DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a crucial technology for protecting content on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. It serves as a safeguard against piracy and unauthorized distribution, ensuring that only authorized users can access and view digital content.
What is DRM (Digital Rights Management)?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) refers to a set of technologies and policies designed to protect the ownership and distribution of streaming content. Its primary purpose is to prevent unauthorized access, copying, and distribution of copyrighted materials, ensuring that creators retain control over their intellectual property.
Key Features of DRM (Digital Rights Management)
- DRM restricts who can view or use digital content;
- Content is encrypted, making it unreadable without the appropriate decryption keys;
- DRM systems manage licenses that dictate how content can be used, including limitations on copying, sharing, and editing;
- Digital watermarking embeds information within the content to establish ownership and track unauthorized copies;
- DRM systems can monitor how content is accessed and used, providing data that helps creators understand audience behavior and enforce compliance with licensing terms.
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is an authorized process for copyright protection for digital content like music, video, eBooks, etc. Digital rights management technologies try to put an end to the illegal redistribution of digital content as well as limit the ways users can copy content they have already purchased.
DRM can be practiced by inserting code that helps to eliminate the copying of digital content. Even it limits the number of devices the content can be received on. However, it either stipulates a period during which the content can be accessed. A few of the well-known DRMs available in the market for browser-based video include:
- PlayReady,
- Widevine,
- FairPlay,
- Primetime,
- Marlin,
- CMLA-OMA
How Does DRM Work?
The evolution of digital media and analog-to-digital conversion technologies has increased the concerns of copyright-owning organizations and individuals, especially within the music and movie industries.
However analog media inevitably loses quality with every copy generation, furthermore in some cases, also during normal use, digital media files get duplicated an unlimited number of times with no disgrace in the quality. To avoid the issue, it becomes essential to secure it with Digital Rights Management (DRM); let’s check how it helps protect your OTT platform content.
DRM (Digital Rights Management) Working Guide
The growth of personal computers as household apparatuses has made it worthwhile for users to convert media initially in a broadcast, physical, or analog form into a universal, digital form for portability or viewing later. They combine online file-sharing tools, making unauthorized copies of copyrighted digital media much more accessible.
In 1983, before the implementation of DRM (Digital Rights Management), SSS (Software Service System) was introduced by the Japanese engineer Ryuichi Moriya. It was subsequently refined under the name super distribution. It was based on encryption, with specific hardware that managed decryption and enabled payments to be sent to the copyright holder.
The underlying principle of the Software Service System and subsequently of super distribution was that the spread of encrypted digital products should be entirely unrestricted. Users of the products would not just be authorized to redistribute them but would really be encouraged to do so. Later on, the concept of DRM was introduced to offer more security to digital content; let’s understand the concept in-depth right away.
Image: (Source)
A DRM setup requires specific packaging, encoding, playback, and a license server. Your video content is packaged and encrypted when you start streaming and uses multiple DRM schemes for different device compatibility. When a viewer tries to playback a particular Livestream, the video player demands a key from a license server.
The license server then identifies whether the viewer and the playback device are authorized and provides a license response on the fly with a decryption key. And with the help of the decryption key, the video player plays the live stream for the user. DRM encryption works on six main processes, which include
1 Source
2. Encoding
3. Encryption
4. Storage
5. Authentication
6. Playback
Source
Input video file is transferred to AWS or other storage.
Encoding
The video file is encoded in cloud live streaming servers into adaptive streaming formats like MPEG-DASH or HLS.
Encryption
The encoder encrypts the video files with media keys from DRM providers. DRM solutions scramble the streaming details in a file rendering. For example, when applied, the file can’t be read by anyone without the appropriate unlocking key.
Storage
The video is stored in a CDN, ready for a viewer to click the play button.
Authentication
The video player interacts with the DRM server to check whether the license is valid.
Playback
After finishing the authentication process, the player can decrypt the video file and play it for the viewer.
What is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)?
The AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher determined by the U.S. government to protect classified data. AES is executed in software and hardware throughout the globe to encrypt crucial data. It’s essential for government computer security and electronic and cybersecurity data protection.
In 1997, the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) started developing AES when it announced the requirement for an alternative to the Data Encryption Standard (DES), as it was starting to become vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
How Does AES Work?
Advanced encryption standard has three block ciphers, these include:
- AES-128,
- AES-192,
- AES-256.
AES-128 utilizes a 128-bit key length to encrypt and decrypt a block of messages, whereas AES-192 utilizes a 192-bit key length, and AES-256 uses a 256-bit key length to encrypt and decrypt information. Every cipher encrypts and decrypts information in blocks of 128 bits using cryptographic keys of 128, 192, and 256 bits.
It’s also known as a secret key; ciphers use a similar key for encrypting and decrypting; hence the sender and the receiver must both know and utilize the same secret key. The information has been classified into three different categories:
- Confidential,
- Secret,
- Top Secret.
Most of the key lengths can be used to protect the Secret and Confidential levels. Top secret information demands 192 or 256-bit key lengths. There are ten different rounds for 128-bit keys, 14 rounds for 256 bits, and 12 rounds for 192 bits, respectively. Each round consists of different processing steps that include transportation, substitution, and mixing of the input plaintext to transform it into the final ciphertext.
Standard Vs. DRM Encryption: Which is Best to Protect Video Playback Context?
Digital Rights Management is not similar to encryption; encryption carries the information in packages, which is a standard part of the encoder and content delivery network. But when we talk about DRM for video playback context, it includes encryption and device protocols maintained by a video streaming platform to secure the content from getting misused or pirated.
To understand the DRM concept in-depth, it becomes essential for you to learn everything about video encryption and its relation to the DRM. Video encryption is an effective process of transformation of video into a non-video secure format. Therefore, viewers can’t access the raw file directly. Video encryption technology such as RTMP E, AES 128, and HLS E has significant exchange mechanisms that are prone to downloading and hacking, averting the purpose of encryption.
DRM protects the encryption key by preventing straightforward access to hacking software. It performs a dual role in encrypting the video as well as protecting the video encryption key. Lots of commercial DRM systems are available in the market, including professional DRM (Digital Rights Management) which works with AES as the encryption technique.
Secure Your Streaming Content Today!
Delivering a strong live stream depends on how secure the streaming platform is. Secure live streaming includes DRM (Digital Rights Management) as it helps to prevent unauthorized access. This can be effective for an online video subscription business.
Our video streaming platform also encodes the content to maximum security beyond all browsers without requiring the installation of an additional plugin or app. Videos are encrypted, and the decryption on the server keys which is written into the HTML5 Player for playback.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Why is DRM important for OTT platforms?
DRM is crucial for OTT platforms because it safeguards digital content, such as videos and music, from piracy and unauthorized use. By implementing DRM, OTT platforms can protect their revenue streams, uphold licensing agreements, and maintain the integrity of their content.
Can DRM be used on all types of devices and platforms?
Yes, modern DRM solutions are designed to work across a wide range of devices and platforms, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and web browsers. This ensures that content is protected no matter where or how it is accessed.
How does DRM protect live streaming content?
For live streaming, DRM encrypts the video content before it’s streamed. The content is then stored on a content delivery network (CDN) and delivered to the user’s device. The video player requests a decryption key from the DRM server during playback, which verifies the user’s authorization before allowing access to the stream.
What are the main components of a DRM system?
A typical DRM system includes:
- Source
- Encoding
- Encryption
- Storage
- Authentication
- Playback
How can OTT platforms implement DRM?
OTT platforms can implement DRM by integrating DRM solutions with their content management and delivery systems. This involves encrypting content, managing licenses, and ensuring that playback is only possible on authorized devices and for authorized users.
Can DRM be customized for different types of content?
Yes, DRM systems can be customized to fit the specific needs of different types of content.
How does DRM impact the cost of content distribution for OTT platforms?
Implementing DRM can increase the cost of content distribution for OTT platforms due to the need for specialized software, licensing fees, and ongoing maintenance. However, the protection DRM provides against piracy and unauthorized access can help OTT platforms preserve revenue, making it a worthwhile investment.