Get Started

IMA SDKs make it easy to integrate multimedia ads into your websites and apps. IMA SDKs can request ads from any VAST-compliant ad server and manage ad playback in your apps. With IMA client-side SDKs, you maintain control of content video playback, while the SDK handles ad playback. Ads play in a separate video player positioned on top of the app's content video player.

This guide demonstrates how to integrate the IMA SDK into a simple video player app. If you would like to view or follow along with a completed sample integration, download the BasicExample from GitHub.

If you aren't already using a video player or don't want to integrate the IMA SDK, check out the ExoPlayer IMA extension, a lightweight Android media player with the IMA Android SDK already integrated.

Note: For information on integrating with other platforms, or on using the IMA DAI SDKs, see Interactive Media Ads SDKs.

IMA client-side overview

Implementing IMA client-side involves four main SDK components, which are demonstrated in this guide:

• AdDisplayContainer: A container object where ads are rendered.
• AdsLoader: An object that requests ads and handles events from ads request responses. You should only instantiate one ads loader, which can be reused throughout the life of the application.
• AdsRequest: An object that defines an ads request. Ads requests specify the URL for the VAST ad tag, as well as additional parameters, such as ad dimensions.
• AdsManager: An object that contains the response to the ads request, controls ad playback, and listens for ad events fired by the SDK.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need the following:

• Android Studio 3.0 or newer
• The Sample Video Player app which you'll use to integrate the SDK.

If you haven't used Android Studio before, consider running through the First App Tutorial for Android Studio before continuing.

Downloading and running the sample video player app

The sample video player app provides a working simple video player app for you to use as a starting point for integrating the IMA Android SDK.

1. Download the Sample Video Player app and unzip it.
2. Start Android Studio and select Open an existing Android Studio project, or if Android Studio is already running, select File > New > Import Project. Then, choose SampleVideoPlayer/build.gradle.
3. Run a Gradle sync by selecting Tools > Android > Sync Project with Gradle Files.
4. Ensure that the player app compiles and runs on a physical Android device or an Android Virtual Device using Run > Run 'app'. It's normal for the content video to take a few moments to load before playing.

If you're new to developing Android apps, go through Run Apps on the Android Emulator and Run Apps on a Hardware Device. You'll need to do one of those two things in order to run your new app and see what it looks like.

Examining the sample video player

The sample video player doesn't contain any IMA SDK integration code yet. The sample app consists of three major parts:

• samplevideoplayer/SampleVideoPlayer.java - A video implementation extending VideoView that has an interface for notifying listeners when the video finishes playing.
• res/layout/fragment_video.xml - App layout XML containing SampleVideoPlayer and defining a play button.
• videoplayerapp/MyActivity.java - This activity defines the method orientVideoDescriptionFragment to show or hide the VideoDescriptionFragment when appropriate (for example, to hide the description fragment to allow the video to go fullscreen). This file also defines VideoFragment, which sets the VideoPlayer content URL and wires the play button click event.

Adding the IMA Android SDK to the player app

Include a reference to the IMA SDK. For Android Studio the integration involves the addition of the following dependencies in your application-level build.gradle file, located at app/build.gradle:

repositories {
    google()
}

dependencies {
    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.1.0'
    implementation 'com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3:interactivemedia:3.16.2'

Checkpoint

Your app should compile and run, but you haven't yet added UI elements or code to request and display ads. When you initialize and manipulate UI objects, you must do so on the main thread if you're using multiple threads. In Android, UI objects are not thread-safe. See Threads for more information.

Your first ads request

Add ad tag

Add an entry in strings.xml to store the VAST ad tag URL.

res/values/strings.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <resources>

    <string name="app_name">IMA Sample Video Player<string>
    <string name="action_settings">Settings<string>
    <string name="video_description">Android Promotional Video<string>
    <string name="content_url">…<string>
    <string name="ad_tag_url">
    <![CDATA[https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/124319096/external/single_ad_samples&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s
        &gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1
        &cust_params=deployment%3Ddevsite%26sample_ct%3Dlinear&correlator=]]>
    </string>

    </resources>

Add imports and member variables to MyActivity.java

To use the IMA SDK, include the following import statements:

import android.util.Log; // enables logging in Android Studio.
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdDisplayContainer;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdErrorEvent;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdErrorEvent.AdErrorListener;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdEvent;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdEvent.AdEventListener;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdsLoader;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdsLoader.AdsLoadedListener;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdsManager;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdsManagerLoadedEvent;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.AdsRequest;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.ImaSdkFactory;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.ImaSdkSettings;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.player.ContentProgressProvider;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.api.player.VideoProgressUpdate;
import com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.samples.samplevideoplayer.SampleVideoPlayer.OnVideoCompletedListener;

Next, add the following private member variables into the VideoFragment class:

public static class VideoFragment extends Fragment {

  private static String LOGTAG = "ImaExample";
  private ImaSdkFactory mSdkFactory;
  private AdsLoader mAdsLoader;
  private AdsManager mAdsManager;
  private ViewGroup mAdUiContainer;
  private boolean mIsAdDisplayed;

Implement required interfaces

To support ad events and ad errors, VideoFragment must implement two required interfaces, AdEventListener and AdErrorListener. Replace the existing class declaration with the following:

public static class VideoFragment extends Fragment implements AdEventListener,
      AdErrorListener {...

Set up the ad UI container

Specify the view to be used as the ad UI container by adding the appropriate ID to the RelativeLayout in fragment_video.xml.

fragment_video.xml

<RelativeLayout
        android:id="@+id/videoPlayerWithAdPlayback"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent">
        <com.google.ads.interactivemedia.v3.samples.samplevideoplayer.SampleVideoPlayer
            android:id="@+id/videoPlayer"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_centerHorizontal="true" />
        <ImageButton
            android:id="@+id/playButton"
            android:contentDescription="Play Button"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:src="@drawable/ic_action_play_over_video"
            android:background="@null" />
    </RelativeLayout>
}

Then set the videoPlayerWithAdPlayback view to the mAdUiContainer variable.

MyActivity.java

protected void initUi(View rootView) {
            mVideoPlayer = (SampleVideoPlayer) rootView.findViewById(R.id.videoPlayer);

            mAdUiContainer = (ViewGroup) rootView.findViewById(R.id.videoPlayerWithAdPlayback);
            mPlayButton = (View) rootView.findViewById(R.id.playButton);
            mPlayButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
                @Override
                public void onClick(View view) {
                    mVideoPlayer.setVideoPath(getString(R.string.content_url));
                    mVideoPlayer.play();
                    mPlayButton.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                }
            });
        }

Create an AdsLoader

To request ads, first create an AdsLoader from the ImaSdkFactory. Then add both an AdsLoadedListener to handle ads being loaded, and an AdErrorListener to respond to loading errors. Add the following to VideoFragment.onActivityCreated():

MyActivity.java

public void onActivityCreated(Bundle bundle) {
    super.onActivityCreated(bundle);
    
    // Create an AdsLoader.
    mSdkFactory = ImaSdkFactory.getInstance();

    ImaSdkSettings mSdkSettings = mSdkFactory.createImaSdkSettings();
    AdDisplayContainer adDisplayContainer = mSdkFactory.createAdDisplayContainer();
    adDisplayContainer.setAdContainer(mAdUiContainer);

    mAdsLoader = mSdkFactory.createAdsLoader(
        this.getContext(), mSdkSettings, adDisplayContainer);

    // Add listeners for when ads are loaded and for errors.
    mAdsLoader.addAdErrorListener(this);
    mAdsLoader.addAdsLoadedListener(new AdsLoadedListener() {
        @Override
        public void onAdsManagerLoaded(AdsManagerLoadedEvent adsManagerLoadedEvent) {
            // Ads were successfully loaded, so get the AdsManager instance. AdsManager has
            // events for ad playback and errors.
            mAdsManager = adsManagerLoadedEvent.getAdsManager();

            // Attach event and error event listeners.
            mAdsManager.addAdErrorListener(VideoFragment.this);
            mAdsManager.addAdEventListener(VideoFragment.this);
            mAdsManager.init();
        }
    });
}

Add completion and click listeners

The video player fires a VideoCompletedListener when the content video finishes. Add a listener to notify the AdsLoader when the content finishes. Then add an OnClickListener to request ads when the play button is clicked:

MyActivity.java

public void onActivityCreated(Bundle bundle) {
    super.onActivityCreated(bundle);

    // Create an AdsLoader.
    ...
    });
    
    // Add listener for when the content video finishes.
    mVideoPlayer.addVideoCompletedListener(new OnVideoCompletedListener() {
        @Override
        public void onVideoCompleted() {
            // Handle completed event for playing post-rolls.
            if (mAdsLoader != null) {
                mAdsLoader.contentComplete();
            }
        }
    });

    // When Play is clicked, request ads and hide the button.
    mPlayButton.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view) {
            mVideoPlayer.setVideoPath(getString(R.string.content_url));
            requestAds(getString(R.string.ad_tag_url));
            view.setVisibility(View.GONE);
        }
    });
}

Request ads

Implement the requestAds() method to create the AdsRequest. As part of the request, provide a ContentProgressProvider to inform the SDK about the content video's progress, which is used to determine when to play mid-rolls. End the function by calling AdsLoader.requestAds() to send the request.

MyActivity.java (inside VideoFragment class)

public static class VideoFragment extends Fragment implements AdEventListener,
    AdErrorListener {

    ...

    private void requestAds(String adTagUrl) {
        AdDisplayContainer adDisplayContainer = mSdkFactory.createAdDisplayContainer();
        adDisplayContainer.setAdContainer(mAdUiContainer);

        // Create the ads request.
        AdsRequest request = mSdkFactory.createAdsRequest();
        request.setAdTagUrl(adTagUrl);
        request.setContentProgressProvider(new ContentProgressProvider() {
            @Override
            public VideoProgressUpdate getContentProgress() {
                if (mIsAdDisplayed || mVideoPlayer == null || mVideoPlayer.getDuration() <= 0) {
                    return VideoProgressUpdate.VIDEO_TIME_NOT_READY;
                }
                return new VideoProgressUpdate(mVideoPlayer.getCurrentPosition(),
                        mVideoPlayer.getDuration());
            }
        });

        // Request the ad. After the ad is loaded, onAdsManagerLoaded() will be called.
        mAdsLoader.requestAds(request);
    }

Handling ad events

The app must handle ad events sent from the SDK to notify it about major ad events. Implement the onAdEvent() method to handle events sent from AdsManager. Of particular importance is to call AdsManager.start() to start playing ads, and to pause and resume the content video when ads start and end.

MyActivity.java (inside VideoFragment class)

public static class VideoFragment extends Fragment implements AdEventListener,
    AdErrorListener {

    ...

    @Override
    public void onAdEvent(AdEvent adEvent) {
        Log.i(LOGTAG, "Event: " + adEvent.getType());

        // These are the suggested event types to handle. For full list of all ad event
        // types, see the documentation for AdEvent.AdEventType.
        switch (adEvent.getType()) {
            case LOADED:
                // AdEventType.LOADED will be fired when ads are ready to be played.
                // AdsManager.start() begins ad playback. This method is ignored for VMAP or
                // ad rules playlists, as the SDK will automatically start executing the
                // playlist.
                mAdsManager.start();
                break;
            case CONTENT_PAUSE_REQUESTED:
                // AdEventType.CONTENT_PAUSE_REQUESTED is fired immediately before a video
                // ad is played.
                mIsAdDisplayed = true;
                mVideoPlayer.pause();
                break;
            case CONTENT_RESUME_REQUESTED:
                // AdEventType.CONTENT_RESUME_REQUESTED is fired when the ad is completed
                // and you should start playing your content.
                mIsAdDisplayed = false;
                mVideoPlayer.play();
                break;
            case ALL_ADS_COMPLETED:
                if (mAdsManager != null) {
                    mAdsManager.destroy();
                    mAdsManager = null;
                }
                break;
            default:
                break;
        }
    }

Errors, pause and resume

The app also needs to handle errors thrown by the SDK. Implement onAdError() to log errors and to resume content video playback if the ads can't play. Change the onPause() and onResume() methods to call AdsManager if playing an ad.

MyActivity.java (inside VideoFragment class)

public static class VideoFragment extends Fragment implements AdEventListener,
    AdErrorListener {

    ...

    @Override
    public void onAdError(AdErrorEvent adErrorEvent) {
        Log.e(LOGTAG, "Ad Error: " + adErrorEvent.getError().getMessage());
        mVideoPlayer.play();
    }

    @Override
    public void onResume() {
        if (mAdsManager != null && mIsAdDisplayed) {
            mAdsManager.resume();
        } else {
            mVideoPlayer.play();
        }
        super.onResume();
    }

    @Override
    public void onPause() {
        if (mAdsManager != null && mIsAdDisplayed) {
            mAdsManager.pause();
        } else {
            mVideoPlayer.pause();
        }
        super.onPause();
    }

Congrats! You're now requesting and displaying video ads in your Android app. To fine tune your implementation, see Ad Rules and the API documentation.

Troubleshooting

If you're experiencing issues playing a video ad, try downloading the completed BasicExample below and change the ad_tag_url defined in strings.xml to the ad tag URL you're testing with. If it works properly in the BasicExample then there's likely an issue with your app's IMA integration code. Review this guide and API docs to detect any discrepancies.

Download BasicExample.zip View on GitHub

Still having issues? Drop us a line in the IMA SDK forum.