What Is Kanopy?
Kanopy is a video streaming service for public libraries and schools. It’s branded as a provider of “thoughtful entertainment.” It negotiates rights through independent film distributors and other content partners, including A24, Kino Lorber, The Criterion Collection, Paramount, the BBC, Samuel Goldwyn Company, The Great Courses, and PBS.
The full Kanopy library includes over 30,000 films or shows, and all are ADA-compliant, with the option of using closed captions, subtitles, and transcripts. Each week Kanopy adds content and cycles off some of the older content, just like some of the best streaming services.
However, Kanopy differs from commercial platforms like Netflix because of its mission. It was founded in 2008 to serve the digital media needs of universities and other academic institutions. It expanded to serve public libraries in 2016, according to Kanopy’s press page. OverDrive, the library media company that owns Libby acquired Kanopy in 2021, according to OverDrive.
How Is Kanopy Different From Other Library Platforms?
Like other library platforms, Kanopy is free of advertising and doesn’t share your personal information. Although Kanopy joined the OverDrive family that includes the popular eBook app Libby, Kanopy operates differently from both OverDrive’s legacy video platform and Libby. The main difference is rooted in Kanopy’s educational origins.
Digital rights to media like films, music, and books are a little more complicated than buying a book or BluRay; it varies widely by publisher or distributor. Sometimes libraries are required to purchase individual licenses, which is why you sometimes have to wait your turn to borrow popular content from other services. As a user, you don’t have any wait time since Kanopy negotiated more of a “patron-driven” licensing arrangement with the content providers. Your library pays the fee when you play a video for three seconds or longer.
Kanopy claims that 50% of the revenue they collect from colleges and libraries goes back to independent filmmakers through royalties. The fees are often similar to what educational institutions pay for public screenings like film studies classes. As a result, the New York Times reported several of New York’s Public Libraries stopped offering Kanopy to cardholders since the price detracted from the budget for books and other media.
While Kanopy is outside the budget of some libraries, others are leaning into digital media to better serve patrons who want or need digital content.
How Kanopy Play Credits Work
Since most libraries cap their cardholders’ streams, Kanopy uses a special currency called “play credits.” You spend a play credit each time you stream a video for three seconds or more.
Once you press play on a video, you have three days (or 72 hours) to finish it. Some content is “play credit free,” such as Kanopy Kids—which focuses on content for children aged two through eight–and other videos temporarily designated as credit-free viewing.
How to Set Up Your Account and Access Kanopy
If you have a library card at a participating school, college, or public library, you can stream videos for free through Kanopy. Your library picks up the tab, so it usually caps the number of programs a cardholder can watch each month. How you set up your account will depend on the device you’re using. First, go to Kanopy’s website or download the app, and then follow the steps below.
How to Add a Library Card on Kanopy (Mobile)
Enter or select your library from the map. Enter your library and library card number as prompted. If your library uses a pin, it may prompt you to enter it. The app will prompt you to create an account using your email address and a password.
How to Add a Library Card on Kanopy (Desktop)
Please note the order of the steps varies a little depending on whether you are using the browser app or a mobile app. It’s even easier if you follow a link from your library’s website since the library will automatically be selected.
Once you have a Kanopy account, adding new library cards is easy.
Go to Kanopy’s website. Log in to your account and visit your settings. Choose the option Memberships and then Add a library. Enter your library and then enter your library card number. You can stack multiple library cards within the same Kanopy account.
How to Set Up Your Kanopy Account (Smart TV)
Add the Kanopy channel to your smart TV or set-up box. Open the Kanopy channel and click Get Started. Kanopy will display a set-up link. Open that link using a web browser on your phone or computer. You will see a linking code. Enter it.
Keep in mind that since each device has a unique UI, there may be variations in the steps. Visit the Kanopy Support Page for details if these instructions don’t work for your streaming device.
How to Make the Most of Your Free Kanopy Access
Since each participating library has its own patron allowance, you may link multiple libraries to your Kanopy account for a higher combined streaming allowance. You can also toggle which library account to use if you want to spread the cost among your libraries.
Sometimes Kanopy offers a collection of credit-free programs. If you have credit-free content, then you can extend your Kanopy streaming allowance by watching those programs. Some libraries offer unlimited access or a separate play-credit allowance for Great Courses.
Kanopy probably won’t replace your Netflix or Hulu subscription since you most likely can only stream a limited number of films or TV episodes. Some of the programs on Kanopy are also available on other streaming platforms. If you use an app like Reelgood or JustWatch, you can check to see whether you already have access first.
Stream Free Films or Documentaries
If your library provides Kanopy access, you can access the world’s cinema, award-winning documentaries, independent films, and more.
If not, your library may offer access to other free entertainment platforms like Hoopla or OverDrive’s legacy platform.
