Index:

1. Introduction to the History of Netflix
2. Netflix’s Subscription-based Business Model
3. Competition with Blockbuster
4. Netflix launches Streaming Video on Demand
5. Partnership with Hardware Platforms
6. Shift to the cloud
7. First Major Content Licensing Deal
8. Netflix and the Culture of Binge Watching
9. Original Programming
10. Separating DVD and Streaming Video
11. Domestic Growth in US and International Expansion
12. Conclusion: From Dot Com Bubble to Baring its FANGs

How did Netflix Start?

History of Netflix

In this first edition of our multi-part blog series on the streaming video giant, we take you back to the history of Netflix & how Netflix has evolved over the two decades of its existence. Netflix started as a personalized web-based movie recommendation and rental system, transforming over the years into a streaming video giant. The management’s commitment to digital content has enabled Netflix to emerge as the biggest name in the streaming video industry, and more importantly, to stay at the top of its game as it expands globally and seeks to capture increasing audiences internationally.

Founded in 1998 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph, the history of Netflix’s founding must be situated amidst the dot com bubble. This was a time when online businesses would sell consumer goods directly via their dot com domains. Amidst the excitement around internet-enabled delivery of services and goods, companies like Pets.com, WebVan and Kozmo.com offering to sell goods directly to consumers raised funding from venture capital firms. However owing to flawed business models which meant losses at each sale, these companies burned cash from the outset. The dot com bubble crashed in due time.

In September 1999 Reed Hastings implemented a subscription-based business model. Netflix, although unprofitable until the mid-2000s, survived the dot com bubble. The company offered DVDs via US Postal Service, and had put up their catalogue online. Relying on US Postal Service’s delivery meant that Netflix could focus on their core offerings of a curated and personalised catalogue.

Netflix’s unique offering was its web-based catalogue of films. Instead of having storefronts, the primary means by which customers could access the catalogue was online. This meant that every user in every part of the country could have access to the full library that Netflix possessed, rather than being limited to the titles the nearest stores carried. This also meant that users could shop around for the films they wanted to watch in the leisure of their homes.

Netflix’s Subscription-based Business Model

The company at the time struggled with two fundamental problems in their business model. One was that because the DVD was sent via mail, it would take anything between one day to 4 days for the shipment to reach the subscriber. Even though people were likely to try Netflix, conversion to repeat rentals was low. Secondly, people would far more inclined to rent out the latest releases. For the company to break even on the cost of purchasing a DVD to rent-out, they would have to generate 15-20 rentals for each DVD.

Two of the most important elements in the history of Netflix business model emerged out of their responses to the problems. The company shifted to a recurring-revenue model – the subscription model – which improved second-time movie rental rates considerable. Customers were locked in to the platform, and was therefore much more likely to try rentals again. The company also created a queue, one in which users would select the movies they would like to watch next. This speeded up the process for subscribers to receive another DVD once they returned their first one. This also eliminated the point of late fees charges – the motivation for returning DVDs was to get another DVD to watch by mail. Netflix business model of subscriptions was a response to the problem of retaining customers.

Secondly, to enable maximum utilisation of their DVD content catalogue, the company created their movie recommendation system. Through Cinematch, Netflix would recommend shows for their subscribers to watch. The point for this was to alleviate pressure for DVD rentals away from new releases, to a more uniform renting out of their content library. This solution has over the years become considerably sophisticated, and drives how customers experience Netflix and how the company makes decisions when acquiring new content.

Netflix’s response to these problems was reflective of how the management was focused on building a sustainable business model, as opposed to growing up too fast. Instead of focusing on building a huge content library the company instead optimised their DVD-on-mail solution for their existing library. This business decision was what helped the company survive the crash that followed the dot com bubble.

Barry McCarthy, CFO of Netflix from inception till 2010, spoke to the Unofficial Stanford Blog on Reed Hasting’s idea of the subscriber-based model in an industry where video rentals were centered around retail stores:

“It was Reed’s insight that the subscription model would resonate with consumers in a compelling way. He re-engineered the Web site and software to support a subscription model…we began to grow exponentially overnight. In 1998, I think the business did $1 million in revenue. In 1999, we did $5 million, then $35 million and then $75 million and $150 million and then almost $300 million…We were I think five years to $500 million and another three years to a $1 billion, all because of the subscription model.”

Netlfix’s business model of subscriptions was strengthened in February 2000 when Netflix started their Unlimited Movie Rental programme. This ‘All-You-Can-Watch’ subscription model, at a fee of $19.95 per month, offered customers unlimited movie rentals in a month, receiving upto 4 DVDs at a time. With a view towards maintain subscriber goodwill and loyalty, the company eliminated all per-movie, shipping and late-fee charges. Netflix, under the direction of technical head Neil Hunt, had by then also implemented their content recommendation system – Cinematch.

Netflix’s content curation was headed by Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer. Sarandos joined in 2000, and had prior experience in movie and television distribution. He has managed Netflix’s content offerings over the years, initially curating and providing inputs for the movie recommendation system, and is now a major cog in the wheel of the to the company’s original content – Netflix Originals – initiative.

History of Netflix: Competition with Blockbuster

In the history of Netflix, it’s business model and vision in the movie-rental industry was considerably different from that of their chief competitor – Blockbuster. The chief of retail video rental chain Blockbuster, John Antioco, on the other hand believed that video rental was a much more spontaneous process, and that receiving copies in-store and watching immediately was preferred by customers over waiting for days for the DVD on mail.

Amidst this new rental programme, Netflix was losing money. Reed Hastings met with Blockbuster CEO John Antioco in Dallas, proposing to sell a 49% stake in Netflix to Blockbuster for $50 million and in exchange for running Blockbuster’s brand online – Blockbuster.com, while complementing Blockbuster’s offline DVD rental business. However Blockbuster passed on the deal, believing that Netflix, which was not profitable at the time, did not add value to their own business. It was this inability to see the long-term view, which Netflix was committed to, that led to the contrasting fortunes the two companies faced.

Netflix presented a considerable disruption to the business model of retail video rental chains. DVDs would be sent through the US Postal Service. Unlike Blockbuster for which late-fee was often a significant portion of its revenues, Netflix completely eliminated the late fee, with the incentive for returning for the customer being access to another DVD. Netflix’s products key differences were their lack of stores, instead mailing DVDs ordered online, and secondly not charging late fees. It was Blockbuster’s inability to compete with Netflix on these two counts that ensured that the upstart beat the established company in the home-entertainment ecosystem.

Netflix offered their initial public offering (IPO) on March 24, 2002, bringing in $82.5 million. At the time the company was not profitable, making a loss of $4 million on $30.5 million of revenues. This was, however, an improvement over the history of Netflix compared to previous years figures of loss of $38.6 million on revenues of $75.9 million.

In 2004 Blockbuster finally entered into the online DVD rental space. They also removed their late fees charges. However these two changes increased costs and reduced revenues, leading to activist shareholders led by Carl Icahn pressuring the CEO against the strategy. Blockbuster’s online initiative lost momentum and the late-fees was reinstated.

Blockbuster’s growth came and market dominance came about in a period when 80% of the company’s shares were held by Viacom. In 2004 Blockbuster decided to make an outlay of $200 million on Blockbuster online, and waived their late-fees charges which would have led to revenue decline of about $200 more. However Viacom exited the company when this strategy was adopted, believing the new path as not being aligned to its own vision. The challenge that the market dominating company was facing was being unable to reinvent its business model in the face of technological shifts.

The agile startup Netflix on the other hand continued its growth, achieving growths in both revenues and subscribers, until finally in the 2010s the company expanded exponentially as streaming video technologies matured. John Antioco and executives at Blockbuster on the other hand faced resistance from the new shareholders after Viacom’s exit, who pressured the board to reinstate the late fees and drive down investment in the online business. It was the late entry to the online business, as well as the inability to get the backing of shareholders to implement a top-gear strategy for online video, that ultimately led to Blockbuster’s failure in the face of technological shifts.  

Netflix launches Video on Demand

Netflix put further pressure on competition when they announced the launch of their streaming service in January 2007, as Watch Now. At the time the streaming service was expected to be of use only for power users with broadband internet connections, which were not all that common at the time. Users were required to have a 1 mbps internet connection to be able to stream movies, with a 3mbps connection required for streaming DVD-quality films. Subscribers under the $17.99 plan had access to 18 hours of streaming content. Video delivery was through a special browser applet that subscribers would have to install. By 2008 however Netflix had given access to unlimited video streaming for subscribers to its biggest plan .

“We named our company Netflix in 1998 because we believed Internet-based movie rental represented the future, first as a means of improving service and selection, and then as a means of movie delivery,” CEO Reed Hastings said at the time, “While mainstream consumer adoption of online movie watching will take a number of years due to content and technology hurdles, the time is right for Netflix to take the first step.”

About 1,000 titles were available for streaming online, as opposed to 70,000 that Netflix offered in its DVD mail-to-order business. Although digital delivery was part of Reed Hastings’ strategy from inception, at the time of its launch the streaming service was provided as an add-on to the DVD subscriptions business. The primary motivation at the time was to slow down user churn. Q4 2006 results showed a net margin of 4.9%, with a net income of $12.7 million on $255 million of revenues compared to the history of Netflix. Although it needed to improve its margins, the company had also been seeing subscriber churn of more than 4% each quarter.

Helped by the launch of streaming video, 2007 was the first time in the history of Netflix that it generated upwards of $1 Billion in revenue. Over that year the company’s subscriber base grew 18%, revenues were up by 21% and net income was up by 36%, compared to the 2006 figures. The rise in revenue offset the increased costs from the online video initiative and strong competition helping the company generate higher profits.

Netflix’s approach to starting its streaming video service was a gradual process. Launched in January 2007, the company did not roll out its services for all its users at once, instead gradually scaling up the service offerings, completing it for all customers in June 2007. In hindsight, seeing Netflix’s experimentation with its video delivery infrastructure in terms of optimising for the cloud, this slow and steady approach definitely makes a lot more sense than offering a full fledged streaming service and then dealing with downtime and error rates.

Prioritising building a robust technical infrastructure has helped Netflix keep their first-mover advantage. Oftentimes the first-mover advantage is squandered by technology companies who have to make way for businesses that solve the problem more efficiently. Netflix, however, by relying on a solid content and technical team, has managed to keep its competitive advantage since the launch of its streaming video service.

Netflix uses DRM encryption to protect its content, NetFlix DRM is one of the most secured anti-piracy solutions for premium videos.

In terms of video codecs, H.264 high profile and VP9 are the current Netflix codec, used by them to reach to a large number of users for a smooth streaming experience.

Partnership with Hardware Platforms

As the company started working towards building a streaming video solution, they also started to develop solutions for streaming video through hardware platforms. In 2004/05 the company was considering working with contract manufacturers on DVD disc drives with a video processor, which could download video content over the internet, and then stream it on TV. This model was similar to TiVo, which enabled TV owners to record TV shows on a disc. This was however shelved as competition with Blockbuster intensified and Netflix had to put resources into engaging in a pricing war with the market leader.

In 2008 Netflix began work on a device for streaming videos. Netflix started to work on developing a video player to connect to television, through which streaming video can be played over the internet. However Reed Hastings was concerned that potential partnerships with consumer electronic platforms would be negatively impacted by having their own platform. Roku was subsequently spun out as a separate company.  

For much history of Netflix has had to face questions from cable TV providers whose content it would license, movie studios for movie licensing, as it presented a competition to their respective business models. Being perceived as a threat by the device manufacturers with which it was seeking to partner in the early stages of its streaming video business would hardly have severely limited its growth options. For this reason Netflix decided to spin out the Netflix Player team as a separate company.  

Netflix subsequently partnered with Microsoft for developing a streaming video app for their gaming console. They also later worked with Sony Playstation, developing

Shortly after the launch of Roku, Netflix announced partnership with Microsoft. As part of the partnership Netflix developed a native app for the game console Microsoft XBox 360. This gave access to XBox Live Gold Members access to Netflix on their television via their game console. For Netflix it meant that the market of 12 million XBox Live members was opened up, whereas for Microsoft could market their XBox for the million Netflix subscribers. The deal required Netflix to maintain the streaming video technology exclusively to XBox for an year. Subsequent to that Netflix would develop a Blu-ray disk based streaming video solution for Sony’s Playstation. The company would later go on to generalize the software platform they developed for DVD players to enable Netflix integration via Software Development Kits (SDKs). This also meant that as Smart TVs emerged and prevalence of streaming video over the internet developed over the years, Netflix was essentially prepared and could offer easy integrations.

History of Netflix: Shift to the Cloud

In August 2008 Netflix experienced a major database corruption, and could not ship out their DVDs for three days. This was the stimulus that led to Netflix opting to host their business logic on the cloud. This cloud migration would take place for the main part in the period of 2010-2011, and would only be completed in 2015, when the company finally setup its billing infrastructure, the most sensitive part of its business operation, on the cloud. The complete shift to the cloud was a pathbreaker in the tech industry. Throughout the history Netflix, it has built a highly robust cloud infrastructure, which has enabled the company to scale up seamlessly as it has seen exponential growth and as it has expanded to 190+ countries.

First Major Content Licensing Deal

The history of Netflix saw a major change when in 2008 it  agreed a deal with Cable TV channel Starz to broadcast their content library for $30 million annually. Starz’s library of 2500 movies and TV shows, including movies Disney and Sony Pictures, became available for streaming on Netflix. The deal was a hugely important step in the history of Netflix, as its streaming video service could now offer a wide range of quality content to their video streaming subscribers. Starz on the other hand, probably expecting the streaming video industry to remain a niche segment, did not expect the deal to cannibalize their own PayTV offerings.

In 2011 Starz stopped its content licensing deal with Netflix, even after Netflix offers $300 million for licensing Starz’s library. Starz CEO went on record saying that he considered the deal a terrible mistake for Starz.

History of Netflix and the Culture of Binge Watching

Netflix soon started entering into content licensing deals with television studios. For television studios the income from Netflix’s streaming videos supplemented other geographical licensing deals. Television studios only make episodes of previous seasons available, in the belief that showing the episodes from the last aired/ currently airing season would through online video streaming services would lead to them losing users from the cable platforms, who were the primary monetisation channel for television studios. Netflix would later turn this monetisation scheme on its head when they started licensing original content, becoming a major revenue channel for television studios in their own right.

As more people began tuning into Netflix, content providers found that Netflix helped build audiences for their shows. Cable networks making past seasons and episodes of their television series available on Netflix enabled content discovery. Customers discovering quality cable content on Netflix helped would later tune into the currently airing episodes of the series. This helped boost ratings for television shows such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men, both produced by AMC. Ratings for Season 5 of Breaking Bad were more than double those of Season 1, and many times the ratings of Season 1, largely helped by the audience that Netflix generated for AMC. Netflix helped users catch up to currently broadcasting series, and enabled networks to focus on creating quality content with the knowledge that even a small initial following would convert soon enough to larger audiences.

Shortly before the final season of Breaking Bad aired, the shows’s creator Vince Gilligan reiterated his belief that Netflix helped generate an audience for the show: “Under the old paradigm – using the old technology of simply having first runs and then reruns on networks – I don’t know that we would’ve reached the critical mass that we reached.”

For television studios, apart from the first run of the series on television, revenues are generated from syndicating TV series to other networks after the end of the season or the series. In this environment Netflix comes in as an added source of revenue for TV studios, besides, as seen in the case of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, Netflix has also enabled broader audiences for quality content through what is labelled as “catch-up TV”.

One of the major issues for Netflix has been credential sharing, where users share their passwords with each other. Recently Netflix has been slowly rolling out a feature to tackle this. In Netflix password sharing crackdown, it has started to prompt messages to some users that it suspects are accessing or streaming on borrowed accounts

History of Netflix: Original Programming

In 2011, initiating its strategy to differentiate itself from other services. Netflix started outlaying budget for original programming, with their first original series House of Cards premiering in 2013. Netflix Originals became a critical component of the Netflix Business Model. The original content initiative would enable the company to become less dependent on movie and television studios, giving it leverage over its supply chain of content providers, while helping build a loyal audience. Netflix’s original initiatives would be copied by other OTT providers as well, with companies like Amazon Prime Instant Video and India based Hotstar all investing on originals to broaden their appeal.

Netflix’s decision as to which television shows to license is designed by their content recommendation systems. Their analytics team takes in various factors, including the popularity of the genre, how popular an actor/ director is, and even computing responses to similar content. Because Netflix’s business model does not rely on immediate ticket sales the criteria for a successful series is determined by whether the subscribers on Netflix platform watch the series, and whether the series can inspire a loyal following. The company’s first original license was for House of Cards. The story goes that Netflix ran data on the number of people who rented out the DVD for the UK Television series House of Cards and who watched political dramas such as The West Wing. They likewise computed the numbers who’d shown preference for the films of David Fincher, and who liked Kevin Spacey films.

After finding that a significant percentage of their subscribers are likely to watch such a show, Netflix commissioned two seasons of the series, at a total cost of $100 million. This gamble was spearheaded by content head Ted Sarandos, whose reasoning was that the network effects of Netflix would generate sufficient publicity and viewing figures if the show generated even a small loyal following. The idea of creating content for different interest groups, where interest is defined in a much broader and cross-category way, is what drives Netflix’s content strategy.

The company entered into a six-film deal with Adam Sandler in 2015. The first film under the deal, The Ridiculuous 8 received generally scathing reviews, and yet Sarandos contends that the film is valuable for Netflix’s subscribers as a large number of people are watching it on their platform. The streaming video provider has definitely seen some failures in recent years – Marco Polo and Get Down being two prominent series that could not achieve a critical mass of followers, and therefore being cancelled. The original content strategy is also important for the company as it expands globally, and as it seeks to penetrate international markets it needs to market content suitable for local tastes.

Spinning out DVD and Online Streaming

In 2011, in a move aimed at generating revenues for further investment into their video catalog, Netflix made major changes to their business model. The company separated memberships for DVD rental and online streaming businesses, getting users to buy different subscriptions. Buying both subscriptions would increase the cost for customer by $6 per month, from $10 for the single membership which included both DVD-on-mail and Streaming video, to $8 each for the two services. Netflix also proposed spinning off the DVD business as a separate entity named Qwikster. As a result of this abrupt price hike, 800,000 left the service, forcing Netflix to partially reverse the decision.

Although the price hike remained, Netflix did not spin off the DVD company as a separate entity. Reed Hastings reiterated his belief that the future of home entertainment was in streaming video online, but regretted the communication gap with their customers. Although the move was something of a PR disaster, it was eventually only a blip as the company kicked off its exponential growth. The price rise also helped boost the company’s revenues, putting it in a strong financial position.

Netflix Streaming versus DVDs subscription

There’s no question that Netflix is a powerful force in the entertainment world. The company has completely changed the way we watch movies and TV shows, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But what’s the difference between Netflix streaming and DVD?

Netflix streaming is the company’s primary focus these days. It’s a subscription service that gives you access to a library of movies and TV shows that you can watch on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV. There’s no need to wait for DVDs to arrive in the mail, and you can watch as much or as little as you want.

DVD, on the other hand, is a physical disc that you can rent from Netflix or any other store. You’ll need a DVD player to watch it, and you can only watch it on one device at a time. On a combined average, DVDs also tend to be more expensive than streaming, so you’ll have to factor that into your decision.

So, which is better? It really depends on your needs. If you want to watch TV shows and movies without any commercials, and you don’t mind waiting a few days for new releases, then DVD is probably a better option. But if you want to be able to watch anything you want, anytime you want, then streaming is the way to go.

Domestic Growth in US and International Expansion

The tech innovations in the history of Netflix have ensured that even though the company contributes to over 30% of peak traffic in North America, its impact on the broader internet infrastructure is minimal. Innovations in video encoding and content delivery have ensured that the company has managed to minimize its footprint, meaning that customers continue to get the best possible experience while not impacting other internet services.

In January 2016 Netflix accounted for 37.1% of traffic in North America’s fixed networks. This share declined to 35.2% in June 2016, which can be attributed to encoding efficiencies that Netflix implemented. Per-title encoding optimisation replaced a more general encoding criteria. This ensured that lower bitrates were used for better quality video encoding. For some titles, these optimisations would yield a 20% reduction in bitrates, while achieving a better viewer experience.

The company has innovated in video delivery through the internet by tying up with ISPs to ensure minimal data transfer over the backbone of the internet, so that much of the traffic is routed internally through the ISPs only. Towards this the company’s Open Connect CDN connects through settlement-free peering with most ISPs. The company has also offered to locally cache content at ISPs, through their Open Connect Appliances, which would ensure that streaming traffic would only be local to the ISP.

The business logic of customer data and content catalogue would meanwhile be on the company’s cloud services which are installed on Amazon Web Services. Netflix’s cloud operations run out of three different AWS regions – Oregon (US-west-2), North Virginia (US-east-1) and North California (US-west-1), which ensures that the company’s services remain uninterrupted even when entire AWS regions go down. In the history of Netflix, the company achieved its targeted 99.99% uptime since its move to the AWS cloud.

In January 2016 Netflix launched across the globe. The company’s streaming video service is now accessible in 190 countries, with the only major exception being China, with their cloud solutions scaling up and responding to the demands of global internet requirements.

From Dot Com Bubble to baring FANGs

There has been much internet-enabled transformation in the world that has enabled Netflix’s emergence. The company is a part of the tech industry’s FANGs, an acronym coined by US finance expert Jim Cramer in 2013,  FANGs – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Although a relative minnow when compared to FB, Amazon and Google (now Alphabet), the acronym reaffirms how over the two decades in the history of Netflix, it captured a significant mindshare amongst the internet population.

These tech companies have gained the most as the internet has taken an increasingly more significant role in our lives. Mobile phones have made internet access ubiquitous, meaning that for the youngest generations internet now informs global culture much more than other media. Technological behemoths such as Google and Amazon have enabled technical infrastructure in the form of Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) that anybody can use. By abstracting away the technological complexities and leaving more capabilities in the hands of software developers, these companies have enabled the development of technological infrastructure to develop consumer-facing products. This history of Netflix would have been considerably different were it not for the maturing technical infrastructure and internet popularity.

Amidst a decline in market sentiments around tech companies in 2016, Netflix was one of the very few companies to have a steady stock. This signifies the confidence that investors have over the revenue-model of Netflix. Throughout the history of Netflix the company has been a step ahead of market trends – their decisions towards online catalogue of films, then offering an unlimited movie subscription model, then inaugurating streaming video, and finally creating their niche by investing in original content have contributed to the dominant position the company finds themselves in.

In the early 2010s, at a point when its technology no longer served as an effective enough competitive advantage, Netflix took on the incumbent cable television industry by investing in high-quality content. As it reaches saturation in the US market, Netflix needs to expand internationally. Finding the right content formula for international audiences is the challenge facing Netflix.

With this we come to an end of this informational piece on history of Netflix. We hope you found it interesting to read.

Discontinuation of DVD Rentals, Expansion of Live Events, and WWE Agreement (2023–Present)

On April 18, 2023, Netflix announced it would end its DVD-by-mail service on September 29. Users could keep their last received DVDs. Over its lifetime, the service had shipped over 5 billion DVDs.

In October 2023, Netflix promoted Eunice Kim to Chief Product Officer and Elizabeth Stone to Chief Technology Officer. That same month, amid restructuring its animation division, Netflix announced a multi-film agreement with Skydance Animation, starting with the film Spellbound, replacing a previous deal with Apple TV+.

In December 2023, Netflix released its first “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report,” detailing viewership for titles watched over 50,000 hours from January to June 2023. The report, which will be published biannually, revealed that The Night Agent was the most-watched show globally in the first half of 2023.

On January 23, 2024, Netflix announced a major deal with WWE to acquire international rights to its live weekly program Raw starting in January 2025. This agreement, valued at $500 million per year over ten years, includes rights to WWE’s main weekly programs (Raw, SmackDown, and NXT), premium live events, and documentaries, initially covering the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Latin America, with plans to expand to other regions.

In February 2024, Netflix partnered with Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown, to produce the play Patriots on Broadway. This venture marks Netflix’s first Broadway credit but not its first stage project, as they were involved in producing Stranger Things: The First Shadow in London, both productions sharing lead producer Sonia Friedman.

In May 2024, Netflix hosted its second Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles, streaming several specials live, including Katt Williams’s Woke Folk and The Roast of Tom Brady, both of which ranked in Netflix’s global top 10. That same month, Netflix announced it would stream both NFL Christmas games in 2024 and hold exclusive rights to at least one NFL Christmas game each year for 2025 and 2026.

In June 2024, Netflix announced plans for Netflix House, a new permanent entertainment venue for fans to experience Netflix series and films, with the first locations set to open at King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania and Galleria Dallas in Texas.

FAQs

How much does Netflix streaming cost?

Netflix offers a variety of subscription plans to fit your needs. The plan you choose will determine the number of devices you can stream Netflix on at the same time.

Can I watch Netflix shows offline?

Yes, Netflix shows can be watched offline, but only if you have downloaded them in advance on your device.

How long has Netflix been around or when the streaming revolution started?

Netflix was started in August of 1997 in Scotts Valley, California. Its co-founder, Reed Hastings, had the idea to start the company after he was charged $40 for a late movie rental.

When was Netflix launched in India?

Netflix first launched in India in 2016 and is now one of the most popular streaming services in the country. Netflix offers a wide variety of content in India, including Bollywood movies, Hollywood movies, TV shows, and documentaries. It is one of the few streaming services that offer 4K Ultra HD content in India.

Will Netflix stop mailing DVDs?

Currently, Netflix is offering both DVDs and Streaming services in many countries. Even though it has an inclination toward serving via streaming but the DVD business is not going to stop soon.

When did NetFlix start?

Netflix started on August 29, 1997, in Scotts Valley, California.

How old is NetFlix?

Netflix is 25 years old.

Who created Netflix?

Netflix was founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post History of Netflix- Founding, Model, Timeline, Milestones (2024 Updated) appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

With so many streaming platforms available, users often prefer to pirate content rather than pay for a particular platform. In this current scenario, if you don’t focus much on video protection, chances are that your videos will be downloaded and freely available for users. This in turn hurts your revenue by a lot, as users would rather prefer to watch your content for free. The movie industry alone suffers an annual loss of revenue of about 40 and $97.1 billion. If you account for eLearning, personal wellness, and other online platforms, this number can rise even more.

You don’t necessarily have to lose your revenue due to piracy. DRM solutions or Digital Rights Management, solely exist for this purpose- to save your videos from any illegal access.

But then, you might be wondering, what exactly is a DRM Solution? How can it help you? And many more questions. But you don’t have to worry about it, as you’ll get an answer to these questions and more. So, fasten your seat belts and bring out your notepads. Cause this is going to be a ride and not that one filled with just joy and excitement. Which only riddles you with guilt afterward. You’re only going to come out of this journey wiser (hopefully!?)

What is a DRM Solution?

DRM Solution is essentially a Digital Rights Management software package, which ensures that your content is only accessible by anyone you authorize. You can use Video DRM software to make sure that your content is only accessible by the user you authorize and you can even manage the browser or devices they consume your content on. 

In a lot of cases even though the videos are encrypted, the key used to decrypt the video is often easily accessible. Any hacker with some knowledge can then easily get access to the encryption key and then access your content. Once he’s downloaded the video it’s then easy to spread it to other pirates

With a DRM server and DRM protected key exchange mechanism, your encryption keys are hidden and aren’t accessible to anyone. This way you protect your videos from any potential hacker or download tools. This makes sure that your content is not pirated and you don’t lose any revenue due to piracy. 

In fact, with DRM services or solutions, video platforms tend to see a rise in their revenue. Read this case study by Vdocipher on how users end up raising their revenues up to 990% with the help of a DRM Solution.

DRM services or solutions caters to different forms of content, they can be -video, audio, video games, comics, ebooks, etc. In this blog, I’ll focus on DRM solutions for video and audio streaming.

But before that, let’s have a look at what DRM protected content exactly means.

What Does “DRM-Protected” Mean?

The phrase “DRM protected” means that the digital content it is being applied to is restricted in how it can be used. “Digital rights management” is the term that describes a systematic authorization for the use of copyrighted material. DRM protection is applied by using DRM encryption, access control methodologies, a proprietary hardware-controlled environment, a software-enabled black box, and a dynamic key exchange management system. The complete infrastructure regulates copyrighted digital works’ use, modification, and distribution.

A DRM protected content is nothing but the digital content on which DRM protection is applied. Basically, any piece of digital content you protect with a DRM solution would be considered as DRM protected content.

As mentioned in the above section, content becomes DRM protected when you apply a certain set of rules on your copyrighted content to restrict any unauthorized access. 

These DRM restrictions are usually against downloading or making a copy of your video. Also, the number of times your videos are being accessed and even the devices on which the video is being viewed. These DRM restrictions can be as simple or complex according to your requirements.

What Steps are required to become a DRM Solution

• Acquiring DRM license permissions
• Setting up storage infrastructure
• Encoding
• Transcoding
• Using the license encryption keys to encrypt the digital content
• Storing the encrypted file
• CDN setup
• Authorized access management
• Request processing via license server
• Decrypt the requested resources via the license server
• Allow playback or opening of a file through a DRM player or viewer

Who provides a DRM license to a DRM Solution?

Since the whole digital ecosystem is dependent on Google and Apple either for devices (hardware) or OS, browsers (software), they are the major DRM license providers. Google provides a license of Google Widevine DRM and Apple provides it for Apple FairPlay DRM. Obtaining a license from them means that you get protection across,

• Desktop/Laptop – Windows, Mac, Linux.
• Browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Android Chrome, Edge, Mac Safari, iOS Safari.
• OS – Android, iOS, Android TV, Android TV, Chromecast, IOS App

Understanding DRM requirements for your business

When choosing a DRM service for your business, there are some key aspects to understand.

Accessing content security requirements – While choosing a DRM solution, it is important to evaluate the level of protection your business requires. The various considering factors include the value of your content, the potential risk of piracy and unauthorized access as well as compliance and regulators requirements.

Identifying target platforms and devices – The chosen DRM solution needs to be compatible with the devices and platforms your audience uses to access your content. This includes web browsers, media players, and device types. Identifying this requirement beforehand will ensure seamless delivery for your users.

Analyzing your content distribution strategies – The DRM system should be compatible with the streaming protocol you use such as HLS or MPED-DASH. It should offer features like offline playback, geographic restrictions, and IP/Domain restrictions.

What makes DRM Software so essential?

When content is easily accessible with a single click, protecting intellectual property has become important. Digital Rights Management (DRM) software plays a crucial role in this protection mechanism.

Universal Application – DRM isn’t just for videos. From e-books to software applications, DRM ensures that digital content is only accessible by authorized users. This wide-ranging application makes it a versatile tool in the digital content protection arsenal.

Adaptable Restrictions – One of the standout features of DRM software is its adaptability. Depending on the content creator’s needs, restrictions can be tailored. Whether it’s limiting the number of devices on which content can be viewed or setting a specific geographic boundary, DRM software can handle it.

Combating Piracy – Piracy has become a concerning factor in the media industry. With DRM software, content creators have a robust tool to prevent unauthorized distribution of their content. By encrypting content and ensuring that only authorized users have the decryption key, DRM software effectively combats piracy.

Boosting Revenue Streams – For businesses, especially those in the entertainment and e-learning sectors, DRM software can be a game-changer. By ensuring that content isn’t freely distributed, businesses can maintain their revenue streams, ensuring sustainability and growth.

User Experience – While DRM software is primarily about protection, it’s also about user experience. By ensuring that only legitimate users access the content, businesses can offer a more personalized and seamless experience, enhancing user satisfaction.

How does DRM Software ensure protection for your Videos?

Before I take a deep dive into how DRM solutions work, you’ll first need to understand what video encryption is. Then later I’ll show you how a Video DRM solution makes encryption even better to ensure that your videos are protected.

Video Encryption

Video encryption is basically the process of encoding your videos to a non-video secure format. This ensures that no one can’t access your raw video files. When anyone wants to access the file, they’ll only get access to an encrypted file which is just random gibberish.

Encryption can not be broken and the encrypted files can only be accessed with the help of an encryption key. But then the encryption key exchange is where the weakness lies for any standard video encryption technology such as HLS, RTMP or AES-128. Due to the weak key exchange, encryption keys can be accessed by hackers to decrypt and then access the video. This ultimately defeats the initial purpose of video encryption. Although it would hinder anyone with no technical knowledge, anyone with some understanding of how to access the keys can easily work it out and share the video file with others. 

DRM-based encryption to protect your videos

DRM takes care of this exact weakness in video encryption and makes sure that the encryption key is not accessible by anyone unless authorized. A video DRM software encrypts the video and even protects the encryption key behind a BlackBox or CDM, which cannot be accessed by anyone. Before going into what a CDM is, you’ll need to know that there are different DRM solutions, which are used together to protect your content.

A typical video DRM service consists of multi DRM, these different DRMS caters to different devices and browsers. These different DRM solutions are:

• Google Widevine DRM solution: It supports Desktop/Laptop (Windows, Mac, Linux) Chrome, Firefox, Edge. Android Chrome, Edge, Android TV, Android TV, Chromecast.
• Apple Fairplay DRM Solution: It supports Mac Safari, IOS Safari, IOS App
• Microsoft Playready DRM solution: It supports Edge in Windows. Windows Edge is also supported by Google Widevine, so Playready is not an absolute necessity.

DRM solution BlackBox the encryption keys in CDM or Content Decryption Module. This CDM, even though on your device, can not be accessed by you. This protects the key as it is kept in the CDM and it can’t be accessed by you or anyone. The only way to access the videos is through Encrypted Media Extensions (EMEs), which are sent via the respective Video DRM System.

As Google and Apple have some control over your browser, OS, hardware or all of these. They can exercise more control and security for DRM encrypted streaming.

Choosing a DRM service provider: what features to look for?

When choosing  DRM tools, there are certain features that can make your content even more protected. One of these can be dynamic watermarking, which inhibits users from screen grab video. These are the features that you need to look out for in a DRM Solution:

Encrypted DRM Streaming to Prevent Download

First and foremost is obviously the Video DRM protection. You need to make sure that the DRM service provider supports both Widevine DRM as well as Fairplay DRM. Having the two DRM is an absolute necessity as they pretty much guarantee DRM support on all the major devices.

Screen Capture Blocking 

Another major feature you would require is a screen capture block. Even though the video downloads are blocked, users still can record your screen to capture videos. You need to make sure that the DRM Solution you go for stops any type of screen capture. 

Dynamic Watermarking with moving user details

Dynamic watermarking helps to discourage any screen capture. You can add the IP address, User-Id, and Email-Id to the screen. Using these, you can identify the point of origin of video piracy. 

IP, Geo & Time Based Restriction

Sometimes you need to restrict video playback in certain locations or devices. A Video DRM provider can help you restrict access to a particular Geo/IP. Also, you can put restrictions on total user video playtime.

What are the User Authentication and Acess Control in DRM Services?

In Digital Rights Management (DRM) services, user authentication and access control are pivotal for safeguarding digital content and ensuring that only authorized users can access or interact with protected materials. These DRM features play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and value of digital assets across various platforms.

User Authentication in DRM Services

User authentication is a foundational component of DRM services, designed to verify the identity of a user before granting access to DRM-protected content. This process typically involves credentials such as usernames and passwords, biometric data, or multi-factor authentication methods. For DRM services, ensuring robust user authentication is critical for preventing unauthorized access and distribution of copyrighted digital content.

Access Control Mechanisms

Access control in DRM services goes hand-in-hand with user authentication. Once a user’s identity is verified, access control mechanisms determine the level of access or the specific actions that the user is permitted to perform with the DRM-protected content. This might include viewing, copying, editing, or sharing digital files. Effective access control is essential for DRM services to enforce content usage policies and comply with copyright laws.

Implementing DRM Services for Secure Content Management

Incorporating user authentication and access control within DRM services involves several steps:

1. Designing a Secure Authentication Process: This involves creating a user verification system that can effectively thwart unauthorized access while not detracting from the user experience. DRM services often utilize advanced authentication technologies such as OAuth, token-based authentication, or even blockchain-based identity verification.
2. Developing Dynamic Access Control Policies: DRM services must be equipped with flexible yet secure access control policies that can adapt to different user roles, content types, and distribution channels. These policies should be rigorously tested and updated regularly to address emerging security threats and changes in legal requirements.
3. Integrating with Existing Systems: For many organizations, integrating DRM services with existing content management systems (CMS) or customer relationship management (CRM) systems is crucial. This integration allows for seamless user authentication and access control across all platforms where DRM-protected content is available.
4. Continuous Monitoring and Reporting: DRM services should include mechanisms for monitoring user interactions with protected content and generating reports on access patterns. This data is invaluable for auditing, compliance, and improving the DRM strategies.

Benefits of Advanced DRM Services

Implementing sophisticated user authentication and access control within DRM services provides several benefits:

• Enhanced Security: Reduces the risk of unauthorized content access and piracy.
• Compliance Assurance: Helps organizations comply with digital copyright laws and regulations.
• Improved User Management: Facilitates better management of user rights and access permissions.
• Data Insights: Offers valuable insights into how content is being used, aiding in future content strategy and rights management.

FAQs

What are the challenges of DRM?

One of the main challenges of DRM is that it can be difficult to implement DRM in a way that is both effective and user-friendly.

What type of DRM Solutions are available?

There are a variety of DRM solutions available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The best solution includes VdoCipher which has a complete implementation, best infra and accessible support.

What is the result of a lack of video protection?

Ultimately it hurts your revenue by a lot. This revenue loss can be instant or in the future.

Is DRM a solution to Video Piracy?

DRM prevents anyone who does not have the dynamic key from being able to view or use the content. The downside to this solution is that it can be difficult to implement. A solution to implementation is DRM Encrypted Video Hosting providers like VdoCipher.

Rahul Rana

Head of Digital Marketing at Vdocipher. I love the art of connecting the right product to their users. When i’m not doing that i love getting lost in books.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post The Right DRM Solution For Your Business appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Apart from usage within the organizations, The video also provides a way to reach not only employees but prospects and existing customers

Seeing the market growth and current pandemic scenario, the enterprise video market is expected to grow from USD 16.4 billion in 2020 to USD 25.6 billion by 2025.
Major factors driving this growth are the growing organizational requirements to improve operational efficiency and employee productivity, the organization’s requirements to connect more efficiently with the remote employees/clients/users/customers spread across the globe, and the rapid increase in adoption of video communication.

How Do They Differ From Free Video Platforms Such as Youtube?

Video platforms like youtube are generally used to sharing content globally, youtube provides a platform to its users to publish and distribute the videos to internet-connected devices across the world. These platforms are not created for solving a specific problem for businesses or for meeting the business requirements of an organization.

Also when a company/organization shares a video on these platforms, they lose the right to the content.

Platforms like youtube can be blocked in a certain region of the world eg. youtube is blocked in China. Also, many organization blocks these online platforms like youtube to increase the workforce productivity and make them stay away from distractions.

The technical Support from these platforms like youtube can be slow as the number of users is very very high and it is difficult to address all the issues timely and resolve them. 

To tackle these above issues and to get a complete solution for meeting business requirements, organizations use the services of an Enterprise Video Platform. An organization seeks the below features from an ideal Enterprise Video Platform.

Security- 

The content shared on platforms like youtube is mostly for making the content seamlessly easily visible across the globe. This is the reason the videos hosted on youtube and similar platforms are not secure. The public videos, as well as the private videos, can be easily downloaded using the popular hacks and tools

Unlike youtube and similar other platforms, the videos on Enterprise Video Platforms contain sensitive content of an organization and cannot be shared publicly on the internet.
Companies seek various features like Encrypted video streaming, Video DRM (Digital Rights Management), IP restrictions, dynamic watermarking, etc as part of the solution package to protect their video content. 

Branding & Customization Of Player-

The player offered by non-enterprise video platforms isn’t exactly customizable. For example, the branding of youtube is always present on the player is always and it can not be removed/customized. Enterprise Video Platforms provide options for customization of the player, they also offer various themes and buttons to make the viewer’s experience more interactive.

Ads and Suggestions Might Distract Users-

Youtube and other non-enterprise video platforms tend to have ads, and this can be really distracting as a user. Also, at the end of a video, the player often shows irrelevant suggestions. Users often tend to click it. Next thing you know that the viewer has left the video/website altogether. Enterprise Video Platforms eliminate this problem and provide a pure Ad-free viewing experience.

Better Analytics, per-user analytics-

Data and analytics are very useful in organizations, it helps in measuring the success of video content and evaluate and optimize the ROI on it. 

Video Analytics plays an important role in finding the trends and patterns related to viewer experience and engagement.

it also gives details if a user has watched the allocated content and performed the next action item.

Using CTAs to drive user behavior (quiz, survey, form, etc.)-

CTA (Call to action) plays an important role in a good Enterprise Video Platform. It is used to direct the user to the next steps during and after the video. It allows the video creator to place questions, forms, surveys, etc at various positions in a video. They can also redirect the user to a specific page.

Video APIs to make your life easier-

API and SDK are an important feature that helps an organization to easily configure the Enterprise Video Platforms technology with its existing services (websites/apps) and for custom integrations.

Dashboard to manage videos-

These platforms offering enterprise video solution usually gives a dashboard to manage the videos and gives control to the user to manage the video contents as per the needs. They can arrange the videos in folders, create playlists, manage the video expiry and user’s access to the videos.

Support

Just like a conference call service is an important part of an organization nowadays, video services are also an important part of the daily functioning of an organization. Therefore, good technical support plays a vital role when choosing an Enterprise Video Platform. Apart from this, companies sometimes integrate a contact center solution as well in case customers have additional questions left.

Top Enterprise Video Platforms 

Below is the list of Top 6 Enterprise Video Platforms present in the market

1- VdoCipher

VdoCipher provides enterprise video solutions for businesses to help them serve content on their site/app in the most secure and smooth manner.

A combination of Hollywood standard DRM encryption (Digital Rights Management), screen capture blocking in mobile apps, viewer-specific dynamic watermarking, and domain restriction features ensures that videos can’t be downloaded or shared illegally from their platform.

VdoCipher allows organizations to Integrate their existing platforms with its services and helps them to play their video content on their website/app in the most secure and smooth manner. 

The complete packaged offering includes Global CDN server hosting, a Smart HTML5 video player, Detailed Analytics, Dashboard, and APIs to manage the videos. VdoCipher serves 2000+ businesses across 40+ countries.

2- IBM Cloud Video

IBM Cloud Video is an online video platform that provides enterprise video solutions for End-to-end streaming video services. It provides broadcast of pre-recorded content as well as broadcasting live content as well.

It provides Video hosting, transcoding, live streaming, automated speech to text, and analytics – in a cloud video platform. It provides a dashboard for administrators to manage the contents.

It also provides Multi-CDNs to provide an error-free smoother playback. 

3- Qumu

Qumu is another popular Enterprise Video Platform that offers a variety of cloud video platforms, on-premise, and hybrid solutions to organizations to create, manage, secure, distribute live and on-demand video content. 

The Qumu services can be easily integrated with existing video conferencing and collaboration tools including Zoom, Slack, Skype for Business, Sharepoint, Jive, Yammer, and Workplace by Facebook—as well as hardware from Polycom and Cisco.

It also offers features such as Automatic Live Captions, Translates, transcribes, edits and publish captions to their asynchronous video. It also gives Advanced Analytics feature that displays real-time network and usage data.

4- Haivision

Haivision provides enterprise video solutions through its SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) video streaming protocol. It is an open-source video streaming protocol developed by Haivision, it allows users to deliver high video quality, low-latency video streams across the public internet and to optimize video streaming performance across unpredictable networks.

The other main features offered by Qumu are Advanced Editing Tools, High-Capacity Video Recording, Multi-View Live Streaming Playback, Live Review Playback.

5- Brightcove

Brightcove’s enterprise video suite provides services for internal video communication, employee video training and enterprise live video stream.

Brightcove’s enterprise video suite allows you to create and deliver engaging video communications to inform and educate your employees.

Some other features include Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming, responsive player, Player Management, etc. The security offered by Brightcove has IP restriction, URL tokenization, and single sign-on (SSO).

6- Microsoft Stream

Microsoft Stream is an enterprise video platform that allows video storage, sharing, and collaboration on its platform. Microsoft offers these enterprise video solutions by offering robust cloud-based applications for live communications as well as VOD content storage and management.

Only the users with valid Microsoft 365 credentials can get access to add, organize, share, and view video content in Stream.

In Microsoft, Stream Users have access to various channels and they can watch the videos and also use these videos across various apps/tools offered in Office 365.

7- Wistia

Wistia is a professional video hosting platform designed specifically for businesses and organizations looking to leverage video for marketing, education, and communication purposes. With its focus on enterprise-level features and analytics, Wistia stands out as a comprehensive solution for companies seeking to enhance their video content strategy.

Wistia stands out for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible even to those with minimal technical skills. It integrates effortlessly with various website builders and content management systems, simplifying the process of embedding videos into websites, blogs, or marketing campaigns.

8- Vimeo

Vimeo is a highly regarded video hosting and sharing platform that has evolved to become a go-to solution for individuals, creatives, and businesses seeking high-quality video hosting and sharing capabilities. It is renowned for its sleek user interface, excellent video quality, and a range of features catered to professional users and organizations.

Vimeo offers comprehensive analytics tools, allowing users to track viewer engagement, demographics, and behavior. This data is critical for content creators and businesses to understand their audience better and to optimize their videos for improved performance and reach.

9- Brightcove

Brightcove is a prominent video hosting and publishing platform, renowned for its extensive suite of tools and services tailored to meet the demands of large enterprises, media organizations, and professional content creators. Its platform is designed to support complex video operations and deliver a seamless, high-quality video experience to audiences globally.

The platform excels in handling vast video libraries, offering robust hosting capabilities, and ensuring high-quality streaming. It’s particularly adept at managing large volumes of content, making it an ideal choice for organizations with extensive video assets.

10- AWS Video Infrastructure

AWS offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services that can be customized to fit the specific needs of any business, from startups to large enterprises.

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) for Video Processing

Amazon EC2 provides scalable computing capacity in the AWS cloud. It is essential for video processing tasks like encoding, transcoding, and packaging.

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) for Video Storage

Amazon S3 offers secure, durable, and highly-scalable object storage. It is ideal for storing raw video files, encoded streams, and other multimedia content.

Amazon CloudFront for Content Delivery

Amazon CloudFront is a fast content delivery network (CDN) service that securely delivers data, videos, applications, and APIs to customers globally with low latency and high transfer speeds.

AWS Elemental Media Services for Video Processing and Delivery

AWS Elemental Media Services provide a suite of services for processing and delivering video content. This includes AWS Elemental MediaLive for live video processing, AWS Elemental MediaConvert for file-based video transcoding, and AWS Elemental MediaPackage for packaging and encrypting video streams.

Amazon Elastic Transcoder for Video Transcoding

Amazon Elastic Transcoder is a cloud-based media transcoding service. It is designed to be a highly scalable, easy-to-use, and cost-effective way for developers and businesses to convert (or “transcode”) media files from their source format into versions that will playback on devices like smartphones, tablets, and PCs.

AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway for Automation and Management

AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway can be used to automate workflows and manage video processing tasks. Lambda can execute code in response to triggers such as changes in data, shifts in system state, or user actions.

Security and Compliance

AWS provides comprehensive security capabilities to ensure the highest standards of data protection and compliance. This includes identity and access management, encryption, network security, and compliance certifications.

FAQs

What are some of the key features of an enterprise video platform?

Video hosting and streaming, Content management, encoding and transcoding, Video analytics and user reporting, Security with access controls, and Integrations with other enterprise tools.

Does an enterprise video platform provide analytics?

Yes, enterprise video platforms like VdoCipher offer video analytics. Users can track their video performance, demographic factors, viewing time, and more.

Does VdoCipher offer a custom video player for enterprise requirements? If so, what features do they offer?

VdoCipher custom player comes with useful features such as DRM protection, Dynamic watermarking, Chapter, Auto resume, Picture in Picture, Video analytics, Gestures, and more. Also, the player is lightweight and additionally provides Adaptive streaming and speed control.

Rahul Nawani

Tech enthusiast, Love sports and music.

The post Top 10 Enterprise Video Platforms In 2024 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

The content owner/distributor has to obtain the required license from Apple to use this. As your streaming partner, we provide the encryption and licensing service to use your FairPlay keys. The complete integration setup is handled directly by VdoCipher, you only need to apply for a license and get the keys.

What is FairPlay DRM?

Fairplay is Apple’s DRM technology, which is used by Apple exclusively to stream content securely on iOS app, iOS safari, macOS safari as well as TV OS.

Fairplay streaming(FPS) securely delivers encrypted content through HTTP Live Streaming(HLS) and CBCS protocol .

Apple Fairplay DRM prevents video download as well as ensures screen recording protection.

Apple Fairplay DRM Compatibility

Fairplay DRM is compatible with the following devices:

• Mac Safari
• iOS Safari (iOS >11.2)
• iOS App. Native Apps are supported, web view apps are not supported.

Difference between default VdoCipher encryption security & Fairplay DRM Encryption – VdoCipher provides default encryption security for ios and Safari to prevent downloads. Apple Fairplay DRM is approved by studios and has an additional advantage of prevention from screen capture. VdoCipher helps our customers to apply to Apple for a Fairplay license and also then integrate it for your videos without any extra steps needed from your side.

Features of Apple FairPlay DRM

Apple FairPlay DRM (Digital Rights Management) provides a robust framework designed to secure multimedia content across Apple devices. This system includes several key features that ensure high-security standards suitable for premium content, such as early-window Hollywood movies. Here’s an overview of the fundamental features of Apple FairPlay DRM and how they enhance content security:

Hardware DRM Support

Apple devices such as macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS come equipped with hardware-level security, making them highly secure environments for deploying FairPlay DRM (FPS). Unlike other DRM systems like Widevine, which can also operate on Apple devices through browsers or SDKs, FPS offers native hardware DRM support. This hardware integration is crucial for securing premium content, as it provides a higher security level that is not readily available when using solutions like Widevine CDM SDK for iOS or Chrome’s Widevine on macOS.

Apple AirPlay Compatibility

One of the standout features of FPS DRM is its native support for Apple AirPlay, the technology that enables wireless streaming of content from Apple devices to Apple TV. This seamless compatibility allows FPS content to be easily played through AirPlay without requiring additional programming. Moreover, when FPS content is streamed to an Apple TV via AirPlay, the key delivery and decryption processes occur directly on the Apple TV. This maintains the same high security level as if the content were being played directly from the source device, such as an iPhone.

Download and Offline Playback

Starting from iOS 10, Apple has enhanced the FPS capabilities to include support for downloading and offline playback. This feature is particularly beneficial for users who wish to access content without an internet connection. The relevant APIs provided by Apple’s operating system facilitate the handling of downloading HLS content along with managing offline licenses. This ensures that even when content is accessed offline, it remains protected under the stringent security measures enforced by FPS DRM.

Supported Ecosystem of Apple FairPlay Streaming

To effectively deploy Apple FairPlay Streaming (FPS), it is essential to understand the supported platforms and versions that can leverage this DRM technology. Here is a detailed table outlining the compatibility across different Apple devices and operating systems:

Support Formats for Apple FairPlay

Apple FairPlay supports a variety of streaming formats and protocols to ensure broad compatibility and high-quality streaming experiences. Below is a table that summarizes the supported formats and protocols under the FairPlay DRM:

How To Request Apple FairPlay DRM Production License?

IMPORTANT: Below are some key steps, but it is recommended to mail us at support@vdocipher.com and we will guide you on the procedure to apply to Apple for the license. 

1. Please go to the Apple FairPlay page.
2. Click on the link to Request Deployment Package. You need to have a developer account before this.
3. If you are an organization you should use the organization account for this purpose. Companies outside the USA need to obtain a DUNS number in order to create an organization account.
4. After proceeding further, you should see a form to request the deployment package.
5. Enter your company and content details. Please take our help (support@vdocipher.com) to ensure that Apple doesn’t reject your use case as it can do for many cases.
6. If asked, you can enter our name “VdoCipher” in “Streaming Distribution Partner Name”
7. Confirm that you already have a “Keyserver module” setup and tested. You now need the “deployment package” for production.

Note that Fairplay DRM is only allowed for entities who are the content owner or have distribution rights to the content. Apple only provides Fairpay license when the video content is premium i.e. can only be accessed after payment.

FairPlay Streaming: Key Components

Apple FairPlay Streaming (FPS) is an essential technology for securing digital rights management (DRM) on Apple devices. To implement FPS effectively, several critical components must be integrated within your content delivery architecture. Here’s a breakdown of these components and how they interact to protect your streaming content:

Key Server and Key Security Module (KSM)

At the heart of the FairPlay implementation is the Key Server, which is responsible for managing the encryption and decryption keys. These keys are crucial for the secure delivery of DRM-protected content. Content service providers have the option to integrate a Key Security Module (KSM) directly on their key server. Apple provides a KSM sample that can be referred to during implementation, facilitating the validation and secure transmission of key request data from clients.

Client Application

The client application is designed to run on various Apple operating systems, including iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS. This FPS client app communicates with the key server to request the necessary decryption keys for accessing protected content. Developers can utilize Apple’s provided sample code to build their own FPS client applications or opt for a comprehensive FPS SDK from a DRM solution provider. This flexibility allows content service providers to tailor the client app to meet specific operational needs or user experiences.

FPS Content and Encryption

For content that utilizes FPS, it is essential to encrypt each HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) segment using the SAMPLE-AES encryption method. The standard encryption protocol used here is AES-128 CBCS. To manage this, content providers can employ tools like the Shaka Packager, which facilitates FPS packaging by adding the necessary KEY tag to the m3u8 playlist. This tag includes all pertinent information required for decrypting the HLS content, ensuring that the encryption aligns with Apple’s stringent security standards.

How To Use Fairplay DRM Deployment Package?

You should have received an FPS_deployment package file from Apple. Open the zip file. You should find a PDF document titled: “FPSCertificateCreationGuide.pdf”.

This pdf describes the process of creation of an RSA key-pair and then getting the public key signed by Apple. In the process, it also generates an ASK. This key is a 32 character alphanumeric string associated with your Fairplay DRM. Once the process is complete, you can share your private key, challenge password, signed certificate, and the ASK.

Checklist before proceeding:

1. Make sure you understand the overall process.
2. Make sure your hardware and OS is stable enough and has power backup so that it does not shut down unexpectedly. You can not recreate the keys if anything goes wrong, so prepare for such events.
3. In case of any issue, we are always there for help. If you need help with the key generation and signing process, we can offer guidance through a remote desktop session or skype.
4. Understand that it is your responsibility for the safe-keeping of generated keys.

How do we use the above keys?

The Apple FairPlay DRM is a multi-component system. It also requires us to maintain the media keys in our database.

– When the player loads, it requests the signed public certificate.
– The FairPlay DRM device uses the certificate to create a license request.
– The license servers can read the “license request” using the “private key” and corresponding challenge password.
– The ASK is used to create the license containing the content keys.

How do we store your keys?

– We have dedicated license servers and licensing database separate from the rest of our infrastructure. The license database is heavily access controlled.
– We save your encrypted private key for FairPlay DRM in Google Storage or AWS S3 for Video Streaming.
– Private keys and challenge passwords are only accessible from license servers.
– The challenge password and ASK is stored in MySQL Database encrypted by a session key held in license server application.
– The signed certificate is kept in separate S3 and is public readable from a CDN. The FairPlay DRM in the player will load this certificate on your website or mobile app.
– We have set up encrypted backups every 6 hours.

Safe-keeping

Although we take extreme care of your keys, we do not allow retrieving the keys in future. We expect you to safe keep all your keys. You should make sure backups of the keys and ensure that they remain accessible to only authorised persons. As a checklist, here is a list of things to keep for FairPlay DRM.

1. The private key (file)
2. Challenge password (string)
3. ASK (string)
4. Signed certificate (file)

It is recommended not to trust your memory and keep all the files and associated passwords in digital format.

The steps for generating and signing keys

Step 1. Generating key pair with private key (.pem) and signing request(.csr) files.

i) When asked to enter a challenge password, you should first write down the password somewhere safe.
ii) Copy it from there once.
iii) When asked for verification type the password without pasting.

Note that when typing in the terminal, you should not see anything on the screen. That is how the terminal hides passwords.

Step 2. Signing the key requires an active Apple developer program membership.

• Follow the exact process as described in the PDF document provided by Apple.
• You should receive the ASK and need to type it again. Make sure you have it copied to a safe place before typing it again.
• After proceeding, it should ask you to download the certificate file. (.cer)
• The document should ask you to save the certificate in Keychain. This step is only for safekeeping. It does not affect any functionality.

The process is now complete. In the end, you should have the following files safe:

1. Private key file (.pem)
2. Challenge password for the private key
3. ASK
4. Certificate file (*.cer)

Send your Apple Fairplay DRM keys to VdoCipher:

1. To share the above keys with us, use our email info [at] vdocipher.com. Do NOT use any other email or cc another email to the email. This process is to ensure that the files and passwords remain within our systems.
2. You should delete the email from your email servers after receiving confirmation from us.

How To Publish Videos On Your Site/app with Fairplay DRM & VdoCipher

Once you have shared the keys with VdoCipher, we will integrate it with streaming for your account at the backend. You don’t need to do any modifications to integrate VdoCipher. With our standard APIs or plugins, you can integrate our streaming player and enjoy secure embeds in the site or app.

What is The Technology Architecture behind Apple Fairplay DRM

The security of the content stream lies in the way encrypted content is transferred over the internet in a highly secure manner with a black-boxed key exchange mechanism.

FairPlay DRM files are encrypted using the AES algorithm on mp4 container files. The security of any encryption technology lies in the openness/closeness of its key exchange mechanism. For Fairplay DRM, the key for decryption is kept again in encrypted format in a closed box environment. The reason this close box is high secure is that Apple can control the total device and browser environment (Mac & iPhone). It is the same reason that the same DRM can’t work on android or chrome, because Apple can’t implement a hidden box environment in such cases.

Here are some details of DRM + Streaming infrastructure with VdoCipher

• Video Ingestion – You can upload videos through the dashboard, or using our upload APIs.
• Video Transcoding  –
  • Encoding videos to multiple sizes for different devices and net speed.
  • Encrypting the video (CENC).
  • Video File packaging and Key generation from the DRM license server
• Apis or plugins for Video Management 
• Encrypted video files are streamed through Amazon AWS Cloudfront and Google Cloud Platform CDN Edge locations to ensure fast video streaming
• Secure Online Video playback
  • Embed Code to generate Dynamic URLs (HTTP Post request including client secret key to get unique OTP)
  • Unique OTP is then sent by the DRM Server
  • The encrypted video file is decrypted in Browser/ Device’s trusted environment. The video is rendered via the video player, which can switch across different streams of different bitrates.
• Multi-DRM: For content creators wishing to stream across all devices and software, they need a multi-DRM strategy. At VdoCipher we provide Widevine for Chrome, Fairplay for Apple devices, with Flash as a fallback. This multi DRM solution ensures that content providers can fully rely on VdoCipher for distributing content on all devices.

Key Features And Benefits of Apple Fairplay DRM

These are some of the most important features of Fairplay DRM and their benefit.

Hardware DRM support

This feature is similar to widevine’s L1 security. Here you have security at the hardware level. This includes all the client environments that are compatible with Fairplay DRM. Through this you can ensure that screen recording is completely blocked.

Content Key Expiration

Fairplay DRM allows you to create expiring content keys. These expiring content keys allow you to allow playback for a limited period of time. A good example for this would be rental videos online. Also you can fix the number of simultaneous video playback for a single user account. Using this you can restrict the number of users similar to what Netflix does. 

Offline Playback

Fairplay DRM supports the download and offline playback of videos through native app. Apple provides the relevant APIs to handle the downloading of videos and managing the hls content through offline licenses.

How Does FairPlay Streaming Work?

Let’s have a look on how various elements in FairPlay work with each other stream encrypted content.

1. User interacts with the video player on the content provider’s app. 
2. Application then notifies AVFoundation about the video playback
3. AVFoundation downloads the HLS playlist for streaming.
4. AVFoundation then checks the KEY tag in the HLS playlist and ensures if the video file is encrypted. 
5. After the confirmation, AVFoundation requests the encryption key from the AVFoundation app delegate.
6. App delegate in turn asks for Server Playback Context(SPC) data from AVFoundation.
7. Upon receiving the SPC, App Delegate sends the SPC to the key server.
8.  Afer interpreting the SPC data through KSM module, it retrieves the key from the keydatabase.
9. Key server then sends the key to the AVFoundation delegate in the form of Content key context(CKC)
10.  AVFoundation delegate then pushes the CKC data to AVFoundation
11. AVFoundation then decrypts the key and streams the content securely

FAQs on Apple FairPlay DRM iOS

By now you must have got a fair enough idea on Apple FairPlay DRM iOS and Safari Video Security. It is a must-have for video protection on Apple devices.However, if you still have any doubts left about it and want to know more, then here we have mentioned some frequently asked questions. This will give you more understanding of Apple FairPlay DRM iOS:

Does Apple still use Fairplay?

Yes, Apple uses Fairplay DRM to secure its music content and Movie platforms also use Fairplay DRM to secure videos on Mac and IOS.

Does Fairplay DRM support Safari?

Yes Apple Fairplay DRM supports high secure playback in Mac Safari, IOS Safari and IOS App.

How can I get Fairplay License from Apple?

Please contact support@vdocipher.com for a detailed guideline from VdoCipher on applying and integrating Apple Fairplay DRM.

Does Fairplay DRM prevent video downloads?

Yes Fairplay DRM prevents illegal video downloads because of its strong encryption.

Does Fairplay DRM prevent screen capture?

Yes Fairplay DRM also blocks screen capture in Safari & IOS App.

Is Fairplay DRM free?

Apple Fairplay DRM integration is technically handled by DRM companies like VdoCipher to ensure the highest security on IOS and Mac.

How to secure videos from piracy in IOS App?

The highest security in the IOS app is ensured with the integration of Fairplay DRM. VdoCipher provides integration for Fairplay DRM

How to secure videos from piracy in IOS?

The highest security in IOS is ensured with the integration of Fairplay DRM. VdoCipher provides integration for Fairplay DRM.

We’ve also written a blog on how to stream videos on iOS using AVPlayer, do check it out to know more about video streaming in iOS.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Apple FairPlay DRM: Video Protection on iOS & Safari in 2024 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

What is HLS Streaming?

HLS Streaming ( HTTP Live Streaming) is a video streaming protocol used for video content across desktop and mobile devices. HLS is developed by Apple, which forms the biggest use case for the streaming protocol. Beyond Apple, there is wide support for HLS streaming across Android devices and browsers. Indeed, HLS can be used as a streaming protocol for all major browsers, including Chrome and Firefox.

In HLS Encryption the video files are encrypted using a secure AES-128 algorithm. The AES 128 encryption is the only publicly available security algorithm that is used by the NSA for encrypting its top-secret classified information.

HLS streaming and HLS Encryption can be used for both the cases of live streaming and for Video on Demand streaming (VOD). Because video streaming is over HTTPS, there is no need for a streaming server, unlike RTMP, which requires its own streaming server.

How & Why Apple Developed HLS Streaming ?

Until about 2010, Flash was the most popular video streaming application. It was supported by all desktop browsers. Because Flash utilized the same runtime across all browsers, it meant that video streamers did not have to create separate workflows for different devices. DRM and encryption were also supported by Flash.

Flash was however plagued by security issues. Video playback on Flash was processor-intensive, which caused phone overheating & mobile batteries to drain very fast. For these reasons Apple did not support Flash in the iPhone and in iPad, instead including support for native HTML5 video playback.

Apple created its specifications for video streaming, which could by both live streaming platforms and for pre-recorded video streaming platforms. Android OS followed suit by blocking flash playback from browsers on Android. From the introduction of the smartphone to the emergence of MPEG-DASH around 2015, Apple’s HLS streaming has been the most widely used protocol.

Because of Apple’s continued support for the protocol, encoding for HLS player is an integral element of any video streaming provider’s workflow.

How does HLS streaming work?

In plain vanilla HTML5 video streaming, only a single video file is available for streaming. The download of the complete video file is initiated every time the stream is played. Even if a viewer watches only 2 minutes of a 30-minute video, the full video would be downloaded, causing data wastage at both the server and the user end.

Streaming protocols remove this inefficiency in video streaming. Streaming protocols such as HLS effectively break down a video file into multiple chunks when streaming, and these video files are downloaded over HTTP in succession. HLS streaming uses the same workflow for both live and for on-demand content. The core idea in multi-bitrate streaming is that multiple renditions of each video, of varying resolution, are encoded. High-resolution videos are delivered to large screen devices having high network bandwidth, whereas lower resolution videos are encoded for mobile phones. Encoding for low resolutions also ensures continuous video streaming when the network connection speed drops.

When the user decides to change video resolution, or when the network bandwidth changes, video streams can be manually (or automatically) switched. HLS video streams are encoded using the H.264 standard, which can be played across all devices. Each of the video copies is broken into multiple chunks having the .ts (transport stream) extension.

There is a main index file, called the manifest file (.m3u8 file format), associated with the video stream. The main manifest file contains links to the specific manifest files associated with each unique video stream. Each of these specific manifest files in its place directs the video stream to the correct URL for video playback when streams are switched. This ensures that stream switching is seamless. This process of a manifest file referring to the video stream is the same for both live video streaming and for on-demand video streaming. The only difference for live video is simply that the video files are being encoded in real-time.

Streaming over HTTP has many advantages over using a separate server. For example, firewalls that may be used to block ports used for RTMP are unlikely to affect video streaming over HTTP. No additional cost are required for streaming over an HTTP server.

Mobile Video Streaming Using HLS Protocol

When users upload a video to a server, it undergoes several phases of processing. Initially, the video is encoded in various resolutions and then segmented into containers, where each segment is indexed in the M3U8 format. This index file is crucial as it is hosted on a server and accessed by mobile applications to retrieve video chunks.

Server Components
Key elements of the server include the encoder and segmenter. The encoder receives the input stream during video upload and encodes it into different formats such as H.264 + MP3 and MPEG-2, creating multiple output streams. These streams are then passed to the segmenter, which divides them into video chunks and generates corresponding index files. Each stream has its distinct index file.

M3U8 File Format
The M3U8 file format is essential for indexing multimedia files. It contains pointers to the locations of video files saved with a .ts extension. These index files are generated by the segmenter and also specify the duration of video chunks, typically set to 10 seconds. They enable dynamic switching between video streams depending on the user’s network bandwidth. The client software autonomously decides the optimal times to switch streams based on network conditions.

Mobile Application Interaction
Mobile applications retrieve the M3U8 index file from the server, which directs them to the required video streams. The application downloads these streams in a sequential manner, and playback begins once enough segments are buffered. As one index file is exhausted, the application proceeds to scan the next until the ‘endlist’ tag is reached.

System Implementation
The development of the mobile application is geared towards enabling users to share videos seamlessly. Users upload videos, which are then encoded and segmented by the HLS server into streamable video slices saved in .ts format. Index files in M3U8 format are generated and uploaded to a storage database. When a user wishes to watch a video, the application sends a request to the server to retrieve the video through the storage, ensuring that the video plays smoothly on the device’s native media player API.

In conclusion, HLS protocol facilitates the streaming of high-quality videos that adapt to varying network conditions. By managing video segments through a manifest file, the mobile application ensures that users can access the best possible video quality based on their current network environment, providing a robust and uninterrupted streaming experience.

What is HLS Encryption? Is HLS Encryption effectively secure against piracy?

HLS AES-128 encryption refers to video streams using HLS streaming protocol wherein the video files are encrypted using the AES-128 algorithms. The key exchange happens through the secure HTTPS protocol. If done in a rudimentary way the key for decryption can be seen from the network console by accessing the manifest file. A poor implementation of HLS encryption would result in plugins automatically finding the key and decrypting the HLS encrypted stream, rendering video security ineffective.

There are however methods to strengthen the HLS Encrypted stream. The challenge is to make sure that the key is not exposed directly. These are the options for additional security in HLS Encryption:

• Not including URL to decryption key in Manifest File

Implementations for this vary widely, and are quite difficult by themselves. This method for protecting HLS content may also cause compatibility issues on devices. If done properly however it is definitely a major improvement in video security.

• Using authenticated cookies for HLS Encryption streaming

In this method, the browser of authorized users stores authentication cookies. These cookies are stored with a digital signature, to ensure that they are not tampered with. This ensures that only the authorised user (and not some external plugin) is seeking to fetch content. The following workflow is used for configuring authentication cookies for HLS encryption:

1. Trusted signers are configured, who have permission to create authentication cookies. This configuration is done at the edge location (content delivery network)
2. Application is developed to send set-cookie headers to authorized viewers
3. Authorized users store name-value pairs in the cookie
4. When user requests protected content, the browser adds the name-value pair in the cookie header to the request
5. The video CDN uses the public key to verify the digital signature in the name-value pair
6. If the authentication cookie is verified, the CDN looks at the authentication cookie’s policy statement. The policy statement determines if the access request is valid. For example, the policy statement could include the beginning and end time for cookie validity.

For further information on authentication cookies for content protection, you can have a look at Amazon Cloudfront’s documentation.

• Signed URLs can be generated for authorized users

The following workflow is used for configuring signed URLs for HLS encryption:

In the CDN trusted signers are created, who have permission to create signed URLs

1. Develop an application to create signed URLs for protected content
2. When user requests protected content by signed URLs, the application verifies if they have the authorization to access it
3. If verified, the application creates a signed URL and sends it to the requesting user
4. On accessing content through a signed URL, the CDN verifies that the URL has not been tampered with. This is done by using the Public Key to verify the digital signature of the URL
5. If the signed URL is valid,
6. The CDN uses the public key to verify the digital signature in the name-value pair
7. If the signed URL is verified, the CDN looks at the signed URL’s policy statement. The policy statement determines if the access request is valid. For example, the policy statement could include the beginning and end times for the signed URL. For protecting content, this period of validity of URLs should be short – as little as a few minutes is optimal. For this you can create dynamic URLs, that change every few minutes.

For further information on signed URLs for content protection, you can have a look at Amazon Cloudfront’s documentation.

All these 3 steps make the video stream considerably immune to direct download through plugins. However, these methods are still breakable by already available codes and tech hacks.

Technical overview of HLS Streaming

HLS streaming or HTTP live streaming is a video streaming protocol to stream audio and video across all major browsers and devices. Here’s a brief overview of how HLS Streaming works.

Source and Encoding: Video content can be either live or recorded and is first encoded into all the relevant formats and quality. The video is also compressed to ensure it can be streamed easily, as raw files are usually pretty big. 

Segmentation and Multiple Formats: After the encoding is done the video is further split into segments of about 10 seconds each. Segmentation makes it easier to switch between video quality, this is done dynamically based on the user’s internet speed. 

Creation of M3U8 Playlist: An M3U8 playlist file is created, which contains information about the video segments of all the different qualities. It guides the player to pick the right segment based on internet speed.

Delivery and Adaptation: All the video chunks and the m3u8 playlist are saved on an HTTP server. When someone streams the video, the m3u8 playlist is downloaded and the video chunks are downloaded. As the internet speed changes, the player chooses the higher or lower-quality video chunks based on it. It ensures a smooth viewing experience with minimal buffering. 

Key Benefits of HLS Streaming

Here are the key benefits of HLS (HTTP Live Streaming):

Compatibility: HLS is compatible with almost all browsers and devices. Initially HLS was limited to Apple devices now it has a much broader range browser it supports.

Adaptive Streaming: HLS ensures a smooth viewing experience by scaling the video quality. It does this based on the user’s internet speed, the quality scales up or down based on the internet speed. This ensures that there is no buffering at lower speeds.

Live and On-Demand: HLS works for both live and recorded streaming. This makes it pretty versatile for streaming different types of content. 

Security: HLS uses AES-128 encryption to encrypt the video chunk, to protect videos from unauthorized access. 

Scalability: HLS offers good scalability to deliver live and record content across global CDN. These CDNs distribute the streaming load among various servers. This distribution strategy efficiently handles sudden increases in viewers, such as unexpected large live audiences, ensuring a stable streaming experience.

Compare HLS with other streaming protocols

Comparing HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) to other video streaming protocols:

MPEG-DASH:

MPEG-DASH is similar to HLS in providing adaptive streaming. But MPEG-DASH is more flexible with different codecs and containers. HLS is more widely supported, especially on Apple devices. MPEG-DASH is gaining popularity due to its open standard nature.

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol): 

RTMP is older and great for low-latency streaming, like live broadcasts. However, it doesn’t support adaptive streaming and is less compatible with modern devices. HLS, while having slightly higher latency, offers better device compatibility and adaptive streaming.

Microsoft Smooth Streaming: 

This is Microsoft’s version of adaptive streaming. It works well with Microsoft devices and software. However, HLS has wider support across various platforms and devices compared to Microsoft Smooth Streaming.

HDS (HTTP Dynamic Streaming): 

HDS is Adobe’s streaming protocol. It’s similar to HLS in adaptive streaming but is less common. HLS has broader support and is more widely used than HDS.

How is DRM level security for HLS Encryption possible?

DRM requires that the key exchange and licensing mechanism is highly secure and is always out of reach of external tools and hackers. A DRM technology also has additional elements. It delivers a license file, which also specifies the usage rights of the viewer. Usage rights specify the conditions in which the video playback is allowed.
Implementation of these usage rights ensures that the signed key used for decryption can only be used for playback on the viewer’s device. The key would simply fail to decrypt the video stream if the video file is copied to any other device.

DRM adds complex layers of workflow for license management. This workflow includes:

Specifying highly detailed usage rights such as

• Limiting video playback on a device to only a fixed number of times
• Video access can expire after a period of days if the subscription is not renewed
• Limiting the device or screen on which the video can be played. For example usage rights can be used to restrict users to cast their video playback on an external device such as a Smart TV.

The license database is also bound to the user’s device, which means that if shared the license and decryption key becomes redundant.

Licenses are also signed with the digital signature, which means that they cannot tamper with either during transit over HTTP or when stored locally on the device.

Implementing DRM along with HLS streaming entails considerable modification of the HLS Encryption infrastructure.  At VdoCipher, we have been able to do that and provide a full-fledged proprietary + HLS DRM. We cannot technically say that we are streaming an HLS encrypted stream as it is highly modified. We use a combination of other technologies based on different platforms and are able to roll out a cross-device, cross-browser compatible DRM.

VdoCipher HLS DRM Infrastructure Details

1. Upload of Videos (All common formats are supported )
   The content can be uploaded through Dashboard or APIs. Upload from desktop, FTP, DropBox, Box, URL, Server all is supported.
2. Encryption & Transcoding for DRM streaming
   Videos are converted into encrypted files, and multiple qualities & versions for ensuring delivery of quality content at all devices, browsers, and all connection speeds. The encrypted content is stored at our AWS S3 servers and raw videos are never exposed. We have set up our custom EC2 instances for the encoding pipeline, and the resultant files are hosted securely on AWS S3 servers.
3. Encrypted Video Streaming (Modified HLS Encryption & Streaming)
   As discussed above the high-security key and license exchange mechanism supports the transfer of encrypted video data, ensuring HLS DRM level security. Dynamic URLs ensure that each playback is authenticated and the URL cannot be extracted outside the website or app for pirated playback. We use multiple top tier CDNs – Cloudfront, Akamai, Google CDN, Verizon to ensure smooth delivery of content all across the globe
4. Decryption in Video Player & Watermarking
   There is a private communication between our API & the client website. This ensures that its not possible for hackers to decrypt our streams. The One Time encryption that we use is theoretically and practically hack-proof. The website embedding the video content requests a One-time password from the VdoCipher web server using the API. This OTP request is made only after the user is authenticated. The VdoCipher API returns the OTP, which is used to render the embed code. This embed code is valid for a single playback session only. Along with the key a usage policy is specified, ensuring that only a logged-in and authenticated user is allowed to playback the encrypted video. The video would simply fail to play if an external plugin or downloader is used to try to access the video file.We have timely modifications to our licensing and authentication mechanism to keep security updated.
5. Watermarking
   Video licensing and playback are combined to generate customisable viewer specific watermarks. The watermark can be IP address, Email ID  and User ID shown in customisable colour & transparency to identify a playback session by the viewer.
6. Result – Progressive High Secure Streaming
   Through this 6-step Video Hosting, Encryption and Streaming process, VdoCipher, as a video hosting software, is able to provide a progressive high security video streaming with future buffer possible. This is also different from RTMP which does not maintain any buffer and can be quite erratic as a result.

You can find out more about DRM Solution here.

Demo Free Trial for HLS DRM Streaming

You can signup for a free full version trial at VdoCipher.

Online businesses also often require features over and beyond video security. VdoCipher fulfills all major requirements for enterprise video hosting. The complete set of features that VdoCipher offers for enterprise video hosting may be found here.

Also, do read our blog on react native video playback.

FAQs

Is HLS DRM protected?

HLS is not protected with DRM by default. Traditionally, HLS streams could only be protected using Apple FairPlay DRM but with new updates, HLS can be protected by Google Widevine DRM in addition to Apple FairPlay DRM.

Is HLS unicast or multicast?

Traditionally, HLS was designed by Apple for Quicktime, Safari, and iOS devices. It did not used to support multicast but with new updates HLS, has emerged as the de facto multicast format for live streaming and video on demand (VOD).

Is HLS better than RTMP?

Moreover, it depends on the use case but HLS has notable advantages which include embedded closed captions, good advertising standards support, synchronized playback of multiple streams, and DRM support. RTMP has advantages of low latency, flexibility, efficient bandwidth usage, and dynamic content delivery.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post HLS DRM, HLS Streaming & HLS Encryption for Content Security appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

“A content creator is an individual who uses their influence, skills, and creativity to amass and monetize an audience online.”

What is Content Creator Economy?

The creator economy is a term to describe the growing trend of content creators, curators and community builders making a living off of their online creations. It can include everything from YouTube videos and podcasts, creating and selling online courses, social media influencer marketing, and blogging. It also includes other businesses supporting the creators, such as analytic platforms, video hosting services, and advertising firms. There has been a big rise in the number of tools to create, share, monetize and gain an audience. Creators are rising, and anyone can now create and contribute to the creator economy.

The major components of a creator economy are

• Creators
• Consumers or Target Audience
• Platforms (to create, distribute, consume and monetize content)
• Prospective Businesses and Brands
• Tools & Services to assist in content creation

According to the payment company Stripe, “the number of creators went up by 48% in 2021, compared to 2020 on its 50 most popular creator platforms. If this exponential growth continues, these 50 platforms in themselves will contribute to 15.5 million creators in five years”.

Who is a content creator?

A content creator produces and shares written, visual and entertaining content, usually digital. Content creators is a broad term covering different works and mediums to disperse the work. In this blog, the term “content creator” refers to someone focused on creating content to target an interested specific audience and connect with them.

The content produced is mostly original and commonly includes YouTube videos, blogs, social media posts, and much more. The content distribution is via social channels like Instagram, YouTube, personal websites, and more.

Content is the soul of creators, and the focus is on creating fresh content or adding value that interests, informs, and educates their audience. Each content field requires creators to have the proficiency to thrive and earn, including good communication, proper knowledge, and engaging content delivery.

Historical Evolution of the Creator Economy

Early 2000s – Birth of Blogging

• People began sharing content online.
• Platforms like Blogger provided tools.
• Monetization mainly through ads and sponsors.

Mid-2000s – Rise of YouTube

• YouTube launched in 2005.
• Video creators could monetize through AdSense.
• The partnership program helped creators earn.

Late 2000s – Social Media Growth

• Platforms like Facebook, Twitter expanded.
• Influencers began to emerge.
• Brand partnerships and sponsored content became popular.

Early 2010s – Emergence of New Platforms

• Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok launched.

Diverse content formats evolved.

• Influencer marketing industry grew significantly.

Mid-2010s – Subscription Models

• Patreon allowed subscriptions.
• Creators earned directly from fans.
• A new, more sustainable revenue stream developed.

Late 2010s – Expansion of Tools & Platforms

• More platforms provided monetization tools.
• Live streaming, eCommerce integration flourished.
• Creator-focused startups emerged.

2020s – Mainstreaming and Growth:

• Pandemic increased online content consumption.
• New platforms and features continued to launch.
• Creator economy valued at approximately $104 billion by 2021.

Factors contributing to the rise of the creator economy

There are several factors that contribute to the rapid growth in creator space and boost the creator economy. Some of these common factors include

The rise in internet usage and the globalization of content consumption

According to datareportal insights, by the start of April 2021, over 300 million people worldwide started using the internet in the past 12 months. The annual change in the number of global internet users is more than 7.6%. The demand for creative content will likely grow with the world becoming more digitized.

With wider internet access, the market gap between the supply and demand side of the creator economy narrows. Wireless infrastructure and last mile internet reach are surely giving an economic boost to localized content to reach a global audience. In the next few years, we will likely see high volume growth in the creator economy.

“Number of creators on the 50 most popular creator platforms stands at 668,000.”

Disruption in formal employment opportunities

Ever since the pandemic outbreak, there have been massive job losses and an increase in countless job-seekers. Fresh graduates had to sit idle at home. Some of them jobless and creative artists became overnight sensations. In 2021 itself, the 50 million creator economy escalated to $14 billion. Creators now look for additional revenue sources and flexible job culture empowered by remote work technologies.

Many small businesses collaborate with influencers and online creators to boost brand visibility and attention. By leveraging these influencers’ voices and reach, many could ensure business continuity and increase their sales. In fact, boosting the creator economy is the dire need to compensate for the lack of formal job opportunities.

• YouTube is considered the birthplace of the creator economy, and a report outlined its contribution to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
• Oxford Research found that YouTube’s creative ecosystem supported 394K equivalent jobs in the United States in 2020, paying over $30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies.

The popularity of short-form video content

Video is now the most popular form of content on the internet, and people are continuously looking for new and interesting videos to watch. People love short-form video content as it is easy to consume and can be watched on any device. People watch short-form videos while on the go and are also more likely to share them with their friends. You can learn or get a good laugh within minutes by watching reels or short videos.

“53% of content creators’ fans say that their ideal length for a video is under 5 minutes.”

• According to a HubSpot report, 85% of marketers consider short videos as the most effective video format on social media.  In 2022, brands will focus more on short-form educational videos focused on how-to’s, DIYs, and explainer videos.
• People are increasingly turning to short online videos for entertainment, news, and even education. More and more students and teachers are using short-form educational videos to supplement traditional classroom instruction.

An increasing number of creator economy platforms and tools

A lot of content creators look for different ways to monetize their work. Now there are many monetization platforms helping creators earn a decent income from their work.

• One of the most popular monetization platforms is YouTube. You can create videos and then monetize them through ads. You can even join the YouTube Partner Program, which gives you a share of the revenue from the ads shown on your videos.
• Educators now possess multiple no-code and easy solutions like LMS to create, integrate and monetize their educational content.
• Video security mechanisms like DRM, which used to be available only for Google and Apple, are now available to everyone through Authorized license partners like VdoCipher. Earlier the creators had no option to tackle their video piracy problem and eventually had to face revenue loss.
• Another popular monetization platform is Patreon. With Patreon, you can create content and ask your fans to support you by becoming patrons. It may be a good earning source if you have a large audience base.
• Several platforms also specialize in selling digital products, such as ebooks, courses, and other types of content. These platforms can be a great way to monetize your work if you have something of value to sell. Find the right platform for your content, experiment with free templates, and see what works best for your specific situation.

“Nearly 41% of creators make a liveable wage from their content at $50k in annual income or higher.”

Many creators are moving beyond popular earning models like sponsorships and Patreon towards new and innovative monetization methods. Be it NFTs or workshops or developing own brand into a full-scale business. Not all models seem to prove successful, but some certainly will.

Bond of trust between Creators and Audience

Creators have become the key players for brands to reach targeted audiences. Many creators build their audience on social media by promoting their knowledge and talents. Their admiration or reputation roots in their creativity and unique individuality. Multinational companies engage with the mass audience with unique campaigns involving famous creators instead of big celebrities. Creators now have the power to connect with unrepresented groups and nations, which is a big opportunity for creators and companies.

Communicating with creators can take many forms, including leaving comments, sending messages, or following their social media handles. When fans take the time to communicate with creators, it shows that they are invested in what they are doing and that they are willing to support them. This can go a long way in building trust between fans and creators.

In some cases, the close relationship and bond of trust between fans and creators allow for the wrong transmission of inaccurate and misleading information. Some creators even take undue advantage of the trust fans put in their favourite creators. There have been plenty of examples of content creators propagating wrong and conspiracy theories. 

“44% of fans feel they know their favourite creators, as well as they know their real-world friends.”

Investment in creative content

Investing in high-quality creative content is wise for businesses of all sizes regardless of whether your business is about SEO link building software or eCommerce. After all, compelling content is one of the most effective ways to reach and engage your target audience. It helps build trust and credibility, drive your website or business traffic, and generate leads and sales. Creators and businesses (especially after announcing ChatGPT), sometimes rely on AI content tools. Our advice will be to use also AI Detector tools to ensure that your content looks human-like and will be perceived positively by your audience. It’s also possible to create captivating AI art effortlessly with the use of AI art generator tools, but you may still need a graphic artist to develop brand-ready images. Since 2020, venture capital has invested $850 million into the creator economy.

The growing number of unicorns in the creator economy shows the huge potential for venture capital investors, startup founders, and creators. This type of investment into the creator space sends a strong message that the creator economy is a big force to be reckoned with. According to Crunchbase data, funding for startups focused on creative content in 2021 was $939 million.

“The actual rate an advertiser pays per view on YouTube is between $0.003 to $0.005, which means a YouTuber receives nearly $3 to $5 per 1000 views”

Creators are doing what they like to do and are best at what they do while delegating out the things they are not good at. There is a need for other tools to help creators run their work, such as hosting videos, managing revenue, contacting brands and businesses, hiring resources and more.

• LinkedIn announced a $25 million fund via its Creator Accelerator program
• Pinterest built monetization tools and launched a $500,000 creator fund
• YouTube added a $100 million fund just for Shorts, its TikTok-like feature
• In 2020, TikTok, after a $200 million fund, launched new monetization features     

                                             Creator Economy Ecosystem

The Benefits of working with Creators

Enhanced Return on Investment

Among marketers who implement influencer marketing strategies, approximately 25% report it as having the second-highest return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing approaches. In the B2B sector, influencer marketing is particularly potent, yielding an ROI that is eleven times greater than that of traditional advertising methods. This strategy is especially effective in influencing Generation Z consumers, with one-third reporting purchases based on influencer endorsements within a recent three-month period.

Expanded Reach and Brand Awareness

As organic reach diminishes on social media platforms—which promote a pay-to-play model—the importance of influencer collaborations becomes increasingly crucial. For example, by July 2022, the average organic reach for Instagram posts by brands had fallen to 13.51%, a decrease of 29% from the previous year. Similarly, Facebook’s post reach reduced from 10.43% to 8.6%. Influencers can significantly extend a brand’s reach by tapping into their established communities.

Innovations in Search and Discovery

Modern consumers frequently prefer social media platforms over traditional search engines for finding information. Surveys by Google indicate that 40% of younger users favor platforms like TikTok and Instagram for searches, attributable to the personalized and relevant content these platforms offer through sophisticated algorithms. Thus, collaborating with content creators is becoming essential for enhancing a brand’s search engine optimization (SEO) and visibility.

Authenticity and Trust

Utilizing user-generated content (UGC) from creators helps B2B companies enhance their brand’s authenticity and foster trust among potential clients. Moreover, UGC allows brands to diversify their content sources, which is particularly beneficial for organizations with limited marketing and creative resources.

Strategic Data Capture

Engaging with new communities via influencers enables brands to access a rich source of audience data. As regulations make acquiring third-party data increasingly challenging, the information gathered directly from interactions on creators’ platforms—such as post feedback, comment tags, and user engagement metrics—becomes invaluable. This data can inform future marketing strategies and help refine target audience profiles.

eLearning Creator economy

In the last two years after the pandemic, there’s been a growing trend of people making a living off by creating and selling eLearning courses. This is often referred to as the “elearning creator economy.” There has been a growing demand for online learning platforms, which makes it easy for educational creators to sell and monetize their content. More people now look for affordable and non-traditional ways to learn new skills online. They can study at their own pace and in their own time. They can also access learning materials from anywhere in the world. Year over year, creators are succeeding in generating revenue through online education.

Top creators are broadening their revenue streams, moving from online courses to selling other products and services. Around 83% of the top educational creators already offer multiple services and products. Instead of a single course, creators provide a complete learning package for students, including memberships, interactive sessions, ebooks, physical products, and other complimentary services. Creators use live and scheduled lessons to build a sense of community among students. These small interactions, in turn, build engagement with each other. The end purpose is to create a learning environment to achieve success.

OTT Creator Economy

Most YouTube creators look for different ways to monetize their content. Even when their channel has built a fan following, there is a constant fight to retain the audience. To achieve a sustainable income, creators must navigate their followers from the platform their audience is built on to a place with diversified monetization options. Many creators have perfected the transition to subtly divert a loyal audience towards more financially supported content creation platforms. An OTT platform matches the portfolio of these creators and offers a valuable extension to their earning mediums. 

“By 2026, media OTT revenue is expected to surpass $200 billion”

OTT platforms have proven to be a boon for content creators. The OTT space is where talent is respected and rewarded, irrespective of who you are or where you come from. OTT platforms offer a more direct path to audiences than traditional television or movie platforms. This means that creators can build a more direct relationship with their fans and can more easily connect with viewers who are interested in their work.  OTT gives content creators a more stable revenue source and chances to reach a larger audience.

Creator Economy Market Size & Statistics

• By 2022, the global digital video content market is expected to reach $204 billion USD
• The total investments in creator economy startups was $1.7 billion in Q2, 2021
• 12% of full-time creators earn more than $50K 
• 9% niche creators earn more than $100K in a year
• 68% creators consider themselves part-time creators
• Short-form video is the most engaging content on Instagram
• Online learning market expected to surpass $305 billion by 2025
• 17% of consumers subscribe to a creator’s membership website
• 67% consumers learned about a new product through creator videos
• YouTube paid creators more than $15 billion throughout 2021
• During the pandemic, ad-revenue for creators declined by 31%
• Over 21K YouTube creators have more than 1 million subscribers
• 425% increase in enrollments to online learning courses 
• Twitch has over 300K professional streamers

Why do Creators need secure video hosting and video protection?

Video hosting platforms allow users to upload, share, or view videos. Popular video hosting platforms include YouTube and Dailymotion. There are several reasons why video content creators need secure video hosting. One reason is that secure video hosting helps ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. Additionally, secure videos protect learners’ privacy by protecting their personal information from sharing with third-party organizations.

“As per Digital TV Research, by 2022, the total loss from stream piracy will reach $52 billion”

To discourage video piracy and protect your videos from unauthorized access and usage, creators need a secure video hosting platform with additional security and features. The moment someone has access to their premium content, the very next minutes, the content is freely available on the web. Everyone must keep their videos secure, whether they’re vloggers, gamers, individual creators, Ed-tech or media enterprises.

VdoCipher’s Hollywood Grade Video DRM encryption allows you to protect a wide range of video file formats. The videos streamed via VdoCipher cannot be downloaded by any internet plugin or software. DRM technology uses encryption to protect content from unauthorized copying and playback. The user needs a valid DRM license to play the video content with access on only authorized devices. Only people with the appropriate key can decrypt and access the video.

DRM Encrypted Streaming

DRM encrypted streaming uses digital rights management technology to prevent unauthorized copying and playback of digital video content. DRM-protected content is typically streamed over the internet from a content provider to a user’s computer or other devices. The user’s device decrypted the video using a DRM key that the content provider provides. The user’s device then plays the content using a DRM-compliant media player. We offer the highest security from video piracy using Google Widevine and Apple FairPlay DRM.

Dynamic watermarking

Watermarking your videos is yet another great way to protect your videos from being duplicated and let others know who the original owner or creator is. Content creators can add watermarks to their videos to give the branding and restrict others from claiming it as their own. Our dynamic watermark features let you add User name, User IP, and User email to the video. The watermark can be easily customized for movement, colour, size, and transparency.

Smart HTML5 Video Player

Our smart HTML5 video player comes with dynamic controls, Multi-Language Subtitles support, adaptive bitrate streaming, and more.  In the Adaptive Multi-bitrate Playback, the media player automatically adjusts the quality of the video stream according to the bandwidth availability. It ensures smooth video playback without any buffering or interruptions. You can easily embed using iFrame, plugins and API.

Easy to integrate Plugins For WordPress/LMS and other CMS

VdoCipher provides easy integration support for many platforms like WordPress, Moodle, Joomla and many others. These plugin let you easy embed your videos and even place customization as per your requirements. For more advanced usage APIs and SDKs are also available.

Content Creators and Social Media Platforms

The relationship between creators and social platforms is simple. The platforms offer the creators a space to reach a broader audience, and in turn, creators supply almost free content for users to engage. This engagement drives the monetization options (advertising) on the platform. Creators use the platform to build fandoms and monetize on the platform. Content creators get a share of the ad revenue, which is nearly 5% of the overall generated revenue on the platform.

In short, social media provides creators with both top-of-funnel and middle-of-the-funnel marketing reach. Creators can choose to publish general content creating awareness about a broad topic. Also, they can target a niche audience by creating content only for that niche. In general, what we see is a combination of both generic and niche content combined with the final product knowledge using the text description in captions, bio, etc.

Tagging a product, retargeting, and other such platform-dependent features have now evolved into social media. Creators and companies that used to publish on social media to create awareness are now directly targeting it for sales. Also, these features are expected to become ubiquitous and enhanced, leading to more sales and commissions.

Types of content produced by creators

Popular Content Produced by Creators
Writing	Video & Audio	Social Media
Blogs	Vlogs	Testimonials
White Papers	User-Generated Content	Infographics
eBooks & Guides	Live Streams	Contests
Email Newsletter	Reels	Announcements
Product Content	Tutorials & courses	Social Posts
Case Studies	Interviews	Reviews

Common Revenue Models for Content Creators

Membership

In the membership program, the creators offer exclusive perks and benefits upon joining. The common benefits members receive include

• Exclusive Content (member-only articles, podcast episodes, newsletters, etc.)
• Member-Only Events (in-person or online events, meetups, both online and offline)
• Contents and Challenges
• Coupons and discounts

Subscriptions

A subscription is a recurring payment customers pay to access a service, content or product. The subscription pricing model can be either Flat-rate, Tiered or usage-based.

• Flat-Rate Subscription – A fixed subscription fee billed weekly, monthly or annually
• Tiered Subscription – Subscribers choose a subscription pricing model based on features and additional benefits they wish to avail of. There are usually basic and premium subscriptions.

Earlier this year, Instagram introduced “Subscriptions” with a handful of creators to set a monthly subscription price and give benefits to their subscribers. The features include Subscriber Lives, Badges, Stories and more.

Selling Merchandise

Creators and businesses may choose to sell their products and exclusive merchandise to their fans and followers through social media, websites or other mediums. About 43% of consumers are likely to make a purchase after knowing about it on social media. With these kinds of stats, creators cannot miss-selling their merchandise then and there. Many social sites even include product search features, wishlists and make a purchase.

Brand Sponsorship

In a brand sponsorship campaign, businesses and brands partner with creators to promote their products, services or content. The creators distribute and promote the sponsored content on various social platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and more. Even micro (<25K followers) and nano influencers (<10K followers) contribute a large part of brand sponsorships.

Donations

Nowadays, several creators earn money through donations from fans and supporters. It is usually done through websites like Patreon, where fans sign up and donate a specific amount to their favourite creators each month. Many social media platforms and websites have donation buttons. Moreover, different organisations can also get nonprofit donations thanks to technology and online platforms available.Sometimes creators hold crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for their work or project.

Google Adsense and other ad networks

Ad revenue sharing is the most common way creators earn. Ad revenue sharing is when a creator agrees to allow an ad network to place ads on their content in exchange for a share of the revenue generated from those ads.

Google AdSense is the most popular way creators earn money from their online content. AdSense works by displaying relevant ads on your site based on your content and visitors. To promote products and services, advertisers create and pay for ads. These advertisers pay different prices for different ads. Based on ad clicks and impressions, Google pays a share of revenue with the publishers.

“For displaying ads with AdSense for content, publishers earn 68% of the ad revenue while for AdSense for search, the revenue share is 51%”

The other ad monetization methods are cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM) advertising. In CPC advertising, the creators are paid based on the number of times users click on their content and the amount earned depends on the ad network. On the other hand, in CPM advertisements, creators earn based on the number of times their content is viewed. 

Endorse or sell NFTs

NFTs are non-fungible tokens. They are unique digital assets that cannot be interchanged with other assets of the same type. NFTs are bought and sold online, commonly with cryptocurrency, and are generally encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos. NFTs can be anything, from video clips, GIFs, and digital paintings to music like some paintings sold in auctions in previous decades.

Some NFT marketplaces pay creators a percentage every time their NFT is sold. By buying NFTs, supporters and fans can financially support their favourite creators. Earlier this year, Jack Dorsey sold his first tweet for $2.9 Million.

Selling digital products

Creators can sell digital products like courses, webinars, video games, and digital downloads. They can sell these through online marketplaces like Etsy, Podia, their own website, or social media platforms.

Challenges and Criticisms of the Creator Economy

Market Saturation and Competitiveness

As the creator economy continues to grow, it faces challenges related to market saturation and increased competitiveness. With millions of creators producing content across various platforms, standing out and gaining traction becomes more difficult. This heightened competition can lead to oversaturation in certain niches and make it harder for new creators to establish themselves. While this challenge reflects the vibrant and dynamic nature of the creator economy, it also raises questions about sustainability and the need for differentiation.

Criticisms Regarding Inclusivity and Accessibility

The creator economy has also faced criticisms concerning inclusivity and accessibility. While the internet has democratized content creation to some extent, disparities still exist. Not all creators have equal access to tools, resources, and opportunities. Barriers related to technology, education, and capital can hinder participation for some individuals. Moreover, algorithms and platform policies may inadvertently favor certain types of content or creators. Addressing these issues is crucial for ensuring that the creator economy remains an inclusive and equitable space for all.

Future of the Creator Economy

The creator economy seems to only grow in the future. With increasing monetization platforms and access to tools, creators can make a living off of their content. And as more people become creators, the economy will only grow.

In the future, we may see new monetization mediums and even creators with their own platforms. This will lead to more and more brands and companies partnering with creators to promote their products and services. The future of the creator economy looks promising and full of opportunity.

Creators who can adapt and evolve will be able to thrive in this ever-changing landscape. In the coming times, creators must come up with fresh, engaging and interesting ideas.

• Community-based platforms will grow
• Influencer marketing will become more important
• Demand for content creation tools will increase
• Creator-led brands will gain popularity
• NFTs are likely to play a key role in the creator economy
• Web3 technologies will open new avenues for content creation

Latest in the Content Creator Economy

The Creator Economy, once enveloped in widespread enthusiasm, is now facing the harsh realities of an economic downturn. This sector, defined by its digital content creators ranging from bloggers and YouTubers to podcasters and social media influencers, is reportedly struggling as investments wane and economic conditions worsen.
Investor interest is declining, with the valuation of new startups falling significantly from previous highs. For instance, the era of startups achieving $1.3 billion valuations merely for their potential seems to be over. Additionally, the infrastructure supporting these creators, heavily reliant on venture capital, is also at risk as funding dries up.

Challenges Faced by the Creator Economy

• Economic downturns and reduced investment levels are pressuring all sectors, but the Creator Economy feels it acutely due to its reliance on discretionary spending. As consumers tighten their belts, spending on subscriptions and sponsored content can decline, which directly affects creator revenues.
• Market saturation is another significant challenge. With low barriers to entry, new creators are constantly emerging, making it increasingly difficult to capture and retain audience attention.
• The reliance on algorithmic platforms means that changes in platform algorithms can dramatically alter a creator’s visibility and revenue overnight, which adds an element of unpredictability to their earnings.

The Myth of a Non-existent Middle Class

A critical issue highlighted is the absence of a well-defined middle class within the creator community. The viability of content creation remains feasible primarily for the top-tier creators, leaving those in the middle struggling to find their footing. This disparity is emphasized by the example of the “37th best finance creator,” who, despite being highly ranked, faces significant challenges in standing out and securing a sustainable income.

• The notion that only the top creators make a viable living overlooks the experiences of thousands of mid-tier creators who carve out comfortable niches. These creators often benefit from highly engaged, though smaller, audience bases that can offer more sustainable and predictable income streams through direct support mechanisms like Patreon and memberships.
• Diversification strategies are critical here; successful mid-tier creators often spread their presence across multiple platforms and revenue streams, reducing their vulnerability to changes in any single channel.
• Community building is also a vital strategy for these creators. By fostering a strong sense of community, mid-tier creators can enhance audience loyalty and increase the willingness of followers to support them financially.

Challenging the Negative Outlook

Critics of the creator economy, like Kantrowitz, cite shrinking advertising markets and a faltering middle class as signs of decline. However, this narrative is challenged by data indicating that the advertising sector, while slowing, is still growing. Moreover, platforms like YouTube continue to see robust payouts, with significant sums being paid to creators annually.

• While some focus on the contraction of advertising budgets, they fail to account for the rise of alternative monetization strategies that creators are increasingly tapping into. These include direct sales, e-learning courses, and premium content models, which can be more resilient to economic downturns.
• It is also essential to recognize the resilience of niche markets within the Creator Economy. Certain niches continue to experience growth despite broader economic challenges, driven by specific audience needs and evolving content trends.
• The expansion of global internet access is continually opening new markets where creators can find fresh audiences and untapped opportunities for monetization.

Analyzing the Investment Trends

• While the overall venture funding landscape has seen a retreat, this needs to be viewed in context. Not all sectors are experiencing this equally, and within the Creator Economy, areas like educational technology and digital marketplaces are still attracting significant interest.
  The decline in some high-profile investments should not overshadow the continued investment in foundational technologies such as streaming infrastructure, content management systems, and creator-focused fintech solutions.
• Historical cycles suggest that investment in innovation does not cease but rather shifts towards supporting sustainable growth and profitability in response to economic pressures.

Sustainability of the Creator Economy Infrastructure

• The robustness of the Creator Economy’s infrastructure is often underappreciated. Platforms like Stripe and WordPress not only continue to operate but actively expand their services to better meet creator needs, such as integrating more advanced payment and monetization options.
• New developments in content delivery technology, including augmented reality and virtual reality, promise to open up novel content interaction modes that could rejuvenate interest and engagement among audiences.
• Furthermore, the success of platforms such as Patreon and Twitch showcases the viability of models centered around direct audience support, which lessens reliance on traditional advertising and enhances sustainability.

FAQs

Name of some of the famous creator economy startups.

Beacons, Buy me a Coffee, and Patreon are some of the creator economy startup examples.

What are some of the editing creator tools for YouTubers?

The most common tools used for editing are iMovie, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Rush.

Why do creator videos require DRM encryption?

Video creators need DRM encryption to protect their content from online video piracy. DRM encryption ensures that only authorized users access and view the content and that unauthorized users cannot copy or distribute the content. It secures the video against unauthorized access and copyright infringement. When the video is properly secured from hackers, there is boost in generated revenue.

What are the challenges of the creator economy?

The creator economy challenges include the need for creators to constantly create unique content to hold the audience and more platforms to support a wide range of content types with monetization methods that work for both creators and platforms. To have uniformity across the sector, there needs to be standard and well-established practices.

Which is the biggest platform for creators?

According to Statista, Instagram has the most creators ( more than 30 million), followed by YouTube with over 12 million creators.

How many creators earn more than $1 million?

Roughly 0.5% of creators make over  $1 million annually, while those earning between $500K-1M are nearly 1.7% of the creator economy.

References:

• https://influencermarketinghub.com/state-of-the-creator-economy/
• https://linktr.ee/creator-report/
• https://www.springboard.com/blog/business-and-marketing/creator-economy/
• https://stripe.com/blog/creator-economy
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2021/08/30/the-continuous-growth-and-future-of-the-creator-economy/
• https://www.thinkific.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/online-learning-trends.pdf

Jyoti

Jyoti began her career as a software engineer in HCL with UNHCR as a client. She started evolving her technical and documentation writing skills to become a full-time Content Marketer at VdoCipher.

The post Content Creator Economy Growth & Growth Creator Statistics Report appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

A brief categorization is listed at the start and then we dwell on each tool individually. There is no ranking, it is a compiled list of useful popular tools. Let’s dive right in!

Steps in Creating and Selling Online Courses

1. Commit to Creating Your Course – Decide today that you will create an online course. Don’t worry about being an expert; focus instead on committing to the process.
2. Identify a Profitable Course Idea – Explore ideas that align with your interests or existing skills. Consider what problems people face that you could help solve. Check if similar courses exist, which is a good indication that there is a demand.
3. Validate Your Idea – Before investing too much time and resources, test the market’s interest in your course. You could create a mini email-course or pre-sell the course to gauge potential customer interest.
4. Outline Your Course – Develop a clear structure for your course by breaking down the overall problem it solves into manageable steps or lessons. This will help you organize your content effectively.
5. Create Course Content – Focus on delivering valuable content. Use simple tools to create videos or write content. Remember, initial production quality does not have to be perfect; focus on the quality of the information.
6. Set Up Your Course Online – Choose a platform that allows you to easily upload your content, manage customers, and handle transactions. Tools like Zippy Courses can simplify this process.
7. Pricing Your Course – Set a price that reflects the value of the outcomes your course delivers. Consider the costs of alternative solutions and the unique benefits your course offers.
8. Attract and Enrol Students – Build an email list to market your course. Utilize effective marketing strategies to attract students, such as offering free content, using social media, and engaging in online communities.
9. Launch Your Course – Choose between an evergreen model, where your course is always available, or periodic launches, which can create urgency. Use email campaigns and other marketing tactics to reach potential students.

Content Creation Tips

Elearning Video Creation/Production Tools

Elearning video creation tools mainly vary on the basis of what kind of video you want to build. It can be through slides with audio, screencasting, and at times with animations as well. Depending on your needs, you can find the relevant tools for your needs.

Three major methods of eLearning video creation are:

-Narrated Slides
-ScreenCasting
-Animations

Here are some tools, which will help you get the work done.

Camtasia

This screencasting + editor tool offers high flexibility to create long videos and add overlays. Get powerful editing, animation, and interactive features with special effects. You can even upload your videos straight to Vimeo, Facebook, YouTube, and Screencast. I have also used the paid version of this for creating tutorials.

• Pros – Intuitive User Interface, High-Quality Output
• Cons – Higher price point compared to some competitors
• User reviews – “As a long-time user of Camtasia, I can confidently say it’s one of the most user-friendly video editing tools I’ve ever used. It’s fantastic for creating professional-looking tutorials and presentations without needing a degree in video production.”

Powtoon 

Powtoon can help you create animated videos and presentations. Use Powtoon to create engaging online lessons for in-classroom and remote learning. Leverage ready-made templates to drag and drop elements. Powtoon is a user-friendly video creation tool for the less technical video content creator. Customize available templates or design your own with voiceovers, images, and music.

• Pros – User-friendly with drag-and-drop functionality.
• Cons – Limited customization options
• User reviews – “The range of templates makes it easy to get started, even for those of us without a background in animation. However, sometimes I wish there were more customization options to really make our videos unique.”

Animoto

Turn photos and short video clips into full-fledged videos and slideshows. Online course creators can use Animoto to create ads, social posts, tutorials, and newsletters. Choose from a wide variety of ready-made styles and add text or music to your material to convert it into a video.

• Pros – Easy to use, great templates
• Cons – Limited advanced editing features
• User reviews – “I love the drag-and-drop interface and the variety of templates. It’s perfect for quick, professional-looking videos for social media.”

SharpeyeAnimation

SharpeyeAnimation provides custom animated video production for e-learning and marketing businesses on service model. The key features include handmade videos and unlimited revision policy.

Flixtime

Flixtime is a free site you can use to create production-quality, custom videos with text, images, and videos. The tool allows you to create, download, ad share a 1-minute video for free. Flixtime also offers selected award-winning soundtracks and stock music to enhance video appeal.

• Pros – Simple interface
• Cons – Limited functionality
• User reviews – “Flixtime offers a straightforward platform for creating short video clips, but the features are quite basic, which limits creative freedom.”

Screencast-o-Matic

Get fast and free screen recording for material that’s not solely in a browser window. Use options to record screencasts, webcam recordings, or both. With the added ability to record your voice and use a microphone. The Pro Recorder offers editing effects such as drawing on the screen, zooming in, creating options, and sharing tools.

• Pros – Simple interface
• Cons – Limited functionality
• User reviews – “A go-to for screen recording and basic editing. It is affordable and functional, though it lacks some of the advanced features of its competitors.”

                                                              Procedure of developing an E-learning course

Magisto

Turn photos and videos into edited movies. Magisto allows you to capture video from within the app or upload one. Then, select an editing style, soundtrack, and title your video. The app automatically adds special effects and filters to it. Magisto Shot turns photos and text snippets into micro-movies.

• Pros – AI-driven, quick edits
• Cons – Limited user control
• User reviews – “It’s good for quick edits and social media content but doesn’t offer much control.”

ScreenFlow

This intuitive, Mac-only video recording software allows you to screen-record iOS devices. Get access to a stock media library of 0.5+ million media clips to use in videos. The app boasts of several standard video recording features such as GIF creation and annotation capabilities.

• Pros – Comprehensive features, high-quality output
• Cons – Primarily for Mac users, can be pricey
• User reviews – “More than a screen recorder; it’s a powerful editing tool. Ideal for Mac users looking to produce high-quality videos and tutorials.”

VideoScribe

VideoScribe automatically animates anything you position on its canvas. The tool comes with a large library of selected graphics. Other appealing features include voiceover recording, calls to action, soundtracks, and text-adding capabilities. Publish the created video on your website or share it on social or in emails.

• Pros – Unique whiteboard animation, intuitive
• Cons – Niche application
• User reviews – “Perfect for creating whiteboard animations. It’s intuitive and offers a unique way to present information engagingly.”

Wirecast

Use this live streaming video software for conferences, live tutoring, etc. The tool can capture feeds from multiple devices, such as web feeds, microphones, and live camera feeds. Also, get live production software and encoding capabilities.

• Pros – Professional live streaming, high-quality production
• Cons – Steep learning curve
• User reviews – “Wirecast is my go-to for live streaming with professional-grade production. It has a steep learning curve but offers incredible control and quality.”

Screenr

This web-based recorder allows you to seamlessly capture your screen without having to install it. Record a maximum of 5-minute long videos using Screenr. Videos created can be embedded in websites or shared across social media. Screenr works with MAC and PC, and even with an iPhone.

• Pros – Was easy to use
• Cons – No longer available
• User reviews – “Straightforward web-based screen recorder but is no longer available. It was great for quick captures.”

GoPlay

This Windows video recording software lets you create high-definition videos quickly and edit them. A standout feature of GoPlay is the picture-in-picture option. It lets you record both your PC screen and yourself via webcam simultaneously. Editing options include trimming, filters, cropping, and captioning.

• Pros – Easy for beginners, basic screen recording
• Cons – Lacks advanced features
• User reviews – “Decent for beginners with its simple editing tools and screen recording capabilities, but it lacks advanced features for more serious video editors.”

eLearning Video Tools for Editing

Elearning video tools for editing help you fine-tune your videos. You can use these eLearning video tools to trim down your videos and edit all the irrelevant parts. You can add features, overlays, and more.

Camtasia

This screencasting + editor tool offers high flexibility to create long videos and add overlays. Get powerful editing, animation, and interactive features with special effects. You can even upload your videos straight to Vimeo, Facebook, YouTube, and Screencast. I have also used the paid version of this for creating tutorials.

InVideo

InVideo is a versatile video editor with a focus on video marketing. The tool comes with thousands of stickers, images, and text boxes to create engaging video content. The free option includes the entire feature set with 1 GB storage and 720p video resolution.

• Pros – Wide template selection, rich stock media
• Cons – Can be overwhelming for new users
• User reviews – “Offers a lot of creative flexibility with its wide range of templates and stock media, great for creating videos quickly and efficiently.”

Adobe Premiere Pro

This one’s highly popular with professional video editors and post-production professionals. The non-linear editing tool enables direct access through a video acquisition source. It’s stable, responsive, and has all professional features you might need in creating the best online courses.

• Pros – Extensive features, professional-grade
• Cons – High cost, steep learning curve
• User reviews – “Industry standard for video editing. Its vast range of features and integrations makes it the top choice for professionals like us”

iMovie

iMovie is an iOS-based video editing software. Start editing on an iPhone and finish up on a Mac machine. Add beautiful titles and credits. Use picture-in-picture and split-screen effects. And, pick from 10 creative video filters for that cinematic touch.

• Pros – Free for Mac users, user-friendly
• Cons – Limited advanced features
• User reviews – “iMovie is fantastic for quick edits and personal projects. It’s free for Mac users and offers enough features for basic video editing.”

Filmora

Filmora works on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. Get up to 100 layers of media, YouTube and Vimeo export, precision speed control. Use creative filters and split-screen effects, besides several other attractive features.

• Pros – Balanced functionality, easy to learn
• Cons – Watermark in the free version
• User reviews – “For me, it strikes a good balance between functionality and ease of use, offering a range of effects and tools for creators of all levels.”

Blender

Blender is an open-source video editing software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The editor comes with video cutting and splicing features, besides more sophisticated ones such as video masking, audio mixing, waveform visualization, and histogram displays. Blender works for both beginners and advanced video editors.

• Pros – Powerful 3D and video editing, free
• Cons – Complex for beginners
• User reviews – “It is not just for 3D modeling but also has impressive video editing capabilities. It’s free and open-source, though it has a steep learning curve”

Lightworks

Lightworks is for Linux, Mac, and Windows. The free version offers multicam support, high-precision video trimming, a wide range of video formats, and exporting to 720p for YouTube uploading. The tool is best for holistic desktop video editing.

• Pros – Professional features, free version available
• Cons – Challenging for newcomers
• User reviews – “Lightworks is a professional video editing tool that’s free to use. It offers comprehensive features but looks challenging to master.”

Shotcut

Shotcut is another open-source software available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It supports a variety of video formats and boasts a collection of tutorial videos. The most striking features include 4k HD resolution support and timeline editing.

• Pros – Open-source, feature-rich
• Cons – Interface can be clunky
• User reviews – “Great open-source video editor with a range of features. It’s a bit clunky at times but offers good flexibility and no cost.”

Pinnacle Studio

Pinnacle Studio is a great video editing software for beginners with rich features. The tool is intuitive and accessible with simple drag-and-drop features. Capture and import material from various sources and include unique effects such as stop-motion and 360-degree editing.

• Pros – Powerful tools and effects
• Cons – Can be complex for simple edits
• User reviews – “Pinnacle Studio provides powerful editing tools and effects which make it ideal for more complex projects, though it may be overkill for simple tasks.”

Splice

This video editing software for mobile is free and fully featured for the iPhone and iPad. Features include trimming, speed control, and custom audio narration.

• Pros – Mobile-friendly, intuitive
• Cons – Limited compared to desktop editors
• User reviews – “Great for mobile editing, with an intuitive interface and decent features for quick, on-the-go video edits.”

FilmoraGo

FilmoraGo is a free mobile alternative of the Filmora software, available on both Android and iOS. Users can create videos without watermarks and time limits and share them directly across social media.

• Pros – User-friendly, good selection of effects and templates
• Cons – Some advanced features are paid
• User reviews – “I’ve been using FilmoraGo for quick mobile edits, and it’s fantastic for that purpose. Easy to use with plenty of effects and templates, it makes video editing on the phone a breeze.”

OpenShot

This is a cross-platform, open-source video editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac. Top features include title editor with templates, trimming and slicing, unlimited tracks and layers, background removal, Slow-mo, and 3D animations.

• Pros – Free and open-source, simple to use
• Cons – Can be unstable or buggy
• User reviews – “No-cost editing tool with enough features to satisfy most of my video editing needs. It’s open-source and straightforward but can be buggy at times.”

Elearning Quiz Creation Tools

Any eLearning experience wouldn’t be complete without testing the student on how much they’ve learned. Quizzes help students to remain sharp and work as a great tool to enhance learning. This is why every great platform opts for a good eLearning quiz tool.

Edpuzzle

Check if remote learners are watching your content. Know how many times a student is looking at a specific video, and assess if they’re understanding the content. Use videos from Khan Academy, YouTube, Crash Course and more, or upload your own video to add interactiveness.

• Pros – Enhances video interactivity, tracks engagement
• Cons – Limited question type variety
• User reviews – “Edpuzzle has transformed how I create interactive video lessons. It’s easy to integrate questions and track student engagement, although I wish there were more question types.”

PlayPosit

Allow learners to explore and interact with online course material at their pace and interest. Enrich video content with PlayPosit using graded fill-in-the-blanks, multi-choice questions, and quizzes. Accelerate learning through interactive videos.

• Pros – Comprehensive analytics, interactive features
• Cons – Time-consuming lesson creation
• User reviews – “Invaluable tool for building interactive video lessons. The analytics are insightful, but creating bulbs (lessons) can be time-consuming.”

Vizia

Engage viewers into your online course by integrating polls, quizzes, and CTAs into videos through Vizia. Ask questions and multiple-choice quizzes and collect feedback through your online videos.

• Pros – Easy to add interactivity to videos
• Cons – Basic features, limited customization
• User reviews – “It’s quite basic but does the job for creating engaging video content with quizzes and calls to action”

QuizBean

QuizBean is an effective online video quizzing tool that allows embedding videos into quiz questions. Quickly send quizzes to your learners and track student progress with real-time analytics.

• Pros – Quick and easy quiz creation
• Cons – Limited analytics and design options
• User reviews – “An okay platform for quick quizzes. It’s fairly simple and good for rapid quiz creation, but it lacks depth in analytics and design flexibility”

iSpring QuizMaker

iSpring QuizMaker comes with an easy-to-use interface and several quiz design options. It allows you to embed images, audio, and video files within questions, enhancing the learning and assessment effectiveness.

• Pros – Wide range of question types, detailed reporting
• Cons – Learning curve for new users
• User reviews – “The variety of question types and detailed reporting are excellent, though it can be quite complex for beginners.”

Kaltura

Evaluate video engagement and content comprehension by using Kaltura. Include questions and solutions in the video experience. Online video quizzing improves active learning, measurement, and brings a new way to improve learning outcomes.

• Pros – Comprehensive video platform, feature-rich
• Cons – Complex, requires training
• User reviews – “It’s versatile but can be overwhelming without proper training”

EduClipper/Participate

EduClipper is now Participate. The tool is available on web and as an iOS app. It allows creating lesson boards with videos and other multimedia content. Integrate various assessments, including quizzes to track learning.

• Pros – Good for resource curation and collaboration
• Cons – Shifted focus from content curation to professional development
• User reviews – “It’s great for curating educational content and resources. It’s more of a collaborative platform now, focusing on teacher professional development.”

Seesaw

Seesaw offers various options for assessment. The tool works on the web and is also available as an app. It allows teachers to create interactive video lessons to keep a tab on student progress. Ideal for classrooms and remote teaching.

• Pros – Enhances student engagement, easy to use
• Cons – Limited features in the free version
• User reviews – “Seesaw has been a game-changer in student engagement and portfolio management. It’s intuitive for both teachers and students, though I find the free version quite limited.”

Buncee

Buncee is a video creation and communication tool for educators. Create interactive videos and allow students to visualize concepts and learn creatively. It has an interactive drag-and-drop interface to aid in creating multimedia content. Embed quizzes and other forms of assessments with ease.

• Pros – Creative and interactive, user-friendly
• Cons – Costly subscription for full features
• User reviews – “Creative platform for making interactive lessons and presentations. It’s user-friendly and versatile, though the subscription can be pricey for the full suite of features.”

Online Teaching platforms

As an educator, you might not want to go through the hassle of building your own website and video infrastructure. It’s always better to play with your strength. While you focus on creating quality content, you can let these teaching platforms take care of the rest.

Teachable

Create and market your course with custom branding and control over your content/pricing. Build a website. Create a sales page to launch your course. Use coupon codes to accelerate subscriptions. Avail international payment options, affiliate programs, email marketing, and more. Here’s a short comparison of Teachable with other popular video platforms like Teachable vs Thinkific

• Pros – User-friendly interface, comprehensive course-building tools
• Cons – Higher transaction fees on basic plans
• User reviews – “Its user interface is intuitive, making course creation and management straightforward. However, I find the transaction fees a bit steep on the lower-tier plans”

Podia

Create and sell videos online and digital downloads using Podia. You get a separate landing page for your course. Podia lets you immediately publish your course or pre-launch it to build your mailing list. Bundle audios, checklists, and other assets along with video content.

• Pros – All-in-one platform for courses, digital products, and memberships
• Cons – Limited advanced marketing tools
• User reviews – “Podia is a gem for selling digital products and memberships along with courses. It’s all-in-one, so I don’t need separate tools. Yet, I wish it had more advanced marketing features.”

Thinkific

Use a ready-made course structure out-of-the-box. Create your first video course without feeling overwhelmed. Choose from templates such as a flagship course, mini-course, webinar replay, etc. Other features include course bundles, marketing, coupons, promotions, and integrations. You can also do a Thinkific vs Kajabi before getting started as both are equally good and close competitors.

• Pros – Extensive customization options, strong community support
• Cons – Free plan is limited, paid plans required for advanced features
• User reviews – “This robust platform allows me to customize courses extensively. The free plan is great to start with, but moving to a paid plan was necessary for more advanced options”

Teachery

This one comes with zero transaction fees. Best suited for beginners, Teachery lets you access many features without upgrades and commissions. A dedicated support team assists you with taking your online course off the ground.

• Pros – Affordable, straightforward course creation
• Cons – Lacks some advanced features and customization options
• User reviews – “No-frills option for course creation. It’s simple and effective, though it lacks some of the bells and whistles of more expensive platforms.”

Ruzuku

Ruzuku allows you to start and sell online courses fast. Besides, it encourages students to communicate and collaborate, having to track their progress throughout. Seamlessly set up your course with minimal technical know-how. Use features such as support options, daily backups, and teleconferencing.

• Pros – Easy setup, good student engagement features
• Cons – Limited design customization
• User reviews – “I love the direct student engagement features. However, the design options are somewhat limited, which can affect the overall course aesthetic.”

Kajabi

Kajabi takes video course creation to the next level. It also allows you to automate the marketing of your video course. Connect landing pages with checkout pages for exclusive offers and course launches. Upsell and cross-sell existing buyers seamlessly. If you’re looking to compare Kajabi with other LMS platforms, we’ve got you covered with a Kajabi vs Thinkific here.

• Pros – Comprehensive all-in-one solution for course creation, marketing, and sales.
• Cons – Higher cost, may be complex for beginners
• User reviews – “It offers extensive tools for course creation, marketing, and sales. It’s an investment, but for a full-service platform, it’s worth it.”

WizIQ

Sell video courses and mock tests. Besides, WizIQ allows you to hold live classes. Virtual classrooms in this tool are full of features such as YouTube video streaming, screen sharing, live chat, polling and surveying, along with whiteboards, circuit diagrams, shapes, graphs, and maps.

• Pros – Excellent for live training and webinars, good virtual classroom features
• Cons – Steep learning curve, somewhat dated interface
• User reviews – “WizIQ’s virtual classroom environment is excellent for live training sessions. The learning curve is a bit steep, but it’s a solid choice for real-time teaching and training.”

Learnworlds

Set up your own online school with multiple teachers, websites, and a course catalog. Add instructors and their corresponding courses. Learnworlds allows you to become an admin and offer as many online video courses as you’d like. Get features such as custom domain names, coupons, and payment gateway.

• Pros – Strong interactive and social learning features, high customization
• Cons – overwhelming due to feature richness, higher price point
• User reviews – “Fantastic for creating interactive and social learning experiences”

Academy of Mine

Get a full website to launch your online video course. Choose from a fully hosted template that offers landing pages, galleries, and course offering pages. Generate chapters and units, embed quizzes, assignments, and give out badges and certificates.

• Pros – Highly customizable, great for enterprise-level training
• Cons – Expensive, more suitable for established businesses or professionals
• User reviews – “Comprehensive, customizable platform suited for high-end course creators. It’s expensive, but you get what you pay for in terms of capabilities and support.”

Udemy

With over 20000subject matter experts, Udemy has disrupted the educational ecosystem. The e-learning platform comes with tools to create PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and videos to curate the perfect course.

• Pros – Large audience reach, no upfront costs for course hosting
• Cons – High competition, limited control over pricing and student data
• User reviews – “Great for reaching a broad audience, but the competition is fierce, and revenue share can be disappointing. It’s perfect for starting out and testing the waters in online teaching.”

Educadium

Through its EasyCampus platform, Educadium allows entrepreneurs and organizations to create, manage, and earn from online video courses. Use a plethora of features for course designing and publishing.

• Pros – Simple, budget-friendly platform
• Cons – Basic functionality, limited scalability
• User reviews – “Straightforward, budget-friendly platform for hosting online courses. It doesn’t have all the advanced features, but it’s reliable and easy to use”

Skillshare

Almost all courses on Skillshare have two key components- video and class projects. Earn through Skillshare’s Partner Program by enrolling 25 learners per class, and a few other pre-requisites. Top teachers on this platform make nearly $40000 annually.

• Pros – Community-focused, good for creative content
• Cons – Pay based on student engagement, limited control over course pricing
• User reviews – “Earning potential is based on engagement, which is a double-edged sword but motivates creating compelling content”

CourseCraft

Turn your blog into a course. The editor of CourseCraft is simple and powerful to create various kinds of courses. It’s integrated with PayPal and Stripe. Run discounts and offers. Students can collaborate with peers and instructors to create a knowledge ecosystem.

• Pros – Easy to use, good for small-scale course creators
• Cons – Lacks advanced analytics, limited customization options.
• User reviews – “Simple and effective for launching courses quickly. While it lacks some advanced analytics and customization, its ease of use makes it a good option for beginners.”

Here’s a comparison of 3 of the most commonly used Online Teaching Platforms i.e. Teachable vs Thinkific vs Kajabi

WordPress LMS Plugins

If you don’t want to opt for an eLearning teaching platform, you can always go for WordPress and use an LMS plugin, and voila, you get your own platform.

WordPress LMS Plugins allow you to create classes, share assignments, and resources with your students. They are quintessential when it comes to a WordPress-based teaching platform.

LifterLMS

This one is a powerful WordPress plugin that makes it easier for you to create and sell online video courses on your site. LifterLMS focuses on engagement with features such as achievement badges, social learning, 1:1 private coaching, and certificates. Monetize the LMS platform by selling site-wide membership, bundling courses, and selling individual courses.

• Pros – Comprehensive with deep integration options.
• Cons – Can be costly with advanced add-ons.
• User reviews – “LifterLMS offers a wide range of features that cater to all my e-learning needs. It’s a bit pricey when you start adding multiple extensions, but the functionality is top-notch.”

LearnDash

LearnDash is a superior LMS plugin that makes it a breeze to create and sell courses, quizzes, award certificates, etc. Support gamification, micro-content, and social learning through your online video courses with this cutting-edge plugin. Encourage students to earn points by completing courses to unlock new courses, facilitating engagement.

• Pros – Feature-rich, highly flexible.
• Cons – Steeper learning curve.
• User reviews – “LearnDash has transformed how we deliver online courses. The learning curve was a bit challenging at first, but it’s incredibly powerful once you get the hang of it.”

WooCommerce Sensei

Sensei comes with an extension for WooCommerce. Add it to an e-commerce store that sells online video courses. The basics of Sensei are simple- create courses, write lessons, and add quizzes. The standout factor of Sensei is its seamless integration with WooCommerce. Leverage course analytics, quizzes, automated quiz grading, WordPress-like user registration, and easy pricing/charging.

• Pros – Seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce.
• Cons –  Limited features compared to standalone LMS solutions.
• User reviews – “Integrating Sensei with my WooCommerce store was straightforward, making it easy to sell courses. However, I find it lacking in advanced LMS features that other platforms offer.”

LearnPress

The cleanest and simplest choice for a WordPress LMS plugin is LearnPress. One downside here is the customer support that’s not as robust as with other premium plugins. Activate a few add-ons to make your online course website as advanced as you’d like. Use add-ons for course reviews, wishlists, pre-requisites, and importing or exporting capabilities.

• Pros – Free with optional premium add-ons.
• Cons – Support can be inconsistent.
• User reviews – “LearnPress is a cost-effective solution for my online courses. While it’s great for a tight budget, getting timely support can sometimes be a hassle.”

CoursePress Pro

CoursePress Pro retired in May 2019 and is no longer supported by WPMUDev. The code is available on GitHub if you want to fork and maintain it. Use CoursePress Pro if you need several learning websites. Connect with over 13 payment gateways, upload quizzes, automate instructor feedback, and upload audio, video, text, and course files.

• Pros – Offers a wide range of e-learning features.
• Cons – Has been discontinued in favor of other solutions.
• User reviews – “CoursePress Pro was a comprehensive tool for creating and managing online courses. It’s a shame it has been phased out for newer platforms.”

WP Courseware

Use WP Courseware for less complicated pricing. It’s used by the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin Madison. Speak with active tutors on the member portal, use the seamless drag-and-drop designer, integrate with your preferred e-commerce plugin, or run a multi-instructor system by assigning each teacher a specific role.

• Pros – Drag-and-drop course creation, user-friendly.
• Cons – Lacks some advanced features.
• User reviews – “WP Courseware made it easy for me to create courses. While it’s fantastic for getting up and running quickly, I wish it had more depth in some areas.”

Good LMS

Create courses like you would a WordPress blog post with this one. Build quizzes, certificates, and courses right from the WP Dashboard. Features include coupon codes, real-time countdowns, process lines, and student backends where learners can see their scores, badges, progress, and retake quizzes.

• Pros – Cost-effective with essential LMS features.
• Cons – Not as feature-rich as other LMS options.
• User reviews – “Good LMS is a budget-friendly option for setting up courses. It covers the basics well, though it doesn’t have the advanced features of more expensive LMS platforms.”

MasterStudy LMS

Easily customize, create, and manage online video lessons with MasterStudy LMS. Use variety in lessons with slideshows, videos, and text. Display correct and incorrect answers in quiz results. Leverage a messaging and announcement system and seamless certificate creation. While offering all core features, MasterStudy LMS lags in allowing gamification of the learning experience.

• Pros – Integrated with a powerful theme, visually appealing.
• Cons – Can be a bit cumbersome to customize.
• User reviews – “MasterStudy LMS looks great and offers a good user experience. Customizing it to fit my exact needs can be tricky, but overall, it’s a solid choice.”

Membership 2

This membership WP plugin comes as a free software with a paid pro version. It’s designed for ease-of-use for the beginner course creator. Use the how-to guide to kickstart your online video course creation journey. Grant content access for lessons and courses to various membership levels.

• Pros – Integrates with WordPress for membership-based sites.
• Cons – Development and updates are limited.
• User reviews – “Membership 2 was easy to integrate with my WordPress site for managing memberships, though it seems to lack regular updates and new features.”

WP eMember

This one offers a robust plugin with bot content protection and features such as Drip content capabilities. Create multiple membership levels, grant differential access to content, and use in-page partial protection with shortcodes. Effectively minimize content piracy risk in your online video courses.

• Pros – Simple membership management, integrates well with WordPress.
• Cons – Basic functionality, lacks some advanced features.
• User reviews – “Straightforward for managing site memberships. It’s pretty basic but does the job effectively for a simple membership setup.”

Namaste! LMS

This free LMS plugin allows you to create different rules to access courses after completing pre-requisite courses. Features include grading system, certificates, badges, and a progress bar that shows students how far they’ve come in a course. It’s a simplistic LMS plugin for the beginner course creator.

• Pros – Free and straightforward LMS plugin.
• Cons – More suitable for basic e-learning setups.
• User reviews – “Decent start for someone new to online course delivery. It’s quite basic, but for a free tool, it provides good value.” 

Payment gateways

After you’ve done setting up your website, a payment gateway is the next big step. After all, you can create the best platform for your users. If you are not able to monetize it, or users are not able to pay due to several reasons. It can be pretty counterproductive for you as an eLearning platform.

Pricing Strategy

PayPal

PayPal is one of the most trusted payment gateway, ideal for your online course website. It charges a monthly fee for Advanced and Pro users. The customer support and ease of use make it an appealing option. While it has higher transaction fees, flexibility, and ease of integration make it worthwhile.

• Pros – Widely accepted, easy to use.
• Cons – Fees can be high, account freezes reported.
• User reviews – “PayPal is incredibly convenient and trusted worldwide. However, I’ve had issues with unexpected account limitations, which can be a hassle.”

Stripe

Stripe is customizable, quick, secure, and easy to set up. Allow customers to buy your course directly from a tweet or save card information for one-click checkouts. Stripe can help you accept alternative forms of currency, such as ACH and Bitcoins.

• Pros – Excellent API, seamless integration.
• Cons – Not available in all countries.
• User reviews – “Stripe’s integration into my platform was smooth, and their developer tools are top-notch. Just wish they were available in more countries.”

RazorPay

Offer your course buyers net banking, wallets, and all card options to pay for your content. RazorPay is one of the faster-growing payment gateways. Easily integrate with your online video course website. Primarily an Indian company but supports international payment way.

• Pros – Tailored for Indian market, feature-rich.
• Cons – Limited global reach.
• User reviews – “Razorpay has been a game-changer for my India-based business, offering many localized payment options. However, its services are limited outside India.”

CCAvenue

One of the longest-service gateways, CCAvenue, is considered highly reliable and trusted. Customer trust is critical in the payment processor industry and CCAvenue banks on that. Integrate it with your site for secure payments.

• Pros – Wide range of payment options, strong in Indian market.
• Cons – User interface can be clunky.
• User reviews – “CCAvenue supports an extensive array of payment methods, which is great for my customers in India, but the user interface feels outdated.”

WePay

WePay can handle complex payment requests such as crowdfunding campaigns and multiple payers. The payment gateway is tailored for both international as well as domestic markets. WePay even offers modern payment options, such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. It conforms to your unique needs, setting itself apart from other platforms.

• Pros – Good for platform businesses, integrated payments.
• Cons – Limited to US and some other countries.
• User reviews – “WePay offers great solutions for platform-based businesses like mine, but its geographic availability is too restricted.”

Authorize.net

Use a host of flexible and trusted payment options designed for small and medium businesses. Besides payment options such as checks and mobile payments, Authorize.net also caters to recurring and subscription billing. Use in-site ordering, simplified PCI compliance, custom checkout pages, and an Advanced Fraud Detection Suite.

• Pros – Reliable and secure, wide acceptance.
• Cons – Setup can be complex, fees.
• User reviews – “Authorize.net is a stalwart in online payments, known for reliability. Setting it up was a bit complex, and there are various fees to consider.”

2Checkout

2Checkout offers heavily customizable hosted checkouts and seamless integrations, leaving the checkout experience on brand. Set up your business globally with 15 different languages and 87 currencies. Use an easy-to-incorporate payment API to embed credit card processing on your site.

• Pros – Global payment acceptance, multiple currency options.
• Cons – Higher fees and complex fee structure.
• User reviews – “2Checkout expands my market reach globally and handles multiple currencies”

PayUBiz

PayUBiz offers a wide variety of customizations for both small and mid-sized businesses. With a fast merchant onboarding process, get your gateway setup instantly. PayUBiz focuses on user experience, and so do you as an online video course creator.

• Pros – Tailored for the Indian market, comprehensive features.
• Cons – Can be complex to integrate.
• User reviews – “PayUBiz provides a robust payment solution for my business in India, but integration was more complicated than I expected.”

InstaMojo

This is one of the cheaper options for a payment gateway. No installation costs, and highly recommended for businesses offering physical goods. However, for digital goods, their transaction discount rate is five percent. Setup your website with InstaMojo and integrate seamless payment processes for success.

• Pros – Simple setup, instant payment collection.
• Cons – Primarily for the Indian market.
• User reviews – “InstaMojo made it really easy to start collecting payments for my small business, though it’s mainly suitable for Indian users.”

Worldpay

This is a UK-based (global) service offering omnichannel payment solutions for businesses of all sizes. Pay as you go or pick a monthly payment option as per your needs. Leverage automated billing, customizable loyalty cards, card updates, card-on-file support, and simplified backend payment settlement.

• Pros – Global reach, wide range of payment options.
• Cons – Customer service can be slow, complex fee structure.
• User reviews – “Worldpay’s global payment capabilities are impressive, but I’ve experienced slow customer service responses and the fees can be confusing.”

GoEmerchant

Don’t want a contract-based solution? GoEmerchant is a monthly service offering simple and straightforward features with a pre-configured web store design. Set up an eCommerce platform from scratch with a web storefront, payment gateway, and a customer account management platform. Configure your gateway and set up a merchant account, hassle-free.

• Pros – Integrated solutions for online and physical stores.
• Cons – Pricing can be opaque.
• User reviews – “GoEmerchant offers a good range of services for both my online and offline sales, though getting clear pricing information was challenging.”

Merchant One

Competitive rates with this payment gateway can allow online teachers with the slimmest margins to earn good revenue. Easily set up a merchant account and start accepting credit card payments quickly. The only downside is that you need to sign a contract that comes with cancellation charges.

• Pros – Offers solutions for high-risk merchants.
• Cons – Reports of aggressive sales tactics and hidden fees.
• User reviews – “Merchant One was one of the few processors willing to take on my high-risk business, but be wary of aggressive sales tactics and unclear fees.”

MerchantPlus

This one is a great e-learning course payment gateway if you need competitive rates, advanced customer support choices, and shopping cart features. This is an ideal choice for a reliable, easy, and simple solution for e-learning professionals. The credit card processing system easily integrates with most shopping cart software, accounting software, and web stores.

• Pros – Competitive rates, good for small to medium-sized businesses.
• Cons – Customer support issues reported.
• User reviews – “MerchantPlus offered competitive rates for my business, but I’ve found their customer support could be more responsive.”

Video Hosting & Player Options

Opting for video hosting is the best option for anyone with their own website. It is always recommended to keep your website’s hosting and video hosting to be separate. As in case of using the same for both can put a heavy load on your website and in turn disrupt user experience. These video hosting services not only cater to the hosting part, but also gives you an access to complete video infrastructure required to stream your videos online.

VdoCipher

VdoCipher.com provides video hosting for online course businesses to help them stream content on their site/app in a most secure and smooth manner. The key features are the highest security from video piracy through Hollywood Grade DRM encryption & watermarking technologies; and smoothest streaming at slow connections due to optimized encoding at lower sizes. Packaged offerings include Amazon AWS server + CDN integration, Transcoding,  API & Plugin integration, Custom Player, Offline app playback & Per video analytics. VdoCipher already serves e-learning and media businesses from 40+ countries with its offerings.

Brightcove

Brightcove encourages its users to leverage videos to move their business in critical ways. This could be in distributing, communicating, showcasing, or venture exchanges. This is a great video hosting platform if you are looking for high speed and more power over your video content.

Wistia

This one is a popular old tool for video hosting for entrepreneurs. Pay based on the number of recordings, and get the first three for free. Use more detailed analytical capabilities, adjust display dimensions, password-protect videos, add CTA links and lead capture forms, and include SEO keyword phrases in your video description and title.

Vimeo

Get an attractive interface to distribute your online video content. While the transferring space is limited, the incredible examination framework compensates for it. Get several customization options, powerful analytics capabilities, higher quality video display than YouTube, no ads and popups, and a strong network.

Kaltura

Flip traditional teaching with Kaltura as your online video hosting platform. Get gamification features, intuitive UX, and leverage the current trends in video creation with this leading video hosting platform for online course creators. Use excellent support and improve learning outcomes for your students.

Panopto

This is an ideal platform for online course hosting for colleges and businesses alike. Use features such as live streaming, recording, and sharing video content. With little to no technical know-how, Panopto allows you to host videos seamlessly for better learner engagement.

YouTube

Use YouTube and create a full-time career as an online course tutor. The SEO value of optimized video makes this platform attractive. Embed YouTube videos on your site or landing pages, enable video sharing, encourage subscriptions, and earn through the ads platform.

Video Hosting/Website Server options

In case you are looking to host the content of your courses including the videos on your own (instead of going for a 3rd party video hosting platform), then below are the popular cloud options.

Amazon AWS Cloud

Use Amazon AWS Cloud for two streaming services- on-demand video streaming and live video streaming. Use flexible pricing with the pay-as-you-go model, leverage 99.99 percent content availability, support data security, and features such as storage optimization.

Google Cloud Platform

With the Google Cloud Platform, render huge workloads at peak hours, live stream video to masses, and launch new applications. Use Google’s Anvato for video broadcasting and OTT content delivery. Generate closed captions in over 80 languages and rest assured about your video content’s security, reach, and availability.

Microsoft Azure Cloud

Decrease the complexity and cost of cross-platform content. Use streaming services for local, low-scale streaming. Leverage DVR workflow capabilities and prepare video assets with required quality resolutions and levels for any device. Get flexible pricing and inexpensive video hosting.

Akamai

This video hosting server can eliminate challenges concerning the preparation, delivery, and monetization of online video content. Minimize complexity with a managed service for streaming with a video hosting server monitored 24/7 by specialists. Provide a premium viewing experience to your viewers by extending video libraries and streaming videos to any device seamlessly.

Domain name providers

Godaddy

One of the oldest players in this industry, GoDaddy offers a wide variety of popular domain extensions to choose from. Get a huge discount on your first year of domain registration on GoDaddy. The powerful domain management interface makes it a breeze to transfer your domain name or change its settings.

Bluehost

This one is one of the largest hosting companies, also an official WordPress hosting partner. Get started for $2.75 per month and get reliable support and customer service as part of your domain registration.

HostGator

A one-stop-shop for domain names and shared site hosting. They also offer domain privacy, extensions, and easy DNS management tools. Quickly find a suitable domain name and manage domain names seamlessly within the domain management area.

Namecheap

The powerful domain search tool helps you find the right domain name. Also, use add-on services such as premium DNS and domain privacy. A standout feature si that they offer free domain privacy with all domain names. The domain management tool might not be the ideal one out of all options here.

DreamHost

DreamHost is another known name in the market for domain names registration. Get 400+ TLDs and all domain management tools you can expect from a large service provider. Register a domain without hosting or get both services under one umbrella.

Shopify

Start an e-commerce store to sell your online courses without any technical proficiency with Shopify. Quickly set up your store using a custom domain name. Also, get the option to move your domain name to another service when need be. One downside is that Shopify doesn’t offer email addresses along with the domain names.

Domain.com

This provider specializes in domain names, VPS hosting, web hosting, SSL certificates, email, and online marketing services. No matter which hosting plan you choose, get at least one free domain name with SSL certificate, unlimited disk space, e-commerce solutions, and marketing tools- everything you might need for your online course website.

Moodle LMS

Moodle LMS is a world-leading online learning management system with hundreds of millions of users around the globe. Exploring the essentials of Moodle Video Hosting can also enhance your educational content. Kickstart your Moodle online course with ready-made templates, use analytics and reporting to increase student engagement, and earn better learning outcomes through your online video courses.

Online resources to learn how to set up an online course

How to Create an Awesome Online Course on UdemyIn this Udemy course, learn about the opportunities for monetizing your online courses. Validate the course idea, promote your course, and monetize. Also, get more information on the hardware and software needs of setting up a course.
How to Create, Sell, and Profit from an Online Course from PodiaWatch the one-hour video or read the 12,000-words guide. This resource breaks down creating an online course into easy parts such as deciding if it is right for you, finding your course idea, creating an outline, building the course content, setting a price on it, choosing a launch model, selling the course through email marketing, and so on.
Create and Sell Your Own Online Course from TeachableRegister for an online webinar by Teachable to learn how to create an online course on the platform. The webinar promises you to create your first course on the platform without any technical headaches. You will need to submit your email address to register for the webinar.
10 Steps to Creating a Wildly Successful Online Course on ThinkificThis 16-minute read breaks down the gigantic rock of creating and selling an online course on the web. Discover the ten major phases of creating an online course. Pick the perfect topic, ensure there is demand, create better learning outcomes, select and curate course content, and more with this guide that makes course creation sound like a child’s play.
How to Create an Online Course- a Step-by-Step Guide on LearnworldsThis is a massive guide to help you learn how much money you can make with an online course, the types of courses you can choose from, how you can bypass any mental blocks, create an online course step-by-step, and more. This is a different kind of content to help you get to creating and not think more about it.
How to Make Money with an Awesome Online Course: Social TriggerThis is a complete guide again. Right from committing to create a course, choosing a profitable idea, testing your idea, to getting students registered and launching your course. This guide also includes further resources in each of the steps, like a course idea worksheet to help you make decisions faster.

Elearning field famous blogs

Elearningindustry.com

This one is a top resource for everyone working or getting into the e-learning industry. Get hundreds of free resources, including webinars, ebooks, and articles about the left and right in the eLearning industry. The website also allows you to guest post articles to earn backlinks to your website.

Edtechreview.in

Get infographics, case reports, videos, books and documents, webinars, and courses all in one place. This blog is a comprehensive compilation of everything that’s new and hot in the e-learning industry. Publish a guest post and backlink to your website.

Coursera

Coursera has partnered with universities to offer students and learners free information on a wide variety of topics. The blog updates with three blog posts per week.

TeacherTube

This is a free community for sharing educational and instructional videos and content for teachers and students alike.

Swift E-learning and Training Blog

Swift E-learning is a top service provider in India, offering custom e-learning and software solutions to companies around the globe. Get in the know of the latest happenings, trends, and software freebies in the e-learning industry.

Online platforms to sell courses directly

Coursera

Some of the world’s best companies and universities such as the University of Stanford, Michigan, and Duke use Coursera to publish online video courses.

Lynda

Now LinkedIn Learning, this online course marketplace caters to business professionals. Add certifications and publish an online course seamlessly. 

Presentation & Infographic creation

Visme

While videos and text are the common teaching medium; adding detailed creative presentations and infographic gives the additional attractivity to your courses. Visme.co is one such popular tool that helps you add powerful visual stories in the form of engaging presentations, infographics, and other visual content.

FAQs

What are online course creation tools?

Online course creation tools are software applications that help educators and trainers design, develop, and deliver e-learning content. These tools can range from video production and editing software to learning management systems (LMS) and quiz creation applications, supporting various aspects of course development and delivery.

Are there free online course creation tools available?

Yes, there are free tools available, though they may offer limited features compared to paid versions. Tools like Moodle or Google Classroom can be used to create and deliver courses without a financial investment.

How can I evaluate the effectiveness of my online course?

Utilize analytics and feedback tools within the course creation platform to track engagement, completion rates, and learner feedback, which can help in evaluating and improving the course content.

Planning your online video course? Use resources mentioned above to create the best one yet. Did we forget to include your favorite solution or tool? Let us know in the comments below.

References:

https://www.vdocipher.com/blog/2016/11/wordpress-plugins-for-elearning/
https://www.wildapricot.com/articles/online-payment-services#best
https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/10-online-payment-gateways-compared/
https://www.learningrevolution.net/sell-online-courses/
https://www.getcloudapp.com/blog/best-video-recording-software
https://filmora.wondershare.com/screen-recorder/best-free-video-captures.html
https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/15-04-2018-top-10-video-editing-tools-for-small-business
https://learn.g2.com/11-best-free-video-editor-tools-beginners/
https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2017/02/6-excellent-tools-for-creating.html
https://americantesol.com/blogger/videoquizsites/
https://www.isitwp.com/best-wordpress-lms-plugins-compared/
https://medium.com/@didolores/8-online-teaching-platforms-that-will-make-you-want-to-teach-online-1b9b23dc2503
https://oedb.org/ilibrarian/6-free-platforms-teaching-online/
https://www.vdocipher.com/blog/2019/08/video-hosting-platform-online-courses/

Planning your online video course? Use resources mentioned abover to create the best one yet. Did we forget to include your favorite solution or tool? Let us know in the comments below.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post 101 Online Course Creation Tools appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

What is Video Encoding?

Video encoding is basically the process of converting raw or uncompressed video files into the required format. It is quite often used interchangeably with video transcoding, but there’s a slight difference. While video encoding converts raw files to another format. Video transcoding converts one format to another.

Video encoding is a lossy process, as not all the information originally in the video is kept. The final version of the video is the best approximation of the original video. Without encoding a single episode of ‘Stranger Things’ would be too bulky to efficiently stream online.

It is quite often used interchangeably with video transcoding, but there’s a slight difference. While video encoding converts raw files to another format. Video transcoding converts one format to another.

For optimum viewing experience, the right mix of quality and performance needs to be achieved, which can be only achieved by encoding the videos.

Encoding is vital for online video streaming as it wouldn’t be possible to stream videos, as the raw files are really big. Higher grade cameras with very good quality video leads to very high size video file as well, which makes it very important to encode it to the relevant quality and compress it a size that can be easily downloaded, transferred, or streamed

Whenever you upload a video to YouTube, it encodes the video using different codecs based on the purpose and platform. It’ll create different qualities and different video formats depending on the device the videos are being steamed on. YouTube users H.264 by default as it supports most devices and browsers. It also uses VP9 and AV1 for higher-quality video, as these codecs offer better compression and quality than H.264. For 4K Apple devices, it also uses HEVC codec for video encoding.

How Does the Video Encoding Process Work?

Video encoding works by using algorithms to identify and remove similar or nearly identical video frames. These algorithms find any pattern and reduce any redundancy, basically removing any unnecessary information in the video that a viewer might not notice and it wouldn’t affect his viewing experience.

It basically identifies any patterns, which can be used to reduce frames. Remove any frames, pixels or audio which can not be detected by the human eye or ear.

All this is done with the help of video and audio codecs. Codecs or ‘coder-decoder’ is the algorithm that makes it all happen. These codecs compress and decompress videos in order to stream videos to the end users.

Temporal Compression

Temporal compression in video encoding effectively reduces file size by focusing on changes between frames rather than duplicating static elements. For example, in a news broadcast with a stationary background, the encoding process preserves this unchanging backdrop in a single keyframe. Subsequent delta frames then record only the dynamic aspects, like the reporter’s movements.

This method, known as temporal compression, leverages the fact that many parts of the video frame remain unchanged over time. By omitting redundant information and only updating changes in the delta frames, codecs efficiently minimize data without constantly reconstructing the entire scene.

Spatial Compression

Spatial compression complements temporal compression by focusing on reducing redundancy within individual frames. This technique compresses keyframes by identifying and eliminating duplicate pixels within the same frame.

Using the news broadcast example, if the backdrop is a uniform color, spatial compression avoids re-encoding each pixel of the same color. Instead, it encodes the differences between pixel groups, significantly reducing file size. Spatial compression is crucial in modern codecs like H.264, H.265, AV1, and VP9, enhancing video encoding efficiency for streaming, broadcasting, and storage while maintaining video quality..

Why Would You Need to Encode your Videos?

Encoding your videos can help you in two parts, i.e. streaming, and compatibility. 

With streaming, video encoding makes it way easier to broadcast your videos online. The compression with encoding ensures lower bandwidth consumption along with better video quality. 

Compatibility is another reason why you would need to encode your videos. Different devices support different video formats, so you need to encode your videos to those specific formats. Even with different browser engines, you’d need different formats. 

This is why, while uploading your videos online, you need to make sure that your videos are available in all the different formats for browsers as well as different quality. So that your users can stream videos seamlessly on any browser, regardless of their internet speed. 

Other reasons to encode your videos can be to reduce file size, change video resolution, change the audio format, or to make videos of different video bitrates,

What Is Video Codec?

Video codecs are software that is used for the compression and playback of video files. The word “codec” stands for coder and decoder. They compress the original video and make it lighter for storage and later it is decompressed for viewing.

Video streaming involves both audio and video codecs, along with video metadata. Each video format has its own video codec, such as H264, H265, HEVC, VP8, etc. Also an audio codecs such as MP3, AAC, and WMA.

H.264 or AVC is the most widely used video codec. At the same file size, it provides a much better video bitrate than its predecessors.

Other popular video codecs are: 

H.265 or HVEC: It gives half the bitrate as H.264 and is good for playback of high-resolution videos. But the downside is that it uses about three times more resources than H.264. Also, even after some time after its release, it’s still not as popular as H.264,

VP9: It is a royalty-free and open-source codec developed by Google. It gives half the bitrate of VP8 and like H.265 it is also good for high-resolution videos and live streaming. But it is more difficult to encode and is also not widely supported

In simpler terms, a video needs to meet certain criteria to play on different devices or browsers. To convert them into the right format, video encoding is done to make sure that the video is playable regardless of the device. 

Cloud Video Encoding

Having an in-house video encoding solution certainly has its advantages. As it gives you better control over your workflow than any other solution online. This certainly helps in cases where the video files are quite large and need a lot of bandwidth. This is ideal for any business with a good team and infrastructure.

In case you are a media platform or an e-learning platform, that wants to host their video online without facing the hassle of all the tech parts. You should opt for a video hosting service, which takes care of the encoding for you. 

Business video hosting services like VdoCipher take care of it automatically whenever you upload videos on their platform. The raw videos are encoded into all the relevant formats and sizes. Making it easier for you to host videos, by just clicking the upload button, without having to care about video encoding, codecs and so.

This further saves the cost of creating, maintaining, and upgrading your in-house solution to encode your videos. 

FAQs for Video Encoding:

1. What is video encoding?

Video encoding is the process of converting a video file from one format to another, typically to reduce file size, improve compatibility, or enhance quality.

2. What are the different video encoding formats available?

Common video encoding formats include H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP9, AV1, and MPEG-4. Each format has its compression algorithms and features.

3. How does video encoding affect video quality?

Video encoding involves compressing video data, which can impact quality. Higher compression levels can result in lower quality, while lower compression levels preserve more detail but may increase file size.

4. What factors should be considered when choosing a video encoding format?

Factors to consider include compatibility with playback devices, file size, encoding speed, and desired video quality. Different formats offer varying levels of compression efficiency and support for features like HDR and 4K resolution.

5. Can video encoding be accelerated using hardware or software solutions?

Yes, video encoding can be accelerated using specialized hardware (e.g., GPUs) or software optimizations (e.g., encoding libraries). Hardware acceleration can significantly improve encoding speed and efficiency.

6. How can I optimize video encoding for streaming platforms?

To optimize video encoding for streaming, use adaptive bitrate streaming techniques, encode videos at multiple resolutions and bitrates, and use efficient encoding formats like H.264 or H.265. Additionally, consider optimizing encoding settings for fast start times and smooth playback.

Rahul Rana

Head of Digital Marketing at Vdocipher. I love the art of connecting the right product to their users. When i’m not doing that i love getting lost in books.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post What Is Video Encoding: Everything You Should Know! appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Once you have your webcam, microphone, and internet connection, you may begin using video calling. That is, once you have determined which application to use. Several video conferencing options are available, and deciding which one is best for your business can be challenging. This post will look at what video conferencing platforms is, what features to look for, and the main benefits for businesses using video meetings.

Of course, we may be prejudiced as a firm in the field. We certainly believe we are the best, but we will not expect you to take our word for it. In this tutorial, we’ll take a close look at all of your video conferencing software alternatives.

We’ll go through what features you might want and how certain options may fit some firms better than others. To make things easier for you, we’ll highlight which software alternatives perform well in various situations.

Finally, we want to demonstrate how we can take your organization to the next level by providing an honest side-by-side assessment of the video conferencing options available. Also, real reasons why we may hold the key to the success of your corporate communication.

So, What exactly Is Video Conferencing Software?

To better understand what video conferencing platforms can offer, it is necessary to understand what it is. Please bear with us; this isn’t as simple or easy as it seems.

The fundamental function of the video conferencing platform is obvious from the name: they enable you to host meetings or chats via video chat. Face-to-face engagement is required, even if you are situated in separate regions. Additionally, you may opt to join the community entirely by voice, which is advantageous if you have an unstable internet connection or prefer not to engage on camera.

It alone makes it a good piece of company software, but several alternatives provide considerably more intriguing advantages. Screen sharing, texting, and even digital annotations are examples.

A decent video conferencing system should allow you to manage an efficient meeting rather than simply talking to someone.

In many situations, then, the term “video conferencing software” is a misnomer. It’s not just about the video! Many of the solutions we’ll go through are more comprehensive tools for working together and cooperating.

Video Conferencing Software Features You Need To Look Out For:

1. Voice and HD video

Any program you choose should have high-quality audio and video capabilities. It is critical to be able to see and hear other guests well while holding a video conference. It is especially crucial for divergent teams who may be phoning from one conference room to another as a group. Having HD video and audio can prevent individuals from clipping in and out and screen sharing from stalling.

2. Screen sharing

Screen sharing is ideal for teams doing virtual presentations because it allows you to exchange data and insights in real-time. It enables you to observe the issues that a customer or client brings up rather than simply listening to their explanation. Screen sharing may also be beneficial for remote tech assistance since it allows you to show them the answer, decreasing the possibility of errors or confusion.

3. Multi-device compatibility

Everyone will not have access to the same gadget. Some will use a Mac, while others will use a Windows PC, while others will use an Android smartphone. A decent video conferencing solution should support a wide range of devices and operating systems, ensuring that anybody you organize a conference can use it.

4. Analytic

You might think of analytics as a tool for external communication, but it can also use it for internal communication. Meeting analytics are included in many software packages, allowing you to analyze service quality in real-time. Later, you can always look for and find a better communication tool for your company.

You may also monitor the software’s adoption and use across various departments and overall system performance.

5. Call recording and transcription

One of the most frequent features of online meetings is call recording and transcription. Call recording allows you to swiftly and share the material, bringing everyone up to date. Transcription offers comparable advantages, especially when combined with artificial intelligence, which enables real-time transcribing. You don’t need to take meeting notes and may instead wait for an automatic recap email.

6. Access to a web browser

If you’re simply interested in internal communication, having a solution that involves downloading software is OK. Many video conferencing software packages include in-browser alternatives. These often contain fewer features and are more likely to be utilized by the same individual. If you wish to connect with clients, suppliers, or consumers, you need a method that does not necessitate any more work on their part.

7. Integrations with third-party applications

You don’t want to manually copy details each time you phone your customers if you have customer relationship management (CRM) software. It’s worthwhile to keep a lookout for solutions that work with your current software. That’s why many businesses opt for an online CRM software. Many conferencing systems will feature a library of connectors or app galleries that offer pre-built plugins for specific video platforms.

8. Scheduling

It is related to the previous feature, but it is worth mentioning on its own. Meetings should be able to be scheduled on any video conferencing platform. Ideally, you should be able to send such invitations using your existing tools. Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar are two options.

9. Tools for moderators

Moderator capabilities enable the host to silence others (such a relief!), control who has access to whiteboards and screen sharing, and even put guests on wait.

Admins can also grant and revoke access to the following features:

• Private conversations
• Meeting rooms
• Questionnaires for feedback
• Captioning (closed)
• Virtual backgrounds
• Tracking of attention

 In general, if your chosen program includes sophisticated features, it should also have moderator or admin tools to govern such functions.

10. Stringent security

Nobody likes their meetings to be disrupted by outsiders. This security can take various forms, such as requiring guests to provide a meeting ID or PIN, enabling single sign-on, giving attendees passwords, or simply having the host authorize join requests.

Of course, security extends beyond video meeting access to include how those sessions are delivered. If you can’t discover information about a software provider’s data and privacy practices, it’s time to look elsewhere.

Top Video Conferencing Platforms

We’ve broken down the top video conferencing software solutions for 2021 to help you decide which one is ideal for your business.

• Zoom

Zoom is an on-demand, cloud-based video and web conferencing solution that is very scalable. Web conferencing, file sharing, webinars, and group conferencing are all features of it. It is great for all small businesses, whether they’re big or little. Users may connect to several conference rooms, add more people remotely, and hold face-to-face meetings with a single mouse click. We also covered Google Meet vs Zoom vs Microsoft Teams in detail recently, you can read the article linked if you want an in-depth comparison between these three video confrencing platforms.

Pros

1. Provides unlimited one-on-one meetings with the free plan
2. Free plan allows you to host video conferences of up to 40 minutes and 100 users. Whereas in the paid plan 500 users are allowed
3. Easy to use platform with good user experience
4. Audio and video recording options are available

Cons

1. Zoom does not work without downloading an app for your browser
2. Limited Features and Usability on Free Plan
3. Time is restricted to (45 minutes) in one session for non-premium members

• GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a web conferencing service that is hosted in the cloud. It is jam-packed with features and functions that make it the ideal solution for businesses that operate in several locations, have employees all over the world, and have contracts with foreign partners and consumers. The program features an easy-to-use interface and allows users to start a meeting in only a few minutes.

Pros

1. Provides optional toll-free numbers for more than 50 countries
2. HD quality video conferencing
3. Smart Meeting Assistant will transcribe the conversation automatically

Cons

1. Additional Costs For Premium Features
2. The platform requires highly stable internet connection 

•  Google Hangouts

Google Meet has two advantages: it provides a great free plan, and it leverages accounts that most people already have (a Google account, for instance). It is a Google Workspace feature that replaces Google Hangouts. No software is required to use this service, and it comes with a dedicated phone number for you to dial in.

 The free plan includes conferencing for up to 100 people, live captioning, and various options for meeting hosts. There is also screen sharing, text chat, and interaction with other Google apps. It makes it an excellent choice for organizations who want a low-cost solution but do not require more complex capabilities.

Google Hangouts is one of the video meeting platforms that are available. You can easily connect with colleagues, clients, or friends in the form of chat, video or voice calls.

Pros

1. Conversations are synchronized across all devices automatically. It provides the option to switch from PC to mobile while having conversations

Cons

1. Limitation with online status customization
2. Lack of third-party integrations/API
3. Upto 25 person limit on video calls

• Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams replaces emails in the workflow and serves as the primary communication center. Without leaving the app, you may communicate, exchange files, host, or accept conference calls with MS Teams. The basic version of Microsoft Teams is free, while more comprehensive versions that interact with Microsoft 365 for Business and MS Office are accessible through monthly subscriptions.

Pros

1. Supports wide range of 3rd party integrations
2. High Quality of Video and Audio
3. Robust messaging features

Cons

1. No unified search feature to find file or conversation
2. Limitation in the number of channels. Number of channels that can be created to 100

•  Microsoft Skype for Business

Skype is a famous online communication tool widely regarded as one of the best VoIP options available today. For companies, it costs only $2 per month per user and may host online conferences for up to 250 people. It combines third-party apps, utilizes encryption, and incorporates authentication mechanisms.

• Meeting with Zoho

Zoho Meeting is an Indian IT behemoth that has been delivering cutting-edge business products since 1996. It launched Zoho Meeting in 2007 to bridge communication barriers by offering online conferencing and screen-sharing capabilities. Zoho Meeting has webinar features, including camera sharing, polling, and analytics. It has a locking tool for extra security, privacy and includes upgrades for improved audio calls and storage.

Pros

1. Comprehensive and detailed reporting
2. Simple to add and configure third party integrations

Cons

1. Limited customer support
2. They’re lacking proper HD video support for meetings and webinars

• Bluejeans 

BlueJeans is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that enables organizations to hold video conferences successfully. The system may connect to various platforms, including Cisco Jabber, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Lync, and Avaya Scopia. BlueJeans attempts to break through the technological barriers between apps, computers, and conference room systems, allowing people to interact more efficiently.

Pros

1. Support for unlimited cloud recording
2. Provides a simple, interactive, secure and high-quality video conferencing experience

Cons

1. Lack of Integration with project management tools 
2. Minimal setting options

•  Jabber (Cisco)

Jabber is a Cisco product aimed at medium-to-large-sized enterprises. Jabber offers instant messaging, voice messaging, audio calling, video conferencing, and other forms of communication. Users become more efficient when they utilize Jabber since it is a unified video conferencing platform. It implies that users may use their desktops or mobile devices to access and use their Jabber accounts.

Pros

1. High-quality video and audio calls
2. Easy interface to setup and host new meetings
3. Offers Internal chat option, scheduling 

Cons

1. Lack of analytical features
2. User interface can be improved
3. Historic chat functionality is missing

•  Webex Application

Cisco WebEx is a video conferencing platform targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises. It is a video-based technology that lets users hold web-based meetings utilizing voice, video, and other data. Users may also create a team workspace, which can facilitate better brainstorming and collaboration. The program is offered in a variety of plans from which consumers may choose.

Pros

1. Cisco Webex provides an option to share all types of content during the meeting
2. Multiple and reasonable subscription plans are available
3. Provides high definition visual and sound quality

Cons

1. Webex platform requires minimum of 25 attendees to start a meeting and provides maximum attendees up to 3000
2. Integration with 3rd-party apps can be improved

Video Conferencing Platforms Vs Video Platforms

Video streaming is not restricted to live streaming. In the current pandemic situation along with an increase in usage of video conferencing platforms, we’ve seen a plethora of online video platforms. These video platforms are related to OTT, VOD streaming, Elearning, and Upskilling. These platforms play a crucial part in our lives as they take care of learning as well as entertainment.

Although the purpose of these two platforms might be very difficult, they can be used together to support each other. Many times a lot of live streaming sessions can be pretty informative, and you’d want to use these videos again. Let’s say you did a great session on financial literacy for your employees, you’d want to record such streams and make sure that they are available to your future employees as well. You can host these streams along with any other training session. You can easily download the videos, host them and create your own training platform for your users.

This is where Vdocipher comes in, with us you can securely host your videos which can be further streamed by your users/employees several times. Vdocipher provides DRM-based encryption with Widevine DRM and Fairplay DRM. On top of it, you get various other video hosting features such as Video API, Powerful CDN, Video Analytics, Dynamic watermarking, Screen recording protection on iOS and Android.

To Conclude

It would help if you also considered your company’s operations at a more detailed level. For example, does your team generally utilize Chrome? Or do many virtual meetings take place on iOS devices? Certain tools will be ruled out, while we will recommend others.

FAQ

1. What is the most secure online video conferencing platform? 

Some of the best secure video conferencing solutions are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoho Meeting, GoToMeeting

2. What should I look for in a video conferencing app?

Before choosing a video conferencing app, it’s important to look for features such as user experience, Security, Third-party integrations and other features like screen sharing, webinar recording.

3. What are the benefits of web conferencing platforms?

A few of the advantages of video conferencing platforms are time-saving tools, increased efficiency and productivity, and remote working can be hassle free

4. What are the types of video conferencing?

Different types of video conferencing are 1:1 conversations, Internal team meetings, Large Conferences

Rahul Rana

Head of Digital Marketing at Vdocipher. I love the art of connecting the right product to their users. When i’m not doing that i love getting lost in books.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Top 9 Video Conferencing Platforms In 2024 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

The global mobile learning market is expected to witness significant growth, with a forecast reaching around $156 billion by 2026, demonstrating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.12% during 2022-2026. This growth underscores the increasing demand for digital education and the role of mobile devices in facilitating learning.

An online learning platform brings numerous benefits, such as :

• Cost-efficient learning
• Easy and round-the-clock accessibility
• Flexibility of education
• Options for every learning preference – one-to-one online classes, group-based.
• Seamless use on the smaller screen- a factor that has significantly contributed to the growth in the eLearning market.
• A diverse range of subjects
• Interactive learning experience

What are online learning platforms?

Online learning platforms are websites or applications that provide educational content of all sorts, be it tutorials, courses, training, or study materials. Individuals can learn and acquire new skills and opt for free or paid learning platforms. Each platform comes with its own features, some are generic learning platforms while some are dedicated to a single learning stream. For example, a learning platform may be solely dedicated to train K-12 students and others may cater to courses for learning foreign languages.

Compared to traditional classroom learning, online learning platforms are more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective and are today’s tool for learning and acquiring knowledge. There is a range of subjects to choose from, nearly everything is available on a learning platform, and benefits like accessibility, interactive learning, self-paced learning, and even certifications to improve career growth.

Types of online learning platforms

Learning Destination Sites – On these sites, a number of course creators offer various sorts of learning materials. Based on your course preference, you choose a topic and instructor. One such popular platform is Udemy which has over 210K video-based lessons.

LMS – Learning Management Systems or LMS is a software application to manage and deliver educational courses and training programs. The key features include course content management, mobile access, collaboration, assessments, student tracking, reporting, and grading.

Massive Open Online Course – MOOCs are online free courses at reasonably cheaper pricing that are open to anyone, irrespective of their location or background. MOOCs accommodate a number of learners and usually, students learn diverse skills for career upliftment.

Custom-built learning platform – These platforms are designed specifically for an organization or institute like Harvard. The platform is suited to the needs and particular requirements within the organization. They have tailored features and restricted access to the students or team employees.

“Among learners, 95% stated that they are able to retain information better with the help of video-based educational materials. This points towards the effectiveness of multimedia in enhancing learning experiences.”

How to create an online learning platform?

The various steps involved in creating an online learning platform are as follows

• Set your goals and target audience.
• Choose a platform to like an LMS, CMS, or custom-built online learning platform. You can create your own website for your audience.
• Design an intuitive and user-friendly website with a good layout, navigation, and search.
• Create courses. The format may include pre-recorded and live videos, written material, and quizzes.
• Choose a video hosting platform like VdoCipher where your videos are protected from piracy using Hollywood-Grade DRM encryption and other interesting features
• Test before launching and market your online platform through social media, email marketing or advertisements

But, when planning to launch your online course, you might wonder which online learning platform will help you create and sell video courses with ease.

Best online learning platforms in India and Worldwide

Teachable

Teachable is one of the best online learning platforms for marketing your course. The platform offers options to customize the look and feel of your online course. To do so, you can
1. build a website to reflect your brand,
2. create a sales page for launching your course,
3. or use the Power Editor to tweak the underlying code.

Teachable’s course builder accepts documents from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and so on. You can choose to sell them as a standalone product or in bundles. You can also choose how you want to get paid- establish a payment plan, charge a one-time fee, or allow your audience to subscribe to the course.

Before launching the course, you can use coupon codes to accelerate sales. Teachable also offers multi-language support, which is a plus when you want to cater to a global audience. The platform also provides solutions such as international payments, affiliate programs, email marketing, and more to maximize your outreach.

Teachable is priced from $39 a month to $499 a month.

VdoCipher DRM encrypted video streaming & watermarking security integration is possible with the Teachable and similar portals and is explained here in another blog.

Podia

Podia allows you to create an online store for your digital content. You can create and sell video courses, digital downloads, and membership sites using this online learning platform. All storefronts built on Podia have a similar template. Each store’s landing page includes details such as an overview, a ‘what’s included’ section, a content section, FAQs, and creator bio.  

All courses, digital downloads, and memberships created using Podia have their separate landing pages. When you create an online video course, Podia lets you publish it immediately or pre-launch it to collect email addresses. 

The platforms also allow you to bundle assets such as videos, audios, texts, checklists along with the course. Podia is priced starting at $33 a month for the Mover plan, which includes online courses, digital downloads, email marketing, and no transactional fees.

Thinkific

If you are still in doubt regarding the structure and content of your online course, this online learning platform lets you create and sell a video course from scratch. It can be daunting for a first-time video course creator to chalk out a plan and a strategy to develop and sell the course.

Thinkific makes it a bit easier for you. Use the simple and readymade templates to create and launch your video course in two parts: creating the course material, and building the landing page. 

Users get to choose from a template such as a flagship course, mini-course, membership bundle, digital download, and webinar replay. Thinkific is free for unlimited courses and students, payment gateway integration, course upsells, and so on with a 10% transaction fee. The online learning platform starts at $36 a month for other features such as course bundles, marketing, email integrations, coupons, and promotions.

Teachery

Teachery is a popular online learning platform for having no transaction fees at all whatsoever. At first glance, it seems other platforms offer good-enough features at no cost. However, experienced course creators realize that sooner or later, they have to upgrade and buy a premium version to access the more advanced tools and functions.

Teachery is an ideal platform for experienced online tutors who are tired of upgrades and commissions.

Teachery lets you access a wide array of functions. It also offers a dedicated team to support your journey. Teachery is priced at $49 a month or $470 per annum.

Learnworlds

This online learning platform facilitates you to set up a school of your own with multiple websites, teachers, and a course catalog. You can add instructors and select the courses you want them to teach.

When you add an instructor, they can author course,s but not publish a new course or change general settings. As the school admin, you are free to offer as many courses for a fee you deem fit.

Learnworlds starting price is $24 per month for the Starter plan for unlimited paid courses, custom domain, coupons, and payment gateway.
VdoCipher DRM encrypted video streaming & watermarking security integration is possible with Learnworlds and similar portals and is explained here in another blog.

Ruzuku

Ruzuku is another feature-rich online learning platform. To start and sell video courses on Ruzuku is fast and seamless and you can upload just about any media file to sell your course. Ruzuku encourages you to prompt students to collaborate and communicate with their peers and allows you to track their achievements throughout.

When integrated with MailChimp, Ruzuku can automate emails to go out to notify people of upcoming courses. Besides these, Ruzuku has functions such as teleconferencing, support options, daily backups, and so on.

Ruzuku might be an ideal solution for those with limited knowledge of technology which only wants their course up and running in no time. Ruzuku is priced between $99 a month to $199 a month.

VdoCipher DRM encrypted video streaming & watermarking security integration is possible with the Teachable and similar portals and is explained here in another blog.

WizIQ

This online learning platform helps you sell video courses and mock tests, but its flagship feature is to hold live classes. A virtual classroom on the platform can accommodate over 200 students. Features such as multiple whiteboards, circuit diagrams, maps, and shapes and graphs facilitate learning on the platform. The tutor is also free to share resources such as files, videos, and presentations from their library.

WizIQ LMS pricing starts from $1/user/month while Virtual Classroom pricing starts from $18/teacher/month.

TREEHOUSE

Treehouse is an online platform that offers a broad range of development courses covering topics such as HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, and Python. It provides learners with access to a vast library of content, including workshops, bonus content, and conferences. Treehouse aims to help students learn coding skills to land their dream jobs, offering a 7-day free trial for new students to explore thousands of hours of learning content​.

Engoo Tutor

Engoo is a platform offering private online English lessons, accessible anytime and anywhere. It features 1-on-1 sessions lasting 25 minutes each, with a pool of 9,319 tutors from 116 countries. Engoo caters to various learning needs with over 11,000 lesson materials, including daily news to keep learners informed. The platform makes learning convenient with no downloads required and starts at $42.70/month

Udemy

Udemy is an online learning platform emphasizing 130,000+ video courses taught by expert teachers. Students can take courses in anything from programming languages like Python, and Java to personal advancement classes like design, drawing, writing, and yoga. Tutors can use this platform for free. However, Udemy makes big money by taking 50% per transaction of your course. Udemy has more than 12 million students.

Proctur (Indian)

Proctur is an online learning platform that provides end to end digitization solutions to enable tutors and coaching institutes to sell courses online, teach live online, conduct exams online, and manage the coaching institutes. They offer important features like inquiry management, fees management, admission management, tools to conduct online tests, etc.

ProProfs Training Maker

ProProfs Training Maker is an online learning platform. The tool makes it easy to create, design, share and track online courses, lessons, and tests. Being cloud-based, it enables users to deliver anytime, anywhere learning to anyone, on any device. The LMS system provides a premium library of 100+ professionally designed and ready-to-courses and default templates. These resources are fully editable with a logo, theme, colours, and branding.

To help you get online learning up and running in no time, the learning management system (LMS) provides a premium library of 100+ professionally designed and ready-to-courses and default templates. These resources are fully editable with a logo, theme, colours, and branding.

ProProfs starts at $2/learner/month. No per-user fee. No hidden cost. There is also a 15-day free trial on all plans.

Fatbit Online Learning MarketPlace

Fatbit Online Learning MarketPlace (formely Yo!Coach), offered by FATbit Technologies, is a customizable online tutoring and consultation marketplace platform. It’s designed for entrepreneurs and trainers aiming to launch businesses centered around online learning and coaching. Yo!Coach facilitates the creation of an online learning platform, offering features like live video interaction, pre-recorded courses, multi-language support, and more, making it a versatile solution for different online learning business models. For more details, you can explore the platform here:

TalentLMS

TalentLMS is an online learning platform where you can build courses by re-using presentations or videos you already have or by consuming content from web-sources. They provide support for multiple types of questions and a variety of test types. You can also collect and analyze survey responses.

BrightSpace

BrightSpace is an online learning platform that creates personalized learning paths for each student that is neatly presented on a Progress Dashboard. Teachers can map, foretell, even reroute individual student learning outcomes as well as create rubrics to evaluate quizzes, assignments, discussions, and more. Brightspace is loaded with an arsenal of tools that educators can use to fine-tune their teaching styles

Uteach

Uteach is a different path to the online teaching system. This isn’t just an online learning platform where you may upload your online courses. Uteach presents a chance to create your own portal-website that becomes your personal brand with your imagined domain name and design. Once you registered to the platform, you can include your video courses of quality knowledge.

TutorHub

This online learning platform is easy to use. Tutor Hub is a secure website, which is useful for students and teachers. It is comfortable for teachers to arrange lessons and use an online tutoring classroom. Students also like Tutor Hub because they instantly find a teacher online and start training. This platform is right for learners both inside and outside formal education.

Educadium

Educadium is the complete online learning platform for nonprofits, educators, and trainers. With Educadium, you can set up your online school and create an online course that looks professional, and that meets the most poignant learning fundamentals. It’s safer and more convenient than free dilemmas.

Complete package platforms-

Kajabi

Kajabi is the best course creation software for automating the marketing of an online video course. Busy course creators get marketing automation from Kajabi. It helps you connect landing pages for exclusive offers, course launches, and more to checkout pages within a few clicks.

For instance, the promotional offer pipeline comprises of three steps- first, you collect email addresses of attendees by offering them an ebook or cheatsheet. When a visitor enters their email address, they are directed to a sales page where they are offered a discount on a product.

You choose what you want to do with the email addresses collected- send them a thank you, upsell them, or follow up on their purchase.

Kajabi is priced from $129 per month for the Basic plan, which contains one site, five products, 25 pipelines, and 25,000 marketing emails.
VdoCipher DRM encrypted video streaming & watermarking security integration is possible with Kajabi and similar portals and is explained here in another blog.

Academy of Mine

This could quickly become one of your preferred online learning platforms to sell video courses online. Academy of Mine offers a full website for you to launch your online course. You get to choose from a fully hosted template that offers galleries, landing pages, and course offering pages.

Academy of Mine is a perfect choice for its holistic course creation and management functions. Generate chapters or units in your course, give out certificates, carry out timed quizzes, assignments, and badges.

Academy of Mine begins at $499 a month.

Video Plugin compatible with multiple Platforms-

VdoCipher

VdoCipher is targetted for the course creators who are hell concerned about security from piracy of videos. VdoCipher provides Hollywood Grade DRM encryption & dynamic viewer specific watermarking to prevent download and screen capture.

This product integrates well with WordPress, moodle, and multiple LMS platforms. You can choose any of the platforms and use this plugin to provide your videos with the highest possible security.

VdoCipher pricing starts from $129 and the pricing model is based on bandwidth and storage.

WordPress Plugins-

AccessAlly

AccessAlly isn’t just a WordPress plugin – it also handles payments, membership management, and integration with your email marketing CRM. That means you don’t need to cobble together a bunch of different tools or custom code to have a first-class LMS system on WordPress.

Each member or student has their own login on your membership site, and from there you can design courses that include everything from quizzes, video, and audio, downloads, and so much more.

This platform has features like drag-and-drop course builder, progress tracking, video and audio bookmark, different types of quizzes, and auto-generated certificates.

Course Cats

Course Cats help you to build a website, grow your email list, and sell your courses online. They also you in dealing with tech stuff like how to point your domain to your WebHost. If you need they will help you in installing the WordPress plugin and selecting the themes as well.

With Course Cats, you’ll have just the right amount of options to customize the look and feel of your site without getting into that overwhelming, way-too-many-options mess. Regardless if you’re ready to sell your courses now or if you’re still working on the content – with Course Cats, you can build a blog, grow your email list with our gorgeous landing pages, and when you’re ready, sell your online courses.

Course Cats starting prices are $59/month or $497/year.

LifterLMS

LifterLMS is a powerful WordPress plugin that makes it easy to create, sell, and protect engaging online courses and training based membership websites. LifterLMS helps you build online courses from one screen with the intuitive multi-tier drag and drop course builder. You can also create dynamic multimedia quizzes to reinforce learning.

It strikes a beautiful balance in being an all-in-one solution while also integrating with other best of breed technologies relevant to course creators and membership site owners. LifterLMS has a flourishing well supported user community through, active listening, and strong documentation.

Besides trial for 30 days in $1, the starting price for LifterLMS is $99 for one year.

Content Marketplace cum Course Platforms-

OpenSesame

OpenSesame provides an online marketplace for buying and selling e-learning courses.

OpenSesame doesn’t only work as an online course selling platform but also works as course vendors who curate the right courses for your training program as well as guide you through improving e-learning utilization and employee engagement. If your Learning Management System works with SCORM or AICC compliant courses, then working with OpenSesame courses will be simple for your LMS administrator.  Its platform allows companies to buy courses created by industry experts instead of having to create their own.

Skillshare

Skillshare is an American online learning community for people who want to learn from educational videos. Skillshare operates on a membership model, so your class will have a built-in audience from the start. They also help you to grow your community and promote your classes. Skillshare classes include a combination of video lessons and a class project. They also provide resources like teachers’ handbooks. They also help you improve your classes with features like ‘Teach Challenge’.

Skillshare operates under a subscription model, which means that students pay a monthly or annual fee for a premium membership. They pay teachers for every minute watched by premium students in their classes. Also, they compensate teachers for every student they bring to Skillshare through their referral link.

Moodle Plugins-

CourseMerchant

If Moodle is your choice for your online learning platform then you should try CourseMerchent. CourseMerchent provides you a complete package from course creation to selling and even how to market your course. Some of their features are instant student enrollment into the LMS with single sign-on and sell multiple seats and allow purchasers to allocate seats to users with ‘Manage Licenses’ admin capability.

You can integrate CourseMerchant with Brightspace, Totara, Kallidus LMS, etc.

LMS Checkout

LMS checkout fits perfectly with your moodle course. All you have to do is create an account on the LMS Checheckout website and download the plugin to install it into your Moodle account. You can connect it with payment gateways like Paypal and authorize.net. If you want some other gateway they are open to your request as well.

FAQs

How do I choose the right online learning platform?

Selecting the right online learning platform involves considering factors such as the variety and quality of courses offered, the credentials of the instructors, the platform’s interface and user experience, the cost, and any additional features like certifications or interactive tools. It’s also important to think about your learning goals, preferred learning style, and the specific skills you wish to develop.

Are there free online learning platforms?

Yes, there are numerous online learning platforms that offer free courses or have a freemium model where basic content is free, and advanced features or courses require payment. Free platforms often provide a wide range of courses but may limit access to certifications or personalized feedback.

Are online courses as effective as in-person classes?

Online courses can be just as effective as in-person classes, depending on the course’s quality, the learner’s motivation, and the presence of interactive and engaging materials. Many platforms incorporate various teaching methods, including videos, quizzes, and peer interactions, to enhance learning outcomes.

What technical requirements do I need to fulfill to learn online?

To learn online effectively, you’ll need a reliable internet connection, a computer or mobile device capable of running the platform’s software, and any necessary software or tools specified by the course (e.g., programming environments for coding courses). It’s also helpful to have a quiet, comfortable space dedicated to learning.

Smita Singh

Digital Marketing | Writing

I read therefore I write.

The post 31 Online Learning Platforms in India & Worldwide (2024) appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.