“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.

What is Online Video Storage

Online video storage is a virtual approach that allows users to store videos in a remote location. By remote location we mean the videos are stored on servers in off-site locations. These servers are maintained by their-party service providers who are then responsible for the hosting, management and securing the videos stored on their servers. The video data stored on these servers is accessible via public or private internet connection.

Online video storage helps organizations and individuals to store videos in an organized and safe manner, so that they don’t have to worry about the enormous video storage space and other operational costs. It’s scalable which means you can increase or reduce the storage usage as per need.

Online Video Storage System

Using remote servers, online video storage providers save data files like videos, images etc. Users upload their videos to servers via an internet connection, which is then saved on virtual machines on a physical server. The storage providers store these video files in various data centers across the world to ease availability and provide redundancy. In times of increase in the demand of storage space, the provider will spin up more virtual storage machines to handle the increasing load. To access the videos stored online, users need a internet connection and a browser, mobile app, web portal or application programming interface (API).

Types of video storage to store video online

Public Cloud Video Storage

Public clouds are large scale cloud storage services and not owned by any end user. Examples include Amazon Web Services, Google cloud and Microsoft Azure. Nowadays, many public online video storage solutions have even started offering their services on the client’s in-premises. These are mostly big corporate organizations and firms. The pricing structure is also variable and often they offer free services upon some limitations after which you have to opt for a paid model.

Private Cloud Video Storage

Private clouds store videos in a private server dedicated to a business or end user. The server can be configured, deployed and managed within the premises (Dedicated cloud) or built by a third-party cloud service provider (Managed Private Video Cloud). In this case, the data servers of the vendor are located off-premises but run behind the business firewall.

Hybrid Cloud Video Storage

In hybrid cloud video storage, the videos are stored in a combination of public and private environments. The common example includes environments like an on-premise data center and public cloud infrastructure like Google Cloud. This video storage model is gaining popularity as it combines using on-premise servers and at the same time, takes advantage of public cloud.

Multi Cloud Video Storage

This multi cloud approach involves more than one cloud vendor, be it public or private. All hybrid clouds fall under multi clouds but not all multi clouds are hybrid. In this storage, multiple clouds are integrated in some form. The included clouds can be all private, all public or a mix of both.

On-Premise Vs. Online Video Storage

Online video storage benefits for businesses

Collaboration – Hosting your video online gives the flexibility of access to the files remotely. Multiple authorized members of your team can simultaneously access, edit and improvise the video content. Any person with requisite permissions can work remotely on these files.

Online Backup – Another advantage of using an online video storage platform is the online backup of your video files. In case your system crashes or you accidentally delete some files, you can easily retrieve them from the online storage platform.

Scalability – Scalability means handling increased workload without disrupting your current working model. As your business or video demand increases, you may run short of storage space with your current paid or free plan. An online video storage solution like VdoCipher offers scalable plans where you can anytime upgrade to the higher storage and bandwidth plan in a hassle-free way.

Security – Security of your videos is a major concern while choosing a video hosting platform. Every year, at least $29.8 billion is lost because of video piracy and illegal downloads. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, streaming contributes to nearly 80% of the piracy and affects upto 2.6 million workers in the U.S. Coupled with legal options like copyright infringement, advanced technologies like DRM security as provided by VdoCipher secure your videos from illegal downloads and piracy.

Considerations while choosing a online video storage platform

Pricing – Most businesses consider this as the major factor in making a selection. The pricing varies depending on the service provider and offered features. From free trials to paid plans, there is a range depending on your videos and business requirements.

Security – To maximize security, it is best to opt for a video storage provider offering the highest level of security like video DRM. At no point you are ready to lose revenue and brand reputation because of illegal downloads or unauthorized access. Securing your videos with DRM is the utmost requirement for businesses like elearning and media companies and individual creators looking for video protection.

Storage Limits – Make a consideration of how much storage space you need. Opt for a smaller plan if you have few videos or in the initial requirements of video storage. As the number of videos increases, upgrade to a higher plan with ample storage limits. Hence, choose a video storage solution providing flexibility as you scale and pricing as per the video storage needs.

Video Analytics – Generally, all video hosting websites give basic analytics to monitor your content. The parameters include no of visitors, conversion rates, traffic source, bounce rate, average view time and other engagement metrics. This information helps you better understand the video performance and tailor the content based on demographics.

Ease to Use – Apart from all the required features, the basic UI and functionalities of the video storage platform must be easy to understand and use. The videos should be properly organized and easily accessible from anywhere on the dashboard. The platform must not lag and give a smooth user experience.

Best Way To Store Videos Long Term

Cloud Storage – This is by far the best way to store, access and distribute your videos in a few seconds. The files are stored on the internet using a video hosting provider and accessible via the public internet or a dedicated private network connection.

• Cloud storage and backup
• Remote update and file synchronization
• Files can be encrypted
• Unlimited scalability
• Cost-effective

Local Storage – Local storage includes a variety of physical hardwares to store videos. Examples are external hard drives, flash drives and even local computers. Easy accessibility is the main reason to opt for local storage. But this holds good only to store a few videos locally or when security of your videos is not a concern.

• Quick access to videos
• Complete control over your videos
• No remote backup
• Only locally accessible
• Not useful when working in team
• Limited storage space. As the need for storage increases, so does the cost and number of devices.

Network-Accessed Storage (NAS) – An NAS device is a storage device connected to the internet that allows storage and retrieval of data from a central location for authorized network users and varied clients. As long as the NAS is connected to WiFi, videos are accessible from anywhere in the world.

• Centralized storage
• Accessible by multiple users
• Scalable
• No video security
• High bandwidth usage to store large video files
• Maintenance cost

Best Online Video Storage and Sharing Sites and Apps

Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the most used cloud storage and syncing services. It offers a good amount of storage space, integration with Google Workspace and other collaboration functionalities.

Pros

• Easy access to video files saved on the cloud
• Easy access from multiple devices
• Excellent user interface
• Better video organization and management

Cons

• You can store videos only up to 5 TB if you have purchased at least that much storage
• The maximum playback resolution is 1920 x 1080
• Individual users can only upload 750 GB each day between My Drive and all shared drives
• Security concerns

iDrive

iDrive is a cloud storage software to backup, save and retrieve your video data. Available for PCs, Macs and Mobile devices, iDrive offers an affordable and easy solution to store videos.

Pros

• Unlimited devices per account
• Real-time sync and share feature
• Cross-platform backup process
• Affordable backup system

Cons

• Slow upload and download speeds
• Slow and hard to reach customer support reported
• No unlimited plans
• No proper security measure in place

Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service offering personal cloud, cloud storage and file synchronization. Designed to easily collaborate on projects, it works on Mac, Linux, iOS, Windows and Android devices.

Pros

• Offline capabilities
• Offers Dropbox Files API, and Paper API
• Seamlessly integrates with Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Slack, Adobe, Zoom, Autodesk, Canva and AWS
• Fast upload speeds

Cons

• Offers less amount of free storage (2GB)
• Costly pricing
• Interface isn’t very intuitive

pCloud

pCloud offers easy-to-use cloud storage solutions for individuals, families and businesses. You can backup videos from your device or play your personal playlists.

Pros

• Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption
• Up to 10 GB free storage
• Easily store files from other online platforms
• Automatic file upload
• User-friendly interface

Cons

• EFH and pCloud crypto come with independent subscription
• No dedicated customer support system
• No client-side encryption in the free plan

Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft’s OneDrive offers free and paid online storage with availability from your Android device, computer (PC or Mac), and any other devices you use. With OneDrive for Business, you also get storage for your work files so you can share and collaborate on them with other people at your work.

Pros

• Close collaboration with Office
• Easy file sharing
• Files on Demand
• Secure access controls

Cons

• Synchronization limits
• Limited backup functionality
• 400 character limit on the size of file paths

Apple iCloud Drive

Apple’s online storage service, iCloud Drive is a place to keep all your files and access them from all your Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Pros

• File access across multiple devices.
• Ease integration into the whole Apple ecosystem
• Capable Windows client and web access
• Automatic sync and update across devices

Cons

• It gets harder to sync across multiple devices if you have multiple Apple IDs
• A little more pricey than the competition
• Web Interface is below par

VdoCipher – Secure Online Video Storage

VdoCipher, a secure video hosting provider with Hollywood Grade DRM Encryption protects your premium videos from video piracy and illegal downloads. Our highest level of security DRM Encryption offers Multi DRM protection to the videos, so you don’t have to worry about any unauthorized access or video sharing.

We offer multiple ways to embed videos (API, iFrame, and Script) on a website where you can monetize your video content. VdoCipher WordPress Plugin makes the whole video embedding process easy and fast and supports the most popular WordPress LMS. Apart from embedding video, there are other key security features to look for while choosing our services to secure and monetize your videos.

Features

• Google Widevine and Apple FairPlay DRM Encryption
• Dynamic Watermarking
• Domain Restrictions
• Secure offline downloads in apps
• Screen capture block in Android and iOS Native App
• Smart HTML5 Video Player with adaptive bitrate streaming, multi-lingual subtitle support, chapter segmentation via API, customizable controls, theme, and layout
• Global AWS Cloud Infrastructure
• Easy to use Dashboard to upload and edit videos, generate embed code and view the usage of bandwidth consumption
• WordPress and Moodle Plugin for quick integrations
• VdoCipher Android SDK to integrate Play Integrity to added video protection. Check out our play integrity api documentation to know more.

Online Video Storage Statistics

1. The global cloud video storage market size is expected to grow at 16.1% during 2021-2028, valued at USD 20.93 billion in 2028.
2. The growing demand for meeting platforms like Teams, Zoom has likely increased the demand for cloud video storage solutions owing to high storage demands.
3. In 2020, North America was the leading region in the global cloud services market.
4. In 2020, the global cloud storage market size was valued at $6.2 billion.
5. According to Flexera State of the Cloud Report 2021, nearly 82% of the large enterprises have already deployed hybrid cloud infrastructure.

FAQs

What is the best storage for large video files?

Cloud storage is the best way to store videos of any size. It is a secure, remote, and scalable storage solution and accessible from anywhere with an active internet connection. Additionally, there is always scope to upgrade to higher storage and bandwidth plans, making it an ideal storage solution for large video files.

How much storage does 4k video take?

A 4K video approximately takes 300-400 MB of storage per minute of footage.

How to roughly estimate bandwidth usage instead of using a video storage calculator?

For example, a 1 hour long video lecture has 400 MB size. If it is watched by one user, the bandwidth utilized is 1*400 – 400 MB. For 50 users, it will be 50*400 – 20 GB bandwidth. If 20 users, each watching 10 times, then the bandwidth used is 20*10*400 – 80 GB. Hence, bandwidth usage depends proportionally on the number of viewers and their viewing time.

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 Best Online Video Storage Solutions for Video Creators appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Online videos are increasingly integrating into our daily lives and have also overlapped with other modes of entertainment and learning. Finally, such a growing demand for videos requires a dedicated place to upload, store and serve the videos with all additional features, known as a Video Hosting Website.

What is Hosting for Video Websites?

Hosting for Video Websites enables you to upload, store as well as distribute video content for playback to relevant audiences on the internet using them as a medium. Undoubtedly, with the popularity of video content over the years, the demand for video hosting websites has drastically increased. This is so because video files require large storage space and bandwidth utilization, unlike text or image content.

YouTube, a free video hosting platform, is one such example. The videos on these websites are uploaded via their website, desktop or mobile application, or API.  Videos are hosted on their servers with the functionality of embed codes to add videos on their own blog page or any third-party website.

The videos can be either hosted by self or using video hosting websites. In self-hosting, videos are hosted on your website’s server just like other media files, unlike a video-hosting website. Although you have complete control over the content, many technical implementations must be done from your end. Similarly, Hosting videos can be expensive owing to the bandwidth and storage costs. Also, there are security risks associated with self-hosting, as the videos are not properly encrypted.

Paid vs Free Video Hosting for Video Websites

A free video hosting website has bandwidth, features, and access limitations. These websites mostly restrict the number of video uploads and have limited bandwidth availability. Platforms like YouTube offer free hosting, but there are limitations too.

As these websites do not charge for video hosting, advertising is their major earning source. The algorithms are so designed as to have more clicks on videos so that users do not leave the website.  Moreover, free hosting is a good choice if you do not have a bunch of videos to upload or are looking to share some promotional videos.

The videos hosted on free video hosting websites are not secure and easily downloaded and distributed. In conclusion, these free video hosting websites benefit those looking to host videos for free and for anyone to download or share.

Compared to free hosting, paid or professional video hosting websites, on the other hand, are more reliable and come with many features and benefits. They have different plans based on your storage and bandwidth usage and are always scalable as per business requirements. Generally, with free video hosting, you cannot expect advanced security features.

If your videos are confidential or you are looking for monetization options, it may be in your best interest to look for a business video hosting website or platform like Vdocipher.  Most importantly, if you run a business where your videos are sensitive and need support, security, analytics, and branding, including eLearning or media platforms, a free service is not at all adequate. For this, VdoCipher is a perfect choice for businesses, enterprises, individual creators, and educators. Moreover, VdoCipher is more than a secure video hosting website; from DRM encryption to secure offline downloads in apps, they have got them all.

Must-Have Features of a Hosting for Video Websites

Video API

Video APIs provide ease and automate the integration and other video functionalities without hassle. According to Forbes, more than 71% of developers plan to use more APIs in the coming year. Server and Player APIs can automate video upload, inject custom HTML in the video player or customize player design.

CDN Delivery

CDN is a geographically distributed network of proxy servers to make multimedia content delivery faster and streamlined. A copy is created and stored in the proxy servers whenever a user makes a playback request. Next time whenever the same request is made, the proxy server nearest to the user serves the content. Further, this minimizes latency and buffering, resulting in uninterrupted video playback.

Video Analytics

Generally, all video hosting websites give basic video analytics to monitor your content. A good hosting website’s video analytics parameters including no. of visitors, conversion rates, traffic source, bounce rate, average view time, and other engagement metrics. This information helps you better understand the video performance and tailor the content based on demographics.

Multi-level User Access

The feature of adding multiple users to your dashboard is of importance for organizations looking for access level controls for the team. For instance, some may have full access, while some have restricted access, such as just viewing. The different permission levels can be viewed, edited, or uploaded.

Support

There are times when you need support as well as guidance from your video hosting website. They must have robust customer support in place to address the problems faced by the user at any time.  Additionally, the various contact modes can be email, call or complaint form. Usually, the support levels vary depending on your opted plan.

Security

Regarding hosting videos, especially premium videos, security is the main concern to address. Not only are your videos protected from unauthorized access and illegal downloads, but they must also be well-encrypted. In summary, no hacker or tools must be able to bypass the security. You should host your videos on DRM Protected video hosting providers like VdoCipher that use Hollywood Grade DRM Encryption to secure videos.

Easy Embed Options

A video hosting website must have an easy option to generate embed code. Some provide APIs to automate the embedding process on your website or any 3rd party site. An embedded video is hosted on another site but viewers can watch it on your webpage. Moreover, they can watch the video without leaving your webpage. Finally it reduces your bandwidth and storage costs.

Uptime

An always-available video hosting website is a mandatory requirement these days. If the website is slow or unavailable for some duration, there may be many problems. Uptime refers to the time for which a website is available to its users. Theoretically, the uptime must be 100% but in the real scenario due to various factors, such a high availability is difficult to achieve. Secure video hosting providers like VdoCipher give 99.99% uptime availability.

Scalable

Your video hosting requirements vary with time and growth. At some time, you may upload more videos and require higher bandwidth utilization. The hosting website must provide flexibility in upgrading the service with no hassle. The video hosting website must be capable of handling high volume of video uploads and streaming in an interrupted and streamlined way.

Adaptive Video Quality

Adaptive streaming is one of the most required features in a video hosting website. Their player must be able to offer multiple video quality options on the player so as to switch video quality as per internet connectivity. Viewers having poor internet connectivity can still watch the videos with minimum latency with the device automatically selecting the optimum streaming bitrate.

DRM Secure Video Hosting Website – VdoCipher

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology to access and control the use, modification, and distribution of copyrighted work, such as multimedia content and software. Additionally, Video DRM techniques employ licensing agreements and encryption to secure digital content from piracy and unauthorized usage. Moreover, there are a number of DRM technologies to give creators various amounts of control over how their content is used and shared.

In regards to videos, DRM technology secures the videos from illegal downloads and access, minimizing video piracy and revenue loss using DRM encryption. The video is converted into an encrypted format and decrypted at the player’s end using a private decryption key. After that, the online viewer does not get the raw video for downloading and hacking.

Standard video encryption technologies like AES128 and RTMPe have a partial key exchange mechanism, making them vulnerable to hackers and piracy with software or plugins. On the other hand, DRM encryption not online encrypts the video but involves private video encryption key exchange.

VdoCipher uses Google Widevine DRM and Apple FairPlay DRM to ensure the highest level of security against piracy and cover all key devices and browsers (laptop/desktop, android, IOS).

Serving over 2500 customers in more than 120 countries, VdoCipher offers secure video hosting with Hollywood Grade DRM Encryption to secure your premium videos and boost revenue generation. Video streamed via VdoCipher cannot be illegally downloaded using any internet plugin or hack. Apart from secure hosting, the other features are dynamic watermarking, secure offline downloads in apps, plugins for WordPress and Moodle, video API and analytics, smart HTML5 video player and SafetyNet for added security.

Features

Google and Apple FairPlay DRM Encryption

Protects videos from unauthorized access and downloads with the highest encryption security via Widevine and FairPlay DRM

Dynamic Watermarking

To discourage screen capture and establish branding, details like user ID, email as well as other identification details can be dynamically watermarked over the video. It can be customized for color, transparency and size.

Secure Offline Downloads in Apps

VdoCipher iOS native SDK enables video download on the device in a secure manner. There is even an option to limit the time duration for which an offline video will be available for download. You can also download inside your Android app with time validity for the downloaded video.

Screen Capture block in Android and iOS Native app

Our native SDK integration blocks screen capture at the hardware level and discourages screen capture. This is a very useful feature for securing your videos against piracy.

Google SafetyNet for App-Based Security

Google’s Safetynet provides additional video security against application tampering and replay attacks. VdoCipher’s Android SDK easily integrates SafetyNet to block playback on duplicate apps.

Plugins

VdoCipher WordPress video plugin seamlessly supports all popular WP membership plugins, including Members, Restrict Content Pro, MemberPress, and WP eMember. The video plugin also supports LMS such as WP CourseWare, LifterLMS, Sensei, and LearnDash.

Geo-Restrictions

Blacklisting or whitelisting specific countries is possible with geo-blocking. You can block a range of IPs, such as a company or college. Add time-based restrictions and set the expiry of URLs.  However, there might be many reasons to opt for geoblocking, including privacy laws, copyright, target market & audience, or internal content usage.

Smart HTML5 Video Player

Our smart HTML5 video player comes with dynamic controls with multi-lingual subtitle support. There are dynamic controls to change playback speed, choose theme options and Javascript API to add overlay buttons and track viewer interactions with video.

Adaptive Video Quality

Sometimes, the video quality deteriorates or stops playing due to low internet connectivity. We offer multiple bitrate streaming, which means the video quality auto switches as per the viewer’s internet connectivity.

AWS CDN and Server

VdoCipher uses Global AWS Cloud Infrastructure (Storage on AWS S3, Transcoding via VdoCipher algorithms on EC2, Streaming of content via Cloudfront CDN). Content delivery via geographically distributed CDN servers ensures minimized latency and uninterrupted delivery of videos.

Best Video Hosting Website to Choose

It depends. Especially if you are looking to host videos for the public for free and have no concern in video download or sharing by anyone, a free hosting website can be a choice. Still many creators use platforms like YouTube to upload videos for entertainment and monetization purposes without confidentiality concerns. The videos are not secure and easily downloaded and screen captured.

For example, businesses such as Media and eLearning platforms having videos as their source of revenue opt for professional video hosting websites with secure video protection. Each year, the economy loses billions of dollars due to piracy, with videos contributing majorly in the statistics. Creating videos is a task, and especially with premium videos, you cannot risk videos leaking or public access. In addition, paid video hosting websites like VdoCipher to give a single dashboard to manage all your videos, monitor performance, customized features, and, most importantly, very few technical implementations.

FAQs

Is Unlimited bandwidth video hosting real?

You may have seen dozens of video hosting providers claiming to offer unlimited bandwidth video hosting. However, there is no such thing as unlimited bandwidth, and there are always limitations. In general terms, unlimited means without limits but in terms of hosting, it means unlimited as long as a certain threshold is reached.

Can I embed videos on WordPress?

Yes. Videos can be embedded on any WordPress website using the VdoCipher WordPress plugin.  Also the plugin is easy to use, and integration is quite simple.

What are the commonly used file formats for video streaming?

MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, AVCHD, FLV, and SWF are the popular video file formats.

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 Best Hosting for Video Websites for eLearning & OTT with DRM security appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

However, you must be very careful when choosing the video delivery platform. Always remember that the video delivery platform and content are two different things. Even if you create a high-quality video, it will not gain popularity if it is posted on a low-quality delivery platform unless it gets suggested by AI-powered recommender systems. For those recommender system models to operate properly, there has to be a proper data labeling process in place so that the model learns effectively and delivers desired outcomes.

A video delivery platform should include encoding and transcoding videos, managing and delivering video content, access management, dynamic watermarking, and providing video analytics. There is a need for video delivery platforms because there is a growing demand for online video content. Video delivery platforms make it easy to upload, share, and distribute videos online. They take care of all the highly technical and licensed integrations like DRM and make it easy to embed videos on websites and social media platforms.

A video delivery platform is mostly required by educators, VOD platforms, and OTT providers. They use it to secure their content and also want advanced features like Video CDN, APIs, Scalable Infrastructure, and much more. For new creators, public video delivery platforms like YouTube and Twitch have served the market over the years. The users of these public video delivery platforms can rise to fame if they can post good quality content on these platforms. If you can post some interesting and entertaining videos on these platforms, you will have a good fan following within a short time.

Features to look for in a Video Delivery Platform

The provider should offer various technical integrations and analytics tools to help you determine how your videos deliver and how they are performing.

• Multi-DRM enabled Secure video hosting to prevent illegal downloads and screen capture.
• Adaptive bitrate streaming to deliver different sizes of content, such as for different bandwidth, SD, and HD content.
• Offer analytics reports so that you can measure your video’s impact
• Ability to personalize video delivery for each viewer through access management
• Video player customization
• The service should provide information about the number of views, the delivery method, and the date and time of the viewing.
• Provide various player types, such as flash or HTML5, depending on your content.
• Ability to embed videos on websites and social media platforms.
• Support all the devices your audience is using, including mobile phones.
• Way to make your videos available in multiple languages with subtitle support
• APIs and SDKs for advanced usage
• Plugins for CMS like WordPress and LMS like Moodle

Technology behind a Video Delivery Platform

As discussed earlier, a video delivery platform provides a set of combined technology as features. These features are apart from basic video hosting technology having only the feature to download and upload a video file. The major technologies whose combination is required for making up a video delivery platform are as follows.

• Multi-DRM – Include video security via DRM encrypted video streaming technology, ensuring that no downloader or plugin can grab your content illegally. DRM is the highest security from video piracy, and with the use of multi-DRM, it becomes foolproof. Also, the use of viewer-specific moving/static watermark with email, user id, IP, and time stamp prevents camera recordings.
• Large Cloud Infrastructure – AWS/Google powered server for transcoding, encoding, distribution via CDN, and storage are the minimum required infrastructure to ensure a smooth playback across 6 continents. This also includes feasibility to upload from desktop, dropbox, drive, FTP, and other URL-based grabbing.
• Analytics and Dashboard – This is majorly a backend and frontend reflecting key insights about your video with integration support and other manuals. Collecting the key insights in the form of a log and reflecting the same to present valuable results are required to analyze. You can use the analysis to figure out and fill gaps in your video content.
  Support and Integrations – Any corporate or premium customer expects good support from a delivery platform. Support is majorly a human-driven aspect coupled with advanced communication channels. On the other hand, Integrations are totally technology made for easy compatibility with your CMS or LMS or Website. They include plugins, APIs, SDKs, embed codes, etc.

Benefits of Video Delivery platforms

Well, there are many benefits of using a Video Delivery Platform but mostly they are case-specific. One of the main benefits is that it can help to improve the quality and consistency of your video content. It can also help to improve the viewer experience, as well as make it easier to manage and distribute your videos. Additionally, a video delivery platform can help to optimize your videos for playback on different devices and platforms. We have listed the following important benefits that you must look for.

Security

A secure video delivery platform that ensures your video content is delivered with integrity and security. It means that your video content will not be corrupt during transfer and streamed to authorized viewers only. A secure video delivery platform like VdoCipher helps to protect your brand and your viewers’ privacy. By ensuring that your video content is delivered securely, you can ensure that your viewers’ information is protected. Additionally, you can protect your brand by ensuring that your videos are not shared or copied without permission.

CDN

A globally distributed Content Delivery Network for Videos. When it comes to video, a CDN can help improve the quality and the delivery of your content. A CDN can help deliver videos closer to the viewer, improving the overall quality of the viewing experience. Additionally, a global CDN can help to speed up video playback, ensuring that your viewers can watch your videos as quickly as possible. Also, choosing a reliable Video Delivery Platform like VdoCipher with AWS CDN having maximum uptime is a must.

Dynamic Watermarking

There are times when an authorized user tries to capture a video by recording it through a camera. In such cases, the only safeguard you have is a watermark containing dynamic information related to the user, like IP address. This acts as deterrence and prevents further distribution of video files because of the fear of getting caught.

Easy Integration

Integrations are necessary, and the easier they are, the more suitable it is. Keep in mind all the integrations you will have to make. They might be for a WordPress plugin, advanced automation or workflow management through API, and even SDKs for different languages. For a scalable infrastructure, easy integrations are a must and should be included in the package.

Best Video Delivery Platforms

As so many video delivery platforms are available online, you need to choose the right platform for your videos. Many video delivery platforms are free to use, but it is very important to choose the best one for yourself.

YouTube

YouTube is an online video-sharing website with over 300 hours of video uploads every minute. It is one of the most popular websites globally, especially amongst the younger generations. YouTube caters for all viewers, from the most popular channels to those who only have a few subscribers to those who upload videos to show their friends and family. You can watch videos on YouTube about any subject, so if you’re interested in any topic, chances are there will be a video about it.

YouTube is a Video Delivery Platform that allows content providers to distribute video content to YouTube viewers. It enables content providers to send videos to YouTube quickly and easily and track their performance. An aggregate of several different mechanisms, including Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), Dynamic Bitrate (DBR), and video transcoding, YouTube delivers the best experience for your viewers, based on their network conditions and device capabilities.

• YouTube is a free platform. You do not have to pay to host your videos on the site.
• Easily embed videos on your website
• Over 6 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube every month. YouTube is growing in leaps and bounds.
• Evergreen video insights
• Trending hashtags
• AdSense blocking controls
• Bulk editing of video chapters
• Appeal yellow monetization icons in Studio Mobile
• Create, share, and collaborate on video playlists
• Create your own custom YouTube URL
• Play videos in the background on mobile devices
• Featured Video or Playlist Autoplay
• Video Monetization

VdoCipher – Secure Video Delivery Platform

Built for e-Learning and Media Websites & Apps, VdoCipher offers DRM Encrypted Secure Video Hosting across 40+ countries. No one can access encrypted videos without the encryption key. Videos streamed via VdoCipher have Hollywood grade DRM protection which means any downloader or internet plugin cannot grab the content. This prevents illegal or unauthorized video sharing. With Widevine DRM encryption and Apple Fairplay DRM encryption, VdoCipher uses a modified version of the existing streaming protocols to combat video piracy and minimize bandwidth usage.

VdoCipher’s Smart HTML5 Video Player supports Adaptive Multi-bitrate Playback. When you upload your videos on the VdoCipher platform, different bitrate qualities of your videos are created through video transcoding. This allows a video to stream at different resolutions and download speeds, depending on the Internet connection. It ensures that the video will always play at the highest possible resolution smoothly and uninterrupted.

• Secure DRM Encrypted Video Streaming to prevent illegal downloads
• Dynamic Watermarking to prevent video piracy using screen capture
• Customizable watermarking for movement, colour, size and transparency
• More Secure Than RTMP streaming
• Secure Key Exchange than HLSe
• DRM for effective Password-Protection so restrict downloads or video-sharing outside authorized app or website
• IP and Geo Restriction
• Domain Whitelisting to prevent video embed to unauthorized websites
• Secure Offline Downloads in Android
• Customizable smart HTML5 player
• Adaptive Multi-bitrate Playback
• Multi-Language Subtitles
• Video Analytics
• Easy dashboard to upload/import videos, configure security settings, customise thumbnail, subtitle & more
• Plugins For WordPress & Moodle
• Easy APIs & SDKs integration to automate your workflow

IBM Cloud Video (UStream)

IBM Cloud Video is a fast, easy, and secure way to deliver and play videos — with the quality, reliability and control you expect from IBM. The service is ideal for video content providers, video service providers, digital publishers, and enterprise customers with existing video content that want low-cost, high-performance, and flexible video streaming solutions.

IBM Cloud Video delivery platform allows users to upload, share, and view videos. It offers features such as video editing, hosting, and streaming, as well as live video streaming. The platform allows live or on-demand streaming of video content over the internet. IBM Cloud delivers video content to viewers on any device or platform, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smart TVs.

• HD live broadcast with no caps on bitrate or resolution
• Recording of broadcasts as a private video
• Mobile compatible player with videos virtually accessible across all devices with any screen size or bandwidth.
• Access to multiple CDNs (content delivery networks)
• Live chat and Q&A
• Live playlists with looping
• Customizable channel page

Dailymotion

Dailymotion is a video-sharing social networking website. The website enables users to upload, share, view videos on the internet. It has a large collection of videos, including various formats and genres, like comedy, entertainment news, music videos, music, sports, technology, documentaries and more. It is available in 183 languages and 43 localised versions featuring local home pages and local content.

• The massive global reach of 250 million unique viewers in 35 localized versions of the platform.
• Personalized recommendations and content discovery
• Premium video content
• integrated ad platform with premium publishers and brands
• Offline viewing
• Picture-in-Picture Technology
• Autoplay on scroll, autonext
• Social sharing

Vidyard

Vidyard is a video hosting and marketing platform that helps businesses create, manage, measure, and optimize video content. Vidyard’s platform allows users to upload, share, and track their videos and measure their return on investment (ROI) for their video marketing campaigns.

Vidyard also offers a suite of tools and integrations that allow businesses to add a video to their website, landing pages, and marketing emails. With Vidyard, you can record and send videos in just a few clicks – perfect for busy sales reps trying to break into inboxes or marketers trying to make a splash.

• Video creation up to an hour-long
• Screen recording
• Video playlists
• Auto-generated 3-second GIF preview
• video editing
• Ad-free video hosting
• Fast video uploads
• Uploader widget
• Password and SSO protection
• Custom video calls-to-action and landing pages
• Detailed video analytics and CRM integrations

Vimeo Livestream

Vimeo Livestream is an online service that lets anyone start their own live show and instantly share it with the world. You could be a professional broadcaster on your way to a big event, an amateur videographer capturing your weekend adventure, or a tech expert showing off your newest creation. Vimeo Livestream opens the door to all possibilities, no matter how big or small. It offers a variety of features and tools that make it easy to create and stream live videos.

• Easily stream from any device across social media platforms or your own website
• Privacy & Security to privatize event access
• Monetization model with subscriptions, apps and PPV
• White label your live player or launch branded apps.
• All-inclusive dedicated phone support for your events
• Live Streaming for OTT
• Adaptive streaming
• Video management
• Viewer engagement with moderated chat, Q&A, and live polls

FAQs

What are the different types of video delivery platforms?

There are several types of video delivery platforms:

Web-based platforms: These platforms allow you to stream video content to websites.

Mobile platforms: These platforms allow you to stream video content to mobile devices.

Connected TV platforms: These platforms allow you to stream video content to connected TVs.

What is a content delivery network (CDN)?

A content delivery network (CDN) is a distributed network of servers that deliver web content to users, such as HTML pages, images, and videos. When a user requests content from a website, the CDN retrieves the content from a server near the user, providing a faster and more reliable experience.

Why Do You Need a Video Delivery Platform?

By using the Video Delivery Platform, you will be able to optimize your videos, upload them on multiple platforms, and utilize advanced online marketing techniques.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post Best Video Delivery Platforms with CDN & Content Encryption Support appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

VdoCipher is one such secure online video hosting solution provider catering mainly to enterprises, media, e-learning and LMS platforms. It offers Hollywood Grade DRM Protected video streaming to secure your videos from unauthorized download and hackers.

VdoCipher provides Google Widevine DRM encryption + Apple Fairplay DRM encryption, backend authentication, dynamic watermarking, IP and Geo Restriction, Domain Whitelisting, Smart HTML5 player, and much more to fight video piracy. With many such features, it is helping businesses and individuals in streaming their content securely and smoothly from their websites and web apps in the “pay as you use“ pricing model.

Need of VdoCipher Alternatives

Here we will be talking about major VdoCipher specifics like security, pricing, reviews, and support to understand why you might need a VdoCipher Alternative.

VdoCipher Security Features

VdoCipher encrypts videos during encoding using DRM encryption and can only get decrypted on the VdoCipher html5 video player. DRM ensures the video content to be stored and transmitted in an encrypted form so that only authorized users and devices access it. Before streaming, the video content must be encrypted and packaged, often using multi DRM schemes for improved device compatibility. When a user attempts a video playback, the video player requests a key from a license server. Before issuing a license response and a decryption key, the server checks whether the user and device are authorized. The player can then decrypt and playback the content for the viewer.

Popularly used video encryption streaming protocols like HLS encryption, with AES-128 bit encrypted streaming, have security flaws. If poorly implemented, the decryption keys are easily visible by accessing the manifest file. Plugins can automatically find the keys to decrypt the HLS encrypted stream.

Video Download Helper, IDM and RTPMDump tools can easily download encrypted videos and expose them for downloading and sharing. However, implementing HLS streaming with DRM requires considerable modifications in the HLS Encryption infrastructure.

VdoCipher DRM adds a secure decryption process wherein the content keys are hidden and only accessible to the video player. At Vdocipher, customers get cross-device, cross-browser compatible DRM. The video content involves full-fledged proprietary + HLS DRM combining technologies based on different platforms.

Dynamic Watermarking

Protecting your premium video content requires preventing any risk of piracy using screen recording software. VdoCipher’s dynamic watermark feature displays the User name, User IP and User Email Address on the top of the video. The watermarking is customizable with colour, size, movement and transparency. Their WordPress plugin generates dynamic URLs, making it impossible to download the video content. The watermarking functionalities secure the revenue opportunities for the users.

Smart HTML5 Player

VdoCipher’s HTML5 player provides Adaptive bitrate streaming to the users. During video transcoding, a stream with different bitrates gets created. The video player dynamically matches a stream’s quality to the network conditions and device performance. As a result, the content gets delivered to the end-user irrespective of internet connection speed without burdening the servers. The video player has multi-device compatibility for Desktops and SDKs for Android and iOS. In addition, the player supports multi-lingual subtitles, secure android apps downloads and controls to change the playback speed. Other features include video analytics, custom overlay and tracking.

APIs & SDKs

Videos can be uploaded, managed and embedded using APIs & SDKs. The Server API manages and uploads videos, generates OTP. Player API injects Custom HTML changes, player design and adds interactive features. Android SDKs, on the other hand, integrate Vdocipher SDK into your app. All the technical pieces of stuff are pretty well documented in an easy to do manner.

WordPress Plugin

VdoCipher provides an easy-to-use WordPress Plugin to embed videos on the WordPress website.

Easy upload

Vidos can be uploaded easily from URL, desktop, Dropbox, Drive, server and more. There is Dashboard and API to automate the whole video upload process. APIs directly upload from websites and apps.

VdoCipher Pricing

VdoCipher has “pay as you use” pre-paid pricing models to meet different bandwidth requirements. Here is a summary of all the pricing plans:

* Free Trial: Every new sign up account gets free 5 GB bandwidth for 30 days. The free plan supports up to 4 videos. No card/bank details are required.

Check out the VdoCipher Price Estimate to find the best plan as per your requirement.

VdoCipher Reviews

Reviews are undeniably an established way to gain an organization’s service insights. Here are some of the trustworthy online reviews from Vdocipher’s past and present customers.

“Piracy has always been an issue with us and VdoCipher seems to have solved the problem. Small things such as flashing the IP and the username over video and the robust piracy protection has helped me a ton with my course. Highly recommended.” – Khalid F, g2.com

“Vdocipher is the tool if you want to stop unwanted video downloads or piracy. Support was good and I was able to integrate in time. APIs & SDKs were well documented for the custom integration.” – Laxman, trustpilot.com

“VdoCipher makes it extra hard for thieves to steal your work that you most want to protect, at a cheaper rate than Vimeo pricing or Wistia. I haven’t found any other software that offers this level of protection, with Dynamic Watermarking, and this cheap. There are multiple layers of protection with VdoCipher. First, the videos are encrypted and streaming, which means it’s not easy to download the videos using some browser plugin or special software.” – Marcius R, posted on capterra.com

“Loving VdoCipher as Vimeo Alternative.” – Internal Support Ticket

VdoCipher Support

Excellent customer support starts with the business owner and involves all the employees of the organization. VdoCipher has 24/7 email and phone support to cater to business queries, technical errors and other issues. If someone is not sure of which plan to opt for video securing, they can request a quote from VdoCipher based on the bandwidth usage.

Why VdoCipher Alternatives?

Now, you might even say that all is good with it, so why do we actually need VdoCipher Alternatives? The answer is quite simple for advanced and more customized usage. Once you have built enough knowledge about handling object storage on the cloud, you are good to start with. In addition, this will save you money as you will be buying storage and bandwidth without paying for security charges.

Note: Enabling encryption on Customizable servers is a separate topic and requires development knowledge.

Best VdoCipher Alternatives for advanced usage

Amazon S3

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is a web-based object storage service. Organizations of all sizes store, protect and retrieve data on AWS S3. Users create a bucket that stores objects in the cloud. Amazon S3 buckets are globally unique and up to 100 buckets can be created in your AWS cloud accounts. An individual object cannot be larger than 5 gigabytes but S3 provides tools to upload large objects in parts.

Amazon S3 Free Tier includes 5 GB Standard Storage, 20,000 Get and 2,000 Put requests for a year. S3 has multiple storage options, namely, Glacier, Standard, intelligent tiering, one-zone IA. With pay-as-you-go pricing, Amazon S3 begins with $0.023 per GB for the First 50 TB / Month. New AWS customers receive 5 GB of Amazon S3 storage (Standard) and 15 GB of data transfer per month for one year.

Google Cloud Storage

Google Cloud is a public cloud storage service to store and retrieve your data using the Google Cloud Platform infrastructure. Companies use Google Cloud Storage for Image and web asset libraries, data lakes and stream videos. Objects in Google Cloud Storage are grouped into buckets. The buckets are containers associated with a project which are further grouped into an organization. The users access their data through a web browser or command-line interface. Serving enterprises and developers, Google Cloud offers several storage classes namely, Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archive. The tier difference is based on the frequency at which data is accessed and the speed of the storage you need.

The pricing plans depend on the amount of storage required, amount of data movement between the storage buckets and type of operations performed. As part of Google Cloud Free Tier, Standard Storage offers 5 GB per month with specific limits. Post the free trial, Standard Storage (per GB per month) costs $0.020 while Coldline Storage (per GB per Month) costs nearly $0.004.

Conclusion: VdoCipher or Google or Amazon

Overall it can be said that major competitive segments between Google, Amazon and VdoCipher are security and pricing. So, let’s take a comparative look at them.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post VdoCipher Alternatives for Advanced Usage & Customizations appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Vimeo and YouTube have a free offering to help consumers and businesses host videos on either their own platform or on Vimeo/ YouTube directly. Still, many times businesses tend to choose options other than Vimeo and YouTube to better fulfill their requirements and make large revenues. Also, many mid-size video creators are looking forward to get additional features like DRM within the Vimeo pricing range.

7 Reasons to choose VdoCipher instead of YouTube or Vimeo?

1. Secure Video Streaming

   Viewers can easily download videos from Vimeo and from YouTube,  using so many free tools, downloaders, plugins and hacks. VdoCipher encrypted video streaming ensures 100% download protection from piracy.

2. Customers & Testimonials Ease of Video Management

   Vimeo and YouTube do not provide detailed aspects related to custom Video deletion, ID management, upload from server, FTP, URL, Dropbox or Tag-based video management. VdoCipher offers all these features through APIs and GUIs.

3. Custom Bitrates , Custom player themes & controls

   Vdocipher unlike others allows you to set custom multiple bitrates, using a full enterprise level encoder for all devices. The Vdocipher player can be modified by developers to change controls, add call to actions, change color and fully provide the desired look and interaction.

4. Enterprise level variety of APIs

   Sometimes, as part of your video hosting requirements you may require your customers to upload to a mid way portal and to manage streaming. Upload, embed, tagging, watermarking, security, user based authentication, licensing, lot of things need to be managed in an API workflow. VdoCipher is far ahead as Vimeo alternative or YouTube alternative in API offerings.

5. Analytics

   Data for details of video playback, seek, pause, viewer variety, demographics, is what enterprises are looking through GUI and APIs. VdoCipher again one step ahead in fulfilling analytics requirement than its competitors.

6. Specific solutions for education & media

   VdoCipher is inherently built for businesses. Due to vast experience of providing full packaged solutions to online education and media customers, the understanding and implementation is quick and revenue effective.

7. Great Support

Email, phone, site chat , 24*7 availability for emergency cases, is what VdoCipher strives for. Customers look to vdocipher for an awesome support and is thus far more reliable then its free competitors like vimeo & youtube. We did a comprehensive comparison of Youtube vs Vimeo vs Wistia, find out how these big platforms compare with each other.

Using Vdocipher you can build your own video platform like youtube.

Hear our customers saying few good things about us at – Customers & Testimonials

Forget YouTube, For Free full version 5 GB secure video streaming VdoCipher trial,  please register at – www.vdocipher.com

All these things, VdoCipher handles for you. Launch Today.

Siddhant Jain

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

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Business Video Alternative to Vimeo and YouTube appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Siddhant Jain

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

www.vdocipher.com/

The post VdoCipher shifted to HTML5 Widevine DRM in 2018 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.