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This article answers common questions about parent-child entries in Kaltura. You’ll learn how they’re created, where they appear, how to manage them, and what to expect when working with multi-stream or multi-file media.
FAQs about parent-child entries
What is the difference between a parent-child entry and a regular entry?
In Kaltura, a media entry can be just one file (like a single video, audio, image, or live stream) - that’s a regular entry.
When you have more than one file for the same media, for example, a multi-camera recording or a video with an attached document, Kaltura creates a parent-child entry.
In this setup:
- The parent entry is the main media file.
- The child entry is the extra file(s) linked to it (like a second video stream or a related document).
This setup happens automatically for things like dual-stream recordings from Kaltura Classroom, Kaltura Capture, or combined video + doc uploads.
Is there a way to avoid creating a parent-child entry?
No, if there’s more than one file, the parent-child structure is created automatically in the background.
Where can I see parent and child entries?
- In Video Portal: Both the parent and child streams play in the player if the player supports it.
- In KMC (Management Console): Both appear on the Preview & Embed page when using a player with the right settings.
Can I download both parent and child files?
By default, only the parent entry is downloaded. If you need the child stream too, you can:
- Add it temporarily as a separate file and switch between streams using the Content Selector.
- Use the API Console to download it directly. For more information, see How to download multi-stream media.
Can I split them into separate entries?
No, this is not supported via the Kaltura applications. However, an API-based solution is available. For more details, please see How to swap between the child and parent content via API.
Does stopping/starting a Zoom recording create new parent-child entries?
Yes, when stopping and starting a Zoom recording from the same meeting session new parent-child entries are generated.
Following are the zoom recording types, the parent and child will be selected based on the provided recording, following this priority:
- Shared screen with speaker view
- Shared screen with a gallery view
- Shared screen
- Speaker view
- Active speaker
- Gallery view
- audio-only
- audio transcript
- chat file
- poll
How can I identify which is the parent and which is the child entry id?
The parent entry id is equal to the entry ID found in the media page URL. The child entry id can be revealed via the API console. For additional details, please refer to step 1 in How to swap between the child and parent content via API.
If I rename the parent, does the child get renamed too?
No, the child keeps its original name.
