In this blog, we compare the big names to assess which is the best video hosting platform.
When it comes to picking a video hosting platform, it really depends on your needs, you content and your audience. Let’s check some options for top video hosting platforms.
Why Use a Video Hosting Platform?
For starters, why not upload the videos to your server?
A video is not like a photo. In most cases, it’s not recommended to upload a video and host it on your site. Video files tend to be big, which will eat up your storage space and server bandwidth.
People using different mobile devices and browsers can run into compatibility problems. Hosting video files on your site can also cause errors and glitches when people try to view them. What you need as an alternative is a video hosting platform.
Video hosting platforms let their clients upload and store audiovisual files. Others can then view these files.
A product must meet the following criteria to qualify as a video hosting site:
- The content creator must be able to upload videos to a separate channel
- Visitors must have access, whether unlimited or restricted, to view hosted videos
- The platform must offer viewing capabilities and storage for video files.
Video Platforms like YouTube
YouTube is the first thing most people think of when online content creation comes to mind. Yet, millions of Internet users have been clamoring for something different. Why? YouTube sometimes revises its guidelines without any notice.
Consumers have a slew of other complaints about the platform. Thus, it’s no surprise that they’re now looking for something that will allow them to upload their content in peace. We have the five best free video hosting sites like YouTube lined up for you, so read on for details.
Vimeo Video Hosting
Vimeo promotes itself as the world’s fastest, most customizable video player. This platform is also free of embeddable ads. It allows users to control who views their videos, where, and when. Vimeo also supplies cutting-edge privacy tools.
It’s also easy to wrangle feedback, invite a team, share video files, and get it done faster. Users can also reach, engage, and grow their audiences and their business on any device.
Vimeo prides itself on being the industry standard for video hosting. It gives users up to seven terabytes of storage – enough room for 600 feature films. It also supplies the tools needed for every step of the video workflow.
It’s easy to upload videos from any device or cloud storage platform at lightning-fast speeds. Vimeo has custom integrations with Adobe, Final Cut, and Dropbox. You’ll also have access to all the creative tools you use every day.
Wistia Video Hosting
Wistia software helps users to present fascinating video experiences on their sites. These videos turn audiences into brand advocates. Wistia offers smooth, super-fast playback on any device conceivable. Users can change the player, so their videos always look on-brand.
Wistia stops viewers from getting distracted. Users can publish videos to their respective channels and rest easy. No ads will run to annoy viewers or pull them down a rabbit hole of irrelevant videos.
Wistia Video Analytics gives incredible insight into how your videos are doing. You can use the color-coding feature to see how much of your video your viewers have watched. It will also show you how many times they’ve played or replayed it, and even where it’s had a skip or rewind.
Wistia also gives you the ability to include a clickable call to action (CTA) at the end of your video. And much like the CTA, the platform can compel viewers to enter their email address. You can set it to catch emails before, in the middle, or at the end of the video.
Video Lessons Plugin With Vimeo and Wistia Integration
The Video Lessons Manager plugin by CreativeMinds imports videos from both Vimeo and Wistia into organized lessons.
Each video is embedded into your site, saving storage space. You can register students, track their progress and much more.
Twitch
A subsidiary of Amazon, Twitch Interactive, is a live video streaming service that focuses on videogames and broadcasts of eSports competitions. It also hosts creative content, music broadcasts, and “in real life” streams.
Many consumers use it for videogame lessons. The platform lets mass numbers of beginners interact with the instructor. They also connect with other players in real-time.
The Twitch service has taken off in recent years. Lots of users opt for live viewings of their preferred content creators. The platform is capitalizing on the success of Amazon. It has started offering free hosting services to users.
The limit is five simultaneous uploads per user, with a maximum of 100 in 24 hours. The site now has as many pre-recorded content as there are live broadcasts.
Hippo Video
Users can lift their sales, marketing, and email campaigns with Hippo Video. This platform allows users to generate leads and build their brands with amenities such as video testimonials and lead generation forms.
Users can also automate video emails. Hippo offers interactive calls to action and real-time analytics. Now users can Always be Closing with Hippo’s links to post personal pitches. They can also use personalized public spaces, and in-video meeting links.
Vidyard
This unique software customizes your already made video. It also offers hosting and analytics of video performance. It does so with detailed metrics and data. It includes things such as click-through behavior and attention span of viewers. Users can also share information, locations, and data on how to boost ROI based on a video’s performance.
The Vidyard video marketing platform also offers an email gate at the start of each video. It gathers email addresses, adds calls-to-action, and integrates individual viewer information into the video.
Conclusion
You have many things to consider when selecting a video hosting platform. Do you plan to edit videos within the platform before uploading the files? Have you thought about mobile device compatibility? Think about all these factors when selecting video platforms.
As your business evolves, you may need to graduate from free video hosting. In that case, the price will be a consideration. We’ve given you a head start with this list of five hosting platforms. Do due diligence to figure out which of the five is best for you.
