--- title: "What Is Multi-DRM? Definition and Examples | RentAnOTT" description: "Multi-DRM protects one video with Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady so it plays securely on every device. See how it works and what it costs." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/multi-drm" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/multi-drm.md" category: "Security" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is 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. ## Why one DRM is not enough Each device maker supports its own DRM. Apple devices use FairPlay. Android, Chrome and most smart TVs use Widevine. Windows, Xbox and many televisions use PlayReady. A service protected with only one of them cannot play protected video on the others. ## How multi-DRM works The video is encrypted once using Common Encryption (CENC), a standard that lets the same encrypted files be unlocked by different DRM systems. The packager adds signalling for each system. At playback the player detects which DRM the device supports and requests a license from the matching license service. A multi-DRM service puts all three behind one integration, so the platform applies one set of rules, such as rental length or maximum resolution, to every device. ## Which DRM covers which device - Widevine: Android phones and tablets, Android TV, Fire TV, Chrome, Firefox, most smart TVs - FairPlay: iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Safari on Mac - PlayReady: Windows, Edge, Xbox, many Samsung and LG televisions ## What multi-DRM costs Providers usually charge per license issued, which roughly means per playback start. The count rises with viewing rather than with catalog size, so estimate it from monthly plays. Budget also for the packaging step and for testing on each device family. ## Multi-DRM on RentAnOTT Multi-DRM with Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady is included on the RentAnOTT Growth ($399/month) and Scale tiers, with 4K playback. DRM licenses are billed on usage. [See security features](https://www.rentanott.com/features#security). ## Related terms - [DRM](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/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. - [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. - [Secure video streaming](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/secure-video-streaming) — Secure video streaming is delivering video so that only authorized viewers can watch it and copies are hard to make. It is achieved by combining several layers: encrypted delivery, access tokens, DRM, account controls and watermarking. ## Further reading - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing) - [White-label streaming platform buyer's guide](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/white-label-streaming-platform) - [Offline video in streaming apps](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/offline-videos-streaming-app-guide) ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I have to encode the video three times for multi-DRM? No. With Common Encryption the video is encoded and encrypted once, and each DRM system issues its own license for the same files. Some older devices need a second packaging format. ### Do studios require multi-DRM? Most major rights holders require approved DRM on every device you distribute to, with hardware-level protection for HD and 4K. Supporting all three systems is the practical way to meet that. ### Does multi-DRM slow down playback? It adds one license request before the first frame, which is normally a fraction of a second. Once the license is held, playback is unaffected. 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