FAQ: DRMtoday for AWS Media Services
Our DRMtoday licensing service is also available on the AWS Marketplace for users of AWS Media Services. We’ve gathered answers to common questions below.
Not finding what you’re looking for? View our other FAQs, or simply contact us.
DRMtoday for AWS Media Services supports API integration with AWS Elemental MediaPackage and AWS Elemental MediaConvert.
How do I subscribe and set up DRMtoday for AWS Media Services?
Once logged in to your AWS account click ‘Continue to Subscribe’ on the DRMtoday for AWS Media Services page. Once subscribed you will be sent a confirmation to your email address, allowing access to the DRMtoday service dashboard as well as relevant setup documentation. Our DRMtoday team validates subscriptions, so it may take a business day to receive the email with your account access details. Once your account has been activated, you will begin to receive monthly automatic billing through your AWS account as well as licensing reports through the DRMtoday dashboard.
What is the free trial period?
Once your account has been activated by the DRMtoday team your free trial period begins automatically. You will be provided with either the first 45 days or first 500 license requests at no charge allowing you to run tests with the service. When you pass either 45 days or 500 license requests, whichever limit is reached first, the free trial ends and service charges will begin.
Are there set up fees on top of the DRMtoday for AWS Media Services subscription fee?
No, there are zero setup fees. Just the standard subscription fee.
Can I receive technical support assistance for implementation or setup?
We include detailed documentation, however, consulting, testing, and integration support is separate from the AWS Media Services offer and can be purchased directly from castLabs. For more details please contact sales@castlabs.com.
How do ‘units’ work in the AWS Marketplace Pricing Information?
Our AWS Marketplace billing is based on the amount of ‘units’ that are used from a service. In terms of our pricing, what a ‘unit’ is defined as falls under two cases:
- Each month, AWS considers your first 30,000 license requests as 1 base-limit unit.
- If you use additional requests within the same month above the 30,000 limit, then 1 unit is defined as 1000 extra requests.
An additional unit of 1000 license requests is triggered when the first request of that unit is used. Examples of unit usage:
| Usage within a month | Unit usage |
|---|---|
| 0 – 30,000 requests | You are charged only the base-fee because you are within the 30,000 base-limit. |
| 30,001 – 31,000 requests | You are charged the base-fee, plus 1 additional unit of 1000 requests. By exceeding the 30,000 base-limit you have started using the next batch of 1000 requests. |
| 31,001 – 32,000 requests | You are charged the base-fee, plus 2 additional units of 1000 requests. This is because usage has both exceeded the 30,000 base-limit as well as an additional 1000 requests. A second batch of 1000 requests has started being used. |
| … | … |
Pricing of units is designed to provide tiered volume discounts. If the number of requests used within a month exceeds a volume threshold, then the additional units will cost less. For example, here is a cost-breakdown for 150,000 requests used within a month:
| First 30,000 requests | Base-fee | $499 |
| Next 70,000 requests (equals 70 units) |
$5 / unit (i.e. $5 / 1000 requests) |
$350 |
| Next 50,000 requests (equals 50 units) |
$4 / unit (i.e. $4 / 1000 requests) |
$200 |
| Total for 150,000 requests | $1,049 | |
See our AWS Marketplace Pricing Information table for more information on volume tiers and costs.
How is a license request counted?
A request is counted when an end user starts a session initiating a request for a video license. In cases where key rotation is used, such as for live streaming, each key rotation that signals a new license request is counted.
What countries is DRMtoday for AWS Media Services available in?
Our service is available for users worldwide. DRMtoday is built on reliable multi-region AWS infrastructure. We operate server nodes in multiple regions worldwide for speedy and scalable global coverage. No matter where your customers are located, they can access our powerful license delivery network.
Does DRMtoday support SPEKE?
Yes! DRMtoday indeed supports the Secure Packager and Encoder Key Exchange (SPEKE) specification for both versions 1 and 2.
Have another question?
If you haven’t found the answer you were looking for, please contact us. We’ll be happy to discuss any questions you may have.