Thanks to a gift from the Madison Public Library Foundation, anyone with a Madison library card can now enjoy over 30,000 free videos from Kanopy, a company committed to streaming high-quality films that inspire, educate and entertain to libraries around the globe. Kanopy’s unique selection offers something for everyone, from award winning indie films to important and timely documentaries, to foreign films, popular cinema, children’s shows and more. The library's subscription includes unlimited access to Kanopy Kids and Great Courses, a collection of lectures on a variety of topics from literature, health, finance, and more.
Many of Kanopy’s videos are not available on any other streaming video platform, and the experience is easy-to-use and completely advertisement free. New videos are added regularly in a wide range of subject areas.
Some popular titles by genre include the following:
Short: The Phone Call | Horror: Midsommar | Drama: The Bookshop |
Comedy: What We Do in the Shadows | Documentary: I Am Not Your Negro | Foreign Language: Seven Samurai |
Classic: Dial M for Murder | Animation: Loving Vincent | Romance: The Tomorrow Man |
Sci-Fi: Under the Skin | Thriller: Eye in the Sky | Kids: Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus |
Series: Alone | Miniseries: Roots |
Kanopy Kids
Kanopy Kids is a carefuly curated collection of the best children’s programming available today. Our kids' selection is curated to support early literacy, STEM education, and even foreign language learning. Using favorite children’s characters from Sesame Street, PBS Kids, Weston Woods, and more, our collection of kids films inspire empathy, critical thinking, and self-esteem in young viewers.
Children and their parents can enjoy Kanopy Kids with a generous viewing period and parental controls.
How to watch videos with Kanopy
You can watch on your desktop or laptop computer, mobile device, TV apps, and more.
With your Madison library card, you can use 10 play credits per month. Each video will use 1 play credit regardless of length, unless you are accessing videos from Kanopy Kids, Great Courses, or the list of Monthly Credit-Free Films -- these collections do not require any play credits to view. If you use all available play credits for the month you will not be able to play any videos until the 1st of the next month when your play credits reset. Unused play credits will not roll over into the next month.
About Kanopy
Kanopy partners with libraries and filmmakers around the globe to give patrons, students and faculty free access to high-quality films that stimulate imagination, promote learning, and spark meaningful conversations. Many films on Kanopy, including from iconic film companies such as A24, Criterion Collection, Paramount, PBS and Kino Lorber, are unavailable elsewhere. For more information, please visit www.kanopy.com.
