Have you ever had a hard time playing, editing, or converting any video, music, or DVD file you own? It may be that the file is protected by DRM, which prevents you from doing these things without permission from the copyright owner. How to know if your file has DRM protection or not? This article will explain some ways to check it easily and quickly.
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What is DRM?
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, which is a system used by copyright owners to control the use and distribution of their digital files, such as videos, music, or DVDs. With DRM, copyright owners can decide who can access, play, edit, convert, or copy their files, and under what conditions. The purpose of DRM is to protect copyright and prevent piracy.
However, DRM can also cause problems for legitimate users, who may want to do such things for personal purposes, such as creating backups, moving files to other devices, or changing file formats. DRM can deter users from doing these things, even if they’ve already purchased or obtained the file legally. Therefore, it is important to know whether your files have DRM protection or not, so that you can take the right steps to overcome them.
How to Check If Your Files Are DRM-Protected
There are several ways to check if your file is protected by DRM or not, depending on the type and source of the file. Here are some ways you can try:
Way 1: View File Information
The easiest way to check if your file is protected by DRM or not is to look at the file information. You can do this in the following ways:
- Right-click on the file you want to check, and then select Properties.
- In the window that appears, select the Details tab.
- Look for sections that contain information about Protected, License, Purchase Date, Rights, or Expires. If there is such information, it means that your files are protected by DRM. If it’s not there, then your file isn’t protected by DRM.
Way 2: Try to Play, Edit, or Convert a File
Another way to check if your file is protected by DRM or not is to try playing, editing, or converting the file with an application that you have. If the file can be played, edited, or converted smoothly, it is not protected by DRM. If the file can’t be played, edited, or converted, or you get an error message related to DRM, it’s protected by DRM.
- Open the file you want to check with the player or editing app you have, such as VLC, Windows Media Player, Audacity, or Adobe Premiere.
- If the file can be played or edited smoothly, then it is not protected by DRM. If the file can’t be played or edited, or you’re asked to enter a specific license or account code, then it’s protected by DRM.
Way 3: Using a Custom App
The third way to check if your files are protected by DRM or not is to use a special application that can detect DRM. There are several applications that you can use, such as:
- DRM Info: This app can display information about DRM present on your Android device, including DRM type, version, and status. The app can also display information about your selected file, such as format, size, and duration. If the file is protected by DRM, the app will display a padlock icon next to the file name.
- DRM Wizard: This application can check whether the video, music, or audiobook files you have are protected by DRM or not. The app can also remove DRM from those files, so you can play, edit, or convert those files freely. The app is available for both Windows and Mac.
- DRM Media Converter: This application can check whether the video or music files you have are protected by DRM or not. The app can also remove DRM from those files, and convert them to the format you want. This app is available for Windows.
Conclusion
DRM is a system used by copyright owners to control the use and distribution of their digital files, such as videos, music, or DVDs. DRM can cause problems for legitimate users, who may want to play, edit, or convert such files for personal purposes. Therefore, it is important to know whether your files have DRM protection or not, so that you can take the right steps to overcome them.
There are several ways to check if your file is protected by DRM or not, depending on the type and source of the file. You can view file information, try to play, edit, or convert the file, or use specialized applications that can detect DRM. With those ways, you can find out the DRM status of your files easily and quickly.
Hope you find this article useful. Thanks for reading.