What Is Media CDN?
Media CDN is Google Cloud’s media delivery solution. It is optimized for high-throughput egress workloads such as streaming video and large file downloads, and it serves content from Google’s global network of edge caches.
Media CDN complements Cloud CDN, which focuses on accelerating web content. Both products can be used together. Enabling Media CDN requires contacting Google Cloud sales.
Core Capabilities
- Router, cache, and cache filler architecture built on the EdgeCacheService, EdgeCacheOrigin, and EdgeCacheKeyset resources
- Caching with cache keys based on host, path, and query parameters; cache behavior configurable per URI route
- Advanced HTTP routing for fine-grained delivery rules
- Cache invalidation by host and path, by prefix or wildcard, and by cache tags
- Signed cookies and signed URLs for content authentication, plus origin authentication for private Cloud Storage buckets
- Cloud Armor edge security policies with IP allowlists and denylists as well as geographic and ASN-based rules
- HTTP/2 and QUIC from clients to the edge, with TLS support via bring-your-own domain
- Service Extensions plugins for custom request and response processing (currently Preview per the documentation)
- Cloud Logging integration and custom HTTP headers with static and dynamic values
Typical Use Cases
Video streaming: Delivery of video-on-demand and live content from edge caches close to end users.
Large downloads: Distribution of sizeable files such as software or game updates.
Paid content: Access protection through signed URLs and signed cookies so that only authorized clients can retrieve content.
Delivery from private buckets: Origin authentication makes private Cloud Storage buckets usable as an origin.
Benefits
- Designed for high-throughput egress workloads
- Delivery from Google’s global edge cache network
- Fine-grained cache and routing control per URI route
- Built-in access protection through signed URLs and cookies
- Edge-side security policies through Cloud Armor
Working with innFactory
As a certified Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with Media CDN:
- Architecture consulting: designing origins, routing, and caching strategy for your media delivery
- Enablement: guiding the required coordination with Google Cloud sales
- Access protection: implementing signed URLs and cookies as well as origin authentication for private buckets
- Operations: setting up logging, monitoring, and invalidation processes
Get in touch for a consultation on Media CDN and media delivery on Google Cloud.
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Media CDN?
Media CDN is Google Cloud's media delivery solution. It is optimized for high-throughput egress workloads such as streaming video and large file downloads and uses Google's global network of edge caches.
How does Media CDN differ from Cloud CDN?
Media CDN complements Cloud CDN, which focuses on web acceleration. Both products can be used together.
How do I protect content from unauthorized access?
Media CDN supports signed cookies and signed URLs for content authentication. Origin authentication is additionally available for private Cloud Storage buckets.
Which resources do I configure for Media CDN?
The central resources are the EdgeCacheService, which holds routing and security policies, the EdgeCacheOrigin for upstream configuration, and the EdgeCacheKeyset for key management.
How do I invalidate cached content?
Cache invalidation is available by host and path, by prefix or wildcard, and by cache tags.
What does Media CDN cost?
Google does not publish a dedicated pricing page for Media CDN. Enabling the service also requires contacting Google Cloud sales; ask them or innFactory for the applicable terms.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Google Cloud (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Google Cloud.
