A machine-implementable method for managing cloud-based transcoding resources available to a content delivery network includes maintaining a queue of video transcoding jobs that may be executed by internal transcoders of the content delivery network or by external transcoders of a plurality of cloud-based resources, utilizing a server of the content delivery network. The method further includes determining, at first and second times, corresponding first and second transcoder supply deviations, and a trend indicator; and determining whether to activate, deactivate, or make no change to the number of transcoders that are currently activated for transcoding, based at least on the second transcoder supply deviation and the trend indicator.