Learn More About Video Hosting Platforms
Video Hosting Platforms Features
As with any software category, there is a great deal of product diversity in the video hosting space. No two offerings are exactly the same. Certain features, though, have come to define these solutions beyond uploading and storing your videos. When researching the different solutions in this category, you may encounter some of the following features as core capabilities of a given product.
Tagging — When you transfer a video file onto a hosting application, you may be given options for naming the video and placing it into a certain folder. In many platforms, you can also add a description. This will ensure the viewer knows some context for a clip before they watch it. The more details you assign to a given video, the easier it will be for visitors to find what they are looking for in a search and get a sense of the content before investing time in the stream.
To build upon this, a number of video hosting solutions provide the ability to tag individual videos with one or more relevant keywords. For example, if your video is about updating a software to a newer version, you could tag it with the terms “update" and “version." By doing this, your software will automatically arrange the video into a folder with similar content. Users then have the ability to search through all videos based on these keywords. If they click or search the tag “update," the platform will direct them to a list of all videos that are tagged with this term. This can help them quickly find any and all content that may interest them on the topic without having to weed through unrelated content on a search query.
Search — After tagging and describing videos, users can find the content they are looking for with embedded search features in many video hosting platforms. With these features, visitors can type in a phrase, topic, name, or other descriptor in a search bar, and the most relevant results will appear in list form. From there they can open the desired content. Search tools are often bolstered by filtering options, which can further optimize a page of search results based on the needs of a given visitor. Examples of filtering might include sorting videos by their upload date (e.g., newest to oldest) or popularity (e.g., most views to least views). An application with open-source elements may allow the administrator to change, remove, or add new filters to help streamline these searches.
Social sharing — Social media is largely to thank for the current ubiquity of video content. Each day, millions of videos are streamed directly from posts and news feeds on the world’s largest social networks. These include everything from short, funny clips to major promotional videos. Posting videos to one’s social feed may entail copying and pasting a link, uploading a video file directly, or a direct share from a third-party hosting site.
Social sharing tools included on some video hosting platforms enable viewers to instantly reshare content they find important, entertaining, or fitting for a certain occasion. Sharing a video can often be a statement in its own right, in lieu of a personally crafted status. With that said, some sharing features allow users to add a personal description to a video for their followers or tag others who are most likely to benefit from the content. In cases where social sharing features exist, it often takes the form of a small icon or button at the bottom of a hosted video stream. Clicking the button will provide viewers with a shareable link or, in some cases, allow them to share directly to their preferred social profile without having to leave the site or open a new window.
Live streaming — Live streaming is another phenomenon of the social age. Filming and editing videos allows for a wide variety of visual content, from commercials to full-length movies. But with live streaming, individuals and brands can create in-the-moment video feeds of newsworthy moments or commentary without the need to edit and delay viewership.
In recent years, some of the largest social sites in the world have implemented live streams, making us more connected and informed than ever. Examples of such streams are live shots of company events or announcements, news conferences, sporting events, and concerts. It can also include live commentary on notable stories, as well as interviews and roundtables. Live video streaming is an included feature in some products in this category, or in some cases, a sole feature of other products or plugins. Video hosting solutions may integrate with third-party products to enable live streaming.
Commenting — A signature component of modern video content is the ability for viewers to interact with the creator and other viewers through embedded comment boards. Video comments can be a mix of positive feedback and criticism, and in some cases, they demand a degree of moderation to keep the conversation civil and on topic. When handled professionally, video commenting allows viewers to feel more engaged with their content and gives businesses a steady flow of valuable feedback. For internal-focused video content, commenting promotes interaction among employees and can effectively be a form of collaboration, with both the company itself and other colleagues who are commenting. Some platforms also include other engagement capabilities such as liking and disliking of videos.
Analytics — Measuring a video’s performance—from number of views to the average time watched—is crucial to a content team’s process. Reporting and analytics features allow video creators and administrators to accurately gauge a video’s response and effectiveness and use this knowledge moving forward in their production and curation. Analytics can also include information such as viewer demographics, the most popular channels for resharing, and which points in a video causes viewers to bounce. These features can also help users understand the viewing patterns of different visitors, such as which videos are commonly watched in succession. These analytics and insights can assist a business not just with its videos but with its operations as a whole, as they gain a deeper understanding of their customers and their unique relationships with a brand.
Software and Services Related to Video Hosting Platforms
With each passing year, multimedia becomes more indispensable to the strategy of the average business. To effectively create and distribute this content, businesses need to invest in the right solutions along the way. Video hosting platforms are part of a larger stack that might include a number of technology tools and professional services, depending on the individual needs and goals of a company. Finding the right integrations and complementary solutions is an essential consideration for any business seeking to make videos part of its repertoire. The following are some solutions you might consider alongside a video hosting platform.
Video editing software — Creating an expert video begins, first and foremost, with the right hardware. That can mean anything from your smartphone to professional camera equipment. Once you capture raw footage with your chosen hardware, the next logical step is to piece together the footage so it flows well. This is where video editing software comes into play.
Video editing products offer helpful tools for compiling disparate footage or refining a single piece of footage into something worth sharing. This usually entails functions such as cropping, transitions, and quality adjustments. It is not uncommon for some content producers to share unedited videos from a single take. Taking the time to edit, though, can be an important step for creating content that is effective, entertaining, and taken seriously by a mass audience.
Video effects software — For many out there, basic editing goes hand in hand with adding stylish effects that elevate the content to its true potential. Video effects software provides users with enhancements that can transform a standard video in a number of ways. These might include subtle effects like spot color or screen filters to computer-generated objects or character alterations. Depending on the purpose of your video or the intended audience, a handful of effects can be the crux of a video project, turning simple footage into a work of art. Additionally, these tools often provide features such as object removal that can be a lifesaver when otherwise perfect footage is marred by minor gaffes.
Video effects software may offer features of or integration with other modern solutions such as animation software, 3D modeling software, and audio editing software. Professional filmmakers and artists may use any combination of these technologies to craft fully realized videos such as short films, commercials, and feature-length movies. These tools each allow users to add artistic touches to their projects and take full advantage of the medium. Videos can then be uploaded to video hosting platforms at various stages in their progress and use these channels as a foundation for reaching the largest possible number of viewers across an organization or around the world.
Video production companies — Not every company has the means or the in-house talent to self-produce quality videos. This is where video production companies might come in handy. In our listings alone, there are hundreds of creative agencies that are capable of tackling a brand’s video ideas and helping to get them seen by the target market. Video production agencies are equipped with quality hardware and software and staffed by talented filmmakers and editing teams that contribute both the technical skills and artistic eye necessary for a range of filmed content.
If your company is considering delving into video, whether for a commercial, an in-depth tutorial, or anything in between, you can reach out to one of these providers for a consultation about your project. If there is a good fit, you can outsource one or all components of the video production lifecycle. This may include brainstorming ideas for a video all the way to hosting and sharing the video once it is complete.
Digital asset management software — Digital asset management software provides a secure repository for branded media files, from company logos to promotional videos. Though they may not offer the embedded streaming and sharing features of video hosting platforms, these tools offer a simple storage solution for media files that are likely to be useful for various departments and initiatives. These tools are especially useful for brand-centric materials that will be used and reused in marketing, sales, and other promotional efforts. Photos, audio clips, and video files stored on these solutions can be accessed across an organization based on permissions established by the administrator. Videos that are eventually bound for hosting and sharing will often begin their journey on digital asset management (DAM) software or similar solutions.la
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