Alva Digital Downloads is a Shopify app that lets course creators sell PDF workbooks, 4K video modules, audio meditations, and bonus downloads as a single Shopify product — plus optional private Notion or Zoom replay links per student. When a module ships a v2, every past student's re-download automatically points to the new version. Keep 95% of each sale instead of paying Teachable or Kajabi their platform cut, and run multi-course brands from a single Shopify admin.
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Drag the workbook PDF, six H.264 module files, an audio meditation, and a bonus Notion link into Alva's pack builder. Bind the pack to a Shopify product at $299. Students check out once and land on a single signed page listing every asset in the course.
Export the Zoom cloud recording. Upload the MP4 into the course pack. Every past student's customer account now surfaces the new bonus on their next visit — no mass email required, though most creators still announce it to drive re-engagement.
Replace the module 3 PDF with the revised exercises. Every past student's re-download link now pulls v2. Students mid-cohort can still access v1 through Alva's ZipVersionHistory so they are not forced to re-learn a changed exercise mid-course.
Same Shopify store, different public identity. Alva's per-product email settings ship the new course's delivery mail from welcome@second-course.com with its own logo, tone, and footer. The original course keeps shipping from hello@main-course.com. One admin, two brands.
A course is rarely one file. Alva packs bundle a PDF workbook, six video modules, an audio meditation, bonus PDFs, and a Notion companion link under one Shopify product. Students check out once, land on one signed download page, and see every asset. Add bonus assets later — past students pick them up automatically.
Replace a module's workbook or video in Alva, and every enrolled student's customer account page now surfaces the new version on their next visit. Alva's ZipVersionHistory also keeps v1 retrievable for students mid-cohort so a curriculum change doesn't disrupt an in-progress learner.
Course video is the single largest storage line. Alva supports files up to 20 GB on every paid plan and serves every module through a global CDN with unlimited bandwidth. A 3 GB module downloads at the student's full line speed. No per-student Vimeo seat fee, no Wistia view caps, no bandwidth overage billing.
Not every course asset is a file. Alva's Links feature wraps a private Notion class workspace, a Zoom cloud-recording folder, or a Discord invite URL as a signed per-student access token. Each link is IP-locked, expirable, and auto-revokes on refund — so a returned enrolment loses access instantly.
Alva's per-product email settings override the global email template. A copywriting course ships delivery mail from one custom domain, logo, and tone; a separate Notion course ships from another. One Shopify admin, distinct public identities, zero Shopify Plus required. Creators running multiple course IPs use this constantly.
Students delete the welcome email. They switch laptops. A year later they want to revisit module 5. Alva's customer account portal gives every student a permanent page listing every course they own, every module version, and a fresh signed link per click. That single feature absorbs the majority of course-creator support load.
Course video is the dominant storage line. A single 720p module runs 500 MB–2 GB; a 1080p module 1–4 GB; a 4K master 3–10 GB. A full 6-module course at 1080p typically fits inside 10–25 GB. A creator with three live courses and an archive of past cohorts often clears 150 GB. Compare that to Kajabi's $149/month starting tier and the math usually favours Shopify plus Alva inside the first paid cohort.
Every paid plan includes unlimited bandwidth, unlimited orders, version updates, licence keys, packs, per-product branded emails, Shopify POS, and Shopify Flow actions. Trial starts only after the first live order.
From Teachable: Users → Export Users CSV. From Thinkific: Students → Export CSV. From Kajabi / Podia: Members → Export. Import into Shopify customers with a "migrated" tag so the roster can be filtered for a re-engagement email.
Download each course video, workbook PDF, and audio file from the old platform. Drag them into Alva's uploader. Paste private Notion class URLs or Zoom replay folder URLs into the Links tab. Build a pack per course so every asset ships as one Shopify product.
Build real Shopify product pages with SEO-indexable descriptions, testimonials, and a proper checkout. Replace the hidden-sales-page-on-Teachable setup with Shopify URLs that rank in Google and can be linked from a blog, a podcast, or an affiliate network.
Email the imported student list a "we moved" note with a 100%-off coupon so they can keep accessing the courses they already paid for from the new Shopify store. Many creators complete the migration inside a weekend and see the old platform cancelled within the month.
"Left Kajabi for Shopify + Alva and the monthly bill dropped from $199 to $41. The course still ships the same PDF + 6 modules pack — students didn't even notice."
"Reshoot a module, drop the new MP4 in Alva, done. Every past student sees v2 on their next account visit. No 'please log back in to re-enrol' email."
"Three course brands running from one Shopify store. Each student only sees the course brand they bought from. I'd have paid for three Teachable accounts to do this before."
Install Alva. Bundle a PDF workbook, video modules, audio, and a Notion link into one Shopify product. Place a test order — watch the signed course pack land. Ship v2 of any module and every past student sees it. Run multiple course brands from one Shopify store. Keep 95% of the sale price instead of paying Teachable or Kajabi their cut. Trial starts only after the first live order.