How play credits work
Note: This article is for patrons who use Kanopy with a public library.
Play credits are used to play videos on Kanopy. Each month, you receive a set number of play credits from your library. Your play credits reset on the first day of each month (at midnight in your library's time zone), and unused play credits don't roll over to the next month.
When you log in to Kanopy, you'll see the play credit counter in the top-right corner of the homepage. The counter displays your remaining play credits out of your monthly total.
A film uses a play credit once you start it. Many films on Kanopy have a 48 or 72 hour viewing period, and you can watch the film as many times as you like during the viewing period without using another play credit.
Series and episodes
Some series, like those from A&E and The History Channel, require only one play credit to access an entire season for one viewing period (48 or 72 hours). Other series require a play credit for each episode you watch.
You can see how a series uses play credits in the Kanopy mobile app. If "Playlist" appears at the top of the title details page, only one play credit is required to access the entire series or season for one viewing period. If "Collection" appears at the top of the title details page, each episode will use a play credit.
Note: The supplier for each individual series decides how play credits are used when their series is viewed.
Play credit exceptions
The following titles don't use play credits in the standard way:
- Kanopy Kids titles: You have unlimited plays for videos in the Kanopy Kids section.
- The Great Courses series: The Great Courses series don't use play credits, but your library may set a monthly limit on the number of series you can watch. To find out if your library has a monthly limit on Great Courses series, check your library's website or contact us.Note: If you reach your series limit, you won't be able to start new series until next month, but you can continue to watch any series you've already started.
- Credit-Free Viewing titles: You'll sometimes see a "Credit-Free Viewing" shelf on the Kanopy homepage. You can watch these titles without using a play credit as long as they're on this shelf. If a title leaves this shelf, watching it will require a play credit.
Your library may also offer other titles that don't use play credits.
Continuing a film
On the My Lists page, the Continue Watching tab displays films that you've started watching but haven't finished.
For films with 48 or 72 hour viewing periods, you'll see the number of hours remaining until your play credit expires in the top-right corner of the film on your Continue Watching list.
When a play credit expires, you'll need to use another one to continue watching.
Accessing additional play credits
If you're a member of more than one library that offers Kanopy, you can use play credits at each of your libraries. Learn more about managing multiple library memberships.