jwplayer-react-native

⚠️ This README is for jwplayer-react-native version 1.0.0 and higher, for previous versions from the original author, Chaim Paneth via Orthodox Union, see react-native-jw-media-player. Beginning with version 0.2.0, this library uses JWP's JWPlayerKit (iOS) and SDK 4 (Android).

Prerequisites | Installation | Usage | Advanced Topics | Contributing | Issues

The jwplayer-react-native library is a bridge that enables using the native JWP Android and iOS SDKs in React Native applications.

Prerequisites

Before installing and using the library, you need the following items:

• JWP Account
• JWP License Key (Android | iOS)
• React Native App
• Package Manager (npm | yarn )

Installation

Android | iOS

Android

Follow these steps to add the library to your Android project:

1. From the project directory in terminal, add the jwplayer-react-native library. You can use npm or yarn.

   npm: npm i @jwplayer/jwplayer-react-native --save

   yarn: yarn add @jwplayer/jwplayer-react-native

2. In android/build.gradle, add the JWP Maven repository inside the allprojects block.

   allprojects {
       repositories {
           ...
           maven {
               url 'https://mvn.jwplayer.com/content/repositories/releases/'
           }

For more details and guidance regarding configuration and requirements, see the JWP Android SDK documentation.

iOS

Follow these steps to add the library to your iOS project:

1. From the project directory in terminal, add the jwplayer-react-native library. You can use npm or yarn.

   npm: npm i @jwplayer/jwplayer-react-native --save

   yarn: yarn add @jwplayer/jwplayer-react-native

2. Change the directory to the iOS folder of your React Native project.

   cd ios/
   

3. Install the iOS dependencies with CocoaPods.

   pod install
   

For more details and guidance regarding configuration and requirements, see the JWP iOS SDK documentation.

Usage

The following example shows how you can enhance your React Native application by seamlessly integrating the multimedia playback functionalities of the JWP mobile SDKs.

Follow these steps to configure the media playback experience in your app:

1. Use the following example as a guide to configure the media playback experience. Be sure to remove all instances of ... from the code.

...

import JWPlayer, { JWPlayerState } from '@jwplayer/jwplayer-react-native';

...

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
  },
  player: {
    flex: 1,
  },
});

...

const playlistItem = {
  title: 'Track',
  mediaId: -1,
  image: 'http://image.com/image.png',
  description: 'My beautiful track',
  startTime: 0,
  file: 'http://file.com/file.mp3',
  tracks: [
    {
      file: 'http://file.com/english.vtt',
      label: 'en',
      default: true
    },
    {
      file: 'http://file.com/spanish.srt',
      label: 'es'
    }
  ],
  sources: [
    {
      file: 'http://file.com/file.mp3',
      label: 'audio'
    },
    {
      file: 'http://file.com/file.mp4',
      label: 'video',
      default: true
    }
  ]
}

const config = {
  license:
    Platform.OS === 'android'
      ? 'YOUR_ANDROID_SDK_KEY'
      : 'YOUR_IOS_SDK_KEY',
  backgroundAudioEnabled: true,
  autostart: true,
  styling: { // only (mostly) compatible with iOS
    colors: {
      timeslider: {
        rail: "0000FF",
      },
    },
  },
  playlist: [playlistItem],
}

...

async isPlaying() {
  const playerState = await this.JWPlayer.playerState();
  return playerState === JWPlayerState.JWPlayerStatePlaying;
}

...

render() {

...

<View style={styles.container}>
  <JWPlayer
    ref={p => (this.JWPlayer = p)}
    style={styles.player}
    config={config}
    onBeforePlay={() => this.onBeforePlay()}
    onPlay={() => this.onPlay()}
    onPause={() => this.onPause()}
    onIdle={() => console.log("onIdle")}
    onPlaylistItem={event => this.onPlaylistItem(event)}
    onSetupPlayerError={event => this.onPlayerError(event)}
    onPlayerError={event => this.onPlayerError(event)}
    onBuffer={() => this.onBuffer()}
    onTime={event => this.onTime(event)}
    onLoaded={event => this.onLoaded(event)}
    onFullScreen={() => this.onFullScreen()}
    onFullScreenExit={() => this.onFullScreenExit()}
  />
</View>

...

}

2. Define config.license with your Android or iOS JWP license key.
3. Define config.playlist with the media to play in the player.
4. (Optional) Define the other values of the config prop.

ℹ️ See Props for all the available config prop fields.

ℹ️ See Legacy Readme for all the available config prop fields when using a legacy configuration.

Example Project

This repository contains the Example project. This project showcases several basic implementations of the <JWPlayer> view and can be used as a resource while working with the jwplayer-react-native library:

• Test pull requests (PRs) or modifications
• Experiment with the available media playback features
• Validate your configurations in a known, working application
• Demonstrate issues within a sanitary environment when submitting bugs

Follow these steps to run the example project:

1. Checkout this repository.

2. From the Example directory, run yarn or npm i.

3. From the Example/ios directory, install the iOS dependencies.

   pod install
   

4. In Xcode,open RNJWPlayer.xcworkspace.

5. In App.js, within the config prop, add your JWP SDK license key.

6. Build and run the app for your preferred platform.

   yarn android
   

   OR

   yarn ios
   

ℹ️ You can also build and run the app with specific react-native commands.

Advanced Topics

Advertising | Background Audio | Casting | DRM | Picture in Picture (PiP) | Styling

Advertising

Android | iOS

Android Advertising

Follow this step to set up advertising with IMA or DAI:

1. In the app/build.gradle ext{}, add RNJWPlayerUseGoogleIMA = true. This setting will add the following dependencies: com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3:interactivemedia:3.31.0 and com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads-identifier:18.0.1.

iOS Advertising

Follow this step to set up advertising with IMA or DAI:

1. In the Podfile ext{}, add $RNJWPlayerUseGoogleIMA = true. This setting will add GoogleAds-IMA-iOS-SDK to the pod.

Background Audio

Background Audio allows your viewers to play audio while they are no longer actively using your app or have locked their device.

Follow these steps to enable background audio sessions:

1. Set backgroundAudioEnabled to true in the config.
2. Ensure that background audio is set for Android or iOS.

Casting

Android | iOS

JWP enables casting by default with a casting button.

Android Casting

Follow these steps to enable casting:

1. In app/build.gradle in ext{}, add RNJWPlayerUseGoogleCast = true.

2. In app/build.gradle, add com.google.android.gms:play-services-cast-framework:21.3.0.

3. Create a class that overrides OptionsProvider in your Android codebase:

   1. See the reference file android/src/main/java/com/appgoalz/rnjwplayer/CastOptionsProvider.java.
   2. Replace .setTargetActivityClassName(RNJWPlayerView.class.getName()) with your player Activity.
   3. Modify the file with any options necessary for your use case.

4. Add the meta-data to your AndroidManifest.xml.

    <meta-data
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.cast.framework.OPTIONS_PROVIDER_CLASS_NAME"
        android:value="path.to.CastOptionsProvider" />

iOS Casting

Follow these steps to enable casting:

1. Enable casting to Chromecast devices.
2. Add $RNJWPlayerUseGoogleCast = true to your Podfile. This setting will install google-cast-sdk pod.
3. Edit Info.plist with the following values.

'NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription' => 'We will use your Bluetooth for media casting.',
'NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription' => 'We will use your Bluetooth for media casting.',
'NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription' => 'We will use the local network to discover Cast-enabled devices on your WiFi network.',
'Privacy - Local Network Usage Description' => 'We will use the local network to discover Cast-enabled devices on your WiFi network.'
'NSMicrophoneUsageDescription' => 'We will use your Microphone for media casting.'

Available Method	Description
castState(GCKCastState)	Gets the cast state See: GCKCastState

GCKCastState

typedef NS_ENUM(NSUInteger, GCKCastState) {
  /** No Cast session is established, and no Cast devices are available. */
  GCKCastStateNoDevicesAvailable = 0,
  /** No Cast session is establishd, and Cast devices are available. */
  GCKCastStateNotConnected = 1,
  /** A Cast session is being established. */
  GCKCastStateConnecting = 2,
  /** A Cast session is established. */
  GCKCastStateConnected = 3,
};

DRM

Enable digital rights management (DRM) protected playback.

💡 Check out the DRMExample in the Example app. The DRMExample cannot be run in the Simulator. Additionally, the window will not show on an Android Emulator.

Android DRM

Only Widevine is supported.

Follow these steps to enable DRM:

1. Set up your Android app for DRM playback.
2. Define config.playlist with the JWP signed URL of the media to play in the player.

❗️DO NOT sign and store your API secerets from your application.❗️

If you use a different provider for DRM or this does not work for your use case, conforming to a similiar format as a JWP signed URL response is optimal, such as adding the drm field to the sources for a playlist item).

iOS DRM

Only Fairplay is supported.

The below is currently not fully supported by the iOS SDK, so please refer to Example app, or the legacy DRM documentation. For now, you must still provide the DRM asset in the config.playlist as a legacy object [{fairplayCertUrl: string,processSpcUrl: string,file: string}]

Follow these steps to enable DRM:

1. Set up your iOS app for DRM playback.
2. Define config.playlist with the JWP signed URL of the media to play in the player.

❗️DO NOT sign and store your API secerets from your application.❗️

If you use a different provider for DRM or this does not work for your use case, conforming to a similiar format as a JWP signed URL response is optimal, such as adding the drm field to the sources for a playlist item).

Picture in Picture (PiP)

Android | iOS

Android PiP

1. Read and understand the requirements for PiP in the Android SDK.
2. In the activity where the player is embedded, add the following code.

   @Override
   public void onPictureInPictureModeChanged(boolean isInPictureInPictureMode, Configuration newConfig) {
    super.onPictureInPictureModeChanged(isInPictureInPictureMode, newConfig);
   
    Intent intent = new Intent("onPictureInPictureModeChanged");
    intent.putExtra("isInPictureInPictureMode", isInPictureInPictureMode);
    intent.putExtra("newConfig", newConfig);
    this.sendBroadcast(intent);
   }

iOS PiP

1. Read and understand the requirements for PiP in the iOS SDK. PiP mode is enabled by JWP for the PlayerViewController.
2. (viewOnly:true only) Set the pipEnabled prop to true.
3. (viewOnly:true only) Call togglePIP() to enable or disable PiP.

Styling

Android | iOS

Android Styling

The styling prop will not work when using the modern prop convention that matches the JWP Delivery API. Even when using the forceLegacyConfig prop, Android may not respect your choices.

Android styling is best handled through overring JWP IDs in your apps resources files. See the documentation here.

A sample of overring a color via XML can be seen in this colors file. The color specified here is the default, but if you wish to change it, the color will be updated on the player.

iOS Styling

You can use the styling elements as defined in the Legacy Readme.

Contributing

• All contributions should correlate to an open issue. We hope to avoid doubling the work between contributors.
• Changes shouldn't be a one-off solution for your use case.
• Keep work small as required. Large PRs aren't fun for anyone and will take longer to review.

Issues

• Follow the format for Bugs/Features/Questions.
• If submitting a bug, always attempt to recreate the issue in our Example app
• Provide as much relevant information as possible
• For the quickest support, reach out to JW support via this link after creating an issue on this repo. Providing the Issue number and additional, potentially proprietary/sensitive information.