---
title: Creating a Multivariant Playlist
framework: http-live-streaming
role: article
role_heading: Article
path: http-live-streaming/creating-a-multivariant-playlist
---

# Creating a Multivariant Playlist

Offer multiple playlist files to provide different encodings of the same content.

## Overview

Overview The Multivariant Playlist describes all of the available variants for your content. Each variant is a version of the stream at a particular bit rate and is contained in a separate playlist. The client switches to the most appropriate variant based on the measured network bit rate. The client’s player is tuned to minimize stalling of playback, to give the user the best possible streaming experience.

A Multivariant Playlist isn’t re-read. Once the client has read the playlist, it assumes the set of variations isn’t changing. The stream ends as soon as the client sees the EXT-X-ENDLIST tag on one of the individual variant playlists. Define variants The following example shows a Multivariant Playlist that defines five different variants. #EXTM3U #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=150000,RESOLUTION=416x234,CODECS="avc1.42e00a,mp4a.40.2" http://example.com/low/index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=240000,RESOLUTION=416x234,CODECS="avc1.42e00a,mp4a.40.2" http://example.com/lo_mid/index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=440000,RESOLUTION=416x234,CODECS="avc1.42e00a,mp4a.40.2" http://example.com/hi_mid/index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=640000,RESOLUTION=640x360,CODECS="avc1.42e00a,mp4a.40.2" http://example.com/high/index.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=64000,CODECS="mp4a.40.5" http://example.com/audio/index.m3u8 The tags used in the playlist example are: The EXT-X-STREAM-INF tag has the following parameters: note: While the CODECS parameter is optional, every EXT-X-STREAM-INF tag should include the attribute. This attribute provides a complete list of codecs that are necessary to decode a particular stream. It allows the client to distinguish between variants that are audio only and those that have both audio and video. The client then makes use of this information to provide a better user experience when switching streams.

## See Also

### Basic playlists

- [Video on Demand playlist construction](http-live-streaming/video-on-demand-playlist-construction.md)
- [Live Playlist (sliding window) construction](http-live-streaming/live-playlist-sliding-window-construction.md)
- [Event playlist construction](http-live-streaming/event-playlist-construction.md)