How to stop people downloading your videos
If you sell a course, you have probably already found your videos somewhere you did not put them. Here is what actually works, in the order it is worth doing — and, so you can calibrate, what each layer does not stop.
The short version: signed URLs stop link sharing, domain whitelisting stops re-embedding, DRM stops downloading, and a watermark makes what is left traceable. Nothing stops a camera. If your question is broader than downloads — who can watch at all, and where — start with what private video hosting actually means.
Layer 1
Signed playback URLs
Every playback URL is signed and expires. Copying the link out of the network tab gets you a URL that stops working in minutes, so a shared link is not a permanent back door.
- Stops
- Casual link sharing and hotlinking
- Does not stop
- Anyone who can keep re-requesting a fresh URL from a page they still have access to
Layer 2
Domain whitelisting
The player only starts if the page embedding it is on a domain you listed. Lift the embed code onto another site and it refuses to play.
- Stops
- Your course being re-embedded on someone else's site
- Does not stop
- Anyone viewing it on your own site, legitimately, who then records it
Layer 3
Studio DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay)
The video is encrypted and the decryption key is issued per device, per session, by a licence server. The browser hands the key to a secure decoder, not to JavaScript — so there is no unencrypted file for a downloader extension to grab.
- Stops
- Download tools, stream rippers, and re-uploading your file elsewhere
- Does not stop
- A camera pointed at the screen
Layer 4
Viewer-identifying watermark
The viewer's own identifier moves across the frame during playback. It does not prevent a recording — it makes a leaked recording traceable to the account that made it.
- Stops
- Anonymous leaking; it changes the incentive rather than the capability
- Does not stop
- Someone willing to be identified
Questions
Can you actually stop people downloading a video?
You can stop the ordinary ways completely. Download extensions, stream rippers and right-click-save all rely on getting hold of the media file, and with DRM there is no unencrypted file to get — the decryption key goes to a secure decoder in the device, not to the page. What you cannot stop is someone filming the screen with a phone. Any vendor claiming otherwise is overselling.
Is disabling right-click enough?
No. Disabling right-click, hiding the controls or obfuscating the player stops nobody who has opened a browser's network tab, which is about a minute of effort. These measures are worth roughly nothing against anyone motivated, and they annoy legitimate viewers. If your video is worth money, use signed URLs and DRM.
Do I need DRM, or are signed URLs enough?
Signed URLs stop links being shared and stop other sites hotlinking your video. They do not stop a viewer who is legitimately watching from running a downloader against the stream. If your videos are free-to-watch but you do not want them re-hosted, signed URLs plus domain whitelisting may be enough. If people are paying for access, use DRM.
Will DRM break playback for some of my viewers?
It should not, if all three systems are supported — Widevine covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Android, FairPlay covers Safari and everything on iPhone and iPad, PlayReady covers Edge on Windows and many smart TVs. Platforms that support only one or two leave real viewers with a black screen. That is the main thing to check when comparing vendors.
How much does this cost?
On StreamVault, signed URLs and domain whitelisting are on every plan at no extra cost, and studio DRM is on every plan too, starting at $12/month with 1,000 protected plays included. Elsewhere DRM is commonly a $99/month add-on on top of a hosting plan. There is a full comparison of what DRM costs across platforms, with sources and dates, on our DRM pricing page.