--- title: "What Is Episode Unlock? Pay-Per-Episode Streaming Explained" description: "Episode unlock sells a series one episode at a time, usually for coins. See how pay-per-episode works, where to put the lock and how to price it." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/episode-unlock" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/episode-unlock.md" category: "Monetization" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is episode unlock (pay per episode)? Episode unlock is a pay-per-episode model in which the first episodes of a series are free and each later episode is unlocked individually, usually with in-app coins, by watching an ad or with a pass. ## How episode unlock works A series is split into many short episodes. The opening episodes play free. From a chosen point, each episode shows a lock, and the viewer unlocks it by spending coins, watching a rewarded ad or holding a subscription pass. An unlocked episode stays unlocked on that account. Most apps offer auto-unlock, which spends coins for the next episode automatically so that playback is not interrupted. ## Where to put the lock The lock belongs after the viewer is invested in the story and immediately after a cliffhanger. Too early and viewers leave before caring; too late and you give away most of the series. Test the position per series. The measure to watch is the share of viewers who reach the lock and then unlock at least one episode. ## Pricing a series by the episode - Price each episode low enough to be an impulse decision - Check the total: episodes multiplied by price should be a figure a fan would accept - Offer a whole-series unlock or a pass at a discount for committed viewers - Let free viewers progress slowly through ads or daily rewards ## Episode unlock on RentAnOTT Episodic unlocks run on the coins and virtual purchases add-on ($119/month). Reels and vertical video are included on every RentAnOTT plan. [See pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing). ## Related terms - [Coins and virtual currency](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/virtual-currency) — Coins, or virtual currency, are units of in-app credit that viewers buy in packs with real money and then spend inside a streaming app, most often to unlock individual episodes of a short-form series. - [Microdrama](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/microdrama) — A microdrama is a serialized fiction story told in very short episodes, typically one to three minutes each, filmed vertically for viewing on a phone. A series often runs to dozens of episodes, each ending on a hook that leads into the next. - [Vertical series](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vertical-series) — A vertical series is a series of episodes filmed in portrait orientation for viewing on a phone held upright. Episodes are usually short, from one to ten minutes, and released in a swipeable feed. - [Rewarded ad](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/rewarded-ad) — A rewarded ad is a video advertisement that a viewer chooses to watch in exchange for a benefit inside the app, such as coins, an unlocked episode or a period of ad-free viewing. The viewer opts in, watches to the end and receives the reward. - [Video paywall](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-paywall) — A video paywall is the point in a streaming service where playback is blocked until the viewer pays, by subscribing, renting, buying or spending in-app currency. - [In-app purchase](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/in-app-purchase) — An in-app purchase (IAP) is a payment made inside a mobile or TV app using the app store's own billing system, such as Apple's App Store or Google Play. The store collects the money, keeps a commission and pays the rest to the app's publisher. - [Completion rate](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/completion-rate) — Completion rate is the percentage of plays of a video that reach the end, or a defined point near it. It shows whether a title holds the people who start it. ## Further reading - [Microdrama and short-form streaming platforms](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/microdrama-short-form-streaming-platforms) - [Short video applications compared](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/best-short-video-application) - [OTT app builder](https://www.rentanott.com/tools/ott-app-builder) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is episode unlock the same as TVOD? It is a form of transactional sale, since the viewer pays for specific content. The difference is the size and frequency: many very small unlocks paid from a coin balance, rather than one payment for a film. ### How many episodes should be free? Enough for the story to take hold. For a microdrama with dozens of one- to three-minute episodes, that is usually the opening stretch of the series. Test it per title. ### Does episode unlock work for long episodes? It works best for short episodes with a hook at the end of each. For long-form series, a subscription or a season purchase is usually simpler for the viewer. 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