In the dynamic landscape of online streaming and podcasting, the role of the user agent is pivotal in ensuring a seamless and personalized experience for users. They play a crucial role in facilitating communication between clients (such as web browsers or media players) and servers.
In this article, we are going to cover:
When a user initiates a request to access streaming or podcaster content, the user agent sends specific information to the server, including details about the user's device, operating system, and the software being used. This data is essential for optimizing content delivery and ensuring a seamless experience.
How to view user agents
You can access user agents in Insights through either of these two interfaces: Streaming and Podcast. To log in, access https://insights.soundstack.com/ and use your account credentials. After logging in, you will be redirected to the Overview page. You need to switch to the Streaming or Podcast tab, depending on the SoundStack service you have, and Overview will be automatically selected.
Once you've applied the filters, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the "Downloads by platform" graph for the most used user agents for your streams or podcasts.
To get more detailed information about user agents, you will need to select the Sessions tab for Streaming (1) or the Downloads tab for Podcast (2).
After applying the additional filters you desire, switch the dimension to "By platform".
Here, you can see a list of all the user agents that have accessed your stream (1) or podcast (2).
Streaming user agents
Streaming user agents are software or applications that facilitate the retrieval and playback of streaming content. Understanding user agents provides insights into the different platforms and devices used to access your stream.
The names of many user agents are quite self-explanatory. Among the most common streaming user agents in Insights are:
1. Chrome - This user agent indicates a Chrome browser. It's a common user agent for streaming content via web browsers.
2. Safari - The user agent string indicates a browser session using Safari.
3. Dalvik - This user agent suggests streaming from older Android players and applications.
4. Opera - This user agent is associated with the Opera browser.
5. Edge - This user agent indicates the Microsoft Edge browser on a Windows OS. It's another common browser for streaming.
6. esPlayer - The user agent is associated with SoundStack custom player.
7. Chromecast - This user agent indicates a device from the Google Chromecast family.
8. Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple TV, Apple iPod, Apple HomePod, Apple Computer, Apple iMessage, Apple Watch - These user agents provide information about media playback on Apple devices.
9. Alexa-enabled device - This user agent provides information about Amazon smart home devices (e.g. Amazon Echo).
react-native-track-player - The user agent string indicates the use of the SoundStack players.
10. TuneIn - The user agent string indicates the TuneIn Radio application.
11. Safari - The user agent string indicates a browser session using Safari.
12. Sonos - This user agent is used by Sonos smart speakers.
13. Windows Media Player - This user agent is associated with Microsoft's media player application.
14. Firefox - This user agent is associated with the Mozilla Firefox browser.
15. VLC media player - This user agent is a distinctive identifier that the VLC player uses when accessing and playing streaming content.
16. ffmpeg - Listening apps similar to VLC that do not report a custom platform.
17. ExoPlayer (Android) - This is a generic user agent associated with Android applications using the ExoPlayer Library.
18. iTunes - The user agent is commonly associated with Apple's media player and media library application.
19. Winamp - This user agent is associated with the popular Winamp media player.
20. Roku - The user agent is associated with devices manufactured by Roku, a popular brand specializing in digital media players.
21. GStreamer - Desktop applications that use the GStreamer library but do not report a custom platform (Windows, Mac, and Linux).
22. Commotion - Third-party app developer
23. wget - These user agents are coming directly from the Linux command line.
24. curl - These user agents originate directly from the Windows or Linux command line interface.
25. react-native-track-player - Players apps (IOS and Android) using the React Native Track Player library but do not report a custom platform.
26. Other - This user agent category typically includes a diverse range of less common or proprietary user agents that may not fall into specific, well-known categories. These user agents may belong to custom applications, devices, or platforms that do not use standardized identifiers and they are not recognized by the system.
Podcast user agents
Podcast user agents refer to the software or applications used to access and download podcasts.
Some common Insights podcast user agents include:
1. Podcaster-EpisodeEmbed - This user agent is associated with the Podcaster single episode embedded player.
2. Podcaster-ShowEmbed - This user agent indicates the Podcaster embedded player show source.
3. Podcaster-ShowPage - The user agent represents connections coming from the Podcaster show page.
4. Podcaster-legacyplayer - This user agent is associated with the Podcaster legacy player
5. Podcaster - Identifies the request as coming from the SoundStack Podcaster platform.
6. Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple iPod, Apple TV, Apple HomePod, Apple Computer, Apple iMessage - These user agents are associated with Apple devices.
7. iTunes - The widely used media player and media library application developed by Apple.
8. Overcast - A popular podcast player app for iOS devices.
9. Dalvik - This user agent suggests using older Android players and applications.
10. Pocket Casts - A cross-platform podcast player app available for iOS and Android.
11. Spotify - The music streaming service that also supports podcasts. Many users listen to podcasts through the Spotify app.
12. Castbox - A podcast app that provides a platform for discovering, subscribing to, and listening to podcasts.
13. Google Podcasts - Google's podcast platform, available on both Android and iOS devices.
14. Podbean - A podcast platform that offers a podcast app for discovering and listening to podcasts.
15. Chrome - This user agent indicates a Chrome browser when accessing the podcast content.
16. Apple Podcasts - Identifies the request as coming from the Apple Podcasts app.
17. iHeartRadio - This user agent is associated with the iHeartRadio app.
18. Safari - The user agent string indicates a browser session using Safari.
19. TuneIn - This user agent is associated with podcasts accessed through the TuneIn platform.
20. Alexa-enabled device - The user agent represents connections coming from devices equipped with Amazon's Alexa voice service.
21. Firefox - This user agent is associated with the Mozilla Firefox browser.
22. Edge - This user agent indicates the Microsoft Edge browser on a Windows OS.
23. Chromecast device - This user agent indicates a device from the Google Chromecast family.
24. YouTube Music - It shows user downloads to a podcast served by our platform using the YouTube Music app.
25. react-native-track-player - Players apps (IOS and Android) using the React Native Track Player library but do not report a custom platform
26. AndroidDownloadManager - Android apps that use the default download manager and do not report a custom platform
27. okhttp - Player or app that uses the okhttp library but does not report a custom platform
28. FileDownloader (Android) - Direct download on Android
29. ExoPlayer (Android) - Android app that uses the Exoplayer library and does not report a custom platform
30. ffmpeg - Listening apps similar to VLC that do not report a custom platform
31. VictorReader - A handheld media player
32. python-httpx - Players that use httpx library
33. urllib (python) - Players that use urllib library
34. Other - These user agents could pertain to custom applications, devices, or platforms that lack standardized identifiers and are not recognized by the system.
If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact our Support Team through the ticket submission form or by emailing us at support@soundstack.com.