What to look out for when choosing a video hosting platform in 2024

Video has become the go-to medium for conveying messages, capturing attention, and increasing audience engagement. Utilizing video in your marketing optimization strategy is a profitable addition in many digital marketing spheres, from websites to webinars, social media, e-commerce platforms or e-learning courses. Buoyed by ever so growing demand, businesses and content creators are moving swiftly to harness the immense power and impact that video brings. 

Whether leveraging video to grow market share, generate leads, nurture customer engagement or make sales, the choice of platform makes a huge impact. Dig in as we detail how to pick and select the best video hosting platform in 2024 and what to look out for while on the search. 

OTT (Over-the-top) media service trends in 2024

The over-the-top (OTT) media service landscape is rapidly evolving in 2024, driven by technological advancements, increasing user demands, and spiking competition. Ad-supported streaming (AVOD) is slowly edging subscription-based models (SVOD) as consumers increasingly shun pay TV. 

As a result, the free ad-supported streaming (FAST and AVOD) segment retains its growth momentum from 2023. The popularity of AVOD is likely to drive innovation in advertising, and viewers can expect dynamic, less disruptive ads that don't ruin the viewing experience. 

As the competition heats up, OTT platforms are leaning toward enhanced user experience to gain a competitive edge. High-quality streaming, personalized recommendations, and intuitive interfaces have become key differentiators. Telecom companies are bundling OTT subscriptions with internet packages to grow their consumer base and get a slice of the pie. 

A growing demand for Dutch language content has led to surging OTT Video subscriptions in the Netherlands. Pundits project the OTT video market in the Netherlands will generate €1.389 billion in revenue in 2024. The user penetration is 91.8% and is expected to skyrocket to 98% by 2029. The average revenue per user in the Dutch market is €85.59, and the user base is projected to peak at 17.6 million users by 2029. 

Tips when choosing a video hosting service

With so many options on the market, choosing the best video hosting service can seem daunting. Here are a few important aspects to consider to help you make an informed decision:  

Content protection

The best OTT platforms feature robust content protection features, such as a system (DRM) to safeguard against unauthorized access and distribution of your videos. DRM encryption ciphers the video into an unreadable format, making it nearly impossible for unauthorized individuals to intercept, copy, or tamper with the video files (we have to be honest and say there's never 100% guarantee something is impossible to be deciphered by someone with a lot of knowledge and skills; however, it is quite bullet-proof and adds many additional layers of protection). 

Range of services

When you are searching for a new video hosting platform, another important question to ask yourself is does the range of services and features aligns with your business goals and needs. A slim range can prove limiting and drive you to incur additional costs purchasing the functionalities from a different vendor. Your needs might be different from someone else's, however some key services should always include video transcoding, analytics, customizable video players, live streaming, content protection, and collaboration features.

Live streaming options

The popularity of live content is making the livestreaming sector uber-competitive. Consumers can get distracted from the wide variety of choices and, as such, hold service providers to exceptionally high standards. To broadcast real-time events, conferences, or sports, vet an OTT platform's live streaming capabilities. Consider features like low-latency streaming, Digital Video Recording (DVR) functionality, adaptive bitrate streaming, and analytics and insights. 

Affordability

OTT platforms can greatly differ in terms of pricing based on the services they provide, that's why it's best to pick something that suits your specific needs and budget. Some providers offer tiered pricing based on bandwidth, storage, and video limits. Others have implemented usage-based pricing to let you pay only for what you consume. Consider your budget, the size of videos you need and the services you need to make an informed decision. 

Customer service

The OTT environment is fluid and dynamic. As such, top-notch customer support is crucial to your success. Look at what customer service options your desired platform offers— live chat, email, or phone support — and pick the one that offers the most convenient options for you. Prompt and helpful customer service ensures a seamless operation and excellent customer experience. 

Migration options from other services

Before switching to a new service provider, look into their migration options. Ensure they provide tools and services that facilitate a smooth transition without significant disruptions or data loss. The best OTTs offer automated content migration, dedicated migration support, and metadata and asset preservation to ensure a seamless move of your files. 

Let's take a look at 5 popular OTTs

Here's a simple guide comparing popular OTTs to facilitate a seamless shopping experience: 

1. Vimeo 

Since its launch in 2004 as a video-sharing site, Vimeo has rapidly evolved into a professional video hosting site for creatives and businesses. 

Pros 

• User-friendly, easy to integrate
• Supports video editing and diversified monetization 
• There's a vibrant community of creators who share helpful content

Cons 

• DRM protection is only available to enterprise clients
• Plans are restricted to one seat
• Each plan has a prorated video upload cap
• Expensive, many features require additional subscriptions

Pricing 

Vimeo uses tiered pricing and offers four tiers for regular users — Free, Starter, Standard, and Advanced — with the paid options costing €13, €25, and €100 monthly. Enterprise clients must inquire about custom pricing. 

2. Vidyard

Vidyard is a video solution designed for the e-commerce space. The video tool helps users help their marketing efforts with personalized videos and close more leads. 

Pros

• It's designed to help e-marketers grow with dedicated monetization features 
• Integrates easily with other e-commerce tools 
• Simplifies video creation and offers detailed analytics 
• Uses AI technology and automation to supercharge productivity 

Cons 

• It's primarily a video editing software with limited video hosting capabilities. 
• It has a steep learning curve 
• Supports limited video editing capabilities 
• Offers basic protection and little distribution protection 

Pricing 

Vidyard uses a tiered pricing strategy with four options — Free, Pro, Plus, and Business. Pro and Plus packages cost $29 and $89 a month, but you can snag a steep discount with an annual subscription of $228 and $708, respectively. 

The Business package, which offers advanced security and workflows, targets enterprise clients, and you'd need to contact their sales team for customized pricing. 

3. VdoCipher

VdoCipher is a reliable video hosting solution for educators looking to grow their businesses while protecting their intellectual properties.  

Pros

• It's intuitive to use and implement, shortening the learning curve
• Offers premium DRM protection 
• Quickly responsive customer support 
• Customizable white-label player
• Developer friend and easy-to-customize

Cons

• Only supports annual subscription 
• There is no free plan — but you can try plans for a month

Pricing 

VdoCipher offers six-tiered yearly plans— Lite Plan ($49),      Starter ($149), Value ($399), Pro ($1399), and Premium ($4999). Enterprise plan pricing is customized according to your needs. 

4. Kaltura 

Kaltura is a video technology platform for businesses, media companies, and educational institutions. It supports video creation, management, publishing, and distribution. 

Pros 

• Supports live streaming and webcasting
• Uses AI features to heighten productivity and workflows 
• Integrates flawlessly with most business solutions
• Supports multiple business use cases
• Wide variety of services

Cons 

• Prime services such as live streaming carry extra charges 
• It is primary for online education and events
• It can be quite pricey 

Pricing 

Kaltura offers customized pricing for various products such as virtual events, webinars, virtual classrooms, and media services. 

5. Kinescope

Kinescope is an innovative video solution for businesses. The advanced online video solution helps enterprises and online educators elevate their video strategies with specialized content protection features, customizable player, live streaming and flexible payment plans.

Pros 

• Offers white-label players for enhanced branding 
• Uses top-notch DRM systems such as Apple Fairplay for best-in-class content protection, as well as other privacy features
• Free migration from other platforms
• Video player customization and embedding
• Many options to collaborate with teams and delegate work
• Hosts data on a private infrastructure, not a 3^rd party network 
• Supports live streaming with many popular streaming services
• Very developer friendly, many features are open source
• Super affordable, flexible payment according to the clients' needs 

Cons 

• Live Streaming for web is still in development
• At the moment not many monetization options

Pricing 

Kinescope offers three packages—Free, Super (€10), and a custom-priced Mega package for enterprise-level clients. With the Free plan you can take advantage of all of the features with the exception of DRM.

Conclusion

As the advantages of integrating video in your marketing and development strategies grow rapidly, the need for a reliable video hosting service becomes crucial. Oftentimes video creators and e-commerce owners can become confused from the wide variety of options available. When looking for a secure and trustworthy platform, think first of your business goals and needs, the volume of videos you produce and plan on in the next year, the services crucial to you, and of course, what budget you have. With these in mind you can make an informed decision more easily. 

Don't forget, whichever platform you choose don't compromise when it comes for user-friendliness, customization and content protection.

Ready to elevate through the power of video? Why not test out Kinescope, creating an account and taking advantage of the features we talk about above is completely free*.

*With the exception of DRM, available in the Super and Mega plans.