> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gcore.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get started with CDN for video streaming

> Get started with CDN for video streaming, including billing, default subdomain, and delivery approaches.

[Video Streaming](https://gcore.com/streaming-platform) distributes video content through the Gcore CDN network. The CDN is fully integrated — no additional configuration is required to start delivering content globally.

Edge servers pull videos from storage or live streams from the media server and relay or cache them for viewers across 210+ locations worldwide. Integrated CDN delivery includes:

* Edge delivery from 210+ global locations for live streams and VOD content
* Automatic caching at locations closest to viewers for VOD files
* Adaptive bitrate playback using renditions produced by Video Streaming
* Built-in player with CDN-optimized streaming

## Billing for integrated CDN

Video Streaming with integrated CDN is billed on a **per-minute basis** based on the selected tariff plan. Billing is calculated in seconds and converted to minutes.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If viewers watch a total of 10,000 minutes of content in a month, billing is 10,000 minutes at the plan's per-minute rate.

> [!WARNING]
>
> If a player downloads a video segment to buffer, it is considered delivered and billed. For example, if a player buffers 30 seconds before playback starts, those 30 seconds count toward billing regardless of whether the viewer watches the content or closes the player.

## Default CDN subdomain

Video Streaming uses an automatically managed CDN resource with a default subdomain:

```sh theme={null}
clientID.gvideo.io
```

The *clientID* is the numeric account identifier visible in the profile dropdown (click the user icon in the top-right corner of the portal). For example, if the client ID is *12345*, the default subdomain is *12345.gvideo.io*.

This CDN resource is invisible in the dedicated CDN resource list and is managed automatically by Video Streaming. No configuration or management is required.

This subdomain is included in the playback URLs for all videos and live streams:

* Live stream: `https://12345.gvideo.io/cmaf/12345_00000/master.m3u8`
* VOD: `https://12345.gvideo.io/videos/12345_ABcdefg123HiJ`

## Delivery approaches

The integrated CDN is sufficient for most use cases. If the use case requires custom domains, geo-blocking, or access control policies, two additional approaches are available.

| Feature | Video Streaming | Hybrid (Video Streaming + Custom CDN) | Video CDN only |
| - | - | - | - |
| Availability | Immediate (automatically enabled) | Manual activation required | Manual activation required |
| Pricing model | Per-minute (all-inclusive) | Per-minute (transcoding) + Per-GB (CDN bandwidth) | Per-GB (bandwidth only) |
| Transcoding | Included | Included | Not included (pre-encoded stream required) |
| Custom domains | Not available | Supported | Supported |
| Geo-blocking | Not available | Country access policies | Country access policies |
| Referrer validation | Not available | Domain restrictions | Domain restrictions |
| IP allowlists/blocklists | Not available | IP access policies | IP access policies |
| Secure tokens | Not available | Configurable | Configurable |
| Advanced caching rules | Default settings | Full control | Full control |
| Separate security policies | One policy for all | Multiple resources | Multiple resources |
| DVR / recording | Included | Included | Not available |

**Video Streaming**

Video Streaming transcodes raw input from RTMP, SRT, WebRTC, or pulled HLS streams into multiple quality levels, packages the result into HLS and MPEG-DASH, and delivers it through the integrated CDN described above.

**Choose this if:** the input requires transcoding and the integrated CDN provides all the delivery controls needed.

**Hybrid (Video Streaming + Custom CDN)**

Uses Video Streaming for transcoding and delivers the resulting streams through a custom CDN resource. This combines full transcoding capabilities with advanced CDN controls unavailable in the integrated CDN.

**Choose this if:** transcoding and advanced CDN controls are both required (custom domains, geo-blocking, or access policies).

The [Custom CDN resource](/streaming/interaction-with-cdn/custom-cdn-resource) guide covers origin group configuration, CNAME settings, and per-feature security policies.

**Video CDN only**

Delivers already-prepared HLS or MPEG-DASH streams through the Gcore CDN without transcoding. The origin must provide ready-to-deliver streams.

**Activation:** Video CDN delivery requires approval by Gcore Support before use. Contact [support@gcore.com](mailto:support@gcore.com) to request activation.

**Choose this if:** an HLS or MPEG-DASH stream is already available from the origin and advanced CDN features are needed (geo-blocking, custom domains, or access policies).

The [Video CDN](/cdn/video-cdn/video-cdn-overview) guide covers CDN resource setup, HLS/DASH cache configuration, and origin protection.