--- title: "What Is a Video API? Definition and Examples | RentAnOTT" description: "A video API lets software upload, manage, protect and play video without a person using a dashboard. See what it covers and how webhooks fit in." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-api" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-api.md" category: "Platform" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is a video API? A video API is a programming interface that lets other software work with a video platform: uploading files, starting encoding, managing a catalog, checking entitlements, requesting playback and retrieving analytics, without a person using the dashboard. ## What a video API covers - Ingest: upload a file or point to one, and start processing - Catalog: create and update titles, metadata, seasons and collections - Playback: obtain a stream address and tokens for a given viewer - Users and entitlements: create accounts, grant or revoke access - Commerce: plans, purchases and subscription status - Live: create and control live streams - Analytics: pull viewing and revenue data into other tools ## Webhooks An API answers when asked. A webhook does the opposite: the platform calls your system when something happens, such as an encode finishing, a subscription renewing or a payment failing. Together they let two systems stay in step without constant polling. ## What teams build with one - Automatic publishing from an editing or asset-management system - Syncing subscribers with a CRM or email tool - Granting access when something is bought elsewhere, such as a course or a ticket - Custom reports and dashboards - A custom front end on top of the platform ## Video API on RentAnOTT Public APIs and webhooks are part of the RentAnOTT core scope. Premium integrations with specialized billing, CRM, ad and data platforms are quoted one-time. [See features](https://www.rentanott.com/features). ## Related terms - [Headless OTT](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/headless-ott) — A headless OTT platform is a streaming back end offered without a ready-made front end. Content management, video processing, entitlements and billing are exposed through APIs, and the customer builds its own website and apps on top. - [Video CMS](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-cms) — A video CMS (content management system) is the back-office application where a streaming team uploads video, adds metadata and artwork, organizes titles into a catalog, sets who can watch and at what price, and publishes to the website and apps. - [Online video platform](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/online-video-platform) — An online video platform (OVP) is a service that lets a business upload, encode, store, deliver and play video, typically through an embeddable player and an API, with analytics on how it is watched. - [Content metadata](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/content-metadata) — Content metadata is the information that describes a video title and governs how it is presented and used: its title, synopsis, cast, genre, rating, artwork, languages, rights and technical details. It is what makes a file into a catalog entry. - [Signed URL](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/signed-url) — A signed URL is a web address for a video stream that includes a cryptographic signature and an expiry time. The CDN serves the content only if the signature is valid and the link has not expired, so a copied or shared link stops working. Using signed URLs for playback is called tokenized playback. - [OTT platform](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ott-platform) — An OTT platform is the software and infrastructure a business uses to run its own streaming service. It covers content management, encoding, delivery, the video player, subscriptions and payments, apps and analytics. - [Video analytics](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-analytics) — Video analytics is the measurement of how a streaming service is used and how it performs: who the viewers are, what they watch and for how long, what revenue results and how reliably the video plays. ## Further reading - [OTT solution guide](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/ott-solution) - [White-label streaming platform buyer's guide](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/white-label-streaming-platform) - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing) ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need to use the API to run a streaming service? No. A managed platform works entirely through its CMS. The API is for automating tasks and connecting other systems. ### What is the difference between an API and an SDK? An API is the interface itself. An SDK is a library that wraps the API for a particular language or device, so developers write less code. ### How is access to a video API secured? With keys or tokens that identify the calling system and limit what it may do. Keys with write access should stay on a server, never inside an app. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt