Sooner or later every streaming service hits the same wall: a content owner or studio asks "what DRM do you use?", and the honest answer turns out to be "all of them." There is no single DRM the industry agreed on. Instead three systems - Google Widevine, Microsoft PlayReady, and Apple FairPlay - each own a slice of the device world, and reaching every screen means supporting all three at the right security level. This guide explains which DRM you actually need, what the security levels mean, and how to cover the whole ecosystem without encoding your catalog three times.
Why there are three DRMs, not one
DRM (digital rights management) encrypts your video and hands each device a license to decrypt it. The catch is that each big platform owner built its own system and baked it into its devices:
- Google Widevine ships in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, on Roku, and across the entire Android family - Android phones and tablets, Android TV, Fire TV, and Chromecast.
- Apple FairPlay is the only DRM Apple devices accept: Safari, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS, delivered over HLS.
- Microsoft PlayReady runs on Windows, Xbox, and most smart TVs (Samsung Tizen, LG webOS).
None of them plays the others' licenses. So the DRM you "need" is simply the union of whatever your target devices speak.
Not sure which set applies to you? The Multi-DRM & Security-Level Checker turns your target platforms and resolution into the exact DRMs and security levels you need - in a few clicks.
Which DRM each platform needs
| Platform | DRM | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome, Firefox, Edge (web) | Widevine | DASH / HLS via EME |
| Safari, iOS, tvOS | FairPlay | HLS only |
| Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Chromecast | Widevine | DASH / HLS |
| Roku | Widevine | DASH / HLS |
| Samsung Tizen, LG webOS | PlayReady / Widevine | DASH / HLS |
| Windows, Xbox | PlayReady | DASH |
The pattern is clear: web, Roku, and Android are Widevine, anything Apple is FairPlay, and Windows plus smart TVs is PlayReady. A service that wants to be everywhere needs all three.
Security levels: L1 vs L3, SL2000 vs SL3000
Having the right DRM is only half the answer - studios also care how securely it runs. Each system has a hardware tier and a software tier:
- Widevine L1 runs decryption inside a hardware trusted execution environment (TEE). Widevine L3 is software-only. Premium HD and 4K content generally require L1; L3 is limited to SD.
- PlayReady SL3000 is the hardware-backed level; SL2000 is the standard software level. SL3000 is the PlayReady equivalent of Widevine L1.
- FairPlay is hardware-backed on Apple devices by design.
- HDCP protects the physical output. Basic content may need none; HD typically wants HDCP 1.4; 4K UHD requires HDCP 2.2.
The practical consequence: a device that only supports the software level (Widevine L3, PlayReady SL2000) will be dropped to SD or blocked entirely on premium titles. That is why older Android boxes and cheap TVs sometimes cannot play 4K even when the app "supports" it.
Matching security level to your content
You do not always need the top tier. Match it to what you are protecting:
| Content | Widevine | PlayReady | HDCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| SD / UGC / AVOD | L3 | SL2000 | Not required |
| Premium HD | L1 (recommended) | SL2000 | HDCP 1.4 |
| 4K UHD / studio | L1 | SL3000 | HDCP 2.2 |
Package once, license three times
Here is the good news that surprises people: you do not encode your catalog three times. Using CMAF (fragmented MP4 with common encryption, CENC), you package the video once and it carries the keys all three DRMs can use. A multi-DRM license service then hands each device the license type it understands - FairPlay to the iPhone, Widevine to the Chromecast, PlayReady to the Xbox - from the same set of files. The heavy lift is the license routing and the packaging, not the encoding.
The bottom line
Which DRM do you need? Whichever your devices speak - and if you want the whole ecosystem, that is Widevine, PlayReady, and FairPlay together, at a security level that matches your content. Package once in CMAF, license all three, and match L1/SL3000/HDCP 2.2 to premium and 4K. Check your exact requirements in the Multi-DRM Checker, then book a demo - OTTEngine packages and licenses all three DRMs to every screen, so premium content plays where it should and is protected where it must be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which DRM do I need for my streaming service?
It depends on your target devices. Widevine covers web browsers, Roku, and the Android family; FairPlay covers Apple (Safari, iOS, tvOS); PlayReady covers Windows, Xbox, and most smart TVs. A service that reaches the full device ecosystem needs all three.
What is the difference between Widevine L1 and L3?
Widevine L1 runs decryption inside a hardware secure environment and is required for premium HD and 4K content. L3 is software-only and typically limited to SD. Devices that only support L3 are dropped to a lower resolution or blocked on premium titles.
Do I need all three DRMs (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay)?
To reach every device, yes - each platform accepts only its own DRM. The efficient approach is to package once in CMAF with common encryption and use a multi-DRM license service that hands each device the license type it understands, so you do not encode multiple times.
What DRM and HDCP does 4K streaming require?
4K UHD and studio-tier content require hardware-backed DRM - Widevine L1 and PlayReady SL3000 - plus HDCP 2.2 output protection. Devices without a secure video path and HDCP 2.2 are denied the 4K renditions or blocked from the content.
Does FairPlay work with DASH or only HLS?
FairPlay is delivered over HLS. Apple devices use FairPlay with HLS, while Widevine and PlayReady are commonly delivered over DASH (and HLS). With CMAF common encryption you can serve the same packaged media to all of them and vary only the manifest and license.