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5G Media Streaming (5GMS)

The 3GPP framework for downlink and uplink video, audio and metadata delivery over 5G networks.

5G Media Streaming (5GMS) is a 3GPP-defined framework for delivering video, audio, and metadata over 5G networks, supporting both downlink (unicast to device) and uplink (device to network) flows. It introduces standardised interfaces between the content provider, the 5G network, and the client device. These interfaces cover session management, dynamic policies, and media consumption metrics. 5G-MAG implements the Application Function (AF), the control-plane entity that manages sessions and talks to the 5G core, and the Application Server (AS), the entity that hosts and delivers the media, enabling end-to-end validation of 5GMS-compliant pipelines. For the architecture and how these roles fit together, see the 5GMS Overview. For acronyms used here, see the Glossary.

Key specifications: 3GPP TS 26.501 (5GMS general description and architecture), TS 26.512 (5GMS protocols and APIs), TS 26.510 (generalised media delivery provisioning and media session handling, from Release 18), TS 26.511 (5GMS profiles, codecs and formats). Related UE data collection and reporting is specified in TS 26.531 (architecture) and TS 26.532 (protocols and formats). For the full list and links, see the Standards page.

Reference tools: The 5G-MAG software implementation is on the developer portal under 5G Media Streaming.

Go deeper​

Technology & Analysis

The 5GMS architecture, functional entities and reference points, plus the Release-19 extensions.

Standards Tracking

The 5GMS specifications 5G-MAG tracks and contributes to, including the BSF/PCF core-network functions the AF consumes.

Software Tools

The Application Function (AF) and Application Server (AS) reference implementation.

Execution Plan

The slide deck below introduces the 5G-MAG 5G Media Streaming reference tools and how they map to the architecture.

Slide deck: 5G Media Streaming reference tools.

Download the Slidedeck

How the pieces fit​

5GMS separates control from media: the Application Function (AF) manages sessions and policy, while the Application Server (AS) actually delivers the content. The reference points below (M1-M8) are the named interfaces that connect these pieces together — most are 3GPP-standardised APIs, a few are intentionally left open for implementers.

Reference pointConnectsStandardised?Purpose
M1Application Provider → AFYesProvisioning: the Application Provider configures the AF with content, policies and reporting settings.
M2Application Provider → ASYesContent ingest: media is uploaded to the AS for delivery.
M3AF ↔ ASNo (internal)Internal AF-to-AS configuration; left to the implementer since it never crosses an operator boundary.
M4AS → Media PlayerYesMedia delivery to the device, typically DASH or HLS over HTTP.
M5Media Session Handler ↔ AFYesMedia session handling and reporting: consumption, metrics, network assistance, dynamic policies.
M6 / M7Media Session Handler ↔ Media Player/StreamerYes (UE-internal)On-device APIs connecting the control and media components of the 5GMS Client.
M8Application Provider ↔ 5GMS-Aware ApplicationNo (out of 3GPP scope)Service-level information (for example the stream list), left to the application.

The AF also bridges to the 5G Core (PCF, NEF, BSF) to obtain policy, QoS and binding information — see 5G Core service consumers on the standards page for that interaction.

The downlink direction (5GMSd) uses a "d" suffix (M1d to M8d) and the uplink direction (5GMSu) a "u" suffix (M1u to M8u). The 5G-MAG reference tools implement the downlink direction. The 5GMS Overview works through the entities and reference points in detail, the 5GMSd Features page maps each downlink feature to its reference points and APIs, and Advanced Media Delivery covers the Release-19 extensions.

Two points on the specification structure are worth noting for implementers. First, from Release 18 the media session handling APIs were moved from TS 26.512 into TS 26.510 and generalised so that the 5GMS System and the Real-Time media Communication (RTC) System share the same Media Session Handler and AF provisioning. The current reference tools are based on the Release 17 layout, where those APIs still live in TS 26.512 and TS 26.510 does not exist. Second, 5GMS consumption and QoE metrics reporting can feed the generic UE data collection framework specified in TS 26.531 (architecture) and TS 26.532 (protocols and formats), which is where event exposure to consuming functions such as the Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) or an Event Consumer AF is defined.

References to verify

These identifiers on this page were not confirmed against a primary source (the 3GPP/ETSI portals block automated access): the Release 18 move of the media session handling APIs from TS 26.512 into TS 26.510, and the Release 17 layout of the reference-tool baseline. Verify against the 3GPP work plan before publication.

Technical Documentation​

The following resources are available. If you are new to 5GMS, read them in order: start with the Overview to understand the architecture, then the downlink Features, then Advanced Media Delivery for the Release-19 extensions.

General information about 5G Media Streaming​

VideoTech​

Advanced Media Delivery​

VideoTech​

note

Refer to the Tech repository to contribute to this documentation.