SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AUXILIARY MANIFESTS FOR MEDIA ITEMS

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating a media manifest for a media item that lists at least one media file that, when played by a media player, plays the media item;

generating an auxiliary manifest for the media item that lists at least one non-media file that cannot be played by the media player to play the media item but facilitates playing the media item;

receiving a request from a client device for the media manifest; and

in response to receiving the request, sending, to the client device, both the media manifest and the auxiliary manifest.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the media manifest comprises generating the media manifest according to a manifest standard that specifies types of files to be listed in the media manifest, wherein the types of files comprises media files and does not comprise non-media files.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein generating the auxiliary manifest comprises:

identifying a set of files relevant to the media item that are excluded by the manifest standard; and

listing the set of files in the auxiliary manifest.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request from an additional client device for the media manifest;

determining that the additional client device is a legacy client device that does not support auxiliary manifests; and

sending, to the additional client device, the media manifest while declining to send the auxiliary manifest in response to determining that the additional client device is the legacy client device.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein sending, to the client device, both the media manifest and the auxiliary manifest comprises:

determining that the client device supports auxiliary manifests; and

sending the auxiliary manifest in response to determining that the client device supports auxiliary manifests.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary manifest comprises a separate file from the media manifest.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises installation instructions for a media player that is not currently installed on the client device and that is capable of playing the media file.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises an updated version of the media player on the client device that enhances playback of the media file.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises a plug-in for the media player on the client device that enhances playback of the media file.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises a post-processing filter to be applied to the media file by the client device.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises machine learning model training data that enhances playback of the media file on the client device.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises a decode complexity metric for the media file.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises projection data for a three-dimensional version of the media item.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises model position data for a rendering engine on the client device that is capable of rendering visuals based on the model position data.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-media file comprises a codec capable of decoding the media file.

16 . A system comprising:

at least one physical processor;

physical memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the physical processor, cause the physical processor to:

generate a media manifest for a media item that lists at least one media file that, when played by a media player, plays the media item;

generate an auxiliary manifest for the media item that lists at least one non-media file that cannot be played by the media player to play the media item but facilitates playing the media item;

receive a request from a client device for the media manifest; and

in response to receiving the request, send, to the client device, both the media manifest and the auxiliary manifest.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein generating the media manifest comprises generating the media manifest according to a manifest standard that specifies types of files to be listed in the media manifest, wherein the types of files comprises media files and does not comprise non-media files.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein generating the auxiliary manifest comprises:

identifying a set of files relevant to the media item that are excluded by the manifest standard; and

listing the set of files in the auxiliary manifest.

19 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising wherein sending, to the client device, both the media manifest and the auxiliary manifest comprises:

determining that the client device supports auxiliary manifests; and

sending the auxiliary manifest in response to determining that the client device supports auxiliary manifests.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

generate a media manifest for a media item that lists at least one media file that, when played by a media player, plays the media item;

generate an auxiliary manifest for the media item that lists at least one non-media file that cannot be played by the media player to play the media item but facilitates playing the media item;

receive a request from a client device for the media manifest; and

in response to receiving the request, send, to the client device, both the media manifest and the auxiliary manifest.