A digital content distribution control method, a digital content reproducing method, and a digital content reproducing apparatus. The digital content distributing side manipulates digital content by encrypting and compressing the same, transmits the manipulated digital content, an encrypted content key, and encrypted billing information to the other party of communication, and distributes to digital content proprietors the digital content usage fees collected based on digital content usage information received from the other party. On the other hand, the digital content reproducing side decrypts, in a single portable terminal, the manipulated digital content by the digital key and decompresses the decrypted digital content for reproduction. At the same time, the reproducing side decrements the billing information according to the use of the content and generates content usage information to be transmitted to the content distributing side. The digital content reproducing apparatus associated with the present invention is made portable to solve the above-mentioned problems.