---
Title: Process files
URL Source: https://company-skill.com/p/oss/oss-process-files
Language: en
Description: You want to serve or process media files using Alibaba Cloud OSS, such as creating an HLS stream for live or on-demand playback, ingesting RTMP streams, or securing media delivery with proper CORS…
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# Process files

Part of **Object Storage Service (OSS)**. Route queries via `POST https://company-skill.com/api/route`.

## What You Want to Do

You want to serve or process media files using Alibaba Cloud OSS, such as creating an HLS stream for live or on-demand playback, ingesting RTMP streams, or securing media delivery with proper CORS and referer policies.

- How to create an HLS stream with OSS?
- Can I ingest RTMP streams into OSS?

## Decision Tree

Pick the best path for your situation:

- **If** you need to create or manage a **LiveChannel**, generate **RTMP ingest** URLs, monitor real-time stream status, or produce **VOD playlist.m3u8** from live content → Use APIRTMP (go to *oss/oss-live*)
- **If** you already have media files (including **TS files**) in OSS and only need to configure **CORS Configuration** and **Anti-Hotlink Protection** (e.g., **Referer Whitelist**, **Allow Empty Referer**, **Origin** rules) for secure **HLS streaming** → Use HLS (go to *oss/oss-video*)
- **Otherwise (default)** → Start with **HLS** if you’re testing, demoing, or lack development resources; otherwise, choose the API path for production-grade live workflows.

## Path Comparison

| Path | Best For | Complexity | Code Required | Automation | Key Fact | Detail Skill |
|------|----------|------------|---------------|------------|----------|-------------|
| APIRTMP | high | Yes | Yes | Billing includes RTMP ingest at 0.0001/MB (input) and live channel creation at 0.001/ | `oss/api/oss-live` |
| HLS | HLS | low | No | No | HLS streaming requests cost 0.0001/ with 1000 free/month | `oss/guide/oss-video` |

## Path Details

### Path 1: APIRTMP

**Brief Description**: OSS LiveChannel API is a synchronous HTTP service that enables **RTMP ingest** into OSS and stores output as **TS files** and **playlist.m3u8** for HLS playback. It supports full lifecycle management via APIs like **PutLiveChannel**, **GetLiveChannelInfo**, and **PostVodPlaylist**, and allows dynamic generation of signed RTMP URLs using **sign_rtmp_url** with **OSS4-HMAC-SHA256** authentication.

**Key technical facts**:
- Billing: 0.001/0.0001/RTMP0.0001/MB0.0002/MB0.001/
- Auth method: OSS Signature Version 4 (HMAC-SHA256) via Authorization header
- Regions available: cn-hangzhou, cn-shanghai, cn-beijing
- Prerequisites: OSS_ACCESS_KEY_IDOSS_ACCESS_KEY_SECREToss2>=2.0.0 (Python) aliyun-sdk-java-oss>=3.10.0 (Java)

- VOD186,400

- LiveChannelFragDurationFragCount

- LiveChannel100 Mbps

### Path 2: HLS

**Best For**: HLS

**Brief Description**: This path uses the OSS console to configure security settings for **HLS streaming**, including **CORS Configuration** (via **Create CORS Rule**) and **Anti-Hotlink Protection** using **Referer Whitelist** and **Allow Empty Referer** toggles. It does not support live ingestion or **RTMP ingest**—it assumes media files (like **TS files** and **playlist.m3u8**) are already present in the bucket.

**Key technical facts**:
- Billing: HLS0.0001/1000
- Auth method: Console SSO
- Prerequisites: OSS Bucket

- RTMPOSS Bucket

- APIautomation_friendly=false
- OriginURLhttp://localhost:3000

## FAQ

Q: Which path should I start with?
A: If you’re building a live system with **RTMP ingest** and need **VOD playlist.m3u8** generation, start with the API path. If you only have pre-uploaded media and need quick security setup (**CORS Configuration**, **Anti-Hotlink Protection**), use the console path.

Q: What if I need to change **FragDuration** or **FragCount** after creating a LiveChannel but used the API path?
A: You’ll hit a hard limitation: **LiveChannelFragDurationFragCount**. Plan these values carefully upfront.

Q: What if I try to build a live stream using only the console path?
A: You’ll find **no option to create a LiveChannel or handle RTMP ingest**—the console path only configures access rules for existing files, so live ingestion won’t work.

Q: Can I automate **Referer Whitelist** and **Origin** settings via code if I choose the console path?
A: No—the console path is **not automation_friendly**. These settings must be done manually in the UI; use the API path if you need infrastructure-as-code.

Q: What happens if I delete a LiveChannel without cleaning up **TS files**?
A: The **TS files** and **playlist.m3u8** remain in your bucket and continue to incur storage costs—you must delete them manually.

Q: Does the console path support **Sensitive Data Protection** for media?
A: Indirectly—via **Anti-Hotlink Protection** (referer rules) and **CORS Configuration**, which prevent unauthorized embedding or hotlinking, acting as a form of access control.

## Related queries

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Part of [Object Storage Service (OSS)](https://company-skill.com/p/oss.md) · https://company-skill.com/llms.txt