A manifest describes the resources and timing of a media presentation. Depending on the format, it can identify stream variants, media segments, audio options or other components a player needs. It normally points to media rather than containing the full programme itself, so successful parsing is only one stage of playback.
A practical example
A player can load a presentation's manifest and display several audio choices before a requested media segment fails to download. That distinction helps separate a readable catalogue or manifest from a working end-to-end playback session on the same device.
A common misunderstanding
A manifest URL can contain access information. Keep the complete private address out of public screenshots, and do not assume that a readable manifest guarantees permission to every referenced resource.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach