Optimization of Playback Experience in iQIYI Knowledge App

The article discusses the evolution of knowledge‑paid services and the technical challenges of delivering a smooth audio‑video playback experience in the iQIYI Knowledge app.

iQIYI Knowledge relies on audio‑video playback as its main distribution channel. Compared with the main iQIYI app, Knowledge supports many complex playback scenarios such as video, audio, audio console, floating audio‑video windows, and seamless switching among them. Ensuring smooth start‑up (秒播) is a key technical problem.

Playback scenario expansion – The app adds audio, video strips, sticky bars, consoles, and automatic foreground/background switching. A floating audio‑video bar allows playback to continue when the user leaves the playback page, supports drag‑and‑drop, and can be restyled with low cost.

Audio‑video page ↔ bar switching – A functional controller encapsulates playback data (e.g., episode list) and common delegate events, enabling uninterrupted switching between long‑video and short‑video controllers.

Foreground/background auto‑switch – When the app goes to background, video automatically switches to audio‑only mode; when returning to foreground, it switches back, preserving a continuous listening experience and saving bandwidth.

Console integration – A dedicated console module is added to the new audio player (iOS) or integrated (Android) so users can control playback without unlocking the phone, completing the audio playback loop.

Start‑up flow optimization – The playback start process is divided into three stages: (1) acquisition of start‑up parameters, (2) selection and creation of the appropriate player, and (3) retrieval of the playback URL. Optimizations include pre‑fetching parameters, local playback‑record module, unifying player instances, lazy UI creation, pre‑loading next episodes, and allocating system resources after the player is ready. These measures collectively increased the “seconds‑play” rate by roughly 19 % in the first stage, 7 % in the second, and 4 % in the third, with an overall improvement of about 7 % from routing and rendering adjustments.

The article concludes that millisecond‑level optimizations across parameter preparation, player creation, and URL fetching significantly improve the user experience, and the iQIYI Knowledge team will continue to expand playback scenarios and refine performance.