Introduction to PayPlay
You put your creativity and your time into crafting content of commercial value. PayPlay guards both your content and your financial interests. PayPlay is a complete turn-key solution for securing and monetizing your video or audio content.PayPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) protects your media files with a digital lock that can only be played by obtaining a license. PayPlay acts as the license clearing house, receiving a consumer's request for a license, collecting the payment and issuing the license, while proving you with online real-time transaction statistics and aggregated earnings reports.
It takes minutes to secure your content and have it ready for distribution. All you need to get started is to sign-up to our service - sign-up is free and no download of software is required.
Is PayPlay free?
Yes. We do not charge you for protection of your files. We only charge you a 15% transaction fee of every consumer license purchase. This fee covers credit card transaction clearance, and is deducted from your earnings. Payouts to you are processed via PayPal, the most widely distributed online payment system.How do I manage my files and settings?
Login to your account on the PayPlay web site to manage your license profiles, protect media files, track sales, request payouts and administer your general account information.PayPlay formats and technology
PayPlay leverages industry standard Microsoft Windows Media™ Digital Rights Management technology (WMDRM) to protect your content, ensuring a reliable DRM infrastructure for the secure distribution of digital media files. WMDRM is the leading choice for music and video subscription services around the world
 Napster |
 MTV |
 MSN |
 Virgin |
 Cinema Now |
 Wal-Mart |
 Real Networks |
 Yahoo! Music Unlimited |
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Our servers
- Supported by 24x7 operations and monitoring
- Collocated with high-speed direct connectivity to multiple Tier-1 network providers
- Protected by biometric scanners
- Configured for high availability with redundant clusters
- Highly secure 128-bit SSL interfaces
What is Digital Rights Management (DRM)?
DRM combats piracy by protecting content and maintaining control over distribution and usage by creating license terms for each digital media file.Audio and video files secured by DRM can only be played by the person who paid for it.
Digital media files can be easily copied and distributed without any reduction in quality. As a result, digital media files are being widely distributed on the Internet today, through both authorized and unauthorized distribution channels. Piracy is a concern when security measures are not in place to protect content.
A robust and reliable DRM system ensures that a wide variety of the highest-quality audio and video is available to consumers, and that copyright is enforced.
What formats does PayPlay support?
PayPlay supports Windows Media, including Windows Media Audio format (.wma extension) and Windows Media Video format (.wmv extension), reaching the largest base of rights-capable players, including Windows Media Player and Winamp.Which player and operating system is required at the consumers end?
PayPlay media plays on Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP.PayPlay is supported by more than 350 million copies of Windows Media Player distributed worldwide as well as numerous third-party players, jukeboxes, and all devices with PlaysForSure logo ensuring the broadest reach.
Apple and Linux are currently not supported.
How does PayPlay protect your content?
PayPlay "packages" files using encryption them so that a license is required to play them. The license contains usage terms and unlocks content for play within restrictions defined in the license profile.Once the content is packaged or rights protected, it stays protected. If a media file is moved to another device, copied onto a data CD or even distributed thru a file sharing system, it remains protected.
What is a license profile?
A license profile is a set of rules associated with a file. These rules are strictly followed by compatible devices and software when playing such rights-protected file.Rules may define purchase price, number of plays permitted, validity period, etc. PayPlay allows you to define an unlimited number of license profiles, reflecting the requirements of your business model and ensuring purchase option flexibility for the consumer.
Read more about license profile properties in the Business models section.
What is a license?
A license is a small electronic key downloaded to the customer's computer that "unlocks" the media for use within license profile usage terms.Once content is packaged, a client would need a license to play it. Upon purchase the license will be generated in accordance with the rules of the license profile associated with the media file.
How do I secure my media files?
After you configure your PayPlay license profiles, you secure your media by associating files with a license profile. You can do it online at www.payplay.com, or through our downloadable packager.We strongly recommend using PayPlay packager for batch processing or securing large video files.
What are the security features of PayPlay?
PayPlay provides a number of features that protect your content and enable new flexible business models:- Persistent Protection
PayPlay "lock" remains with file even after it is copied. License to play is uniquely assigned to each computer. This prevents illegal use of your content. - Strong Encryption
PayPlay is based on industry standard Microsoft Windows Media Rights Management with proven encryption schemes that ensure that distributed files are not pirated or used illegally. - Separately Distributed Licenses and Content
Licenses are issued independently of the actual files for maximum flexibility and widest distribution of content. Each time secured file is played, the system checks to see if the consumer's computer has a license, and if not found automatically directs to PayPlay's license acquisition page. - Improved Revocation and Renewability
Microsoft Windows Media Rights Manager disables compromised and outdated players remotely.
Is an Internet connection required when playing PayPlay protected content?
Only initially to acquire the license required for playing the content.How can a customer protect licenses against loss or data corruption?
Customers should have a backup copy of the licenses for protected media files in case they need to restore the licenses for any reason.See media player's help on backing up and restoring licenses.
Business models
Your business model defines how your content is license profiled and priced. PayPlay supports many different pay-media business models, most of which fall into one of the following categories:- Pay-Per-View/Rental
Content is available through a single payment (e.g. $5.95) for a limited duration (e.g. 24 hours or 1 viewing). - Buy
Content can be purchased for ownership by the consumer, i.e. without time or count restriction on viewing of the purchased content. Content can be played by a variety of devices. - Subscription
Subscription based content can be accessed for a limited time e.g. 30 days. The consumer pays a subscription fee the first time a media file is accessed; as all subscription based content shares the same license in this model, consumers have access to all related content without purchasing additional licenses. When the time limit is up, the consumer cannot view the content unless a new subscription license is purchased, thus extending the subscription period. Subscription content can be split into segments for differentiated subscriptions, i.e. unique licenses for each subscription segment.
What are the properties of a license profile?
The main rights properties of a license profile are:- Time-limited playback of media files
Licenses to play digital media files can specify start times, expiration times, and license duration limits. If consumers with an expired license try to access a media file, they are directed back to the PayPlay license acquisition page for another license. In PayPlay license profiles, both start and expiration dates are supported, which creates great flexibility. For example, a digital media file could be distributed with a license that disables playback until the intended release date. - Limit on the number of times a
digital media file can be played
PayPlay license profiles supports counted operations (a specified number of times playback is enabled for a media file) in one license. - Limit on digital media file
transfers to portable devices or portable media
PayPlay license profiles adds a right in the license to enable or disable copying to a portable device or portable media. When enabled, the packaged digital media file can be copied to a portable device or portable media. The license is bound to a unique ID on the portable device or media. - Limit on the number of times a
digital media file can be copied
A packaged media file can be freely copied between computers; however, each computer that plays the packaged digital media file needs a separate license. - Restrictions on creating CD-ROM
copies of media content
PayPlay license profiles has the ability to set the appropriate rights property to "burn-to-CD." To copy a PayPlay protected media file onto a CD-ROM, the consumer must have a license that includes the right to do so.
How do I configure a license profile for a subscription based business model?
Your license profile for your subscription based content should have the All media files associated with the license profile share the same license option ticked. For expiration date, pick the "relative" option and enter the subscription period, e.g. 30 days.Can I change a license profile without repackaging the associated content?
Because PayPlay stores licenses and digital media files separately, rights properties can be changed in the license profile without the need to redistribute or repackage the digital media file.Whenever a new license is obtained, it follows the right properties assigned at the time of license acquisition. If you change those properties, it will not affect existing licenses until they expire. Then, any new licenses will have to follow the new rules after any change is made. A common example of this may be the purchase price of content. If you decide to change the price of a piece of content, the new price will be reflected in a new purchase when a consumer returns to re-license the content.
Can I associate more than one license profile with a media file, thus offering my consumer multiple purchase options?
Not presently, but this should be easy to change in future versions.How can I distribute my PayPlay protected media?
- Super Distribution
Your PayPlay packaged media files are maintained in a protected format at all times. Protected files can be freely shared between consumers. When consumers without a license attempt to access the shared digital media file, they are automatically directed to the PayPlay license acquisition page for license purchase. Super distribution opens up many new and innovative (viral) distribution platforms, including - Web sites
Web sites includes your own site(s), blogs, video/music portals, review sites and aggregating online retailers. - CD/DVD
You can burn your PayPlay packaged files to CDs and DVDs for inclusion in magazines, trade shows etc.
What is license pre-delivery, and should I use it?
Pre-delivery of a license is the process of delivering a license to a consumer prior to the consumers download of content. Pre-delivery is often a good way of implementing the subscription business model.You direct your users to PayPlays license acquisition page before download of any media files, by linking to the URL stated when you package your file. Subsequently, media files are enabled for playback, according to the rights stated in the license. Note, Internet Explorer is required at the consumer end for pre-delivery.
If you have submitted a logo on your account page, the PayPlay license acquisition page will be branded with the logo.
