ytdl-org/youtube-dl · error · ExtractorError

This video is DRM protected.

Error message

This video is DRM protected.

What it means

Raised by the Wakanim extractor when the m3u8 URL embedded in the page contains an encryption parameter of cenc or cbcs-aapl. Per Azure Media Services streaming-URL conventions, those values indicate the stream is protected with DRM (e.g. PlayReady/Widevine/FairPlay), which youtube-dl cannot decrypt.

Source

Thrown at youtube_dl/extractor/wakanim.py:49

        # DRM Protected
        'url': 'https://www.wakanim.tv/de/v2/catalogue/episode/7843/sword-art-online-alicization-omu-arc-2-folge-15-omu',
        'only_matching': True,
    }]

    def _real_extract(self, url):
        video_id = self._match_id(url)

        webpage = self._download_webpage(url, video_id)

        m3u8_url = urljoin(url, self._search_regex(
            r'file\s*:\s*(["\'])(?P<url>(?:(?!\1).)+)\1', webpage, 'm3u8 url',
            group='url'))
        # https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/media-services/previous/media-services-content-protection-overview#streaming-urls
        encryption = self._search_regex(
            r'encryption%3D(c(?:enc|bc(?:s-aapl)?))',
            m3u8_url, 'encryption', default=None)
        if encryption and encryption in ('cenc', 'cbcs-aapl'):
            raise ExtractorError('This video is DRM protected.', expected=True)

        formats = self._extract_m3u8_formats(
            m3u8_url, video_id, 'mp4', entry_protocol='m3u8_native',
            m3u8_id='hls')

        info = self._search_json_ld(webpage, video_id, default={})

        title = self._search_regex(
            (r'<h1[^>]+\bclass=["\']episode_h1[^>]+\btitle=(["\'])(?P<title>(?:(?!\1).)+)\1',
             r'<span[^>]+\bclass=["\']episode_title["\'][^>]*>(?P<title>[^<]+)'),
            webpage, 'title', default=None, group='title')

        return merge_dicts(info, {
            'id': video_id,
            'title': title,
            'formats': formats,
        })

View on GitHub (pinned to 956b8c5855)

Solutions

  1. Do not attempt to bypass DRM — use the official Wakanim apps/site for playback instead.
  2. Confirm with a browser (network tab) that the manifest really is encrypted; if not, the URL regex captured a wrong URL and the extractor needs a fix.
  3. No youtube-dl option can decrypt cenc/cbcs-aapl streams; there is no client workaround.
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

m3u8_url = extract_m3u8_from_page(webpage)
encryption = re.search(r'encryption%3D(c(?:enc|bc(?:s-aapl)?))', m3u8_url or '')
is_drm = bool(encryption and encryption.group(1) in ('cenc', 'cbcs-aapl'))

Type guard

def is_drm_manifest(m3u8_url: str) -> bool:
    m = re.search(r'encryption%3D(c(?:enc|bc(?:s-aapl)?))', m3u8_url)
    return bool(m and m.group(1) in ('cenc', 'cbcs-aapl'))

Try / catch

try:
    info = ydl.extract_info(url)
except ExtractorError as e:
    if 'DRM protected' in str(e):
        skip_drm(url)
    else:
        raise

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Extracting a Wakanim video whose regex-matched m3u8 URL matches r'encryption%3D(c(?:enc|bc(?:s-aapl)?))' with a captured value of 'cenc' or 'cbcs-aapl'; the check runs before _extract_m3u8_formats.

Common situations: Attempting to download licensed anime or simulcast content on Wakanim (French/German licensed streaming); all premium Wakanim streams are DRM-protected, so this error is the expected outcome for subscribers too.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of ytdl-org/youtube-dl@956b8c5855 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2bfba1181d8a20e5. Report an issue: GitHub.