call `stop` to stop playback, `destroy` to destroy the media player, `unRegisterPlayerObserver` to unregister the player observer, and release allocated resources.
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    ```java
    mediaPlayer.stop();
     mediaPlayer.destroy();
     mediaPlayer.unRegisterPlayerObserver(this);
    ```
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  <CodeBlockTab value="kotlin">
    ```kotlin
    mediaPlayer.stop()
     mediaPlayer.destroy()
     mediaPlayer.unRegisterPlayerObserver(this)
    ```
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## Reference

This section contains content that completes the information on this page, or points you to documentation that explains other aspects to this product.

### Supported formats and protocols

The media player supports the following media formats and protocols:

#### Video encoding formats

* H.263, H.264, H.265, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, RMVB, Theora, VP3, VP8, AVS, WMV

#### Audio coding formats

* WAV, MP2, MP3, AAC, OPUS, FLAC, Vorbis, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, WMA v1, WMA v2

#### Container formats

* WAV, FLAC, OGG, MOV, ASF, FLV, MP3, MP4, MPEG-TS, Matroska (MKV), AVI, ASS, CONCAT, DTS, AVS

#### Supported protocols

* HTTP, HTTPS, RTMP, HLS, RTP, RTSP

### Sample project

Agora provides an open source sample project [MediaPlayer](https://github.com/AgoraIO/API-Examples/blob/4.2.2/Android/APIExample/app/src/main/java/io/agora/api/example/examples/advanced/MediaPlayer.java) on GitHub. Download it or view the source code for a more detailed example.

### API reference

* [`createMediaPlayer`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_irtcengine.html#api_irtcengine_createmediaplayer)
* [`registerPlayerObserver`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_registerplayersourceobserver)
* [`onPlayerStateChanged`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayersourceobserver.html#callback_imediaplayersourceobserver_onplayersourcestatechanged)
* [`onPositionChanged`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayersourceobserver.html#callback_imediaplayersourceobserver_onpositionchanged)
* [`getMediaPlayerId`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_registeraudioframeobserver2__parameters)
* [`open`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_open)
* [`play`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_play)
* [`pause`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_pause)
* [`stop`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_stop)
* [`unRegisterPlayerObserver`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_imediaplayer_unregisterplayersourceobserver)
* [`destroy`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/video-sdk/android/4.x/API/class_imediaplayer.html#api_irtcengine_destroymediaplayer)

    
  
      
  
      
  
      
  
      
  
      
  
      
  


## Platform-specific versions
- [Android](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/android.md)
- [iOS](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/ios.md)
- [macOS](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/macos.md)
- [Windows](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/windows.md)
- [Electron](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/electron.md)
- [React Native](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/react-native.md)
- [Unity](/en/realtime-media/interactive-live-streaming/build/manage-video-and-streaming/play-media/unity.md)