In the ever-evolving landscape of video-on-demand (VOD) services, what end users experience is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the complex operations happening behind the scenes. While the industry strives to create seamless, uniform experiences for viewers, the backend processes of content distribution remain intricate and pose ongoing challenges. Recognising these challenges, Magine Pro and Stockholm Stream have forged a strategic partnership, working together over the years to streamline and add value to the VOD distribution ecosystem.

The Complexity Behind the Scenes

The media supply ecosystem is fraught with complexities that create significant hurdles for content providers:

• Bridging the Supplier & Distributor specification gap: Running a direct-to-consumer OTT service often involves working with multiple media licensors or suppliers, each potentially using different video formats (ProRes, MP4, etc.), metadata formats (CSV, Excel, JSON, XML, etc.), and subtitle formats. This creates operational overhead when managing and updating a VOD catalogue.
• Aggregation Platform-Specific Requirements: Many direct-to-consumer services aim to expand their reach by distributing content on platforms like Amazon Prime or Apple TV+. However, these platforms often impose strict requirements and limited integration options, creating barriers to wider distribution.
  

“Running a scalable Direct to Consumer OTT service, that supports both diverse content acquisition from studios and licensors, as well as wider distribution reach, requires simplicity and end-to-end automation. This reduces operational costs and ensures a uniform experience across all applications and platforms.” – Matthew Wilkinson, CEO of Magine Pro

The Magine Pro and Stockholm Stream Solution

To address these inefficiencies, Magine Pro has partnered with Stockholm Stream to integrate their Delta product seamlessly into the distribution process. This collaboration aims to abstract the complexity of content distribution and improve operational efficiency through a pre-integrated Media Asset Management (MAM) platform.

Key Features of the Integration:

• Unified Ingest and Distribution: The core premise is “Ingest Once – Distribute to Many,” simplifying the content management process.
• Comprehensive Asset Overview: Delta provides a clear status overview of each asset in the delivery pipeline, enabling efficient workflow management and quality control.
• Automated Cue Point Markers: The system efficiently handles automated cue point markers, identifying intro and credit time markers, and allowing for flexible ad-cue points in VOD.
• Localisation Support: The integration supports multi-language localisation for media, including multiple audio tracks and subtitle options.
• Format Unification: Delta unifies exports and converts video and subtitles to the required format for each platform, ensuring effortless delivery to Magine Pro and other services.

“Enabling VOD services to leverage a white-label platform like Magine Pro and distribute through channel stores like Amazon Prime or Apple TV+ allows for optimal content monetisation. Our integration of Delta with Magine Pro streamlines workflows, adds validation, and enhances visibility for users, ensuring clear status tracking of each asset across all platforms. Our close collaboration with the Magine Pro development team enables us to effectively meet new customer requests, addressing both ingestion and platform workflows.” – Patrik Littmann, CEO of Stockholm Stream

Magine Pro partners with Stockholm Stream to integrate Delta, helping media companies grow market share quickly and efficiently.

Benefits for Content Providers

• Streamlined Workflow Management – The integration allows content providers to manage their catalogue and distribution in one place, reducing operational costs and improving efficiency.
• Enhanced User Engagement – Features like “skip intro” and “play next” are seamlessly implemented, improving the end-user experience and potentially increasing watch time.
• Simplified Localisation – The system streamlines the process of adapting content for different markets, opening up new monetisation opportunities and improving audience engagement globally.
• Quality Assurance – With comprehensive status overviews and automated quality checks, content providers can ensure that only high-quality assets are delivered to platforms, reducing the risk of rejections or revisions.
• Scalability – As content distribution scales, the integrated system efficiently manages a high volume of assets and deliveries across multiple platforms without losing track.

Looking Ahead

The partnership between Magine Pro and Stockholm Stream marks a significant milestone in simplifying, optimising and scaling the VOD distribution process. By addressing the complexities of media formats, platform requirements, and localisation, this collaboration empowers content providers to focus on what matters most: creating and delivering compelling content to audiences worldwide.

“By combining Magine Pro’s renowned quality and reliability with Delta’s simplicity and validation features, we are delivering a new level of functionality that is truly unique in the OTT landscape.” – Patrik Littmann, CEO of Stockholm Stream

As the VOD landscape continues to evolve, solutions like the Magine Pro and Stockholm Stream integration will play a crucial role in helping media and entertainment companies expand their market share effectively and rapidly. Through streamlined operations, assured quality, and global distribution capabilities, this partnership is set to make a lasting impact on the industry.

Interested in learning more about the partnership between Magine Pro and Stockholm Stream and how they’re enhancing VOD distribution? Meet them at IBC! Book a meeting here to connect in person at the Magine Pro stand 5.H56.

Share post