Android had several media APIs: Jetpack Media, also known as MediaCompat, Jetpack Media2 and ExoPlayer. Unfortunately, these libraries were developed independently, with different goals but overlapping functionality. Android developers not only had to choose which library to use, they also had to contend with writing adaptors or other connecting code when features from multiple APIs were needed. Jetpack Media3 is an API that takes common areas of functionality from the existing APIs — including UI, playback and media session handling — and combines them into a merged and refined API. The player interface from ExoPlayer has also been updated, enhanced and streamlined to act as the common player interface for Media3. After an early access phase, Media3 is now in beta. Although its first release is forthcoming, we've already had positive experiences using it in apps.
Android today has several media APIs: Jetpack Media, also known as MediaCompat, Jetpack Media2 and ExoPlayer. Unfortunately, these libraries were developed independently, with different goals but overlapping functionality. Android developers not only had to choose which library to use, they also had to contend with writing adaptors or other connecting code when features from multiple APIs were needed. Jetpack Media3 is an effort, currently in early access, to create a new API that takes common areas of functionality from the existing APIs — including UI, playback and media session handling — combining them into a merged and refined API. The player interface from ExoPlayer has also been updated, enhanced and streamlined to act as the common player interface for Media3.
