Abstract: Technology for managing playback of streaming media and ads associated therewith, is disclosed. Receiving a list indicating the location of ad pods in the stream and, optionally, indicating a list update time. Receiving instruction to play the stream forward from a seek point. Determining unplayed stream ads associated with locations from the list between the start and the seek point. Playing at least one determined ad. Optionally, playing at least one determined ad only upon determining that the list update time is greater than or equal to the seek point, otherwise, denying the seek point. Optionally after playing at least one determined ad, playing the stream from the seek point after playing the at least one determined ads. The list can be a list of cue points. Playing at least one determined ad can include playing the ad pod at the start of the stream section containing the seek point.