Video monetization is booming and the revenue of the video streaming app industry shows this: This industry reached $72.2 billion last year, and is expected to reach $115 billion by the year 2026.
This is thanks to faster internet and data speeds and lower broadband costs since the mid-2000s. Today, streaming services (live or on-demand) on best video monetization platforms have taken over the world – whether that be for entertainment or education. As a result, consumer spending on video streaming services has increased drastically, and video monetization is something that is here to stay for 2023 and many years beyond.
With the rise of video streaming, companies, entrepreneurs, and creators around the globe have started to host, stream, and provide premium video content to their audiences online. Video on-demand libraries are now being monetized (think of Hulu and Netflix as examples) in an attempt to create stable and recurring revenue.
So, if you’re looking for one of the top video monetization platforms in 2023, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll review the best online platforms for streaming.
But first, let’s see how video monetization platforms measure up against the streaming giant YouTube.
How Online Video Teaching Platforms are Better than YouTube
As the years go by, the internet is being used for so much more than entertainment. In fact, consumers have constantly started to request training online. Now, let’s look at this a bit closer.
As a teacher or instructor, you may face a few potential students asking you “how to do X.” When this scenario arises, it’s often too easy to simply respond with, “Oh, you can go to YouTube for that.” And to be honest, there’s nothing wrong with searching for answers on YouTube.
But as a trainer, you may be missing out on a key opportunity for income here. Online training courses can be much more advantageous to you when compared to YouTube. Here are a few reasons why:
You want people to actively learn
When people search for a “how to” video on YouTube, they generally want the answer in about five minutes so that they can close the app and carry on with their tasks. As an instructor, that’s not necessarily your audience.
Why?
Well, the answer is quite straightforward – you want an audience who is willing to learn and wants to invest a number of hours into learning. Moreover, they should be motivated to invest in a holistic learning program or course with you, as opposed to just a few minutes on YouTube.
By equipping audiences with paid or free membership software, you’re allowing them to gain access to exclusive and useful content on a regular basis. They’ll also be sure that your content is well-dressed, rich in knowledge, and first-rate – giving them an entirely premium experience.
You want to teach a niche topic
Instructors often transition to the online teaching space because it provides them with a platform where they can specialize in an educational niche (over and above the fact that it’s the best way to monetize videos).
YouTube isn’t necessarily the right platform for this because everyone uses YouTube for broader topics like “yoga equipment essentials” versus “eight-week yoga for beginners program.” Consumers would search the former on YouTube and the latter’s solution would be more suitable on an online teaching platform.
Here’s how you can tell the difference:
If a consumer needs a quick answer to a problem or interest, YouTube would be a good platform.
A best monetization platform is your best bet if a consumer’s request needs an in-depth learning solution.
You want to target a specific audience
Learning is something that humans never stop doing. But as we get older, learning becomes more tailored to each of us. For example, we may learn the same subjects and materials in school, but we choose different areas of expertise at University.
Adult learning is very similar. When we learn for personal interest, we have varying preferences on topics and learning styles. From a teacher’s point of view, this means that not everyone can be your audience.
For example, you need to attract wellness-loving audiences if you’re a fitness instructor, but not necessarily if you’re a photographer. Some of these target audiences may overlap in some areas, but for the most part, a fitness trainer and photographer will have very different target markets for online teaching. With the best video monetization platforms, you can attract specific consumers, compared with YouTube which has a massive, broader audience.
You want to measure your clients’ performance
Some of the best online teaching platforms help you do more than just monetize streaming video. You can manage your customer base, market to customers, and measure your success in one space. Using a free streaming platform like YouTube won’t access in-depth viewer data because viewers don’t need to opt-in to watch your videos. Instead, they watch them for free.
With a paid membership, you are able to analyze your customers’ behavior. For example, you can view which are your top performing videos. You can also see which members are retained and how many drop off in a month. This type of data is invaluable because it allows you to see your successes and failures so that you can continually adapt according to what is already working well.
Comparison of the Top 10 Video Monetization Platforms of 2022
Now that we can see how video monetization platforms can help you set your business up for success from day one, let’s see which platforms are the best ones to go with.
We’ve done some research on the best video monetization platforms from 2022 and shared their core features and unique selling points below.
Let’s dive straight in, starting with Cleeng.
Cleeng
Cleeng is a content monetization platform that specializes in subscriber retention management. They work with corporates and are able to cater to entrepreneurs’ needs too.
Cleeng offers video on-demand as well as pay-per-view live streaming services. You can also manage multiple languages (ideal if you’re an instructor who plans to serve people worldwide). The platform’s creators also pride themselves on security, so you can be sure your content is safe and secure at any given time.
The platform has three major services that it offers:
Core: This is tailored to people to need only subscription and billing management.
ChurnIQ: This is related to actionable analytics.
Hi5: This includes customer support.
Their pricing model is made to scale and depends on a few elements:
- What type of service do you need? (Core, ChurnIQ, or Hi5)
- How many managed users will you have?
So, if you’re looking for a unique and tiered service, Cleeng may be a good choice. However, it’s important to note that video hosting is a separate feature, which other platforms on this list include. (Remember that video hosting can get extremely expensive as your content volume increases.)
Muvi
Muvi is a video streaming platform that sells all-inclusive OTT (over-the-top) solutions to its customers. The platform allows you to live stream your videos and host a video on-demand library, and they often compare their products to the likes of Twitch TV, Netflix, or Spotify’s interfaces. Their unique selling point is that they have a native video player within the platform, so you don’t have to link to a YouTube or Vimeo video when playing it back.
Muvi also supports all primary payment processing methods. But it isn’t as secure as some other video monetization platforms here. Muvi has paywall protection, but it isn’t advanced enough to limit geographic locations, for example. Password protection is also quite limited.
But Muvi is definitely a video monetization platform that is easy to use. It’s known for its clean user interface, and the company invests much time in its customer demo sessions and workshops.
Pricing starts at $399 per month on the Standard package and goes up to $8900 per month on the Ultimate package.
Lightcast
Lightcast is a video streaming provider which focuses on the management of various content (videos, podcasts, and the like) within their platform. This is a great opportunity if you’re looking for something that host and monetize multiple content types on a single platform.
This video monetization platform also encourages its customers to expand their content to more than just over a laptop. They want to help you host content on mobile apps, TV apps, and WebApps with customized branding. This white-label video streaming platform supports many video monetization models such as SVOD, TVOD, and AVOD. But be sure to check which monetization tools are included in your plan, as they can be limited on certain plans.
Lightcast packages start from $1990 per year and go all the way up to $17,900 per year. You should note that there are setup fees with each package, starting from $190 and video monetization tools are only available on specific plans.
Dacast
Dacast is one of the more popular video monetization platforms on this list. The company has been around for many years, and they focus on video hosting, broadcasting, and monetization. The platform allows you to live stream and host VOD content on it. It also offers a white-label video player, which many entrepreneurs find handy.
Regarding subscriptions, Dacast offers SVOD payment processing across multiple currencies and languages. But Dacast does not provide unlimited content hosting. Instead, you receive a certain number of gigabytes of storage per year. The numbers are reasonable, but if you are searching for unlimited video hosting, Dacast may not be the choice for you.
The pricing starts from a reasonable $39 per month and goes up to $188 per month on the Scale package. You can get a custom package from Dacast if you need it.
Kaltura
The Kaltura streaming platform is one that checks many boxes in terms of features, including live and on-demand streaming for events, virtual classroom facilitation, analytics, and content security.
The video streaming platform, like Dacast, allows you to customize your video player features and add branding options like your logo and desired font.
The pricing isn’t too clear on the Kaltura website, but you can get an understanding of how much you’d need to pay for specific features. For example, the virtual classroom Standard package is $23 per month and the Pro version is $55 per month. But this only includes virtual classroom features. If you want to add webinar functionality, it’s a different price.
Kaltura is an excellent platform if you’re looking for a very specific function. But not the best if you want an all-in-one video monetization solution.
Mastera
Speaking of all-in-one, let’s welcome Mastera to the mix. Mastera is a younger platform and was built with video experience in mind. The company’s team has vast experience in online training and has specialized in the health and wellness industry, thereby assisting many trainers and fitness instructors with getting their online schools up and running.
Mastera has a plethora of features to help a business of any size set up. You can host unlimited content and customers on the video monetization platform – a real plus if you don’t feel like adding more to your expense list as you grow. You can also chat with customers through the platform, create custom marketing emails and texts, and sell merchandise. That’s right, you’re able to sell physical and digital products directly within the platform, opening up a new revenue stream for your business.
This video experience platform also supports several secure paywalls, such as PayPal. Stripe, and RazorPay. You can also set up auto payouts making financial tasks less mundane.
Pricing starts from $39 per month on the Starter plan and goes up to $199 per month for the Elite plan. You can also do a custom Enterprise plan if need be.
Cincopa
Cincopa is a software designed for more than just video hosting. Instead, it hosts multiple media formats within the video monetization platform. These formats include video, podcasts, and images. Moreover, this platform allows you to host advertising and subscription-based monetization models.
The platform specializes in hosting, managing, enhancing, publishing, and monitoring content. It’s very much about enriching your content to perform well for viewers – whether advertising or subscription-based consumption.
With Cincopa you can customize your monetization method based on what suits your needs best. This is done via a Paygate API within the platform. Their plans start from $30 per month and go up to $420 per month.
Livestream
As you can see by the name, Livestream is all about providing customers with premium live streaming solutions. You may notice by their logo that the streaming giant, Vimeo, owns Livestream. This is a great perk because you know that the video monetization platform is enhanced based on Vimeo’s already first-rate video streaming capabilities. Because of this, you can use SVOD, TVOD, or AVOD monetization models within Livestream.
The plans start from $55 per month, billed annually for live streaming. If you would like an advanced secure live streaming option with dedicated support, you can request an enterprise pricing option.
Uscreen
Uscreen is another video monetization platform that has gained popularity in the last couple of years. It is a video on-demand platform that specializes in serving entrepreneurs and creators with a space where they are able to host and manage videos for their subscribers with no fuss.
Uscreen allows customers to brand your website and OTT apps without needing to code anything yourself. This white-label video streaming functionality is really useful if you’re looking to build and scale up your business over time.
You can choose to use pay-per-view or subscription-based video monetization models on Uscreen. The revenue stream is designed to be very similar to Netflix or Hulu.
Pricing begins at $99 per month for the Basic plan and goes up to $199 per month for the Growth plan. You can save by signing up for an annual plan. Another plan called Uscreen Plus is available to customers wanting a tailored solution.
InPlayer
Like Uscreen, InPlayer offers subscription and pay-per-view monetization models to their customers. Their video monetization platforms include features such as coupons and multiple currency hosting capabilities.
You can process payments in multiple regions and restrict content access to buyers only. InPlayer also allows you to brand your microsite so that you can build your brand online simply and rapidly. The platform also provides analytics to its customers, a handy tool when attempting to measure your success and any pain points.
Pricing is not available on InPlayer’s website, but you can talk to their team about a customized solution for your online teaching business.
Are you ready to experience success with a premium video on-demand platform?
Video monetization is steadily rising and has helped many businesses become agile, scalable, sustainable, and, most importantly, profitable. If you are an expert in your field, ready to create rich and enticing content for audiences, then video monetization platforms are the right place to start.
As you can see, from the best video monetization platforms in 2022, you can be privy to various feature sets. Now is the time to better understand and analyze which features you need and how you see your business growing.
Feel free to schedule a demo with our team at Mastera to learn more about how you can use Video monetization platforms to build up your business with scalability and adaptability in mind.
Co-Founder, Gleantap & Mastera