xbiz world
xbiz premiere
educational

How to Pick A DRM Provider

In this article I am going to go over some of the basics of Digital Rights Management (DRM) providers and some of the things that you should consider when looking for a DRM provider.

To start off, every website should have DRM – to both limit who may see your content, and when; and to make sure that you are making as much money as possible from your investment. The most popular DRM is Microsoft DRM. This is for several reasons, including the fact that Microsoft was the first company to come out with a usable DRM in 1999, and as such, Microsoft's DRM has had time to grow and mature so that it is more reliable and secure. A third reason that it is one of the most used is that it just works, and is cheap and easy to implement.

Some things that you should look for when picking a DRM provider include:

  • That the DRM provider is a "Microsoft Certified" DRM provider. This is important because Microsoft has strict reasons why they choose a company. They look at the company’s infrastructure to make sure it can provide the proper uptime and support. Microsoft also has policies for DRM licensing servers that they need to be updated weekly to make sure only the proper players can get a DRM license. A list of Microsoft Certified DRM providers can be found here.

  • That the company offers you the ability to DRM protect your content locally. This ensures that you do not have to upload your unprotected media to them for the DRM protection, and allows you to have total control over how and when your master copy receives a DRM header.

  • That the company can offer the ability to DRM protect downloadable as well as live streaming media.

  • That you do not have to have them do your membership or sales process. This makes the implementation much faster if you can keep your current business practices without having to re-invent the wheel and turn over all backend management to the provider.

  • That you can use many different business models to fit your needs, including PPV sales, membership sales, advertising, and email list building in exchange for free samples. There should not be anything that you can come up with that they are unable to support.

  • They should be able to support you whether your site is on a UNIX or Windows-based hosting environment.

  • That they support Apple's Mac. Mac's fall under DRM version 1, which is very limited and can actually be defeated with the "Freeme" hack. But it should be your decision if you want to support Macs – not the DRM providers.

This is just a few of the issues that I have discussed with clients over the years during their search for a DRM provider.

One last thing to keep in mind: you should always have them give you a "Proof of Concept" or testing account first, so that you can make sure the company's solution works before you choose them.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

How Adult Businesses Can Navigate Global Compliance Demands

The internet has made the world feel small. Case in point: Adult websites based in the U.S. are now getting letters from regulators demanding compliance with foreign laws, even if they don’t operate in those countries. Meanwhile, some U.S. website operators dealing with the patchwork of state-level age verification laws have considered incorporating offshore in the hopes of avoiding these new obligations — but even operators with no physical presence in the U.S. have been sued or threatened with claims for not following state AV laws.

Larry Walters ·
opinion

Top Tips for Bulletproof Creator Management Contracts

The creator management business is booming. Every week, it seems, a new agency emerges, promising to turn creators into stars, automate their fan interactions or triple their revenue through “secret” social strategies. The reality? Many of these agencies are operating with contracts that wouldn’t survive a single serious dispute — if they even have contracts at all.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Building Sustainable Revenue Without Opt-Out Cross-Sales

Over the past year, we’ve seen growing pushback from acquirers on merchants using opt-out cross-sales — also known as negative option offers. This has been especially noticeable in the U.S. In fact, one of our acquirers now declines new merchants during onboarding if an opt-out flow is detected. Existing merchants submitting new URLs with opt-out cross-sales are being asked to remove them.

Cathy Beardsley ·
trends

How to Handle Payment Disputes Without Sacrificing Trust

You can run the best-managed and most compliant website out there, but that still doesn’t completely shield you from the risks tied to payment disputes. Buyer’s remorse, an unclear billing description or even a simple misunderstanding can lead a customer to dispute a transaction. Accumulate enough disputes, and both your reputation and revenue could be at risk.

Jonathan Corona ·
trends

WIA Profile: Taylor Moore

With a 70-person team and a growing slate of tools for content creators, the Teasy Agency has developed a reputation for putting talent first. That commitment owes a lot to co-founder Taylor Moore’s own experiences as a cam model.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

WIA Profile: Cathy Turns Creator Platform Experience Into a Model-First Playbook

As both a model and industry executive, Cathy lives in two worlds at once. “Since I do both things, I can act as the liaison between the model community and the rest of the SextPanther team,” she tells XBIZ.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

From Compliance to Confidence: The Future of Safety in Adult Platforms

In numerous countries and U.S. states, laws now require platforms to prevent minors from accessing age-inappropriate material. But the need for safeguarding doesn’t end with age verification. Today’s online landscape also places adult companies at uniquely high risk for inadvertently facilitating exploitation, abuse or reputational harm, or of being accused of doing so.

Andy Lulham ·
opinion

What Adult Businesses Need to Know About Florida's Age Verification Law

The rise and proliferation of age verification laws has changed the landscape for the online adult industry. A recent and compelling example is the state of Florida, where Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed multiple complaints against major platforms as well as affiliates accused of violating the state’s AV law.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Maintaining Brand Trust in the Face of Negative Press

Over the last year, several of our merchants have found themselves caught up in litigation over compliance with state age verification laws. Recently, Segpay itself was pulled into the spotlight, facing scrutiny over Florida’s AV statute, HB 3. These stories inevitably get picked up by both industry and mainstream news outlets.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

How to Switch Payment Processors Without Disrupting Business

For many merchants, the idea of switching payment processors can feel pretty overwhelming. That’s understandable. After all, downtime can stall sales, recurring subscriptions can suddenly fail, or compliance gaps can put accounts at risk. Operating in a high-risk sector like the adult industry can further amplify the stress of transition.

Jonathan Corona ·
Show More