Multi-DRM video hosting:Widevine and FairPlay on every paid plan

Same encryption Netflix and Disney+ rely on, with watermarks and access rules that turn it into a full protection stack.

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Hi, I'm Dima. In this video, we'll cover one of the Kinescope video protection features – DRM encryption. It's the maximum level of file protection. The video can't be downloaded, the stream can't be captured, and the screen can't be recorded. But it also comes with a few limits to keep in mind first. In this video, we'll go through it all. Let's go! Unlike a password, which controls who watches the video, DRM controls what can be done with the file. It's stored encrypted. To play it, the players request a temporary key from the license server, a new one each session.

Decryption is handled by the device's built-in DRM modules, Widevine in Chrome and Android, Fairplay in Safari and iOS. Before you turn it on, check three requirements. First, your site needs an SSL certificate. DRM only works over HTTPS. Second, if the video is already embedded, make sure the embed code includes encrypted media in the allow attribute. Without it, encrypted videos won't play. And third, the video you want to protect must be in a separate Kinescope project. DRM encryption is enabled only at the project level. Now, let's turn on DRM in your Kinescope account.

In the catalog, click the three dots next to the project name. In the context menu, select Project Settings. Click Turn on encryption. Read the conditions carefully, so the feature works correctly. If all looks good, confirm the action. Once confirmed, encryption starts automatically for every video in the project. It usually takes less than a day, and your videos stay available to watch throughout. Once it's on, keep three important things in mind. First, you can't turn encryption off yourself. That's only possible through a request to technical support. Second, after that, in the dashboard you can only download the original video.

Renditions and the other qualities won't be available via direct links. Third, for maximum protection, DRM doesn't work in Firefox ESR, UC Browser and Firefox on Android, or Chrome Incognito mode on Android. All said, DRM encryption is on, your files are fully protected. That's it! For more ways to protect content with access controls and watermarks over the player, see this collection and our knowledge base. Thanks for watching! See you on Kinescope! See you in the future!

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Encrypted by project

DRM is a per-project setting: switch it on, and every video in that project gets encrypted, both new uploads and the ones already there. The first pass usually takes under a day, videos stay playable meanwhile, and existing embeds keep working. Widevine and FairPlay protect every resolution at the file level, so any download attempt returns ciphertext.
Protected from extractors

Each playback fetches a per-session license key from our DRM server, and without it the stream is unplayable. Downloaders like SaveFrom or VLC get nothing, and screen recording is blocked at the OS level wherever the system allows it.
Traced if it ever leaks

Dynamic watermarks burn the viewer's name, email, or ID into every frame. Static watermarks add your logo or fixed text on top. A leaked screen recording traces back to the exact viewer who shared it.
Works almost everywhere

Plays on Udemy, Moodle, Webflow, Canvas, and any platform that accepts an embed code. Widevine and FairPlay cover around 99% of consumer devices, with the few exceptions covered in the full compatibility list.
Kinescope DRM encryption switched on per project
Kinescope protection against browser extensions and downloaders
Kinescope dynamic watermark identifying the source of a leak
Kinescope DRM playback across browsers and devices
Encrypted by project

DRM is a per-project setting: switch it on, and every video in that project gets encrypted, both new uploads and the ones already there. The first pass usually takes under a day, videos stay playable meanwhile, and existing embeds keep working. Widevine and FairPlay protect every resolution at the file level, so any download attempt returns ciphertext.

Kinescope DRM encryption switched on per project
Protected from extractors

Each playback fetches a per-session license key from our DRM server, and without it the stream is unplayable. Downloaders like SaveFrom or VLC get nothing, and screen recording is blocked at the OS level wherever the system allows it.

Kinescope protection against browser extensions and downloaders
Traced if it ever leaks

Dynamic watermarks burn the viewer's name, email, or ID into every frame. Static watermarks add your logo or fixed text on top. A leaked screen recording traces back to the exact viewer who shared it.

Kinescope dynamic watermark identifying the source of a leak
Works almost everywhere

Plays on Udemy, Moodle, Webflow, Canvas, and any platform that accepts an embed code. Widevine and FairPlay cover around 99% of consumer devices, with the few exceptions covered in the full compatibility list.

Kinescope DRM playback across browsers and devices

Multi-DRM without a DRM vendor

Multi-DRM means one library that plays under two DRM systems, Widevine and FairPlay, so every major browser and device is covered. Kinescope encrypts the files, runs the licence servers and ships the player; you switch DRM on per project.

Licence servers for Widevine and FairPlay
Run by Kinescope: a licence is issued for every playback session
Encrypting every rendition
One switch per project: MPEG-CENC for new and already uploaded videos, usually in under a day
A player that picks the right DRM
The Kinescope player; the embed code already carries encrypted-media
Deciding who gets a key
Your backend answers 200 or 403 to a drmauthtoken check
Licence fees
Included in every paid plan from €10/month, no per-licence charge

Which DRM will your viewer get?

Exceptions
Google’s DRM Widevine

Plays in Chrome, Edge and Firefox on desktop and in Chrome on Android.

  1. The player asks Kinescope for a licence for this session
  2. Optional: your backend answers 200 or 403
  3. The key is released and the video plays
  4. A saved copy of the file stays encrypted
Apple’s DRM FairPlay

Plays in Safari on Mac and on iPhone and iPad.

  1. The player asks Kinescope for a licence for this session
  2. Optional: your backend answers 200 or 403
  3. The key is released and the video plays
  4. A saved copy of the file stays encrypted
Known exceptions No DRM playback

Firefox ESR on desktop, Firefox and Firefox Focus on Android, UC Browser and Chrome’s incognito mode on Android can’t play DRM streams. UC Browser tells the viewer; the others show nothing, so point viewers to Chrome.

  1. The player asks Kinescope for a licence for this session
  2. Optional: your backend answers 200 or 403
  3. The key is released and the video plays
  4. A saved copy of the file stays encrypted

DRM also needs HTTPS on the page that embeds the player. DRM compatibility in the docs

Match playback access to your own rules

DRM stops downloads and, where the OS allows it, screen recording, but it doesn't know which viewers are allowed to play. Kinescope works with your auth backend: when a viewer presses play, we pass their identifier to your server, and your rules decide whether the key gets released. The access decision stays in your system, where it always was.

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Go beyond DRM with more access rules

Stack more access controls on top of DRM, in any combination that fits the scenario.

Lock the perimeter

Control which sites can host the player.

  • Domain restrictions for embedded playback.
  • Wildcard subdomain support (*.yourcompany.com).
  • Block embedding entirely for direct-link-only delivery.
  • Private-link override to bypass restrictions for one-off sharing.

Hand out the keys

Pick how each viewer identifies themselves before the player loads.

  • Auto-generated per viewer links.
  • Password set per video.
  • One-time codes with session limits and expiry.
  • Access by approved email domains.
  • SSO (SAML) on the Mega plan.

DRM pricing across platforms

Most platforms put multi-DRM behind an enterprise contract or a metered add-on. Kinescope includes Widevine and FairPlay on every paid plan from €10/month — no upsell, no custom quote.

KinescopeVimeoWistiaMux
Multi-DRM (Widevine + FairPlay)✓Includedevery paid plan✓Enterprise only✗Not availableno DRM on any plan✗Add-on$100/mo + $0.003/play
Plan required for DRMSuperEnterprise*n/a**Pay-as-you-go + add-on***
Entry price with DRM onfrom €10/moCustom-quotedn/a+$100/mo add-on

*Vimeo's paid tiers (Starter €8, Standard €19, Advanced €69) exclude DRM; it appears only on Enterprise, which is custom-quoted. Range per Vendr's 2026 B2B pricing database.

**Wistia has no DRM on any tier, including the custom-quoted Enterprise plan (median $8,165/yr across 55 anonymized purchases per Vendr's 2026 database) — protection there is limited to passwords and domain rules.

***Mux is video infrastructure, not a ready-made platform: DRM is a paid add-on ($100/mo + $0.003/play) on top of usage, plus the engineering time to build the surrounding platform. Per Vendr's 2026 database.

Full pricing comparison →

“Kinescope's affordable, scalable, and accessible video solution has been a game-changer, empowering us to deliver world-class education to hundreds of thousands”

Eriky Kunitake, Head of Business & Operations, Ada (500,000+ learners · moved from Mux to Kinescope)
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Need DRM but not the price that goes with it on Vimeo?

On Vimeo, the Enterprise plan you need just to turn on DRM is real. So are the storage and delivery caps below it. None of that lives in Kinescope: DRM ships in every paid plan from €10/month, alongside unlimited storage and bandwidth. For the rest, see the full breakdown.

Coming from YouTube or some other free service? You gain DRM, a full set of access restrictions, and a branded, ad-free player.

The move itself is on us — free on Super and Mega plans. We'll pull your library across (all metadata preserved) and set you up on our side. All usually done in a week or less.

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FAQ

Can’t find the answer you need? Check out our Help Center.

Regular hosting decides who may open a video — a password, a signed link, a domain lock. DRM video hosting also decides what the device may do with the bytes: every rendition is encrypted, and playback needs a licence key issued for that session, so a downloader or a browser extension gets an unplayable file instead of your video. On Kinescope the two stack — DRM is a per-project toggle on paid plans from €10/month, and signed links, domain locks and watermarks keep working alongside it.

Multi-DRM means protecting one video library with more than one DRM system, so it plays on every major browser and device: Widevine covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Android, FairPlay covers Safari, iPhone, iPad and Mac. Doing it yourself takes licence servers for each system, encryption of every rendition and a player that picks the right DRM per device. On Kinescope all three come with a per-project switch.

Not for videos you host on Kinescope. Encryption (MPEG-CENC), Widevine and FairPlay licences and the key exchange are built in on every paid plan from €10/month. If access depends on your own rules, connect your authorization backend: the player passes a drmauthtoken, your server answers 200 or 403, and only then is the key released. Setup details are in the DRM documentation.

No. Kinescope's DRM set is Widevine and FairPlay, which covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Android and Apple devices. PlayReady is not part of it, which matters if you deliver to Xbox or Windows apps. More on how the three systems compare in multi-DRM explained.

Stop paying enterprise prices for DRM

Get full protection from €10/month. No card required.

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