# Configure VOD transforms

A _transform_ is a reusable template that defines how MK.IO should process a piece of content. You create a transform once with a specific type and preset, then apply it to assets by running jobs. This means you can encode hundreds of assets consistently without reconfiguring the settings each time.

## Transform types

Three transform types are available in the MK.IO portal:

| Type | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Encoding** | Re-encodes video into streaming-optimised formats (HLS/DASH). Supports adaptive bitrate with multiple resolution tracks. This is the most common type for VOD streaming. |
| **AI** | Generates transcriptions or translations from audio. Output is a subtitle file (WebVTT or TTML) attached to the asset. |
| **Asset conversion** | Converts between container formats or extracts audio without full re-encoding. |

Additional transform types (for example, thumbnail generation and track insertion) are available through the MK.IO API but not in the portal. See Reference: transform presets for the full list.

## Create a transform

### Open Transforms

Go to **Video Processing** > **Transforms** in the left navigation and click **\+ Create Transform**.

### Name the transform

Give it a descriptive name (for example, `streaming-720p` or `transcription-english`). You reference this name when creating jobs. Avoid spaces: use hyphens or underscores.

### Select the type and preset

- **For Encoding**: Select **Encoding** as the type, then choose a preset. The preset defines the output resolutions, codecs, and bitrates. Common presets:

- `H264MultipleBitrate1080p`: Adaptive bitrate 1080p, good for general streaming  
  - `H264MultipleBitrate720p`: Adaptive bitrate 720p, lower cost  
  - `H264SingleBitrate1080p`: Fixed quality single output

- **For AI**: Select **AI** as the type, then choose the pipeline (for example, speech transcription). Specify the source audio language code (for example, `en-US` for English).

- **For Asset conversion**: Select **Asset conversion**, then choose the conversion preset.

### Create

Click **Submit**. The transform appears in your Transforms list and is ready to use.

## Run the transform

A transform on its own does nothing: you apply it to an asset by creating a job. Use the Transforms and jobs API Guide to create and manage transforms through the Media API.