Stream-only mode

How it works

When a file's Streaming setting is Stream only, Alva Digital Downloads stops issuing download links for it on every customer surface: the download page, the thank-you page, the order status page and the customer account. Customers get a Watch, Listen or Read button instead. Other files in the same product keep their download buttons.

Stream only works for the formats that can stream: video, audio and PDF. Stream video, audio and PDFs lists them and shows what customers see.

A deterrent, not DRM

Stream only removes the download button and the download link. It doesn't encrypt the file: the player still loads it over a short-lived link, so a technically minded customer can find that request in their browser's developer tools and save the file. Use Stream only to stop casual downloading and link sharing, not as copy protection.

For PDFs, combine it with PDF watermarking. The reader shows the customer's own watermarked copy, so a saved copy still carries their details. In stream-only mode the reader's text can't be selected, though screen readers can still read it, and printing the page leaves the document out.

Products delivered as a ZIP

If a product normally delivers its files as one ZIP, Alva rebuilds the ZIP without the product's stream-only files. Customers download the rest as a ZIP and stream the stream-only files in players beside it. Until the rebuild finishes, customers get each file individually. When you choose Stream only on such a product, the product page shows Stream-only files are left out of the ZIP.

Plays and the download limit

Plays don't count toward your download limit unless you turn on Plays count toward the download limit in Settings → Download Security → Download Limits. It's off by default.

• When it's off, the limit applies to downloads only. A customer who has used up their downloads can still stream: the download page keeps the players, with no download buttons.
• When it's on, a play counts once per product every 6 hours, however many of that product's files the customer plays. Pausing, seeking and link refreshes never count. Plays and downloads share one limit, and once it's reached the player stops and shows the limit message.

With a limit of 1 or 2, counting plays can lock customers out of stream-only content after a couple of viewing sessions. The product page warns you when plays count and your limit is 2 or less. Raise the limit, or leave plays uncounted.

Plays in Alva, Shopify Flow, Shopify Analytics and the API

A play starts when the customer first presses play after opening the page, or plays a file again after it finished. For a PDF, it's when the first page appears. Pausing, seeking and link refreshes don't start a new play, and restarting the same file within 10 seconds isn't recorded again.

• Alva admin. An order's page shows how many times each product was played, with a Plays badge, and marks a device that only streamed as Played only. A product's page shows a Plays count beside Downloads, and the Orders list has a Plays column.
• Shopify Flow. Each play start fires Alva's Media streamed trigger, with the order, customer, product, file name and media kind (video, audio or pdf). A play never fires Digital file downloaded.
• Shopify Analytics. Each play start is also sent to Shopify as a Media streamed app event, counted as Media streams, never as a download, where Shopify Analytics app events are available for your store.
• External API. The download URLs endpoint still returns a stream-only file's url, because the request is authenticated as you, and adds stream_only and view_url so your own system can respect the setting. See the API changelog.