To create a 24/7 linear channel with AWS Elemental MediaTailor, point a source location at hosted media, register compatible VOD assets and their manifests, create a channel with matching outputs, schedule programs in loop mode, then start the channel and test its playback URL. MediaTailor assembles manifests into a linear stream; it does not store, transcode, or deliver the underlying media segments. Those remain at your origin.
Understand what MediaTailor does
MediaTailor channel assembly retrieves manifests from an origin and composes them into a live, sliding playback manifest that presents VOD assets as a linear channel. It tracks manifest details needed to make transitions between assets play smoothly. The player obtains the referenced media segments from the origin, so that origin and its delivery path must remain accessible during playback. AWS describes the service as a manifest-only way to create linear channels from VOD mixed with live content: AWS Elemental MediaTailor channel assembly.
The workflow below creates a VOD loop. Live sources and ad breaks are optional extensions, not prerequisites for a basic continuously scheduled channel.
Prepare compatible media and manifests
Before configuring the channel, make sure each asset is hosted with a manifest that MediaTailor can reach. AWS lists Amazon S3, web servers, CDNs such as CloudFront, and packaging origins such as AWS Elemental MediaPackage as source-location origins. See AWS guidance on source locations.
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Check asset compatibility before adding a set of sources under the same package configuration. AWS requires matching manifest-derived durations for variants within a package configuration and the same number of child streams across sources. Per-title or automated ABR outputs can be unsuitable when they produce incompatible durations or stream counts. AWS recommends an encoding template with a minimum segment length of one second. Review AWS requirements for adding VOD sources against the manifests you plan to use.
- Confirm that the origin serves both manifests and their referenced media segments.
- Choose the output formats your target players need. The documented workflow supports HLS and DASH.
- For each asset, identify its manifest path relative to the source location and the source group it will use.
Create a source location
- In the MediaTailor console, open channel assembly and create a source location.
- Give it a name and enter the HTTP or HTTPS base URL for the origin that hosts your assets.
- Configure origin access or authentication as required for that origin. AWS documents optional SigV4 authentication for S3; the exact access setup depends on your origin and deployment.
A source location represents the origin, not an individual program. Detailed options are in Working with source locations.
Add VOD sources and package configurations
Register each video as a VOD source beneath the source location. For each one, provide its manifest location and at least one package configuration. A package configuration specifies the format, manifest location, and source group. The channel output later refers to that source group, which is how the source package and playback output correspond.
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- Add a VOD source for each asset and enter its manifest path relative to the source location.
- Create a package configuration for each format you intend to offer, such as HLS or DASH.
- Assign a source group to each package configuration and keep the format-to-group mapping consistent across the assets used by the channel.
See Working with VOD sources and Adding VOD sources.
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Create a channel and choose loop playback mode for a continuously repeating VOD schedule. Add an output for each source group and format you intend to expose. The output must correspond to a package configuration available from the scheduled sources; creating an HLS output does not create an HLS package for an asset that lacks one.
AWS’s getting-started tutorial demonstrates the loop-mode setup and playback URL. Channel settings and output concepts are covered in Working with channels.
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Build and schedule the program lineup
Add programs to the channel schedule, selecting the source location and VOD source for each. Arrange them in the order viewers should see them. Loop mode repeats the schedule after its final program, providing the basic 24/7 VOD channel behavior.
- Open the channel schedule in the MediaTailor console and add a program.
- Select the source location and the registered VOD source for that program.
- Set its position or transition in the schedule, then repeat for each program in the desired lineup.
- Review the schedule for gaps, unintended ordering, and any transition timing options offered for your channel configuration.
AWS’s console procedure is documented at Creating a program within a channel schedule. Scheduling behavior can differ by configuration: AWS distinguishes relative transitions for VOD programs from absolute wall-clock transitions in eligible linear-channel configurations. Check the console options for the channel you have created rather than assuming every schedule supports both.
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If the channel should alternate between VOD and live programming, configure a live source using AWS’s live-source workflow, then schedule it alongside the VOD programs. The origin must provide the live source manifests and segments as required by the setup. This is a distinct configuration from simply looping a VOD playlist. Follow AWS guidance for working with live sources.
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Optionally configure ad breaks
For the documented VOD ad-break workflow, configure a slate source and an ad-break offset for a program. The slate’s duration sets the break length. The offset must be less than the program duration and align with segment boundaries across all tracks; otherwise, the break may be skipped. Ad personalization can be handled with MediaTailor ad insertion or another SSAI service, but configuration alone does not guarantee that an ad will be filled.
See AWS instructions for inserting personalized ads and ad breaks.
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- Start the channel in the MediaTailor console.
- Copy the playback URL for the output you want to test.
- Open the URL in a browser or test it in the player used by your service, and confirm that the manifest loads and the referenced segments play.
- Test every output format and the full delivery path you intend viewers to use. Compatibility depends on the player and deployment; AWS’s setup guide does not establish a universal player compatibility matrix.
The AWS getting-started guide shows the basic start-and-playback check.
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Choose the right configuration for your channel
| Decision | Options | What to base the choice on |
|---|---|---|
| Media origin | S3, web server, CDN, or packaging origin | Where the manifests and segments already live, and how MediaTailor can access them. |
| Playback output | HLS, DASH, or both | Formats required by the target player ecosystem and the package configurations available for each source. |
| Programming | Looping VOD schedule or VOD mixed with live sources | Whether a repeating on-demand lineup meets the channel’s programming needs or it must include live events. |
| Ad breaks | Slate-based break configuration, optionally personalized with SSAI | Whether breaks are needed and whether an ad insertion service is part of the deployment. |
| Schedule transitions | Relative sequencing or eligible wall-clock scheduling | The channel configuration and transition options available in the console. |
Cost and service boundary
AWS’s getting-started tutorial returned an estimated active-channel fee of $0.10 per hour in 2026 and says inactive channels are not charged. Treat this as a documentation estimate, not a guaranteed current price: check the live AWS pricing page and the applicable region before budgeting. This channel-assembly charge does not change the architecture: your origin still serves the media segments, so account for the origin and delivery components in your own deployment separately.
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