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1
Primis
2
Brightcove
3
Muvi
4
Dacast
5
Cincopa
6
CONTUS TECH
7
JW Player
8
Unruly
9
Humix
10
YouTube
While there have been many forms of digital content, none are as prolific or as innovative as video. From the rise of YouTube to the massive powerhouse of Netflix, video monetization platforms have become a staple of almost every digital citizen.
For publishers, video content creation is an enticing way to optimize revenue and viewer engagement. YouTube, for example, has become the most effective channel for marketers, with the platform’s ad revenue almost reaching $8 billion in the final quarter of 2022. Research into engagement shows that videos are clicked on twice as often as images.
Videos offer a level of engagement greater than any other form of media thus far and video monetization platforms can tap into this content for a new stream of revenue. However, there are a number of factors to consider before choosing one.
To help publishers find a video monetization platform best suited for them, we’ve drawn up a list of the 10 best in 2023.
There are a number of factors publishers should review before selecting a video monetization platform.
One of the most important factors in choosing a video platform is its price. Publishers should weigh up the different features on display for each platform and compare the costs when possible.
Another point to consider is how a publisher pays. Some platforms, particularly the ones based on ad exchanges, don’t have a set price and rather take a cut of advertiser revenue. For smaller publishers, this might be an excellent way to ensure that the platform is always accessible, but for larger publishers a 10% cut in revenue could be worth more than a strictly set price.
Just like for written content, quality is king when it comes to video. The quality of a platform’s video player can determine metrics such as viewer engagement or search engine rankings. The best video platforms have adopted the HTML 5 player and have quality content delivery networks (CDNs) to ensure a low video latency.
One thing to remember is that not every video monetization platform supports all three common monetization models. Some platforms, such as Unruly, specialize in ad networks and don’t offer other models.
There are a few more features to highlight that could be useful in considering video monetization platforms. Analytical tools are useful for building strategies around user engagement, and some platforms can measure which parts of the content are getting the most views and track demographics.
One more feature a content creator can use to monetize their content is video sharing and displaying. Video content creators share their material to third-party sites to reach audiences and publishers of non-video content can reinforce engagement by hosting third-party related video content.
There are a few different steps required of publishers before they begin monetizing their video content.
There are three common models for monetizing videos, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. These three are:
We’ll go into more detail on all three a little later, but for now it’s important to note that publishers should decide on a model first as they are the backbone of the video monetization strategy.
The next step is for publishers to establish a video database of all their relevant content. This will be a platform through which users gain access to publisher content and where monetization strategies can be implemented.
The last step for monetization is to either begin restricting access to content or sign up to an ad network. Most of the video monetization platforms on this list automate this process for publishers, however, some platforms such as YouTube have strict requirements that must be met before publishers are allowed to monetize their videos.
Publishers should ensure that their chosen video monetization platform supports their chosen monetization model, as not all of them support all three.
As mentioned before, there are three common types of monetization methods for video streaming: ad-based video on demand (AVOD), subscription-based video on demand (SVOD), and transactional video on demand (TVOD).
AVOD is a monetization strategy based around placing ads either inside the stream — either pre, mid or end-roll ad breaks — or outside the stream with banners and other formats. AVOD is the most complicated video monetization strategy, and is one of the most popular forms of monetization in broadcast and online content.
AVOD functions using the real-time bidding process, a complex set of automated auctions between advertisers and publishers. Advertising pays in multiple ways depending on the advertiser, usually by user impressions or the cost of 1,000 impressions (CPM).
AVOD lowers the value of individual pieces of content but makes up for it by reaching more users. Users that rewatch content continue to generate income, which means that publisher content can continue to generate income long into the future — especially if that content is evergreen.
Subscription video models essentially grant users access to a database of content in return for a recurring annual or monthly fee. The prime example of this kind of video monetization strategy is the platform Netflix — which has spurned a trend of these types of platforms.
SVOD is in the middle of the range in terms of content value, higher than AVOD but still far lower compared to TVOD. One thing to be wary of with this strategy is that the increase in the value of content may not make up for the loss of reach, resulting in less revenue overall.
The last monetization strategy, and the most direct, is TVOD. This is where users pay publishers directly for a single piece of content, either per single viewing or, more commonly, forever.
TVOD has the highest value of content but also the lowest reach, as it is far less attractive for common users than the former two. However, it may still be valuable to implement for publishers of high-quality content. To use music as an example, physical sales still make up for an impressive total of revenue, even if access to music is the cheapest it’s ever been.
1
Video monetization and discovery platform Primis is highly versatile, meeting the needs of both video and non-video content creators.
Primis is a video player publishers can add to their platform with a cut-and-paste code and an API. The video player automatically connects to an ad network to immediately serve ads to users. The types of ads served to users can be tailored to fit the style of content published on the platform.
Primis claims to optimize viewer engagement by automatically scoring videos based on historical user data and context and serving the videos that score the best.
The video player comes with three different cross-device templates for integrating into platforms. The classic style places the video player mid-scroll, then converts the video into a thumbnail at the side of the screen. The second is a standard mid-article video roll. The third is a native style to blend the video content naturally with the other content.
Moreover, Primis offers three kinds of services for its video player that can be divided into first, second and third-party content. Publishers can upload their own content, can opt to have content creators associated with Primis create and serve video content to the style of pre-existing content, or receive content from third-party content creators.
Instead of a traditional pricing model, Primis instead takes a cut of the ad revenue, either per ad impression or CPM.
2
Brightcove’s suite of video management tools makes it a noteworthy option for publishers in the video streaming business. Many reputable publications, including Vox Media, Gannett and Aljazeera use the software.
Brightcove has several different monetization strategies that publishers can use. The software has in-built subscription models as well as a video-on-demand service for more direct pricing of content. The software also employs advertising models either on the client side or server side.
CDNs have been integrated into Brightcove to ensure video quality. These networks keep the bit-rate high and stable. The platform also supports high-quality, live-streaming capabilities, which include a rewind function and a button to jump straight to live.
A particularly strong element of the Brightcove platform is its video management capabilities, which can streamline the video onboarding process. Video content uploaded to the platform can have brief descriptions, images and tags attached. More advanced meta-data options are available as well as the feature to set what date the video is published across social channels.
The price of Brightcove is a little obscure. If Amazon is correct, then Brightcove has an annual pricing structure alongside a fee based on the number of streams the video content receives. However, publishers should reach out to Brightcove for a more detailed and accurate price.
3
One video hosting platform that has been making rounds in the broadcast sector is Muvi. Particularly strong at handling large video databases and global audiences, the platform is used by organizations such as Amazon (for its Prime service), MGM and Sony.
The Muvi platform is a universal tool. Alongside desktop and mobile devices, the software is able to be integrated into Apple, Android and Windows apps. This means the platform can be integrated into software such as Apple’s TV+ and similar television platforms.
Moreover, the platform has many features that allow publishers to expand their content globally. The software can natively support multiple currencies for monetization, including some cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The platform’s metadata features an automatic translator to ensure that content is searchable in multiple languages.
In fact, Muvi has a robust metadata system. The platform’s metadata is fully customizable, so information such as artists, release dates, content types and formats, as well as cast and crew members can be stored and tagged within the software. This can make information searchable based on any parameter a publisher deems necessary. The software can also import metadata to ease the onboarding process.
Muvi also includes a range of pre-designed, editable templates for publishers. The platform suggests templates based on the publisher’s style, but are fully customizable through live editing with drag-and-drop tools and manual coding.
However, Muvi is primarily for enterprises and large publishers rather than publishers of a smaller scale. The four price tags for Muvi — on top of a DRM fee of $0.01 per view — are:
Muvi does come with a free trial, and most importantly, does not take any ad revenue. For enterprises, this could be a wise investment to save on the eventual loss of ad revenue.
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Publishers with an interest in live-streaming and event-based broadcast media should consider Dacast. While lacking in some of the more complex video management features that a platform like Muvi has, Dacast instead offers robust live-streaming tools to ensure a quality end-to-end streaming experience. Some of the notable organizations using this platform include Cathay Pacific, The Weather Channel and Lenovo.
The Dacast platform supports all three main ways of monitoring video content; advertising, pay-per-view and subscriptions. The platform also supports users globally thanks to its global currency conversion and multilingual interface.
Many of the platform’s most interesting features are geared towards live streaming quality. Dacast has partnered with high-quality CDNs, such as Akamai and Limelight, to reduce the latency of streams and increase picture quality.
Moreover, the platform’s analytics can track data about live streams in real-time and generate reports on geographic location and other demographic data. Publishers set the parameters of what data to collect.
In terms of price, Dacast is a mid-range video monetization platform. There are four different price points for this platform, including:
There is also a 14-day free trial so publishers can try out the platform before making a purchase.
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Cincopa is a platform that can double as an effective internal communications tool, having been designed to integrate seamlessly into WordPress and other CMSs. It is currently used by organizations such as Leidos, USGA and Biocentury.
The Cincopas platform is an embeddable player that hosts several content formats, including video, images and audio. The platform also includes a suite of gallery templates for publishers to dynamically design their sites. The platform uses its own CDN for hosting low-latency video content and also supports live streaming.
Cincopa supports most of the traditional monetization methods but also features a unique option as well. The platform contains three types of ad models — pre, mid and end-roll ads — however, because the video player is embeddable, publishers can make use of the rest of their site’s inventory. The platform also includes a chrome extension called Rectrace for screen recording.
While Cincopa supports subscription models, the platform notably lacks a pay-per-view (PPV) option. However, the platform has an in-built video syndication strategy where publishers can host their content on third-party platforms and profit from the ads.
The platform also features a strong set of analytical tools on its dashboard. Cincopa collects real-time data which can be used for live A/B testing. It also has a dynamic heat map which can be used to gather information on user engagement and to see where content may be skipped.
There are three price tags for the platform, alongside custom pricing. One negative of the platform is how some necessary features, such as pre-roll ads, high-quality video and closed captions, are locked behind the most expensive tier.
The three tiers are:
6
CONTUS TECH’s VPlayed is a premium platform for digital video publishers and many of the most notable video streaming platforms use it. For example, the VPlayed CMS is used to operate streaming platforms such as Apple TV+, Fire TV and Samsung Smart TV.
The platform supports the three main video monetization strategies: subscriptions, transactions and client- and server-side advertising. Advertising can be enabled as pre, mid and end-roll and can also be inserted without interrupting the user experience through banners and side-bars.
VPlayed is a CMS that focuses on delivering a high-quality streaming experience and has integrated a suite of tools to reflect that goal. The platform streams video through a customized HTML5 player tweaked to reduce latency. The player uses adaptive bit-rate streaming to tailor streaming experiences to different device specifications.
There are some additional organizational features in the CMS worth mentioning. The platform can automatically convert a live stream into a VOD on the stream’s completion. Ad rolls can be pre-scheduled for more control over implementation so that users don’t miss essential live-stream content.
While the platform is primarily for video content, VPlayes also has a suite of audio streaming tools for both podcast and music content.
CONTUS TECH doesn’t provide transparent pricing for its VPlayed platform. However, the platform does come with a free trial, so interested publishers can try it out before reaching out to the CONTUS TECH’s sales team.
7
JW Player is another strong monetization player for video content creators, broadcasters and publishers. This platform is primarily focused on delivering media-grade stream quality and is used by a few notable TV networks and publishers and is ranked fourth in the world in total market share. Some examples include Fox, Viacom and VICE.
JW Player has a suite of tools and features dedicated to keeping a high-quality streaming experience. It uses an HTML 5 player and has integrations for both HLS and DASH. In terms of monetization, the platform supports all AVOD, SVOD and TVOD strategies.
The platform includes many specifications for how ads are integrated. Publishers can determine the number of ad breaks a stream should have and how many ad slots per break. JW Player also allows publishers to choose for ads to appear within the stream itself, or outside the stream in the form of banners or other uses of inventory.
JW Player also has features dedicated to maintaining a constant 24-hour live stream, as well as smaller ones for events. The platform is connected to multiple content delivery networks and can automatically convert live streams into VOD content. The player itself is entirely customizable through both API and CSS.
A few notable features for maintaining viewer engagement are motion thumbnails, automated playlists and the ability for the video to float and remain when the user scrolls. However, JW Player’s video management tools aren’t as strong as some other platforms, and it can be hard to distinguish across multiple channels.
JW Player’s price is also customizable, with publishers choosing what features they want to pay for. They also have the chance to try all the features in a 14-day free trial, which could be useful when deciding what to pay for.
8
Unruly is a video monetization solution that is built around maximizing the effectiveness of programmatic advertising by connecting publishers with prime advertisers. The platform is popular among TV networks and production companies, including AMC Networks, Paramount and Plex.
This platform suits the AVOD monetization strategy, lacking support for SVOD or TVOD strategies. Unruly’s terms and conditions also require publishers to forego the use of video players during its term, meaning publishers won’t be able to use another player alongside Unruly that supports the other two solutions.
To maximize the value of a publisher’s ad inventory, Unruly offers publishers its CTRL self-service platform. This platform allows publishers to package and sell their inventory and set the parameters of preferred ad runs.
The CTRL platform is joined by Unruly’s Spearad platform, which is designed to customize the user ad experience and how the ads are shown on the platform. Through Spearad, publishers can adjust the length of an ad break, and the number of ad slots with flexible pricing for each slot.
Another feature packaged with Unruly is its TV intelligence available through its self-service package. Unruly uses data pulled from set-top boxes to track metrics such as engagement, foot traffic and reach, which could be useful for advertisers looking to hone their targeting for specific campaigns.
Unruly doesn’t have an associated price tag. Instead, it takes a cut from publishers’ ad inventory of around 30%, though it does have the power to change the percentage without notice.
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Humix is a smaller platform than some of the others on this list, but makes up for it with its interesting features and lower cost. The platform is used by organizations such as the Whatnow Media Group, Motor Verso and AllHipHop.com.
The Humix video player is primarily an AVOD monetization strategy and therefore doesn’t support SVOD and TVOD monetization. However, the tools that Humix provides for maximizing ad revenue are strong, and content creators can benefit from them.
Video content creators using Humix can share their content across its publisher network, meaning their content can be viewed on other sites. This expands the potential reach and, crucially, the amount of ad revenue that a piece of content can generate.
Moreover, publishers can display videos on their sites that other content creators have produced, and benefit from them by keeping viewers engaged while ads continue to roll.
Humix’s video player is customizable from its color palette, size and how it floats or appears in the content. It also uses an accessible drag-and-drop system for uploading videos, which are also automatically indexed. SEO keywords can be assigned to videos and playback links can also appear at the top of the player.
The Humix video player is packaged with Ezoic, and costs publishers 10% of their revenue earned through the platform.
10
YouTube is a host site for user-generated videos and a cornerstone of the internet — with a complex and turbulent history. It’s the most popular video platform, available mostly everywhere on the globe and used by almost every organization. While its viability as a video platform is unquestioned, its status as a monetization platform can be, though ultimately the pros outweigh the cons.
There are plenty of reasons to use the platform. It dominates the video platform market, holding 75% of the market share. It has a built-in feature that allows content creators to assign keywords to videos and it has the biggest reach, with over 2.5 billion active users. It also has multilingual translation tools to connect to those audiences.
Another would be the YouTube algorithm, which is one of the best for keeping users engaged — to the point of radicalization in some cases. The platform is entirely free to use and supports mainly AVOD strategies, but does allow for some TVOD.
However, the main drawback is that it has a history of being unreliable for monetization. The 2017 “Adpocalypse” saw major changes to the platform as advertisers withdrew funding after their brands started being associated with unsavory content. Publishers often lack control over their content and may find themselves lost in the noise of uploads.
However, YouTube has recently placed more of its attention on helping news publishers stand out and reach new audiences. They have recently streamed a workshop to help news publishers fully understand and use the platform.
One recommended strategy is to publish videos to YouTube while simultaneously using another video platform. Because it’s free, easy to do and has the potential to boost your reach and revenue, it is always valuable to publish on YouTube, even if it is not a publisher’s primary platform.
Another video platform we’d like to mention primarily for single content creators is the SVOD-based platform Patreon.
For content creators who waded through the Adpocalypse in 2017, Patreon served as a lifesaver to continue creating video content.
The platform offers a broad range of platform integrations — such as Discord, Vimeo, Zapier and Wordpress — to streamline the content creation process.
Patreon does, however, work best for individual video creators who already command a loyal following and doesn’t help them extend their reach to new viewers. This narrow focus is why it didn’t make our top 10.
Video monetization platforms are a diverse bunch, with lots of different offerings across the spectrum of AVOD, SVOD and TVOD models. While it’s hard to quantify which of the 10 on this list is the “best”, each one offers something different and is worth checking out.
Video platforms are just one piece of the strategy when it comes to monetizing content. For more tips be sure to check out our other article on digital content monetization, and strategies for monetization in the holiday season!
The top video monetization platforms will pay different amounts based on the publisher. It’s important for publishers to consider which online video platform has a payment policy that suits them best. A 10% ad revenue cute will affect enterprise publishers more than smaller ones, and a $1,000 annual fee disproportionately weighs on smaller publishers
Deciding which is the best video monetization method isn’t easy, but the most common monetization model and the one most suited to smaller publishers is the AVOD model. Reach matters for smaller publishers in the video business, and restricting reach by locking away content behind a paywall is a surefire way to lose a portion of the audience.
There are many video monetization platforms currently on the market, with many different types and formats. Some focus on optimizing the real-time bidding (RTB) process while others offer refinements for the SVOD and TVOD monetization models.
Deciding which is the best video monetization platform boils down to which features matter most to the publisher’s end goals.
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