Netflix releases its own API for developers

The Application Programming Interface (API) that will allow third party developers to create new tools for use with the Netflix movie and user data is now open,enabling them to build new applications based on Netflix's platform.

The free API (available here) includes JavaScript and REST APIs and ATOM feeds. The JavaScript component allows users to integrate such things as the user's queue into other Web applications.

Representational State Transfer (REST) is a common architectural style in modern Web services. The Netflix REST component allows access to all of the outwardly visible functions on the company's site, such as its 100,000 titles, user activity, queue data, and title recommendations. Authentication here is based upon OAuth standard, which is the open authentication protocol with community support from such companies as AOL, Eye-Fi, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Myspace, and Yahoo.

ATOM feeds, which are accessible through the REST API, handle subscriber activity data, which includes usage, ratings, reviews and rental history. This information is accessible to applications that don't necessarily support OAuth.

Though this launch did not have any accompanying applications to show off what can be done with the API, Netflix did increase its streaming library by 2,500 with the addition of Starz video content, available immediately. This adds a lot of recent blockbuster titles, an area of the service that has been relatively content-light. Films such as Spiderman 3, Superbad, and No Country for Old Men are just some of the many titles made available today.