--- title: "What Is DRM? Digital Rights Management Explained | RentAnOTT" description: "DRM encrypts video so only authorized devices can play it. See how licenses work, which DRM systems exist and when a streaming service needs one." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/drm" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/drm.md" category: "Security" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is DRM? DRM (digital rights management) is technology that encrypts video and controls who can decrypt it. A viewer's device must obtain a license from a license server before it can play the stream, and the license sets the rules for that playback. ## How DRM works The video is encrypted when it is packaged for streaming. When a viewer presses play, the player asks a license server for the key. The server checks that the viewer is entitled to the title and returns a license that only that device's protected decryption module can open. The key is never exposed to the app or the browser page, so the stream cannot be decrypted by copying its address or reading the page's code. ## What a DRM license controls - Whether this device may play the title at all - How long the license lasts, for example a 48-hour rental - The maximum resolution, depending on how secure the device is - Whether output to an external display requires HDCP - Whether the title may be stored for offline viewing, and for how long ## The main DRM systems Three systems cover almost every device. Widevine, from Google, covers Android, Android TV, Chrome and most smart TVs. FairPlay, from Apple, covers iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Safari. PlayReady, from Microsoft, covers Windows, Edge, Xbox and many smart TVs. No single system reaches every device, so a service that wants full coverage uses all three. That is called multi-DRM. ## When a streaming service needs DRM DRM is needed when a rights holder requires it, which studios and sports leagues normally do, and when content is valuable enough that copies would cost you sales. For free or promotional video, signed URLs are usually enough. ## DRM on RentAnOTT Multi-DRM with Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady is included on the RentAnOTT Growth and Scale tiers. DRM licenses are billed on usage. [See security features](https://www.rentanott.com/features#security). ## Related terms - [Multi-DRM](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/multi-drm) — Multi-DRM is the use of several DRM systems, normally Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady, to protect the same video so that it plays securely on every browser, phone and television. - [Widevine](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/widevine) — Widevine is Google's DRM system. It protects streamed video on Android phones and tablets, Android TV and Google TV, Chrome and other browsers, and most smart TVs and streaming devices outside Apple's ecosystem. - [FairPlay](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/fairplay) — FairPlay Streaming is Apple's DRM system. It protects video delivered over HLS to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Safari on Mac, and is the only DRM those devices support for native playback. - [PlayReady](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/playready) — PlayReady is Microsoft's DRM system. It protects streamed video on Windows and the Edge browser, Xbox consoles, and many smart TVs and set-top boxes. - [DRM license server](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/drm-license-server) — A DRM license server is the service that issues licenses for protected video. When a device asks to play an encrypted stream, the license server checks that the request is authorized and returns the decryption key, wrapped so that only that device can use it, together with the rules for playback. - [Forensic watermarking](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/forensic-watermarking) — Forensic watermarking embeds an invisible identifier, unique to each viewer or session, into the video itself. If a copy appears on a piracy site, the identifier can be extracted to find the account it came from. - [AES-128 encryption](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/aes-128) — AES-128 is the Advanced Encryption Standard with a 128-bit key. In streaming it is used to encrypt video segments so they cannot be played without the key. The term usually refers to the basic encryption built into HLS, in which the player fetches the key from a URL listed in the playlist. ## Further reading - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing) - [Offline video in streaming apps](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/offline-videos-streaming-app-guide) - [White-label streaming platform buyer's guide](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/white-label-streaming-platform) ## Frequently asked questions ### What does DRM stand for? DRM stands for digital rights management. ### Does DRM stop screen recording? On devices with hardware-level protection, DRM-protected video appears black in screenshots and recordings. On less secure devices it may not, which is why services limit resolution there and add forensic watermarking for high-value content. ### Is encryption alone the same as DRM? No. Simple encryption such as AES-128 scrambles the stream but hands the key to the player openly. DRM delivers the key inside a license that only a protected module on the device can read. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt