Wrapper playlists

Windows Media Services supports wrappers, which are Windows Media metafiles that can be used to direct users to certain additional content before the requested content and then to an additional piece of content once the requested content ends. Wrappers are especially useful in the following situations:

• Broadcast content. During a broadcast, users can connect at different times, making it difficult to ensure that a piece of content (such as an advertisement, station identification, or copyright notice) is received by every user. However, when a wrapper playlist is used in conjunction with the broadcast, the content in the first part of the wrapper is streamed to the user regardless of the point at which he or she connects to the broadcast. This makes it possible to ensure that a piece of content is received by every user who connects to your broadcast.
• On-demand content. Wrappers are also an efficient way to play content, such as advertisements, to every user who connects to your server. Each publishing point on your server can use the same wrapper, so you only need to update one file when changes occur.

Related topics

• About wrapper playlists
• New features in Windows Media Services
• To start the Create Wrapper Wizard
• Working with wrapper ads