The 10 Best Video On Demand Platforms
Video-on-demand (VOD) platforms have continued to gain attention lately. And this is backed by research. Findings confirm that video is increasingly becoming the preferred content for internet users. For instance, a survey by Hubspot found that 54% of respondents preferred video to other types of content such as blogs. In addition, the survey found that 65% of respondents would be more likely to purchase a product after watching a video about it.
The growing popularity of video content can be attributed to its visual appeal. Video content is also easier to consume than other forms of content, such as text-based articles. Therefore, it is not surprising that more individuals are gravitating toward video. And chances are that you are one of those video-content lovers. But imagine watching TV and video content on your schedule without worrying about commercials or waiting for your favorite show to come on. That’s where video on demand (VOD) comes in.
This post will look at VOD, how it works, and its benefits to consumers and businesses. We’ll also compare some of the leading providers of video on demand services and explore how companies can take advantage of them to reach new customers and grow their brand awareness.
What is video on demand, and how does it differ from traditional TV viewing?
Video on demand (VOD) describes how businesses can provide content, such as television shows, movies, and documentaries, to customers through an online library. Customers can access this content whenever they want to. This service is beneficial to businesses because it allows them to reach a wider audience and provides customers with greater convenience. Some popular VOD platforms include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and HBO Max.
Benefits of video on demand
One of the benefits of VOD is that it’s a great way to catch up on your favorite shows if you’ve missed an episode or two. With traditional TV viewing, if you miss an episode, you often have to wait until the next season to watch it. With VOD, you can watch an entire show season whenever you want. No more fear of missing a couple of episodes. This is especially helpful if you’re a busy person who doesn’t always have time to sit down and watch TV.
Another benefit of VOD is that it’s more affordable than traditional cable or satellite TV services. With VOD, you only pay for the shows and movies you want to watch, so you’re not wasting money on TV channels you will never watch. This allows you to make significant monthly savings, which is why video on demand is growing in popularity with customers.
Uses of video on demand platforms
With the growing accessibility of high-speed internet, more and more people are turning to VOD platforms for a couple of uses:
Entertainment
Many people use video on demand for entertainment. The VOD platforms allow these users to watch videos whenever they want, without having to wait for a scheduled broadcast. This convenience has made VOD platforms extremely popular, especially for entertainment purposes. People often use VOD platforms to watch their favorite shows, catch up on the latest episodes of their favorite series, or even watch a movie. Many different VOD platforms are available, each with its unique content selection. Some popular VOD platforms include Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Education and information
VOD platforms are not just for entertainment. They are also for educational purposes. For example, many universities now use VOD platforms to deliver lectures and course materials to students.
Training
Video content is also used for corporate training and marketing purposes. In short, VOD platforms offer a versatile and cost-effective way to deliver video content. As the world increasingly movies online, the use of VOD platforms will likely continue to grow.
Video on demand providers
So now that we know what VOD is and how it works let’s take a look at the top 10 providers of VOD services.
VPlayed
VPlayed is a great VOD platform that promises strong security, multiple monetization models, and full customization.
Compared to other popular VOD platforms, VPlayed has a few distinct advantages. For one, it is entirely customizable, so businesses can create a unique video hosting experience that fits their needs. It was designed with the future in mind, offering features like augmented reality and 360-degree video that other platforms don’t yet have.
Pricing is another area where VPlayed shines. It offers various pricing plans to accommodate businesses of all sizes. And unlike some other platforms, there are no hidden fees or extra charges.
VPlayed is an excellent choice for businesses looking for a reliable and customizable video on demand platform. It offers a wide range of features, is easy to use, and is affordable. So if you’re looking to host your company’s videos, check out VPlayed.
InEvent
InEvent is a video-on-demand (VOD) platform that allows broadcasters, businesses, and organizations to stream videos live or on-demand. This platform is unique in that it offers a comprehensive solution that includes live streaming, VOD hosting, video transcoding, and player customization.
It also offers competitive pricing and a wide range of features that make it suitable for VOD use. Some of these features include:
-Ability to upload videos in any format
– Unlimited storage for videos
– Robust analytics that tracks viewer engagement and behavior
– Customizable players with a wide range of features
Overall, InEvent is an excellent choice for VOD hosting. Its comprehensive feature set, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer support make it a practical choice for any organization looking to stream videos online.
IBM Cloud Video
IBM Cloud Video is a video-on-demand (VOD) platform that enables users to upload, share, and view videos. Compared to other VOD platforms, IBM Cloud Video offers several features that make it suitable for VOD use.
For starters, IBM Cloud Video offers a wide range of plans and pricing options to meet the needs of different businesses. In addition, IBM Cloud Video offers a variety of features that are useful for VOD content. These features include live streaming, video hosting, analytics, and more.
Pricing is competitive, and the platform offers a range of features that make it suitable for VOD use cases. These include dynamic playback, DRM protection, and integration with various third-party tools.
Overall, IBM Cloud Video is an excellent option for businesses looking for a reliable and feature-rich VOD platform.
Kaltura
Kaltura is a video on demand (VOD) platform for businesses and large institutions. It offers multiple encoding options, video hosting and library organization tools, and robust API and security features. This makes it a good choice for businesses that need a solid and secure VOD platform. Some of Kaltura’s other features include:
- User management: Administrators can create and manage users, groups, and permissions.
- Multi-device playback: Videos can be played on any device, with synchronized playback across devices.
- Integration: Kaltura can be integrated with other systems, such as learning management systems (LMS) or customer relationship management (CRM) systems. For those seeking an effective LMS software, it’s essential to consider options that offer seamless integration and enhanced learning experiences.
- Reporting: Administrators can generate detailed reports on usage, engagement, and more.
Wistia
Wistia is an excellent platform for VOD because of its many unique features. For example, Wistia offers heatmap analytics, which allows you to see where viewers are engaged and disengaged with your video content. This can help you optimize your videos for better engagement. Additionally, Wistia’s organizational project feature makes it easy to keep track of all your video content in one place.
Wistia is competitive with the other major VOD platforms in terms of price. It offers three pricing tiers: Lite, Pro, and Business. The Lite tier is free and includes essential features like unlimited videos and storage, HD playback, and branding removal. The Pro tier costs $79 per month and has all the features of Lite plus advanced features like lead capture forms and team roles. The Advanced tier costs $319 per month and includes all the features of Pro plus even more advanced features like customer insights and white labeling.
Vimeo
As a full-scale VOD platform provider, Vimeo offers businesses and individuals a way to distribute video content with a subscription service. Among the top 10 OTT services in the United States, Vimeo has carved out a niche for deciphering metrics with video analytics to deliver precision content.
In terms of features, Vimeo is one of the most well-rounded options for VOD use. It offers live and on-demand streaming, HD quality playback, and an extensive library of copyright-free videos. Additionally, it provides users with detailed analytics of their videos’ performance. This information can help business owners tweak their video content to engage their audience.
If you care about pricing, Vimeo is competitively priced compared to other major VOD providers like Kaltura. It has various pricing plans that cater to businesses of all sizes, making it an affordable option for small-to-medium-sized companies.
Overall, Vimeo is an excellent option for businesses looking for a comprehensive VOD platform that provides detailed analytics on video performance.
Vidyard
Vidyard, a video hosting platform, is quickly gaining popularity among businesses. It offers a variety of features that make it an ideal platform for VOD use. For starters, Vidyard has excellent player connectivity. This means that videos hosted on Vidyard can be played on any device, regardless of the operating system or browser. Vidyard also has excellent customer service, with 24/7 support available.
Additionally, Vidyard offers a wide range of powerful features for businesses. These include the ability to track video engagement, create custom landing pages, and embed videos into websites and blogs. Vidyard also offers robust analytics, allowing businesses to track how viewers interact with their videos.
Pricing for Vidyard starts at $29 per month for the pro plan. This makes it affordable for businesses of all sizes. Overall, Vidyard is a powerful video hosting platform that offers a wealth of features that make it perfect for VOD use.
Wowza
Wowza is a video-on-demand (VOD) platform that is becoming increasingly popular for its HD quality downloads and security features. It offers two products: Wowza Streaming Cloud and Wowza Streaming Engine. Both deliver high-quality VOD streaming solutions.
Wowza Streaming Cloud is a subscription-based service that enables users to quickly upload and stream pre-recorded videos to any computer or player. It also offers robust security tools for protecting videos. Wowza Streaming Engine is open-source software that allows users to build their own VOD streaming solutions. It is available for download on the Wowza website.
One of the main benefits of using Wowza is its high-quality video downloads. The platform offers HD quality downloads for both streaming and offline viewing. Wowza also has robust security features that protect videos from being copied or leaked. The platform provides two-factor authentication and watermarking to help keep videos safe.
Another benefit of using Wowza is its pricing. The platform offers a variety of pricing options, including subscriptions, pay-as-you-go, and enterprise pricing plans. This makes it affordable for businesses of all sizes.
Brightcove
Brightcove is a video-on-demand (VOD) platform that is known for its reliability and its ability to deliver videos across various screens and users without any glitches. It offers VOD, cloud encoding, and live streaming. One thing that makes Brightcove stand out is its strong media cloud. This gives businesses a centralized video network for live streaming, monetization, marketing, analytics, encoding, and more.
Pricing for Brightcove can be a bit on the expensive side when compared to other VOD platforms. However, what you get in return is a platform that is easy to use and reliable. Brightcove also offers a wide range of features that make it perfect for VOD use. These features include:
– Easy content management system
– Ability to syndicate content across multiple platforms
– Robust security measures
– Variety of monetization options
– Comprehensive analytics
Muvi
Muvi is a VOD platform explicitly designed for broadcasters who want to create an OTT streaming platform quickly and easily. The platform has many features that make it suitable for businesses, including:
-A library of built-in templates that make it easy to create a professional-looking platform
-The ability to integrate with existing systems, making it easy to migrate content and data
-Integrated payment processing so customers can quickly pay for subscriptions or individual videos
-A wide range of analytics so businesses can track how users are interacting with the platform and make changes as needed
-The ability to manage and moderate content, ensuring that only appropriate videos are available on the platform.
JW Player
Businesses can use JW Player to deliver high-quality video content to their employees and customers. Some of the features that make JW Player a good choice for businesses include the following:
-Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming ensure a smooth playback experience on all devices, regardless of internet speed or network congestion.
Integrated video analytics provide detailed insights into viewer behavior, including how long viewers watch each video and where they drop off. This information can be used to improve video content and advertising strategies.
-In addition to videos, JW Player also supports images, slideshows, and audio files. This makes it a versatile tool for delivering rich multimedia content.
-The player is fully customizable, so businesses can brand it with their logo, name and colors. It also integrates with most major content management systems (CMS), making it easy to add videos to websites.
Are you looking to take your business a step higher? VOD streaming can help you reach new customers and grow your brand awareness. One of the great things about VOD is that it’s a great way to target specific audiences with your content. For example, if you’re a clothing retailer, you could create a VOD ad that targets people who are interested in fashion. Or, if you’re a food company, you could create a VOD ad that targets people interested in cooking. By targeting specific audiences with your VOD content, you can ensure that your ads are seen by people who are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
VOD streaming can also help you reach new customers who might not be familiar with your brand. If you create a VOD ad that’s creative and catchy, it could pique the interest of people who wouldn’t usually think to check out your brand. This is an excellent way to grow your customer base and increase brand awareness.
Are there any potential downsides to using video on demand streaming services?
The main drawback is that you need a strong internet connection to stream video content. If your internet connection is slow or unreliable, you may experience buffering or other issues while trying to watch your favorite shows. Additionally, VOD services can be more expensive than traditional cable or satellite TV services, so you’ll need to factor that into your budget.
Conclusion
Overall, VOD is an excellent option for people who want to be able to watch their favorite shows and movies on their schedule. It’s also more affordable than traditional cable or satellite TV services. And businesses can take advantage of VOD streaming to reach new customers and grow their brand awareness. So if you’d like to cut the cord and save money, VOD might be right for you.
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About the Author / Chinedu Ekeke
