Transcoder API converts videos to various formats and resolutions for optimal playback on all devices. The service supports Adaptive Bitrate Streaming for professional video workflows.
What is Google Cloud Transcoder API?
Transcoder API is a fully managed cloud service for professional video transcoding. The service converts video files and live streams to various formats, resolutions, bitrates, and codecs for optimal playback on desktop, mobile, smart TVs, and other devices. Transcoder API enables Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR), where multiple versions of a video are created at different quality levels.
The service processes common input formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, and MKV and produces outputs in MP4, HLS, DASH, and WebM. Supported codecs include H.264 for broad compatibility, H.265/HEVC for better compression, VP9, and AV1 for modern web standards. Audio transcoding supports AAC, MP3, Opus, and other formats with flexible bitrate and sample rate settings.
Transcoder API integrates seamlessly with Cloud Storage for input/output management, Pub/Sub for event-driven workflows, and Cloud Functions for orchestration. The service scales automatically and processes individual videos or large batch jobs without infrastructure management. DRM integration protects premium content, watermarks and overlays add branding.
Pay-per-use billing is based on output duration and resolution. EU regions ensure GDPR compliance.
Common Use Cases
VOD Platform with ABR Streaming
A streaming platform uses Transcoder API for video-on-demand content. Uploads are automatically transcoded to HLS with 5 quality levels (360p to 4K). Adaptive Bitrate Streaming adjusts quality to user bandwidth, reducing buffer events by 70%. Cloud CDN delivers videos globally.
Live Event Streaming
A media company transcodes live events with Transcoder API. Input streams are converted in real-time to multiple bitrates for DASH delivery. Low latency through regional processing, auto-scaling handles traffic spikes during major events.
Social Media Video Processing
A social media platform processes user uploads with Transcoder API. Videos are normalized to consistent formats, thumbnails are automatically extracted. Watermarks add branding, content moderation scans before publication. Processing takes seconds instead of minutes.
E-Learning Content Delivery
An e-learning platform converts course content for multi-device access. Transcoder API creates mobile-optimized versions with lower bitrate, desktop versions in HD. Offline-capable MP4 downloads complement HLS streaming. Transcription integration adds subtitles.
Archive Modernization
A broadcaster digitizes archives with Transcoder API. Old formats are converted to modern codecs, 4:3 content adjusted to 16:9. Batch processing automatically processes thousands of hours of video. AV1 encoding reduces storage costs by 50%.
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud partner, innFactory supports you with Transcoder API: video pipeline architecture, ABR streaming setup, DRM integration, workflow automation, and cost optimization.
Contact us for a consultation on Transcoder API and Google Cloud.
Available Tiers & Options
Standard
- Fully managed
- Scalable transcoding
- Multiple output formats
- Processing time varies
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Cloud Transcoder API?
Transcoder API is a fully managed service for video transcoding that converts video files and streams to various formats, resolutions, and bitrates. The service enables Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) for optimal playback on all devices.
Is Transcoder API available in EU regions?
Yes, Transcoder API is available in EU regions and offers data residency options for GDPR compliance. Video processing can be performed entirely in European data centers.
Which video formats are supported?
Transcoder API supports common input formats (MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV) and output formats (MP4, HLS, DASH, WebM). Codecs include H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP9, and AV1 for modern compression.
How does Adaptive Bitrate Streaming work?
The API automatically creates multiple versions of the same video with different resolutions and bitrates. HLS or DASH manifests allow players to choose the optimal quality based on network conditions. Ideal for mobile and variable bandwidth scenarios.
Can I convert videos to multiple formats simultaneously?
Yes, a single transcoding job can produce multiple outputs. You can simultaneously generate MP4 downloads, HLS streams, and DASH manifests. Batch processing enables conversion of entire video libraries.
How is Transcoder API billed?
Billing is based on output duration and resolution. HD videos cost more than SD, 4K correspondingly more. Prices vary by codec (H.264 is cheaper than H.265). Details are available in the Google Cloud pricing list.
How do I integrate Transcoder API into my video pipeline?
Integration via REST API or client libraries. Cloud Storage stores input and output, Pub/Sub triggers transcoding on new uploads. Cloud Functions orchestrate workflows, metadata is stored in Firestore/BigQuery.
