How to Download DRM-Protected Videos from Website | 100% Working 2025
Summary: Streaming video content is often protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology to prevent users from downloading and recording. This article explains what is DRM-protected content and how to download videos without DRM for personal use.
Can you download DRM-protected videos? In most cases, common extensions or basic recorders fail due to DRM.
- On PC, StreamFab Video Downloader supports DRM M3U8/MPD sites;
- On mobile, PlayOn Cloud records streams server-side.
- For other platforms, DRM protection is much more difficult to handle. Get the DRM-free videos from PC or mobile first, and play them on the devices you like.
Always follow local laws and the platform’s terms of use.
A few days ago, I wanted to download a movie from a popular streaming site so I could watch it offline on my laptop. I thought it would be easy, just like saving any other video. But the usual downloader extensions that always worked for me before couldn’t detect the video at all. I felt a bit frustrated—I just wanted to save the video for personal, offline viewing, but every method I tried seemed to hit a wall.
This experience pushed me to dig deeper and find out why some videos can’t be downloaded, no matter what tools I use. In the process, I discovered something called DRM protection, which is designed to block people from downloading videos. That’s why I put together this article—to share what I’ve learned and help friends who have no idea about how to download DRM-protected videos or find a DRM removal tool.
What is DRM Protection?
When I first came across the term “DRM” in my search, I had no idea what it meant. After some research and posting on Reddit, I learned that DRM refers to Digital Rights Management, which is a security technology used by streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, etc, to prevent people from copying or downloading their content without permission.
What makes things even trickier is that video DRM isn’t just one simple lock—it’s a whole system of barriers. Some of the most widely used DRM technologies for online videos include:
- Widevine: Common in Chrome/Android; often used with MPD/HLS and encrypted adaptive segments.
- PlayReady: Common in Microsoft ecosystems; used on Windows/Edge and many smart TVs.
- FairPlay: Apple ecosystem (Safari/iOS/tvOS); typically paired with HLS (M3U8).
- Others, like m3u8 or mpd streams, often come with their own types of protection and encryption.
The main goal of all these DRM schemes is to stop unauthorized downloads. So, even if you use screen recording software or typical downloader browser extensions, you’ll usually end up with a black screen or a broken file. That’s why so many “standard” video downloaders simply can’t handle protected streams or convert iTunes M4V to MP4. Understanding this made me realize that downloading these kinds of videos requires a very different approach—and the right tools specifically designed to download DRM-protected videos.
For PC: Download DRM-protected Videos with StreamFab
When I realized that regular video downloaders and browser extensions couldn’t handle videos with DRM protection, I began searching for tools that were built specifically for this challenge. After looking into various options and reading real user reviews, I finally tried StreamFab Video Downloader, which can download both DRM M3U8 and MPD to MP4 files.
Broad support for downloading different types of DRM-protected videos, including Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay, as well as m3u8 and mpd streams, which are often used for streaming.
- Support to download DRM videos from 1,000+ sites, including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.
- Remove DRM protection from the video downloads and save the video as a compatible MP4 or MKV format.
- Download DRM-protected videos without quality loss, in up to 1080p/4k, and even 8k. (based on the quality of the original video)
- Batch mode to download multiple DRM-protected movies or episodes with just one click to save your time.
- Schedule mode to download DRM videos at a set time from the service you subscribed to automatically.
- Remove ads from DRM-protected videos after downloading to ensure a seamless offline watching experience.
How to Download DRM-protected Videos via StreamFab?
If you want to watch Netflix or other sites offline without any restrictions, StreamFab can be considered as one of the best streaming video downloaders for DRM-protected content. The operation steps are clear and simple, as follows:
Open the site via the built-in browser of this software. Next, select and play the DRM-protected video to download. Once the video starts to play, tap on the Download button shown in the top left corner.
You can also copy and paste the video URL, and then a window will appear to ask you to customize the output format.
Tap on the Download option to complete the file downloading process without any DRM encryption. All the downloaded videos will be saved in the MP4 or MKV format.
After using StreamFab on both Windows and Mac, my overall experience has been smooth and reliable. Updates are released frequently, especially whenever streaming sites upgrade their protection measures, so I rarely run into technical issues.
There’s also an active user community called StreamFab Forum, where I can find helpful discussions and solutions if I have questions, which gives me extra peace of mind. It’s now my go-to tool whenever I need to download DRM-protected content for offline use.
For Mobile: Record DRM-Protected Videos with PlayOn Cloud
While using StreamFab on my computer covers almost all of my needs, sometimes I also want to save videos directly to my phone for convenience. Downloading DRM-protected videos on mobile devices is a bit different and requires another solution. Here’s what worked for me on Android and iPhone.
PlayOn Cloud takes a different approach compared to other tools—it doesn’t actually “download” the DRM video files directly. Instead, it records the DRM video, then lets you save that recording to your device.
- It supports a wide range of streaming services and websites, including Netflix, Amazon, Max, etc.
- It works on both Android and iPhone, which is great if you use multiple devices.
- The recorded videos will be DRM-free and can be saved to your local device or uploaded to the Cloud storage.
- When recording the DRM video, ads will be skipped automatically.
The main downside is that recording takes as long as the video itself—for example, recording a two-hour movie actually takes two hours. It’s not as fast or convenient as direct downloading on a PC, but if you want to save protected videos to your mobile device, this method gets the job done.
In short, PlayOn Cloud is a solid solution for downloading DRM-protected videos on mobile phones, especially if you don’t mind waiting for the recording process to finish.
How to Save DRM-protected Videos via PlayOn Cloud?
To use PlayOn Cloud, I simply downloaded the app from the App Store or Google Play, created an account, and picked the streaming service I wanted.
Then, I searched for the video within the app, tapped “record,” and PlayOn Cloud did all the recording on its servers.
After the recording finished (which takes as long as the video itself), I received a notification and could easily download the completed file to my phone for offline viewing.
- Recording (PlayOn Cloud): Server-side recording; time = runtime; convenient for phones.
- Downloading (PC, StreamFab): Faster, batch, higher bitrates; flexible file management.
- Compliance: Always follow local laws and platform terms; personal viewing only.
- Want a quality comparison? See streaming quality vs. StreamFab downloads.
Other Platforms (Smart TVs, TV Boxes, Linux)
1. Smart TVs/boxes
Currently, mainstream brands (such as Samsung, Apple TV) generally use their own ecosystem DRM solutions, and most third-party download or screen recording tools are difficult to run directly on the TV. Additionally, using methods such as "cracking firmware" is highly risky and can easily lead to device bans or account penalties.
2. Linux
Some command-line tools, such as yt-dlp and streamlink, support open-source streaming media, but when faced with highly encrypted DRM content protected by Widevine or PlayReady, they are also unable to bypass the encryption restrictions. It is recommended to use the official PC application or compliant tools first, and then transfer the files.
- If you want to watch on more than one device without internet, honestly, just use the official app’s own “offline cache”, seriously, it saves headaches. And if you truly need the third-party tools, don’t get wild: no cracking, no reselling, no sharing. Keep it just for your own fun.
FAQs
Under many jurisdictions, laws restrict the circumvention of technical protection measures. This article covers personal offline viewing scenarios only. Always follow your local laws and the streaming provider’s terms; commercial or infringing use is prohibited.
2. Can I use YT-DLP to download DRM-protected videos?
From my own tests, YT-DLP and similar command-line tools are great for downloading open or lightly protected streams, but they don’t work with most DRM-protected videos. With strict DRM systems, you’ll usually just get errors, incomplete files, or nothing at all. These tools simply aren’t built to bypass strong DRM encryption. To download DRM-protected videos, StreamFab is a better choice.
3. How to Remove DRM-protected Videos on OnlyFans?
OnlyFans has launched DRM protection for creators, which prevents the content from being downloaded. But luckily, if you have StreamFab OnlyFans Downloader, you can easily bypass OnlyFans DRM, no matter it is video or audio on OnlyFans, StreamFab can let you download them on your device easily.
Many services provide official offline downloads in their apps with limits on devices, duration, or quality. For general desktop needs, StreamFab Video Downloader offers a managed workflow, but you should always follow the platform’s terms of use in your region.
5. How to retain multiple audio tracks and subtitles?
When downloading with professional tools such as StreamFab, most platforms (like Netflix and Amazon) support selecting multiple audio tracks (such as original/dubbed) and multilingual subtitles. It is recommended to confirm that the required audio tracks and subtitles are selected in the settings before downloading. Due to certain DRM restrictions, subtitles may only be exported as external files (SRT/ASS format).
6. What should I do if the download fails or an error occurs?
First, check whether the software is the latest version, as major platforms often upgrade their DRM mechanisms, causing compatibility issues; secondly, make sure your account, network, and regional IP have not been banned. If you encounter "no permission" or "parsing failed," you can report the issue on the official community or forums, or try switching nodes, clearing the cache, or restarting the software.
Conclusion
Figuring out how to download DRM-protected videos took me some time and a lot of trial and error. For my computer, StreamFab Video Downloader stood out because of its wide support for streaming platforms, high video quality, and reliable updates. If your main goal is to download lots of DRM-protected videos quickly and maintain great quality, that’s the tool I’d recommend as your choice.
