Introducing Multi-DRM for VOD: Studio-Grade Protection Across Every StreamShark Endpoint
Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady now protect your video library as well as your live events. With this release, every media endpoint on StreamShark carries the same studio-grade DRM, and you decide how strictly it is enforced.
StreamShark is heading to IBC 2026 in Amsterdam (11–14 September, Hall 5, Stand 5.A56), and we are bringing one of our most requested platform updates with us. Video on Demand now supports full multi-DRM protection, powered by EZDRM. Marking a major milestone in our ongoing collaboration, you can learn more about our partnership with EZDRM and how this integration continues to bring studio-grade security to all your video workflows.
Live Events and Live Scheduler have offered DRM for some time. VOD was the last endpoint where customers with the most sensitive content had to rely on access control and encryption alone. That gap is now closed. Whether a viewer is watching a scheduled premiere, a live town hall, or a title from your on-demand catalogue, the content is protected by the same DRM systems trusted by the world’s largest studios and streaming services.
Why DRM, and why now
Standard stream encryption protects content in transit. DRM goes further. Decryption keys are delivered only to a trusted content decryption module on the viewer’s device, licenses are issued per session and per viewer, and on hardware-backed devices the video never leaves a protected path between decoder and display. This is the level of protection that content licenses for premium film, sport and music increasingly demand, and it is the level enterprise customers want for pre-release material, board communications and internal training that must not leak.
For media and entertainment customers, multi-DRM on VOD means catalogs that were previously confined to a bespoke player or a third-party DRM stack can live on StreamShark alongside your live output. For enterprise customers, it means one platform and one set of access policies for everything you publish, from an all-hands broadcast to the on-demand replay the following morning.
All three major DRM systems, one encrypted copy
StreamShark VOD now supports Google Widevine, Apple FairPlay Streaming and Microsoft PlayReady. Between them they cover Chrome, Firefox and Android; Safari, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV; and Edge and Windows. Viewers get whichever system their device supports natively, without plugins or downloads.
Behind the scenes, each asset is packaged once as CMAF with a single set of encrypted segments that serve all three DRM systems. DRM key management for the encrypted content is handled through EZDRM’s Universal DRM service, keeping the integration simple while supporting all three DRM systems. There is no duplicate library to store and no per-DRM re-encode to wait for, and adding a DRM system to an existing account applies to assets already in your library.
A unified VOD format that feeds Live Scheduler directly
Alongside DRM, this release introduces a unified VOD format across the platform. Every VOD asset, including assets encrypted with DRM, can now be loaded directly as a source in Live Scheduler with no transcode step.
That changes how a content library can be used. A protected film, concert or keynote recording can be scheduled into a linear channel or a timed premiere the same day it is uploaded. Training libraries can be re-run as scheduled sessions. Archive content can be re-purposed into new programming without re-processing, and DRM protection travels with the asset from the library into the schedule.
DRM strictness you control
Not every piece of content carries the same obligations, and not every audience uses the same devices. A strict hardware-only policy is right for a pre-release screener; it is wrong for a company-wide announcement that must play on every laptop in the building. So we have made DRM enforcement configurable.
Choose a strictness tier as your account default, then override it per asset wherever you need to, for VOD, Live Events and Live Scheduler alike. The tiers are normalized across Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady, so one setting gives you consistent behaviour on every device.
| Tier | What it enforces | Best for | Typical playback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software | Content and keys protected inside the device’s DRM module. Widest compatibility. | Internal communications, training, general catalog content. | All modern browsers and mobile devices. |
| Hardware | Requires hardware-backed decryption and a protected video path. HDCP requested on external displays. | Licensed premium content, paid catalogs. | Safari on Mac, Edge on Windows, modern iPhone, iPad and Android. |
| Hardware + HDCP 2.2 | Hardware decryption plus HDCP 2.2 enforced on any external display. Non-HDMI outputs blocked. | Pre-release screeners, embargoed material, the most demanding licenses. | Hardware-secure devices only, with a compliant display. |
Viewers on a device that cannot meet the chosen tier see clear guidance on where the content will play, rather than a failed stream. Every tier change takes effect at the next license request, so you can tighten or relax enforcement on a live asset without re-publishing it.
Second-screen playback is a policy decision too. AirPlay and Chromecast can be permitted or blocked for protected content according to your license terms and how your audience watches, and our team will set that policy with you when DRM is enabled on your account.
Already using DRM on Live Events or Live Scheduler? Your existing configuration continues to work unchanged. Strictness tiers default to the most compatible setting until you choose otherwise.
Getting started
Multi-DRM for VOD launches at IBC 2026 and will be available as an add-on for Enterprise and Broadcaster plans. To add DRM to your account, or to add a DRM system to an existing configuration, contact your account manager or StreamShark Support.For those who want to learn more about the collaboration, check out our blog post on our partnership with EZDRM.
See it at IBC 2026
Visit us in Hall 5 at Stand 5.A56 from 11 to 14 September for a live demonstration of multi-DRM playback across VOD, Live Events and Live Scheduler. To reserve a time, book a meeting or email.
