DEV Community: Praveen

How to start a VOD streaming platform and its advantages?

Praveen — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:58:00 +0000

VOD streaming is in high demand as it gives the flexibility for users to watch video content at any time, anywhere, and on any device. The covid pandemic has positively impacted the VOD streaming market and helped service providers expand their subscription services to reach a wide audience. Here is the blog that lists the advantage of VOD streaming and how to start a VOD streaming platform.

What is VOD streaming?

VOD streaming is a technology that allows users from around the world to access video at any time and from any device. VOD streaming is going to be the next big thing in the future, as many prefer watching videos online.

Many people are very familiar with VOD streaming, as it is found everywhere online on Instagram, Netflix, youtube, etc. VOD streaming remains intact at present because of its content delivery method and user interactivity nature. Many people prefer watching relatable videos rather than email and informative articles.

How does VOD streaming work?

When looking at the improvement in video streaming technology, we can see that there is a significant drift in viewing habits. In earlier days, users had to pay for the services they didn't need, which was also expensive. In addition to that, there may be geographical restrictions and limited device support. These restrictions have forced users to quit Traditional TV networks and move toward VOD streaming services. VOD streaming platforms provide access to desired content irrespective of location, device, time, etc.

With VOD streaming, Users can access the recorded live event as on-demand content after the live streaming event is over. Users can watch on-demand content at their convenient time and with their favorite device.

Advantages of VOD streaming

VOD streaming technology is the latest one that catches the attention of viewers. Many people enjoy using VOD technology as they have to pay for what they want to watch, and it meets the demands of the users.

VOD is fast

Once the users enter the VOD platforms, they can start streaming video online without the need to download the entire video.

VOD setup is easy, and the cost is very low

The time required to set up a VOD platform is less, and the cost required to set up a VOD platform is minimal.

VOD streaming has a broader reach

VOD platform allows users to stream video content online from any device like smartphones, Smart TVs, Tablets, and desktops. It gives users a choice to watch video content from their favorite device.

VOD tracks user analytics

VOD platform track user data like device, location, age group, engagement time, etc. With these data in hand, VOD platforms can target audiences and provide experience according to their needs, resulting in increased user engagement.

VOD streaming increases conversion

Showing personalized video content to the audience attracts them. With analytics data and by using the Correct CTA button like buy now or check our free trial helps in increasing customer acquisition

VOD doubles up an audience base

Video creators broadcasting particular events can be recorded and stored as on-demand videos in the video library. It allows users who missed out on live streaming events to view video as on-demand content. In this way, you can double up your audience and attract a broader audience.

Complete control over the video content

Users accessing the video content in VOD streaming applications or websites have complete control over the video content. Users can play, pause, rewind, and fast forward according to their convenience.

Monetization options

Broadcasters can redistribute live streamed video content as on-demand content. With on-demand content, you can leverage one of the monetization options like SVOD, AVOD, or TVOD to help increase the revenue flow.

How to start your VOD streaming platform?

At present, everyone might be familiar with VOD platforms as many people have changed their watching habits from TV sets to VOD platforms. This gives us the clear idea that the business related to video streaming and media will be searching online on how to start a VOD app or website. The next part will explain how to start a VOD streaming platform.

Choose your niche content.

The first thing to do is choose a VOD platform, decide what type of video content you will create, and go ahead. VOD content is created, organized, and distributed according to each business's needs.

Start creating content

You can create your content or include other content in your VOD platform by getting a copyright for distributing video content through your platform. The video library is set to be filled with enough video content so that users who enter the platform will have enough video content to browse and watch.

Marketing your content

To make your content visible to your audience, you need to market your video content. You can market your VOD streaming platform by sending emails or app notifications. You can even run paid ad campaigns and leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to reach a broader audience.

Get Started with your VOD streaming with the best VOD streaming platform provider.

You may be in search of the best VOD streaming platform for your video content as many people realize that VOD streaming is the main part of any business. Choose a VOD streaming platform that provides a high-end feature to set your platform apart from other services. Here is the list of reasons why to choose a better Video-on-demand streaming platform.

White label video streaming: White label support allows video creators to add their logo, color, and images to the video content and promotes the video creator's brand without any interruptions.

Multiple monetization support: The video streaming platform comes with multiple monetization models like AVOD, TVOD, SVOD, and hybrid, allowing video creators to have an option to monetize video content according to their business needs.

Analytics dashboard: Analytics allows you to track key metrics and user behavior under various dimensions. This data allows you to create engaging video content to attract a huge audience base and provide a better service.

Global content delivery: Provides buffer-free streaming experience for users worldwide across any device with the help of a Global content delivery network and streaming protocols

Live stream recording: Recording the live streaming event and then storing it as VOD content in the video library. Users who missed the live event can watch the on-demand video content at their desired time.

Conclusion

User needs and likes change through time, but one thing that remains constant is value and user experience. VOD streaming platforms will remain at a higher level among audiences for a long time.

8 Ways to Repurpose Live Video to Increase Reach

Praveen — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 13:25:42 +0000

Many businesses have started using Live video as a powerful tool for increasing user engagement. Many people fail to watch the live videos at the time of streaming, so it is always better to repurpose your live videos to increase the reach. Once you have finished live streaming, you should not just leave that content to fade out. Instead, you can break videos into some valuable small video content, can be used in various ways, and shared on social media channels. So that people who have not attended the live streaming might come back again to watch the recorded video.

Live video is the most engaging content. To reach business goals, you need to repurpose live video for more content in different formats and share it on other platforms. Here is the blog that tells eight different ways to repurpose live video content to increase reach and achieve business goals easily.

8 Different Ways to Repurpose Live Video to Increase Social Reach

1. Social Sharing the Live Video on Other Platforms.

If you have hosted live video on your own platform, then save the video on the device you used to live stream and then upload the video on popular social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn.

This helps reach a larger audience base as you have followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and youtube. This simple process of downloading the recorded video and uploading it on different social media platforms helps in increasing the reach of the content.

2. Make a Shorter Video and Share it on Social Media.

Cut your live video content into shorter videos and share it on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Try to add subtitles to the video content because most people play video on newsfeed without sound. Adding shorter videos on social media platforms will make people watch replays or join the next live video. Always add CTA to the link to your website or video content.

Also, make short video clips and add them as stories on Instagram and Facebook. Add text captions to describe the main point about the story and add graphic effects like GIFs and stickers to make it more engaging content.

3. Take Screenshots of Live Videos and Share Them on Social Media.

Take screenshots of live video content and share them as a teaser on social media. Add a link to the main video content to entice the people to watch the video content. Resulting in more video engagement after the live broadcast.

4. Write a Blog Post and Embed a Live Stream.

Write a blog related to the live video you streamed earlier and add additional information. After completing the blog, add the video content link to the blog post. Otherwise, you can post the transcription itself and add a video link to the post. The blog may not be engaging as video content but having the text version of the video content increases SEO. The post will rank higher if it is well optimized, and your audience can find you easily.

5. Tweeting Quotes of the Live Stream on Twitter

You can also use Twitter as a better platform to increase video engagement. Take some quotes from your video content and post them on Twitter. You can also add screenshots of live videos and quotes as it is an effective marketing strategy as this will see an increase in retweets and social reach.

6. Converting Live Video into Podcasts

Most people nowadays listen to podcasts. Creating podcasts out of live video content will help reach audiences on Spotify, google play, apple podcasts, etc. With podcasts, you can reach audiences who never watch videos. For creating podcasts, audio quality must be high to keep users listening. Remove unnecessary sections and background noises to keep audio content interesting to listeners.

7. Add Video Link to Emails

Email marketing remains the cheapest and most effective marketing strategy. You can promote live video content by adding links to the newsletter. You can attach the edited smaller video with email and send it to email subscribers. Add Screenshots of the video or Video thumbnail to let people know about the video. Make your email as enticing as possible so that email subscribers click through the link to watch the video.

8. Convert Small Video clips into GIFs

Many people love GIFs, and they are also so funny. Create your own GIFs from funny scenes in live video content. You can use these GIFs across all social media channels to increase reach. Try to add text to GIFs as these images have no sounds. This is to highlight some events in live video content and help people understand what’s happening in GIFs.

Conclusion

More and more people are moving towards social media to increase live video content reach. Creating engaging video content like to have more reach. With eight ways to repurpose live video content to increase reach, as mentioned above, we hope you will find it very helpful to make live content reach more people. Never think about what to do next after live streaming again. Follow the steps mentioned above and start to repurpose your live video to increase social reach. Learning how to repurpose live content is one of the important ways to improve your business brand.

What Is VOD (Video On Demand)?

Praveen — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 13:15:32 +0000

Video is the most preferred media content as it keeps the user engaged and entertained. Demand for video keeping on increasing as many people use the internet to watch videos. Many businesses have started their VOD Platform to use video as a tool to create brand awareness, to get in touch with clients and to promote products and services. Demand for video is on the rise as video creators are provided with an opportunity to take the video content to the next level. Here is a detailed guide on What is VOD (Video on Demand) streaming.

What Is VOD?

VOD is a technology that enables users to consume video content from a media library at any time, from any place and on any device. It is a new way of streaming video content on-demand from the comfort of your home and on any compatible device. It is just the opposite of the traditional way of watching video content through satellite or cable tv networks, where you have to wait to watch a particular show at scheduled broadcast time. Users will have complete control over the video content as they have the option to play, pause, rewind, stop and fast forward the video content.

Examples of the VOD platforms are Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. Video On Demand is not meant only for entertainment purposes. It can be used in various other industries like Health and Fitness sector, Yoga classes, Dance sessions, eLearning Classes, Training programs, Religious and Marriage activities and Product and Service promotions.

Many businesses nowadays use video on Demand platforms for professional uses. Many VOD platforms providers are present in the market that builds independent Video on Demand platform for business owners, video creators and filmmakers. Businesses use VOD platforms to scale up their business by reaching more clients through video streaming.

VOD Vs Live Streaming

Both VOD and Live streaming refers to the streaming of video content. There is some difference between Live streaming and Video on Demand. Live streaming is a way of streaming video content in real-time. Live streaming gives you the feeling that you are present in that particular event when it’s happening. It is simply watching the live broadcast of news and sports live events online.

Many businesses nowadays use live streaming as a product and service promotion tool. It is also used for product demos and getting customer feedback. Live streaming helps reach more people and have an opportunity to interact with people.

VOD is just a way of streaming prerecorded content from the media library at your convenience. You can watch videos on any compatible device from any place.

VOD Vs OTT

OTT or Over The Top Refers to technology enabling users to watch video content delivered through the internet rather than the traditional cable and satellite networks. It is simply the streaming of video content through internet-connected devices. OTT supports live streaming as it you can watch the live event through an internet-connected device.

OTT Refers to the way the content is distributed. Video On Demand refers to the way the content is consumed. VOD is a way of streaming prerecorded video content where you have control over the video content to pause, forward, rewind and stop.

How does VOD (Video On Demand) Work?

Video files are first stored in the asset library in uncompressed format. Transcoders compresses the video and converts it into multiple bitrates to enable Adaptive Bitrate streaming. This compressed video file is encoded and stored in servers ready for transfer when the user invokes a request. These files can be transmitted via streaming protocols HLS or MPEG DASH. Security feature DRM encryption protects video content and video transferred through Content Delivery Networks(CDN). The video is decompressed and decoded in a viewable format to play on a VOD player when it reaches the user.

Video Monetization

Video On Demand is also a great tool to make money. Video monetization is a way of making money by publishing videos on the video platform. Users can watch video content from the media library in return. They pay money monthly recurring fees or one-time payment fees. The most common Video monetization methods are SVOD, AVOD and TVOD.

Subscription-Based Video On Demand(SVOD)

SVOD is the most commonly used video monetization method. In this method, users can access the video content in the media library infinite times by paying recurring fees it may be monthly or yearly. This monetization method is the best profitable method as it generates a continuous flow of income.
Example: Netflix

Advertisement based Video On Demand (AVOD)

Users access the video content freely as they don’t need to pay any fees for watching videos. While streaming video on this platform, they will encounter advertisements between videos. It might be at the start, middle, or end of the video.

Ads may be skippable or non-skippable. Video platform owners will get paid for placing ads in between videos. Video platform owners can search for a company to place ads on their platform, or you can also approach advertising agencies who can connect video platform owners with companies searching for ads space.
Example: Youtube

Transaction based Video on Demand (TVOD)

In this method, the user can access the video content by paying one time fees. They can download the content permanently for their use or rent the particular video for a specific period. This method is especially suitable when releasing exclusive content as it urges subscribers to access the specific content. This method can generate large income for a particular time.
Example: Apple Itunes

Conclusion

Birth Of Video On Demand Streaming has changed the way of consuming video content. It gives the capability to watch video from anywhere and at any time. Many businesses have started using VOD Platform to scale up their growth. Video Streaming has many benefits for both users and VOD owners. VOD is the future and will be the only way to stream video content in future.

Top 5 Muvi Alternatives You Must Know In 2022

Praveen — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 12:48:00 +0000

Are you in search of a video streaming platform provider alternative to Muvi? If you want to stream video for employee training or conducting online sessions, want to store data securely and manage huge chunks of data. Muvi is not suitable to achieve all of these tasks, so it’s better to consider top alternatives of muvi. Before getting to know about the list of alternatives lets get to know few things about Muvi

Muvi is a SaaS-Based Video streaming platform that offers both VOD and Live Streaming. It supports multi-screen video streaming. It is used to build both video streaming websites and apps for both mobiles and desktops. It comes up with different monetization options like AVOD, SVOD and TVOD. Muvi comes up with a higher price plan as it is much more suitable for larger organizations willing to spend big. Muvi provides higher-end features only at higher pricing plans. It might not be suitable for smaller organizations and individual video creators to spend huge amounts of money. Here is a list of muvi alternatives you must know that offer more features with lesser price

Top 5 Muvi Alternatives

Webnexs

Webnexs is an All In One Video streaming solution that builds a Video streaming platform according to user needs. It is the best alternative to muvi as it offers all the features required for a video streaming platform at a much cheaper price. Video platforms can be customized according to the video creators brand as it offers white-label video streaming. It is suitable for all types of video creators from beginners to professionals as it affordable by all users

Features

White-label Video Streaming
API Integration And SDK access for OTT and mobile apps
Digital rights management and Single sign on authentication features
Unlimited input number of users
Live stream video recording and storing it in the video library
Content Management System(CMS) to organise video files in different categories and groups
Global Content Delivery Network (CDN) for transfer of video files to end-user all around the world
Adaptive bitrate streaming(ABR) as video is played at different internet speed
18*5 Customer Support
Detailed analytics dashboard to know users information
Different Video monetization options such as SVOD,AVOD and TVOD
Different Payment Gateways

Pros

Easily affordable
Highly secure and Reliable Platform

Cons

No cons to mention as it offers all the features required for video streaming

Flicknexs

Another best alternatives to Muvi is Flicknexs. Flicknexs is a SaaS-based Video streaming platform provider that launches video streaming platforms with powerful functionality and advances features. Flicknexs is well known for distributing, managing and publishing video content as it is suitable for both smaller and larger enterprises. It supports both video hosting and live streaming. Flicknexs comes up with a secure platform with customization tools to change themes and colors.

Features

White-label Video Streaming
API Integration
SDK Support
Advanced security features
Live streaming recording option
Content Management System(CMS) to segregate video files in different categories
Content Delivery Network (CDN) for transfer of video file to end-user without any deterioration in video quality
Adaptive bitrate streaming(ABR) for adjusting video streaming according to internet connectivity
18 *5 Customer Support
Detailed analytics dashboard to get insights about users behaviour
Video monetization options such as SVOD, AVOD and TVOD to generate revenue
Video Transcoding and Encoding
Social media channel integration option to reach more people
Different payment gateways such as PayPal and Stripe.

Pros

It’s easy to use
Cheaper price plans

Cons

No Cons to point out as it offers all the features required for Video streaming

Dacast

Dacast is a video streaming platform provider that offers both VOD hosting and live streaming. It comes up with different pricing plans where broadcasters can choose according to their needs. It uses HTML 5 video player and is tied up with the global content delivery network to ensure video reaches the end users without any issues. It is best suited for professional uses and mainly used for larger organizations.

Features

Adaptive Video player
Global Content Delivery network
Ad-free streaming
White-label video streaming
Enhanced security features
Cloud transcoding
24*7 Customer Support

Pros

HTML 5 Video player
Different package plan

Cons

Only suitable for professional uses

Vimeo

Vimeo was initially meant only for VOD hosting and later on, only it added a live streaming feature to it. It acquired Livestream in 2017 so live streaming support was added. Vimeo was created for filmmakers and producers in the entertainment industry and it is not much suitable for smaller businesses looking for scalability. It is one of the popular platforms like youtube as it was mainly designed for smaller enterprises but later on, it was used by larger organizations for professional uses

Features

VOD hosting
White-label Platform
Live streaming feature
Ad-free streaming Without any distractions
Monetization options
Video analytics
Video Embedding Feature

Pros

Different advertising and marketing options

Cons

Poor video streaming experience
Not suitable for individual creators and smaller organizations

Panopto

The last Muvi alternative in this list is Panopto. It is a platform mainly used in colleges and universities to conduct online classes and also used in organizations to conduct training sessions for employees. It is mainly suitable for online educational courses. It comes up with other options to conduct quizzes and video recording capability. It offers an advanced management option to arrange video files in an organized way

Features

Advanced security features: SSL protection
Multi Bitrate streaming capability
Detailed analytics dashboard
API integration
Safe and secure platform
CMS for clearly organizing files

Pros

Best platform for educational purposes

Cons

No Customization options are available

Conclusion

Video on-demand market is set to be in the upward direction in the next 10 years as many people started to spend more time watching videos online. If you are a business trying to build a Video platform then it is a wise move to approach Video streaming platform providers to build a new one. It better to consider the above list of Muvi alternatives for building video streaming platforms as it offer all feature required for video streaming with cheaper price plans

9 Ways To Reduce Subscription Churn

Praveen — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 13:54:16 +0000

If you are running subscription platforms or if you have an idea of starting subscription platforms. Then your major focus will be on subscribers as to how to get them, how to connect with them and most importantly, how to keep them.Subscription churn happens for several reasons. It may be due to Covid 19, where people have to reduce their expenses and also for not using the product or service frequently. Statistic states that an increase in customer retention up to 5% can increase profit up to 90%.

Subscription churn is one of the biggest challenges for video creators as the subscription churn rate is over 30% for Video streaming apps per year. Subscription churn is nothing but users unsubscribing from your platform. Subscription churn rate is a percentage of the number of subscribers who have cancelled the subscription. It is calculated with a simple formula: the number of paid users who unsubscribed is divided by the total number of paid users. You have to keep the audience engaged to reduce subscription churn. So here are the seven ways that have to be followed to reduce subscription churn.

1. Find out the reason why Subscribers churn

Before solving this issue, you have to find out why subscribers are leaving.After finding out the reason, you have to take steps accordingly. If the price is too high, then you have to reduce the cost. If the content is old, then you have to schedule new video content release at a proper time. Always keep an eye on subscribers data so that you can fix issues before they unsubscribe it.

2. Release unique content

Subscriber tends to stay in those platforms where particular video content is not available elsewhere. Try to give engaging, creative and unique content that ultimately helps you in keeping subscribers. If the price is too high, subscribers will leave the platforms. If the price is too low, you have the risk of not making a profit in the business. Do the research and look into your competitor’s platforms to get some knowledge about it.

3. Release new content frequently.

No matter what industry you are in, releasing new content frequently engages and excites the audience. Releasing new content often makes your platform feel fresh. It might remind the audience why they are paying for it. It is really very essential for the business to upload video content regularly to retain subscribers.

4. Communicating with your audience

Always be in touch with subscribers by sending a newsletter about the new releases and also give the link directly so that they can click to watch the video content. It is also useful to convert free trial users to subscribers by sending a newsletter about new movie releases and new episode releases. Sending out promo codes through email about subscription offers prices to bring back unsubscribed users.

5. Make sure your technology is good

Websites or apps with good experience and excellent UX design make it easier and comfortable to use the service. Subscribers nowadays expect a world-class website and video experience; otherwise, they will unsubscribe from it. You can build a video streaming platform by hiring developers and UX designers. The better option is to approach Video streaming platform providers in the market that build World-class Video streaming platforms for your business. You can concentrate on creating video content by offloading tech work to the Video platform providers.

6. Sending out promo codes

Promo codes not only convert free trial users to subscribers but also retains subscribers. This can be done by sending a promo code to subscribers as a reward like free usage of video platforms for one month period and rewarding promo codes to existing customers for referring our channel to others. You can also send promo code to subscribers about offers who are on the verge of unsubscribing it

7. Bringing unsubscribed users back to the platform

First, you have to identify the reasons why they have unsubscribed. Look into user data with the help of data analytics to find out the user behaviour like most engaged content, average time per session. Then using the user data, you can email a list of unsubscribed users to send discount offers for the subscription, which may help bring back the customers. You can also retarget your audience on social media channels by talking about new features, new content releases and discounted prices for subscription renewal.

8. Asking for Feedback From users

To know whether your product or service is performing well or not, it is better to ask your users directly, this can be done by sending an email to subscribers to fill the feedback form or take up the survey test. This shows to the customer that you are committed to continually improving your services. By getting those feedback, you can improve the service or product accordingly.

9. Quick and responsive customer Service

One way to always be on the good side of the customer is to provide good customer service. Customer service employees should be responsive and knowledgeable in such a way to respond to the question or issues that customers face. Providing excellent customer service is one of the ways to stand out from your competitors

Wrapping up

Running a subscription is all about keeping your audience happy, engaged and excited about your video service. Communicating with the users, providing excellent service, and establishing brand loyalty, will keep your subscribers in touch with your platform. Delivering a wonderful video experience with well-built apps and websites built by World-class Video platform providers will considerably reduce the subscription rate.

Comparison Of Top 5 Video On Demand (VOD) Platforms

Praveen — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 11:06:08 +0000

Video-on-demand market is still on the rise, and it is expected to be worth more than $85 billion. If you are in any business want to use video as a tool to grow your business or you are in the video streaming industry to stay ahead of your competitors, it's better to start your own Video On Demand (VOD) platform. To start your own Video platform, it's always wise to get the services of professional-grade VOD platforms providers. In this blog, we will get through a comparison of Top 5 Video On Demand Platforms

Webnexs

Webnexs is an all in one video streaming solution that supports both Video on demand (VOD) and live streaming. It comes up with advanced features that are suitable for all types of broadcasters and video creators. It builds customized websites and apps that are suitable for all business models. It supports different video monetization methods and white label video streaming with the video creators own logo and brand image. Webnexs is easily affordable to all types of video creators, from beginners to professionals and it is very easy to use even by Non IT people.

Features

Both video-on-demand and live streaming
Video encoding and transcoding
Adaptive Bitrate (ABR)
Advanced HTML5 video player
CDN for latency-free video delivery
High-end video security features like DRM, SSO
Video website and player customization tools and templates
Advanced CMS to organize files
Multiple social media channel integration
Video monetization models: SVOD, AVOD,TVOD
Different payment options
Video API integration
SDKs for iOS and Android APPs

Pros

Unlimited number of users
More secure platforms
More reliable platform

Cons

As of now, there are no Cons to exactly point out

Flicknexs

Flicknexs is also one of the best Video on Demand (VOD) platforms present in the market. It is a SaaS-based Video streaming platform that builds VOD platforms for all video creators from individuals to larger organizations. White label video platform where video creators company logo and brand are given more importance. It builds both websites and apps for most of the devices like mobile, desktop, tablets and TV. It comes up with a variety of features like video analytics, different monetization options. Flicknexs is well known for distributing, publishing and managing video content.

Features

White label Video Streaming
Video Monetization Methods - SVOD, AVOD, TVOD
Content Management System(CMS)
Multi Bitrate Streaming(MBR)
Content Delivery Networks(CDN)
Advanced-Data analytics dashboard
Security features such as DRM,SSO
HTML 5 Video Player
API Integration
SDKs for both android and ios

Pros

Suitable for all types of video creators
Easily Affordable
Monetization options

Cons

Comes with lot of features it take some time to learn

Muvi

Muvi is a Video streaming platform that supports both VOD and Live Streaming. It's a cloud video platform that offers cloud encoding. It is very easy to launch multi-screen video streaming on websites and apps for both mobiles and desktops. If you are ready to spend more money, then Muvi is suitable for you to avail of high-end features. If offers different monetization options like AVOD, SVOD and TVOD

Features:

Cloud encoding
Multi Bitrate Streaming
HTML5 Video Player
Content Management System
Content Delivery Network
Video Monetization options

Pros

Powerful CMS
Advanced security features
Global level CDN

Cons

Very expensive

IBM Cloud Video

Next on this comparison list is IBM Cloud video. It is one of the platforms that can be used to build a professional VOD platform as it also comes with a lot of features. This platform is very much suitable for larger organizations and experienced broadcasters. It comes up with unique features like AI base automated speech to text captioning. It's slightly hard to navigate

Features:

AI based Captioning service
AES and DRM Security options
SDKs for android and IOS apps
Full API video Integration
Customer Support
Adaptive video player

Pros

Unique AI-based captioning feature
Video monetization support

Cons

API available at a higher price plan
White label streaming-only available at a higher price plan

Wowza

Wowza was started in 2005 and it is a streaming solution that supports both VOD and live streaming services . It's well known for customizable video players and it focuses on streaming on all devices. Wowza offers Wowza Streaming engine for self-hosting video and Womza Cloud for video streaming solutions.

Features

Cloud Transcoding
White-label video streaming
HTML 5 video player
Wide security options like DRM, SSL
Customer support
Adaptive Bitrate streaming

Pros

It is mainly suitable for larger organizations
More customization and content management tool

Cons

No video monetization option
No video analytics tool

Wrapping Up

There are many VOD platform providers present in the market today. Choosing a Video on Demand platform is always better based on what is suitable for your business needs to reach your goals. It is always wise to make a comparison and then pick video platforms that offer different features that almost meet your demands.

9 Tips For Creating Product Video

Praveen — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:45:35 +0000

For businesses selling products or services, product video remains as the bridge between business and customers. Video about product description in the website have increased sales conversion rate above 75%. Product video with engaging content in the website attracts the audience rather than images and text descriptions about the product or service.

Having video on the website will increase user engagement to the website. It is noted that user engagement is 60 % higher for videos when compared to images. Businesses can also use video as a marketing tool to drive traffic to the website by sharing it on other sites. You can easily make series of professional product videos with a limited budget. Here are some tips for creating a product video.

1. Content is King

Well-written content is the foundation upon which your video is built. Content should be written in such a way that the first time visitor who sees the video must understand about your product or service. Before starting off with your product video, aim to answer these questions :

What is your product or service?
What solution does it give for the customer’s problem?
The benefit of using your product
How does it enhance the customers’ lives?
Who is your target audience?

2. Product Video must be Short and Simple.

If the video is much longer then people will not be interested in watching videos so the video must be shorter, maybe 2 or 3 minutes where you can give an overview of the product. The main purpose is to keep your user engaged to make him push to the next step to take the desired action.
The video should be simple as well as it should only focus on certain things.

Problem it addresses
Solution it solves
Brief description about the product
Call to action to make what customers to do next

3. Tell about the Benefits and add Professional voices and music.

It’s always better to tell the benefits of using your products rather than the features of the products and all other technical aspects. For customers, it’s always the benefits that matter the most. Tell them how your product or service is going to make their lives better.

Audio also plays a major role in creating videos. If the audio is not good, then the whole video fails. The audio delivery should be professional so that considering a voice expert could also be a good idea. Adding some mild background music does wonder sometimes it invokes emotions to be in flow with the video.

4. Brief Explanation of Product or Service

Make sure to give a clear explanation of your product in a short period, so this urges the user to buy the product. For example
Demo videos like someone using the product. Explainer videos where professionals explain how the products work. The tutorial video is like an instructive video with step by step process to know how to use the product

5. Choosing Video Platforms

Video is the first impression created among customers about your product or service, so the video has to be customized and clear cut to attract customers to buy your product. It is better to choose a video streaming platform provider that builds an independent video platform for businesses that comes up with additional features to help grow a business with videos. Embed the video onto your website as it should be the face of your website

6. Market the Product to the People

Taking your product to the people also remains the main part as you share the video on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and youtube to reach more people. When people are looking for a product, they look into the product and the person using it. People want to know how the product has helped existing users. So when creating testimonials, it is necessary to have current customers talking about the product. Statistics say that businesses running for some social cause like upliftment in the lives of society, donating the part of income to social communities have seen improvement in their profits. This is because people love to buy the product from businesses that do social activities.

7. Add subtitles to your video

Adding subtitles to your video literally increases engagement as many users watch a video on mute when they are travelling or at public places. Statistics state that 90% of people watch videos in mute and it is also very helpful for deaf people to watch videos reading subtitles. Making videos with subtitles will have a broader reach.

8. Add Titles And Thumbnails

Adding Title to the video will make the user know what is in this video? Adding a thumbnail to your video is the most important thing as a thumbnail is the first thing that the user notices. Making a thumbnail that is informative and attractive will strike an interest in users to watch the video. Thumbnail increases user engagement by over 150%

9. Add a Call to Action Button and be in touch with a potential customer.

Always add a call to action button in the video to make what the customer needs to do next. You direct them to sign up for a newsletter or pre-order your product and also add the contact us option so that they might get in touch with you and finally creating videos is to make a conversation with them.

Conclusion

These tips will push you on the right path and will help you in delivering the real videos that result in immeasurable results. To make an interesting product video, try to be creative. Try to showcase the unique selling point of your product. Most people just want to know the top benefits of your product and how to buy it. It is also better to choose a video platform for hosting video too.

5 Best Video On Demand Platforms (VOD) In 2022

Praveen — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 10:01:51 +0000

These days there has been an increase in viewers on Video on Demand platforms. Many people love to watch videos in the comfort of their homes without any interruptions. The rise of many best Video-on-demand platforms has reduced the number of people going to the theatre to watch movies.

Recent statistics say that number of viewers using VOD platforms is up by above 150%, and the average time spent on the Video-on-demand platform per session is above 15 minutes. It is noted that the VOD development market is set to reach around $850 billion in 2027. Every Business has started leveraging VOD Streaming with their Business, so to do this, you need a Video-On-Demand(VOD) platform.

You can also build a Video-on-demand platform like other entrepreneurs. Now here comes the most important part of choosing VOD Platform providers that fit your needs. There are many VOD platform providers in the market, so here is the list of the 5 best Video-on-demand platforms in 2022.

5 Best Video On Demand (VOD) Platforms

Webnexs

Webnexs is an all-in-one Video streaming solution that builds VOD and Live streaming platforms for video creators. All types of video creators use it, from beginners to professionals. Webnexs comes with advanced and powerful features that suit any business model. It helps build a Customized VOD platform according to user needs that match the business model and help easily target the audience. Webnexs remains the only option as it is easily affordable by all types of video creators.

Features

White Label Video Streaming
API And SDK access
Security features include DRM, SSO, AES Encryption, and Password protection
Unlimited input source
Live stream video recording
Content Management System(CMS)
Content Delivery Network(CDN)
Adaptive bitrate streaming(ABR)
Detailed analytics
Customer Support 18*5
Different Video monetization options -SVOD, AVOD, TVOD
Customization of Video Player
OTT apps and TV apps

Pros

Unlimited input source
Video monetization options
Affordable Price Package

Cons

Webnexs offers all features of video streaming platforms, so there are no cons.

Flicknexs

Next on the list is Flicknexs which is also one of the best VOD platforms at present. Flicknexs is a SaaS-Based Video Platform Provider that builds and launches VOD and Live streaming platforms for all Video Creators. It Builds both Website And Apps so that it is accessible on all devices like desktops, mobiles, tablets, and TV. Flicknexs is an all-in-one White Label VOD platform where video creators' brands and logos are given importance. It delivers OTT service with powerful features and different payment gateway options to monetize video content.

Features:

White label Video Streaming
Video Monetization Methods - SVOD, AVOD, TVOD
Content Management System(CMS)
Mulitbitrate Streaming(MBR)
Content Delivery Networks(CDN)
Advanced-Data analytics
Security features such as DRM
HTML 5 Video Player
OTT apps and TV apps

Pros

Easier to use
Suitable for all types of Video Creators

Cons

There are no cons in this platform to point out.

Brightcove

Brightcove was started in the year 2004, and it is the first online video platform that offers both live streaming and Video hosting. It is also one of the biggest players in the VOD platform building market, and they operate at the enterprise level and other bigger brands to deliver on-demand and live video. Brightcove is very easy to use, and it supports all types of monetization models.

Features:

HTML 5 Video Player
Analytics Dashboard
Video monetization
DRM Security features
CRM integration

Pros

Highly secured platform
Difficult for beginners to use

Cons

Very expensive
Slow Tech support

Kaltura

Another VOD Platform in this list is Kaltura. Kaltura offers a customizable approach for video streaming as it gives more flexibility. This platform is mainly used in universities and schools, which is mostly used for e-learning classes, seminars, and webinars. Educational learning through Kaltura has improved even because of mobile app development. It is also used for conducting live lecture classes.

Features :

Video player customization options
Learning management system(LMS) for an online class
Analytics
API and SDK access
Caption and translations

Pros

Different themes and tools for customization of websites

Cons

Poor security features
Does not support monetization

JW Player

JW player follows the youtube model, and it has become one of the most established Video platforms in the VOD market. JW player work across websites, android apps, iOS, and TV. JW player is well suited for making with advertising rather than a subscription model.

Features:

Geo-blocking
DRM Support
Monetization Option - only AVOD
Analytics
Multiple screening

Pros

Global content delivery
Adaptive video Player

Cons

Does not support SVOD and TVOD
Poor Customer Support

Conclusion

Video on Demand (VOD) is the future. Today, the market is flooded with too many VOD platforms, so choosing the best one becomes complex as each VOD platform differs slightly. Selecting the video platforms according to your business needs would be the best option to reach your goal.

How To Sell Online Fitness Programs

Praveen — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 10:33:46 +0000

Due to the spread of corona virus, many governments have implemented the rule that gyms, yoga studios and swimming pools will remain closed for the next 12 months. This has drastically affected gym owners, yoga teachers businesses. So at present, many fitness instructors have started their own online fitness studio, started selling fitness programs online and they have been able to reach more people beyond borders. Many people have moved to an alternative solution that is doing a workout at home by watching fitness videos online. Online Fitness programs have become a trend as many have decided to do work out at home themselves.

Online fitness Studios are Video streaming platforms where fitness instructors perform exercises so that users can watch videos to learn exercises it’s a kind of virtual gym. Through an online fitness studio, you can share workouts, training plans, nutritional diet and health tips and exercise courses. This remains an excellent opportunity for fitness instructors to online fitness as this helps in reaching more people virtually literally from any location.

It’s better to start online fitness programs where you need to build a Video platform with help of a video platforms provider so that people can workout videos at any time, anywhere and on any devices like mobile, laptops and TV. With this online fitness studio, you can train more people without the need of hiring an extra trainer, expanding your training facility and spending more time. So let get into the main topic of how to sell online fitness programs

How to Start Online Fitness Programs in 4 steps

1. Choosing the Business Model

There are two business models: TVOD and SVOD. A business model needs to be chosen depending upon the type of business you run.

Transactional Video on Demand(TVOD): It is a Model where users pay money one time to access the video content permanently or even download it. The transactional model is best when you want to teach a particular topic or exercise, workout routine and even workshop. You can sell a single series of videos as a package such as training plans, exercise, nutritional plans and workout tips. Once the customer bought this video content from you they don’t need to buy it again and they access the content for an entire lifetime

Advantages:

Once the Video product is ready you can sell it for an entire lifetime
You can sell video products on average between $75 and $100
You can market your online fitness training business in person and also virtually
You can even use referrals and affiliate groups to boost your business growth

Disadvantages

Once the product is sold to the particular customer you cannot sell the same product to him again, so you need to find new customers every time to sell the product
Revenue is not recurring and stable
More money has to spent in marketing
It takes more time to create a new video course again

Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD): It is a model where users have to pay a particular fee monthly or yearly to access an entire library of video content an infinite number of times. If they stop paying the fees, the user loses access. It is the best model for fitness instructors as they want to build a client-based online fitness platform. In this model, the trainer adds and updates videos on these platforms so that users learn and stay updated. Trainers keep on adding multiple exercise videos, nutritional and health tips and different courses from time to time to keep users engaged.

Advantages

Income flow is stable
You can sell video on an average from $12 to $15
Recurring income as user renew it monthly or yearly
Customers remain subscribed for a longer time
It can be easily promoted online and in-person

Disadvantages

It takes time in creating video content regularly
Initially, it takes some time to make money

2. Planning your content

After selecting the business model and in the next step you have to plan your content of what type of online fitness course you are going to offer and how it looks on a client level.

You need to have a clear picture of what your online fitness program is all about. You need to have some plan before you start training. you need to know your goal before creating video content. You need to have some clear idea about

What am I going to teach
How am I going to teach
What are the important things needed
What do customers expect from us?

Next is the video content you create,it is what your audience engage and experience it.It is the step how you are going to create an online fitness program for :

Different intensity of workout from easy to difficult phase
Different experience levels from beginner to professional
Training plans
Health tips
Workout for particular body parts

It also depends upon how to do you make a video

Solo or in groups
Live videos or already recorded content
Will your course follow logical order or not

It is always better to plan your content before starting off your online fitness course

3. Building your own Video Platform

Building your own video platform that is a website and App for mobile remains the face of your online fitness program so through this people will come to know more about fitness courses, pricing and what kind of video is suitable for them. Well developed website is the most important thing to do as there are many video platform providers at present that build video platforms for fitness instructors. It is always better to choose a Video platform provider that builds you complete video streaming platforms with important features included such as

Website and Video player Customization tools.
Analytics dashboard
CMS
Video monetization options
Different payment options and
White-label video streaming
Both on-demand and live streaming capability

With a well-built video platform, you are ready to start and grow your Online fitness program

4.Setting up the Pricing Plan

Here comes the most important part as Fitness instructors find it difficult to fix a price for online courses. Most fitness instructors might be knowing the fees for real-time gym sessions but when it comes to online it is better to make market research what other fitness instructs are offering. If prices are too high users will look for other platforms and if prices are too low then the value of your online fitness program goes down. It should be fixed in such a way that it is affordable for all types of users. Set a price at a normal range and then increase it based on customer feedback. Consider giving a free trial for the first week for first-time users. Try to fix a higher price for live and personal training when compared to pre-recorded video content. For the Subscription model, you can sell video on an average from $12 to $15. For the Transaction-based model, You can sell video products on average between $75 and $100

5.Marketing Online Fitness Programs

Marketing online fitness programs is a most essential part that needs to be done after building your video platforms can be done through social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can make it through youtube by releasing short videos or trailers so you gain more traffic to your website. Sending out coupons, promo codes to attract an audience. Conducting referral programs making existing customers refer fitness courses to their family and friends. Setting up a newsletter campaign to retarget the audience who have visited our site. Giving out the free trial for a week to give the new users an experience with our new fitness platform

Wrapping up

Online Fitness Programs are Video-based training platforms where you can easily build, grow your business by reaching more people. It helps in easily selling your product to many people beyond borders to make money provided the content is good and engaging.

Best Dacast Alternative For Video Creators

Praveen — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 09:49:34 +0000

Flicknexs is the best dacast alternative that builds VOD and OTT platforms for video creators who want to run video streaming businesses with websites and applications. Flicknexs gives overall support to launch, run and grow your business. Dacast is a video streaming service that broadcast video on their existing website and applications.

Online video streaming is getting popular day by day. Businesses, schools, and other professional organizations are trying to scale up their growth by using video platforms to reach more people in a more convenient and effective way. So to start a professional-grade video streaming platform you must leverage the support of video platforms providers. Flicknexs that offers both live streaming and video on demand (VOD) hosting. This platform comes with advanced features and powerful functionality. Flicknexs is the right choice for any broadcaster with unique needs.In this article we will go through major difference between Dacast and flicknexs

Difference Between Flicknexs and Dacast

Dacast is just a video streaming service that embeds video into existing websites and applications. It hosts video, shares it with the audience and viewers can access it.
With Dacast you can

Embed video into the existing website
Host videos
Share video to social media platforms
Monetize videos

Flicknexs is a SaaS-based VOD and OTT platform provider that builds complete video streaming platforms from scratch for website, mobile and TV apps.
With Flicknexs you can

Build video streaming website
Create Ott Apps for both mobile and TV
Monetize videos with different models such as SVOD, AVOD and TVOD
Customize your website and video player
Organize video content using CMS

What Dacast does for video creators

They provide two important features: video hosting and monetization.
The first one is video hosting, where you host your video on the dacast platform then embed video into your website where users can access the video. The second one is video monetization, where you can set SVOD or TVOD model for managing payment methods.

What Flicknexs does for video creators

Flicknexs is a budget-friendly video solution that helps VOD Businesses from bottom to top. It builds, launches, helps in growth and markets your VOD business.
On the Flicknexs platform, you can

Build White label Video Streaming website

Developers build you a professional, well built VOD Website according to user needs where user company logo and brand are given more importance. There are customizable templates available where you can make adjustments to users' needs.

Create OTT apps for mobile and TV

Flicknexs helps in building OTT applications for mobile and TV apps with API and SDK support. So the user can access the video on any device like mobile or TV.

Monetize your videos

Flicknexs offers you a wide variety of options such as Subscription-based model,transactional-based model and advertisement based model
Flicknexs offers

7-day free trial
Three subscription plans like basic, professional and enterprise
Coupons and promotional offers
Market your VOD platform

With marketing tools available with Flicknexs helps in reaching a broader audience and helps to convert viewers into paying audiences. With an inbuilt analytics tool, you can get the insights of your audience and create a marketing campaign to retarget your audience to convert it into paying customers.

Overall All in One video streaming platform provider

Flicknexs offers other essential features such as

It comes with HTML 5 Video player
Video transcoding so that video can be viewed on all devices
It also supports Audio and Live Video Streaming
CMS for clearly organizing the video content
Advanced security features such as DRM security
Watermarking
Customer support
API and SDK Support
Content Delivery Networks and Adaptive bitrate streaming for safe delivery of video content to end users without any lag or issues
Detailed analytics dashboard
Video monetization options- SVOD,AVOD,TVOD

Pros

Comes with affordable price
Suitable for all types of broadcasters
Unlimited number of users
Safe and secure platform
Easy to use

Cons

Till now there is no flaws in this platform to mention

Wrapping up

If you are a well-established business with a website and all you want is video streaming capability. In that case, you can choose Dacast, which helps monetize your video content and help grow your business. But suppose you are a business that wants to Build a VOD website, OTT application for Mobile and TV, monetize video with different options, and create video content for the library. In that case, Flicknexs is the best dacast alternative as it has built video streaming platforms for video creators in the past.

10 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Video as a Marketing tool For Their Growth

Praveen — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 07:05:20 +0000

Video is the future as many people consume media content and all are falling towards video above other media content. View counts and engagement rate continues to rise so there is a reason for every small business to use video as a marketing tool for their growth as it will make a business reach a broader audience and create brand awareness among people. Statistics says that 63% of business have started using video as a tool to scale up their growth. 83% of businesses believe that using video as a marketing tool gives good ROI

There is a huge growing popularity for videos. Approximately 65% of internet traffic is in the form of videos. As many people online love to watch creative and informative content. Big business giants in any sector have been using video platforms as a tool for product promotion and for always being in connections with people. So let look into reasons why small businesses need video as a tool for their growth :

1. Raise brand awareness and generate more leads when compared with non-video content

One of the main goals of videos is to create brand awareness about the product or service. People watching the most engaging content raise brand awareness about the product or service as the brand is etched in the minds of people. Ultimately it leads to more website traffic and the generation of more leads. Another major reason to use video is for an increase in online sales.

2. People like the video a lot

People love watching videos so it’s for the companies to create engaging content to attract a broader audience to their side. Above 75% of people prefer watching videos rather than reading articles

3. Video is most engaging and valuable

Video is the most engaging and entertaining content that’s why youtube is till second most used search engine in the world behind Google. People nowadays are very bored of reading articles or blogs. People really like things that are visually presented than in theoretical text

4. Ranking Higher in search results

Adding videos to the website increases the visibility of the website as it is ranked higher on any search result page. By adding video to the website, chances for ranking on the first page increase by 50 times. This is mainly because people prefer watching videos to any other media content.

5. Telling your story and making people understand about your product through video

By watching videos on the website people will get to know and understand your product better before buying. Statistics says that about 65-85% of people buy the product after watching a product video. With the help of video, people will even get to know how to use complex products.

Sharing customer testimonials on the website will also convince the new user to buy the product or service. As other people will get to know about the previous story of customers regarding product usage. This kind of video build trust among new people so video helps in targeting people

6. Videos helps in more sales and boosting revenue faster

Using video as an advertising tool helps in increasing revenue at least half a time faster than using non-video content. Big companies have used video as a tool where there has been only an increase in engagement and sales when compared to images and texts. Showcasing the products in the form of a video and letting people know how to use the product will not only add value to the people but also urges them to buy the product. This has seen increasing sales up to 30%.

7. Video has now become a decision-making tool and people are watching more videos

People nowadays before buying a product they will go in search of videos about that particular product to know how it can be useful for our purpose or know about reviews of the product, to finally check whether it will be valuable for us or not. So people want to see the product usage in real-time situations to decide whether to buy them or not. People watching videos generally keep on surging not only online but also offline too. Each and every person now spend at least 60 minutes watching videos per day

8. Social Media platforms are full of videos

Even on social media platforms, people spend most of their time watching videos. If you check which is the most engaged, liked and shared type of media content it would be Video. Social media marketing is always on the rise so sharing videos of the product or service on this social media would always have a broader reach among the audience. You can even retarget your audience by finding out the people who all reacted and liked your video.

9. Most people watch videos on Mobiles

Most of the people above 90% love to watch videos on mobiles. People don’t prefer desktop or laptop to watch videos. So the rise of smartphones has become a huge factor that made people comfortably watch videos on a small screen itself.

10. Video gives you more return

The investment made to build independent video platforms or money spent for video ads whatever it may be, video still gives you a better Return On Investment. Video remains the only tool for driving traffic to the website, increase in sales and also give people better clarity about your product

Wrapping up

Coming to the final point I just wanted to say Video is a huge driving force at present to push small businesses to gain a huge base which results in the generation of more revenue. It’s up to the business to build up a separate independent platform with help of video solution providers or to make use of other third-party platforms to post their videos ads.