Techniques are provided for enforcing mandatory segments in multimedia content. Generally, a command is received and it is determined if a duration of the command affects a mandatory segment of the multimedia content. If so, the command and the duration are used to determine if the mandatory segment should be enforced and, therefore, played to a user. Additionally, a segment lifetime and mandatory level add flexibility by providing additional options to enforce mandatory segments if certain predetermined conditions are met. Finally, mandatory segments that meet predetermined criteria may be replaced by additional mandatory segments.