Ad-Server Integration

Serverside.ai provides certified connectors to 3rd party ad-servers and supply-side platforms (fullstack solutions):

• Equativ

• Google Ad Manager 360

• Freewheel

• SpotX

Beside the certified integration to 3rd party ad-servers and supply-side platforms, Serverside provide a generic connector for a fast and easy integration with your own ad server. See Ad-Server Integration/GVA

There are several requirements your ad-server configuration must meet in order to request ads in a server-to-server connection.

All video ads must be able to be transcoded

A transcoded ad can be formatted into different adaptive bitrates (ABR) to increase or reduce the number of pixels compressed in that particular ad. The higher the pixel count, the higher the quality of the ad. Only ads that are able to be transcoded are supported through Serverside.ai.

All video ads must be VAST compliant

The IAB's Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) is a video format designed to standardize communication between video players and servers, facilitating traffic across all kinds of publishing platforms. All video ads used with SSAI must be VAST-compliant.

Set up unique ad units for your SSAI inventory

When you create your SSAI inventory, ensure you set up SSAI-specific ad units. This allows you to track and report SSAI campaign delivery, prevent non-compliant video ads from being targeted to SSAI inventory, and reduces trafficking errors.

About SSAI Inventory in your SSP Ad-Server

Inventory is the space in your AVOD content and linear programs where you insert and playback video ads. The structure of your SSAI inventory should mirror the organization of your video offering.

Depending on your SSP ad-server vendor, the structure and hierarchy of your inventory might differ. In general you’ll have a dedicated account which has a seat and publisher code to be recognizable by external DSPs and advertisers. Below is a brand and further below a supply item level that allows you to organize your content categories, applications, sites and device types.

As a sub element you have ad-units, where campaigns (aka line items) are managed. This is also the level where VAST ad tags are generated and targeting is assigned.

For details please contact your account manager of your SSP Ad-Server vendor.

Audio normalization

When your video ad content is ingested and transcoded, Serverside.ai​ reviews the ad content loudness and attempts to normalize to a broadcast industry (ATSC/EBU) standard level.

If ingestion and transcoding are not performed prior to launch, they occur on the first monetizable impression. We recommend you leave the stream running in different locations and with different accounts 24h prior to releasing it on your platform. This ensures that all or most available ads are conditioned and you have the maximum monetization for your channel.

Customer Targeting using Key-Value Pairs

Custom targeting can be defined by key-values. They are included in ad tags and used in campaign targeting settings. When an SSAI ad request comes in from your content that has key-values in its ad tags, campaigns that target those key-values are eligible to serve for that ad request.

Key-values can be used for a variety of purposes. They can be used to identify content categories, specific programs and commercial breaks or other ad inventory. They can also be based on information you've gathered about viewers who subscribed to your service in order to target ads based on that information. These audience groups can provide information such as gender, age, HHI or customized persona profiles.

These key-value-pairs can be added on a channel level (global for all users) or even on every individual player-request to get the best performance in ad insertion (campaign fulfillment) and can be dynamic as they need to be. Please ensure the KVP values are configured within the requested campaign and need to be in the desired format for the SSP and this may vary between each vendor.

Example HLS live stream with ad server parameter

Request Manifest with ad parameter

GET https://live.serverside.ai/hls/{channel-id}/master.m3u8

Query Parameters

Name	Type	Description
custom[gender]	string	'female' or 'male'
custom[persona]	string	predefined personas on the ad server like: 'alice' or 'bob'
custom[age]	string	predefined on the ad server. e.g. '12' or 'child'
regs[gdpr]	string	GDPR restriction '0' (false) or '1' (true)
player_height	string	height of the player in pixel
player_width	string	width of the player in pixel
context	string	'web' or 'app'
ifa	string	customer identification number
api-key	string	api-key from the channel configuration in Serverside.ai

200

Resolving to a request URL like:

https://live.serverside.ai/hls/view/:channelId?api-key=:apiKey&ifa=987654321&context=web&player_width=1260&player_height=720&regs[gdpr]=true&custom[gender]=male

Definition and configuration of key-values differ between SSP ad-server vendors. F​or details please contact your account manager of your SSP ad-server vendor.

Find a full list of ad server parameter for the ad server of your choice at: https://nowtilus.gitbook.io/serverside-ai/video-player-app/ad-server-parameter