README: JW Player

Thank you for downloading JW Player 6, the world's most popular HTML5/Flash video player! See About JW Player for an overview of supported browsers/devices, as well as a more detailed feature list. See the Release Notes if you want to learn what changed with this latest release.

Quick Start

Copy the jwplayer folder that contains this README to the www root of your website. Next, include the jwplayer.js script in the <head> of your HTML page.

If you have purchased the Pro, Premium or Ads edition of JW Player, its features can be activated by inserting your server-less JW Player license key in the second line:

<script type="text/javascript" src="/jwplayer/jwplayer.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">jwplayer.key="ABCDEFGHIJKLMOPQ";</script>

Note: A key is not required to use the Free edition, but will still be available from your JW Player Account. Including your key will enable the free JW Player Analytics for your account.

Embed Code

When the script and key are set, scroll down to the <body> of your HTML page and insert the JW Player embed code at the place you want your video to appear:

<div id="myElement">Loading the player...</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
    jwplayer("myElement").setup({
        file: "/uploads/myVideo.mp4",
        image: "/uploads/myPoster.jpg"
    });
</script>

See Embedding JW Player for a more elaborate description of options and some example embeds.

Note two very common issues prevent smooth video playback in Internet Explorer 9/10. First, you need to set <!DOCTYPE html> to prevent triggering IE's compatibility mode. Second, your videos must be served with the video/mp4 mimetype. Not doing so will cause IE not to play them. See our troubleshooting guide for more common issues.

Premium Skins

If you have purchased the Premium or Ads edition of the player, your player includes a set of Premium skins. These skins can be downloaded from your JW Player Account, but you can also load them off our CDN by simply inserting the skin name:

    skin: "bekle"

See Using JW Player Skins for more info.

Documentation

If you need help, the LongTail Support Community contains a wealth of information, including guides on:

Visit our Support Forums for setup problems, bug reports or suggestions for new features or enhancements. The forums are very active and frequently visited by members of the JW Player development team. Please see your JW Player Account for more information on obtaining technical support.

Follow the LongTail Video Blog for news on the JW Player and online video in general. We frequently publish posts on topics such as HTML5, video SEO, H.264, VAST advertising, etc. You can also follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to stay connected.

Licensing

Please be aware that each player edition has its own license:

JW Player Free
Under the terms of our Creative Commons license, you can use, modify and redistribute the player for non-commercial purposes only. Commercial sites must purchase a license for the Pro, Premium or Ads editions. See the JW Player 6 License for further details.
JW Player Pro
Under the terms of our Commercial License, you can deploy your copy of JW Player Pro for commercial use on 1 domain. See our pricing page for more information on edition features and pricing.
JW Player Premium
Under the terms of our Commercial License, you can deploy your copy of JW Player Premium for commercial use on up to 10 domains. See our pricing page for more information on edition features and pricing.
JW Player Ads
Under the terms of our Commercial License, you can deploy your copy of JW Player Ads for commercial use on up to 10 domains, with an additional restriction of up to 250.000 filled ad impressions per month. See our pricing page for more information on edition features and price.

Examples of commercial use includes websites with any advertisements, websites owned or operated by businesses, websites designed to promote products or services, and tools (e.g. a CMS) that bundle JW Player in their offering.

Note all editions of JW Player incorporate the Block TEA library from Movable Type (CC-BY license).