How to Restrict Videos Using Bunny CDN and Presto Player: A Step-by-Step Guide

Content creators and online educators often need a seamless way to host and restrict access to their premium video content. Bunny CDN, known for its lightning-fast content delivery, paired with the versatile Presto Player, provides an effective solution for managing video hosting and access restrictions. By combining these tools with a membership plugin like Paid Memberships Pro, you can ensure only your paying members or specified audience can access your videos.

In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into how to set up Bunny CDN and Presto Player to restrict video access, ensuring your premium content is secure.

Why Use Bunny CDN and Presto Player for Video Hosting?

Before diving into the technical details, it’s essential to understand why this combination is perfect for secure video hosting:

• Bunny CDN: A fast, reliable content delivery network (CDN) that ensures smooth video playback without buffering, regardless of where your viewers are located.
• Presto Player: A powerful video player plugin for WordPress, designed with features like integrations, custom branding, and secure playback.

When these two are integrated, they create a robust system that protects your videos from unauthorized access while maintaining an excellent user experience.

Prerequisites for Setting Up Video Restrictions

To get started, ensure you have the following tools:

1. A Bunny CDN account – Create an account at Bunny.net and set up a video library.
2. Presto Player – Install the plugin on your WordPress site.
3. Paid Memberships Pro – Install and configure this membership plugin for managing access levels.
4. A WordPress website – Ensure you have admin access to install and configure plugins.

Step 1: Setting Up Bunny CDN Video Library

1. Create a Bunny CDN Account
   Head to Bunny.net and sign up for an account. Once logged in:
   • Navigate to the Video Library tab.
   • Create a new video library by clicking the Add Library button.
   • Configure the settings for the library, such as storage location and pull zones.
2. Upload Your Videos
   Use the Bunny CDN dashboard to upload your videos to the newly created library. Bunny CDN automatically optimizes your videos for streaming.
3. Enable Hotlink Protection
   To restrict unauthorized access:
   • Go to the Security Settings of your library.
   • Enable Hotlink Protection to ensure only your website can serve your video content.

Step 2: Configuring Presto Player

1. Install Presto Player on Your WordPress Site
   Download and install Presto Player from the WordPress plugin repository. Activate the plugin.
2. Connect Presto Player to Bunny CDN
   • In the WordPress dashboard, go to Presto Player Settings.
   • Add a new Bunny CDN integration by entering the API Key and other details from your Bunny CDN account.
   • Save your settings.
3. Add Videos to Presto Player
   • Navigate to the Media section in Presto Player.
   • Click Add New Video and select Bunny CDN as the source.
   • Enter the video URL generated by Bunny CDN and configure video settings such as thumbnails, playback speed options, and branding.

Step 3: Using Paid Memberships Pro to Restrict Access

1. Install and Configure Paid Memberships Pro
   • Install Paid Memberships Pro from the WordPress plugin directory.
   • Set up membership levels based on your content strategy (e.g., Free, Premium, VIP).
2. Restrict Video Pages
   • Create a new page or post in WordPress.
   • Embed the video using Presto Player’s shortcode or block.
   • Use Paid Memberships Pro’s settings to restrict access to the page/post by membership level.
3. Test Access Restrictions
   Log out of your WordPress admin account and try to access the page as a non-member. Ensure the content is restricted and displays a message prompting users to sign up or log in.

Step 4: Enhancing Security with Bunny CDN Token Authentication

For additional protection, enable token authentication in Bunny CDN:

1. Go to the Video Library Settings in your Bunny CDN dashboard.
2. Enable Token Authentication and generate a signing key.
3. Update the Presto Player settings in WordPress with the token authentication details.

This ensures that only requests originating from your website with the correct token can access your videos.

Benefits of This Setup

By combining Bunny CDN, Presto Player, and Paid Memberships Pro, you gain the following benefits:

• Fast and Reliable Playback: Bunny CDN ensures smooth delivery of video content.
• Customizable Video Experience: Presto Player allows you to tailor playback settings to match your brand and user needs.
• Secure Content: Restrict access using Paid Memberships Pro and Bunny CDN’s security features.
• Scalability: As your audience grows, Bunny CDN can handle increased traffic without compromising performance.

FAQs

1. What is Bunny CDN Token Authentication?
   Token Authentication is a feature that generates signed URLs to restrict access to your videos, ensuring only authorized users can view them.
2. Can I use Presto Player without Bunny CDN?
   Yes, but using Bunny CDN enhances video performance and security significantly.
3. How does Paid Memberships Pro integrate with Presto Player?
   Paid Memberships Pro allows you to restrict access to pages or posts where Presto Player videos are embedded.

Deliver and Protect Your Premium Video Content

Combining Bunny CDN, Presto Player, and Paid Memberships Pro is a powerful way to host and secure premium video content. With Bunny CDN’s robust delivery network, Presto Player’s customizable features, and Paid Memberships Pro’s access controls, you can deliver an exceptional experience to your audience while safeguarding your hard work.

Set up your system today and provide seamless, secure video access to your members!

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