Abstract: Techniques enabled by the present disclosure allow a media content service to support different playback modes in the presence of variations in media content asset types and viewer device capabilities. The techniques enabled by the present disclosure further allow encoding media content with playback bitrates targeted for streaming playback mode and playback bitrates targeted for download playback mode, and managing manifest data to allow viewer devices to select between different playback bitrates for a particular playback mode with greater precision.

Abstract: Various systems, processes, and techniques may be used to manage media content playback. In particular implementations, systems and processes may include the ability to generate audio output from media content at a user device and detect an indication to move from a current location in the audio output. The systems and processes may also include the ability to determine a number of location indicators for the audio output, the location indicators associated with different locations in the audio output, select one of the location indicators, and generate audio output beginning near the selected location indicator.