This report is tailored for self-media video creators, systematically outlining the sales channels and platform choices for video tutorials in China, focusing on effectively preventing piracy while ensuring a convenient purchasing and viewing experience for users. The content covers the feasibility and cost optimization of self-built platforms, as well as strategic recommendations for future expansion into the global Chinese market, aiming to provide creators with practical and actionable decision-making references.

I. Navigating the Chinese Market: Piracy, Payment, and User Access

Operating a video tutorial business in China’s unique digital environment presents three core challenges for creators:

1. Rampant piracy
2. User-preferred payment methods
3. Ensuring a smooth access experience

A. Prevalence of Video Tutorial Piracy in China

Piracy of tutorials in China is extremely common, becoming the primary concern for creators. Even international platforms like Udemy struggle to completely remove pirated links from major Chinese search engines through their anti-piracy vendors. Domestic C2C platforms like Xianyu also frequently see the circulation of pirated courses. Alibaba has established an Intellectual Property Protection Platform (IPP Platform) for rights holders to file complaints.

As of the end of 2020, numerous court rulings related to the “E-commerce Law” and intellectual property enforcement have been made, with e-commerce platforms often being defendants, reflecting the ongoing battle between online piracy and anti-piracy efforts. In such an environment, a single protection measure is often ineffective, requiring creators to deploy multi-layered anti-piracy strategies.

Although official reporting channels like Alibaba’s IPP Platform are available, the responsibility of proactively identifying and reporting piracy still largely falls on creators. Since pirated links are difficult to completely remove from mainstream search engines, relying solely on post-removal notices has limited effectiveness. Once content is leaked, even if the original hosting site is addressed, as long as search results exist, users can still easily access it. Therefore, implementing technical measures to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution from the outset of content release is more critical and effective than subsequent piracy tracking. This elevates the priority of proactive defense technologies such as Digital Rights Management (DRM) and video watermarking.

Additionally, major Chinese e-commerce platforms are continuously improving anti-piracy measures. For instance, Alibaba’s “Borderless Plan” and Taobao’s Intellectual Property Protection Platform’s “Integrity Complaint Mechanism” provide more efficient rights protection channels for rights holders who consistently and accurately report infringements. If creators can establish trust with platforms, they will receive faster responses in future piracy issues, reducing the cost and effort of rights protection.

B. Core Considerations for Chinese Users

1. Preferred Payment Methods (Alipay, WeChat Pay)

In the Chinese market, Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate as the preferred methods for online transactions. UnionPay also holds a significant share. For individual business owners, integrating WeChat Pay typically requires a business license, a bank account (corporate or personal under the legal representative), and the legal representative’s ID, with transaction fees generally ranging from 0.6% to 1%. Alipay has similar requirements for individual business owners, such as submitting a business license to qualify for specific discounted rates (e.g., 0.2%-0.38%). International payment providers like Stripe can also assist merchants in integrating Alipay and WeChat Pay functionalities on their websites or platforms, and Adyen supports WeChat Pay web integration.

To ensure user convenience and high conversion rates, offering Alipay and WeChat Pay is essential. Creators operating as “individual business owners” need to understand the direct application process, qualification requirements, and fee structures for these two major payment channels.

Although individual business owners can directly apply for Alipay and WeChat Pay interfaces, if creators have long-term plans to expand into the global Chinese market, they might consider indirectly integrating through international payment gateways like Stripe. Stripe simplifies cross-border settlements and multi-currency management, although its fees may differ from direct domestic integration. This involves a trade-off between the simplicity and low cost of targeting the Chinese market initially and the unified payment backend for future global operations.

Individual business owners typically need to provide a business license to integrate mainstream payment channels. This means creators may need to complete business registration first to formalize their operations. This step not only affects payment integration but may also relate to the subsequent ICP filing required for operating a website domestically, especially when the website is deemed commercial (i.e., profiting from course sales). Thus, the choice of payment method is closely tied to the compliance and regularization of the creator’s business.

2. Importance of Access Speed and User Experience (CDN, ICP Filing)

The loading speed and playback smoothness of video tutorials are crucial for user experience, especially in mainland China, where the network environment is complex, and cross-border access speeds can be unstable. Content Delivery Networks (CDN) are key technologies for improving access speed and ensuring smooth video playback. CDN providers like CDNetworks and Bunny.net offer solutions tailored for the Chinese market, some with “near-China” nodes (e.g., Hong Kong) or nodes within mainland China (typically requiring ICP filing). Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud, as major domestic cloud service providers in China, also offer CDN services and explicitly require ICP filing for deploying nodes in mainland China.

ICP (Internet Content Provider) filing is a legal prerequisite for hosting websites or using domestic CDN services within mainland China. Personal ICP filing usually requires real-name authentication for the domain and a server located in mainland China. Since selling video tutorials is considered a commercial activity, whether personal ICP filing applies to such websites and the specific requirements may be more stringent.

The ICP filing process, especially for personally operated websites with commercial nature (such as selling courses), may pose a significant challenge. A preliminary feasible strategy is to use “near-China” nodes provided by CDN providers (e.g., Bunny.net or CDNetworks’ Hong Kong nodes) to improve access speed for mainland Chinese users. Although Hong Kong nodes are outside the “Great Firewall,” their geographical proximity to the mainland offers lower latency compared to other overseas nodes. This can enhance user experience to some extent without immediately requiring mainland ICP filing. However, “near-China” nodes are an improvement over international hosting performance and cannot fully substitute the access speed and stability of mainland China nodes, and they may still be affected by cross-border network fluctuations.

The choice of video hosting platforms (e.g., Bunny Stream, VdoCipher) is closely tied to their underlying CDN architecture and ICP policies. If these platforms use global CDNs lacking mainland China nodes, or if their mainland China nodes require creators to handle ICP filing themselves, creators cannot simply rely on video hosting providers to solve access speed issues in mainland China. Creators may need to deploy an additional layer of China-oriented CDN outside of video hosting services or carefully select video hosting services that offer compliant China acceleration solutions without imposing excessive ICP filing burdens on creators. This means that when choosing a video hosting platform, creators must inquire in detail about their specific delivery plans for the Chinese market and ICP requirements for creators.

3. Content Review and Compliance

Operating online content services in China requires attention to content review and compliance. Third-party content moderation cloud services can help platforms reduce review costs, but the primary responsibility for content safety remains with the platform. For educational training content, especially in specific fields (e.g., “after-school tutoring”), special educational permits or stricter ICP filing qualifications may be required. The naming of websites is also subject to certain regulatory restrictions.

Tutorials on “website development and setup technology” provided by creators are generally classified as vocational skills training, which faces relatively fewer content restrictions compared to K-12 education, news, or finance sectors. Nevertheless, creators must understand and comply with China’s general internet content management regulations to avoid inadvertently crossing red lines.

If creators plan to build communities around courses (as a value-added service), the responsibility for reviewing user-generated content (e.g., comments, forum posts) within the community, in the case of self-built platforms, will also fall on the creators. This increases additional operational burdens and compliance risks that need to be considered.

II. Multi-Layered Defense: Strategies Against Video Piracy

Given the severe piracy situation in the Chinese market, a single anti-piracy technology is often ineffective. Building a multi-layered defense system integrating technology, content, and business strategies is crucial.

A. Technical Anti-Piracy Measures

1. Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Mainstream commercial DRM technologies include Google’s Widevine, Microsoft’s PlayReady, and Apple’s FairPlay, corresponding to different device and operating system ecosystems. The core mechanisms of these DRM solutions involve content encryption, license management, and user authentication. While offering high protection strength, directly integrating such commercial DRM solutions is typically complex and costly for independent creators, with entry-level service fees around $500 per month, often used for protecting high-value film and television content.

Some providers package complex DRM technologies into more user-friendly and economical solutions for small creators, usually bundling secure hosting, video encoding, and player services:

• VdoCipher: Offers DRM protection based on Google Widevine and Apple FairPlay, along with dynamic watermarking, domain restrictions, CMS plugins (e.g., WordPress), and API interfaces. Entry-level plans start at approximately $149 per year. Integrates with various LMS (Learning Management Systems).
• DRM-X: Provides intelligent anti-screen recording, dynamic watermarking, and WordPress integration. Basic plans start at $80 per month. Video playback requires users to install its custom Xvast browser or HHMeet client.
• Bunny Stream: Offers “MediaCage” multi-DRM (FairPlay, Widevine) services. The basic DRM version (including dynamic encryption and download protection) is free, while the enterprise DRM version requires a base fee of $99 per month plus per-license fees. Integrates player, transcoding, storage, and anti-hotlinking/token authentication features.

When choosing these solutions, creators need to balance security, cost, ease of use, and specific features (e.g., WordPress integration). DRM-X requires users to install a specific browser, which may inconvenience Chinese users, whereas VdoCipher or Bunny Stream’s DRM solutions aim to run in standard browsers supporting EME, offering a better user experience.

2. Video Watermarking

Video watermarking is another crucial layer of copyright protection, mainly divided into visible watermarks and invisible/forensic watermarks.

• Visible Watermarks: Text or logos overlaid on the video frame, serving as a direct warning and branding tool.
• Invisible/Forensic Watermarks: Embedded in video data, imperceptible to the naked eye, primarily used for tracking piracy sources and providing legal evidence.

Ideal watermarking technology should resist common video processing attacks such as transcoding, compression, and cropping. Dynamic forensic watermarking (embedding user-specific information like user ID or email) is particularly valuable for tracing leak sources. For independent creators, its primary role may be more about deterring potential pirates and banning related user accounts upon discovering piracy.

A balanced strategy is to combine visible watermarks (e.g., corner logos or copyright statements) with dynamic forensic watermarks, achieving both deterrence and traceability.

3. “Streaming-Only” Playback and Download Prohibition

Prohibiting users from directly downloading video files is a basic but important anti-piracy measure. Many platforms allow course creators to disable download options for course files or provide “streaming-only” options for video content through signed, time-limited, and trackable streaming links to prevent downloads.

“Streaming-only” playback effectively prevents casual downloading by ordinary users. However, it must be recognized that this method alone cannot prevent screen recording. It needs to be combined with stronger protection measures (e.g., DRM technologies that effectively prevent screen recording or robust watermarking).

4. HLS Encryption and Secure Streaming Protocols

The HLS protocol supports various encryption methods, commonly AES-128 and Sample-AES. RTMPS is a secure version of RTMP, transmitting data via SSL/TLS encryption. These are transport-layer or foundational encryption methods, superior to no encryption but less secure compared to full DRM systems. HLS encryption can serve as a basic defense line but should not be considered the ultimate copyright protection solution.

5. Screen Recording Protection

Preventing screen recording is one of the most challenging aspects of video copyright protection. Currently, on web browsers, especially desktop Chrome, there is no absolutely effective anti-screen recording method. Multi-DRM combination solutions can effectively prevent or interfere with screen recording tools on devices and platforms supporting hardware-level DRM, but their protection capability is limited on desktop Chrome browsers that do not support hardware DRM.

Some DRM solutions claim to have “intelligent anti-screen recording” or screen recording detection technologies, often implemented by maintaining a blacklist of screen recording software or detecting recording behavior characteristics. However, there is a continuous “cat-and-mouse game” between screen recording software and anti-recording technologies, and any technology claiming to “intelligently prevent” needs constant updates to its feature database and algorithms to remain effective.

Other auxiliary methods include:

• Dedicated Player Apps: Requiring users to watch courses through specific desktop applications that can integrate stronger anti-recording mechanisms, though this increases the user entry barrier.
• Watermarking: Dynamic forensic watermarking, while unable to directly prevent recording, can deter users and help trace sources when pirated content is leaked.
• JavaScript Techniques: Attempting to detect screen recording software or browser focus loss via JavaScript, though these methods are easily circumvented and generally ineffective.

B. Content and Business Strategies to Reduce Piracy Risks

Beyond technical measures, creators can also indirectly mitigate the negative impacts of piracy by optimizing content and business models.

1. Rapid Content Updates and Iteration

Rapidly updating course content can quickly devalue pirated older versions. For technical tutorials, tools, frameworks, and best practices evolve rapidly. Official courses that update frequently can render pirated versions circulating online outdated, significantly reducing their practical value. This strategy effectively shifts the course value from a one-time purchase of static content to a subscription for dynamic access to the latest knowledge.

2. Offering Value-Added Services

Piracy often can only replicate the video content itself, unable to copy value-added services tied to the course, such as:

• Real-time Q&A and interactive tutoring
• Student communities
• Assignment grading and feedback
• Course certificates
• Exclusive learning materials

In the Chinese market, leveraging the WeChat ecosystem (e.g., WeChat groups, Enterprise WeChat) to build student communities is a highly effective strategy, significantly enhancing user stickiness and creating competitive barriers that piracy cannot replicate.

3. Building Strong Creator-Community Bonds

When students develop a strong sense of belonging and identification with the creator and their course community, they are more likely to pay for legitimate content to support the creator and may even actively resist and report piracy, becoming advocates and defenders of the brand reputation.

4. Strategic Pricing for the Chinese Market

Unreasonable pricing is one of the reasons for piracy. Creators need to set prices based on the actual purchasing power in the Chinese market, user perception of course value, and competitive landscape. A tiered pricing strategy can be adopted, initially offering more affordable entry-level modules or core courses to build user trust and reputation, then upselling more comprehensive, advanced, or value-added service-inclusive high-priced course packages.

C. Legal and Post-Incident Response Measures

Beyond technical and business strategies, necessary legal knowledge and post-incident response mechanisms are also part of the anti-piracy toolkit.

1. Understanding DMCA and Infringement Notification Processes

The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) provides a “notice-and-takedown” mechanism for copyright holders, allowing rights owners to send notifications to online platforms hosting infringing content, requesting its removal. China has similar regulations, and most mainstream Chinese internet platforms have dedicated copyright infringement complaint channels and processing procedures.

2. Reporting Piracy on Chinese Platforms

For pirated content appearing on domestic Chinese platforms (e.g., Taobao, Xianyu, WeChat Official Accounts, Douyin, Bilibili), directly reporting through the official complaint channels provided by these platforms is usually more straightforward and effective than sending DMCA-based notices. Creators need to proactively monitor these key platforms and, upon discovering piracy, promptly submit complete and accurate complaint materials through formal channels. On some platforms, establishing a good “integrity complaint” record can facilitate more convenient and efficient rights protection experiences in the future.

III. Choosing Sales Channels: Third-Party Platforms vs. Self-Built Solutions

After determining anti-piracy strategies, creators need to select appropriate sales channels. This primarily involves choosing between established third-party course platforms and self-built websites (typically based on WordPress or similar systems).

A. Third-Party Course Platforms

1. Platforms Focused on the Chinese Market

• XiaoeTech: A well-known SaaS provider for knowledge payment and online education in China, supporting various content formats and WeChat ecosystem integration, offering rich marketing tools and community features. Suitable for creators aiming to deeply penetrate the Chinese market and leverage WeChat private traffic. Detailed inquiries with the official team are needed regarding video DRM capabilities, package pricing, commission rates, and CDN performance.
• Other Domestic Platforms (e.g., Tencent Classroom, NetEase Cloud Classroom, Lizhi Micro-Class): These platforms typically have large user bases and brand recognition, but information on entry policies for independent individual instructors, video copyright protection measures, and revenue-sharing models is less transparent, requiring careful review of their latest policies and technical service details.

2. International Platforms (Evaluating Applicability to China)

• Teachable: Offers basic copyright protection features and multiple payment methods, but mainland China is not within its native payment system support range. Chinese user access experience may face significant issues.
• Thinkific: Content protection and payment methods are similar to Teachable. Payment convenience and access smoothness for Chinese users are also major pain points.
• Udemy: A large online course marketplace with a piracy detection program, but coverage in China is insufficient, and revenue sharing and platform dependency are high.
• Gumroad: A platform for creators to sell digital products, with simple content protection methods, and payment methods are not user-friendly for Chinese users.

Common challenges for international platforms serving the mainland Chinese market stem from the “Great Firewall” impacting access speed and stability, as well as the lack of deep integration with local mainstream payment methods like Alipay and WeChat Pay, and localized CDN acceleration services.

Table 1: Comparative Analysis of Major Course Platforms

B. Self-Built Solutions (Centered on WordPress)

For creators with website development and setup skills, self-built solutions offer high control, flexibility, customizability, and may be more cost-effective in long-term operations.

1. Core Components

WordPress + LMS Plugin + Secure Video Hosting + Payment Gateway + CDN

2. WordPress LMS Plugins

• LearnDash: Offers content protection plugins, recommends hosting videos on platforms supporting domain protection, and controls conditional display of course materials via shortcodes. Supports various security enhancements.
• LifterLMS: Provides user account management, member-exclusive content, access restrictions, and password management features. Supports advanced video plugins and security configurations.

When choosing LMS plugins, consider their integration ease with third-party secure video hosting and payment gateways, as well as the comprehensive cost of the plugin itself and its necessary add-ons.

3. Secure Video Hosting and DRM Services for WordPress

• VdoCipher: Based on Google Widevine and Apple FairPlay DRM, supports dynamic watermarking, domain whitelisting, IP/geographic restrictions, and other security features. Offers dedicated WordPress plugins, with entry-level plans starting at approximately $149 per year.
• Bunny Stream: Provides basic DRM (free) and enterprise multi-DRM ($99/month onwards), supporting anti-hotlinking, token authentication, domain whitelisting, and other security settings. Can be integrated into WordPress via HTML embedding or API.
• DRM-X: Offers WordPress plugins, supporting intelligent anti-screen recording, dynamic watermarking, etc., but playback requires a dedicated browser, potentially impacting user experience.

Table 2: Comparison of Secure Video Hosting Services for Self-Built WordPress Solutions

4. Chinese Payment Gateway Integration

• Indirectly accepting Alipay/WeChat Pay via Stripe: Requires registering and configuring a Stripe account supporting these payment methods and using related WordPress plugins.
• Direct integration of Alipay/WeChat Pay for individual business owners: Requires completing business registration and API integration, with higher technical and financial management demands but lower fees.

5. Chinese Content Delivery Network (CDN)

• CDNetworks: Offers “near-China” acceleration solutions without ICP filing; mainland nodes require ICP filing.
• Bunny.net: Asian nodes include Hong Kong, suitable for “near-China” acceleration.
• Alibaba Cloud/Tencent Cloud: Mainland nodes require ICP filing.

6. ICP License/Filing

ICP filing is mandatory when planning to use servers or CDNs within mainland China. Personal ICP filing typically applies to non-commercial websites, but selling video courses is inherently commercial, so it is recommended to register as an “individual business owner” and file ICP under this entity.

IV. Expanding to the Global Chinese User Market

As the business grows to a certain stage, creators planning to market video tutorials to Chinese users outside mainland China will need to adjust their strategic focus.

A. Leveraging International Platforms and Payment Gateways

When serving overseas Chinese users, international course platforms or self-built WordPress websites (paired with global CDNs) can serve as sales channels. For payments, global payment gateways like Stripe handle international credit cards, PayPal, and in some cases, Alipay/WeChat Pay effectively.

B. Stripe Atlas (US Company Registration Service)

Stripe Atlas assists global entrepreneurs in registering companies in the US, accessing the US Stripe payment processing ecosystem for smoother global collections. Suitable for creators aspiring to internationalize their business operations.

C. Global CDN Considerations

Choose CDN providers with extensive international nodes to ensure good coverage in target overseas Chinese regions. Providers like Bunny.net can balance the initial Chinese market needs and subsequent global market expansion.

V. Comprehensive Recommendations and Action Roadmap

A. Recommended Initial Launch Plan for the Chinese Market

Preferred: Self-Built WordPress Website + LMS Plugin + Secure Video Hosting + CDN (Hong Kong Node) + Payment (Stripe or Direct Integration)

• Maximizes the creator’s technical strengths for high autonomy and control.
• Video Security and Hosting: Bunny Stream can use free basic DRM initially, with potential upgrades; VdoCipher suits high-security needs.
• CDN: Bunny.net Hong Kong nodes can initially improve mainland user experience without ICP filing.
• Payment: Options include direct integration or indirect access via Stripe.

Alternative: XiaoeTech Platform

• Suitable for creators wishing to avoid the technical complexity of self-building and prioritizing WeChat ecosystem integration.
• Detailed inquiries are needed regarding video DRM capabilities, package pricing, and CDN performance.

B. Strategies for Expanding to Global Chinese Users

• Continue using CDN providers with global coverage to ensure good node availability in target regions.
• Stripe supports international payments with mature currency and tax handling.
• If initially using XiaoeTech, evaluate its access experience and payment support for overseas users.

C. Key Implementation Steps and Considerations

• Determine whether to register as an individual business owner or company to meet payment interface application and ICP filing requirements.
• Select LMS plugins, register and configure secure video hosting services, CDN services, and complete WordPress website setup and feature integration.
• Strictly configure DRM, watermarking, download permission controls, anti-hotlinking, and other security measures.
• Ensure smooth payment gateway integration and collection.
• If ICP filing is required, initiate the process as early as possible.
• Plan for continuous course updates and design value-added services.
• Build communities and establish operational rules.
• Familiarize with piracy complaint channels on major platforms and monitor regularly.

VI. Conclusion

For independent video tutorial creators to successfully sell courses in the Chinese market and effectively prevent piracy, a multi-dimensional balanced strategy is required. There is no one-size-fits-all “silver bullet”; the real solution lies in the organic integration of technical protection, content value, business models, and continuous operations. By carefully selecting and combining WordPress LMS plugins, professional secure video hosting services, targeted CDN acceleration, and compliant payment interfaces, creators can build an online course sales platform that ensures content security while providing a good user experience. Simultaneously, rapidly iterating course content, offering value-added services that piracy cannot replicate, building student communities, and fostering brand loyalty can significantly reduce the appeal of piracy and incentivize users to pay for legitimate content. Initially, a combination of “near-China” CDN nodes and international payment gateways can lower entry barriers, with deeper localization deployment considered as the business matures. Continuous learning, adaptability, and a focus on user value are key to success in the Chinese market and global Chinese communities.