The present invention discloses a method for generating media information, a terminal, a server, and an adaptive streaming system. Media code streams of m types of code rate, which are generated by an AHS system, are divided into h groups, and tracing codes are separately embedded into code stream segments of each group. The tracing codes embedded into the code stream segments, and code stream group information are stored in a media presentation description MPD file. In a downloading process of a terminal, tracing of an end user that downloads media data is implemented.