Software Engineer, Playback and Media Protection

Apple Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. in New York City seeks a DRM Software Engineer to develop and implement DRM and security solutions across Apple TV, Apple Music, Fitness+, Podcasts, and Apple Books. You will work on FairPlay, PlayReady, and Widevine technologies, with a focus on performance at scale.

The role emphasizes end-to-end project delivery, strong collaboration with a top-tier team, and the opportunity to impact hundreds of millions of users worldwide in a fast-paced, security-driven environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of software development experience.
• Interest in DRM technologies (FairPlay, PlayReady, Widevine) or willingness to develop expertise.
• Interest in endpoint security and authentication protocols.
• Strong programming skills, primarily in Java
• Ability to drive projects independently from inception to production
• Strong focus on performance — measuring, profiling, and tuning systems
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Self-starting, energetic mindset, comfortable navigating ambiguity
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement DRM and security solutions across Apple's media ecosystem.
• Secure endpoints and authentication systems to protect the organization at scale.
• Drive projects end-to-end with a strong emphasis on performance, measurement, and tuning.
• Innovate and challenge assumptions in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Skills

Java programming

Software development

Communication skills

Self-starting mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Software Engineering or related field

Tools

Relational databases

NoSQL databases (Cassandra)

Job description

Software Engineer, Playback and Media Protection

New York City, New York, United States Software and Services

The Apple Services Engineering (ASE) Commerce group is looking for an extraordinary Software Engineer, Playback and Media Protection that will help protect the experiences that hundreds of millions of people trust every day—from Apple TV and Apple Music to Fitness+, Podcasts, and Apple Books. Here, security isn't just a feature; it's the foundation that lets creativity and commerce thrive at an unprecedented scale.You'll work at the intersection of cutting-edge DRM technologies—FairPlay, PlayReady, and Widevine—and the endpoint security systems that safeguard our entire ecosystem, from device signatures to user tokens. This is a team that doesn't just maintain what exists; it questions assumptions, explores gray areas, and builds the next generation of security infrastructure from the ground up.Whether you're a seasoned engineer or someone eager to grow into this space, you'll be empowered to drive projects from idea to production, obsess over performance and scale, and collaborate with some of the best engineers in the industry. If you're energized by big challenges and want your work to protect and power extraordinary experiences for millions of customers, this is where you belong.

Description

At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job, and there's no telling what you could accomplish. As a DRM Software Engineer within the Apple Media Products Commerce team, you will have the opportunity to develop and implement DRM and security solutions across our entire ecosystem of media products.We strive to provide a flawless experience for our millions of customers and developers. The Apple Media Products Commerce Engineering team manages DRM and media security solutions across all Apple media products, including Apple TV, Apple Music, Fitness+, Podcasts, Apple Books, and more. Beyond media playback, our team is responsible for the security of the entire organization's endpoints. We utilize FairPlay technology to verify device signatures, manage device one‑time passwords, and ensure the absolute security of user tokens. This scale is truly unprecedented and requires tremendous thinking to develop new initiatives and maintain existing systems.We are looking for a self‑starting, energetic individual who is not afraid to question assumptions or charge head‑first into gray areas. While prior experience isn't strictly required, an ideal candidate will have, or be eager to develop, an interest in DRM technologies, including FairPlay, PlayReady, and Widevine, as well as endpoint security and authentication protocols. An understanding of relational databases, data‑modeling techniques, and Cassandra or other NoSQL knowledge is a plus. We are primarily a Java shop.You will drive projects from inception to production deployment with a strong focus on performance to get the most out of your systems' designs and implementations, no matter what the scale. You will care about measuring, profiling, and tuning, but you will also be able to think creatively and question assumptions. You should be a phenomenal teammate and have excellent communication and presentation skills.If you like the stimulation and challenges of building systems and features exposed to hundreds of millions of transacting users, and you want to make a difference, you will find Apple Media Products Engineering to be a fast‑paced, rewarding environment where the best engineers and scientists collaborate to deliver fantastic products and features to our customers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement DRM & security solutions – Design and build DRM technologies (FairPlay, PlayReady, Widevine) and security solutions across Apple's entire media ecosystem (Apple TV, Apple Music, Fitness+, Podcasts, Apple Books, and more).
• Secure endpoints and authentication systems – Verify device signatures, manage device one‑time passwords, and ensure the security of user tokens to protect the organization's endpoints at massive scale.
• Drive projects end-to-end with a performance focus – Own initiatives from inception through production deployment, with strong emphasis on measuring, profiling, and tuning systems to maximize performance at scale.
• Innovate and challenge assumptions – Think creatively to develop new initiatives while maintaining existing systems, tackling ambiguous ("gray area") problems as a self‑starter in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• 2+ years experience in software development.
• Interest in (or willingness to develop expertise in) DRM technologies such as FairPlay, PlayReady, or Widevine
• Interest in endpoint security and authentication protocols
• Strong programming skills, primarily in Java
• Ability to drive projects independently, from inception to production deployment
• Strong focus on performance — comfortable measuring, profiling, and tuning systems
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• A self‑starting, energetic mindset — comfortable questioning assumptions and navigating ambiguity ("gray areas")
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior hands‑on experience with DRM technologies (FairPlay, PlayReady, Widevine)
• Understanding of relational databases and data‑modeling techniques
• Familiarity with Cassandra or other NoSQL databases