Whenever someone wants to post a video online, the conventional wisdom of our times makes him land on YouTube. And why not, the company is, after all, the leading video streaming platform online. We often feel that the biggest is the best but this is not true everywhere. Another platform known as Vimeo allows you to value your control over your content and how you profit from it. Vimeo is an enticing alternative for creating videos whether you are a beginner or a player.
What is Vimeo
Vimeo is an optimized online video streaming site that allows users to not only upload but also share, promote, and work on their videos with a highly customizable software solution. The platform is mainly about customization and therefore the streaming needs of the people are truly met.
The platform has already attracted a wide range of content creators because of its unique features. Vimeo provides high-end video and audio quality and thus the site is already home to 170M+ creators and brands. Be it documentarians or animators, filmmakers or graphic designers Vimeo helps everyone to showcase their portfolios. Vimeo isn’t just for artists showing off their work. Businesses big and small use their tools to create ads or website videos, live stream companywide meetings, and even sell video content subscriptions. Over the years, the company has added over 70,000,000 members worldwide to its user base and over 170 million monthly viewers are watching videos on Vimeo; thanks to their incredible customization features.
How does Vimeo work?
Once you are done with the editing of your video project, log in to your Vimeo account and upload the video. There you will see the option to indicate whether your film is private or public and after that, you have to enter metadata. Public videos are accessible to everyone while private videos can only be viewed by people you share the link with. Vimeo also offers set time limits based on your membership level. It also uses a freemium model, which means free users are limited when it comes to how much they can upload and what other features they can access.
The free version allows you to upload 500MB per week with up to 5GB of total storage. With the free version, you also get the ability to password protect your videos; something that the competitive platforms don’t allow. The basic membership is free forever; however, it is open only to individuals. So, if you have got a small studio or a business, you will have to pay to use Vimeo. Of course, once you start paying, you’ll get the ability to fully brand your videos, more storage, and nearly unlimited streaming.
Vimeo vs YouTube
Vimeo and YouTube are the two largest video-sharing websites available. But both have their pros and cons
For starters, Vimeo offers several tiers of payment. A basic account is free and allows you to upload 500MB a week, up to 5GB total. The free version embeds basic features, basic analytics, and more such basic things. After that one can upgrade to several different pricing plans that range from $7 a month to $75 a month.
While on the other hand, YouTube, for the most part, is free but in the free version you have to deal with ads.
Although the site does have a YouTube Premium option for an ad-free service that costs around $11.99 a month. YouTube does not have any limit on posting the content but does have a time limit per video. The verified accounts on YouTube can upload videos that are longer than 15 minutes and this means if you are a beginner, you won’t be able to post a video of more than 15 minutes.
From a design standpoint, Vimeo is sleeker and does not feel cluttered with ads and suggested content, it also offers a lot more options for keeping content private and secure.
What does one get in the premium version of Vimeo?
Vimeo’s premium services are built for every kind of business, from filmmakers to e-commerce shops to Etsy sellers, offering everything from hosting to creation to privacy and distribution. With the service ranging from $7 to $75 per month, Vimeo is accessible to every kind of budget; even though you are low on budget, you don’t have to worry about anything.
Now what you get for that money is a deep well of security, publishing options, and customization. The standard Plus account allows you to get access to domain-level privacy options. Also, you get expedited support, private link sharing, custom end screens for your videos, and a customizable video player. The social distribution feature allows you to publish your videos as native posts directly on whichever platform you want. As you move ahead in the subscription, Vimeo’s more advanced levels introduce more features.
Vimeo Pro: Advanced features for Vimeo’s professional subscribers
To improve subscriber’s experiences, Vimeo offers a host of little features, but few are unmatched. Below is a list of Vimeo features-
Web Player Customization
The Plus level of Vimeo users gains customization options for the online player. It involves changing the size, colors, and buttons on the player. On the other hand, Pro and above users can also create clickable CTAs in outros, set videos to auto-play, and add their logo.
Replace video while keeping URL
Have you ever posted a video with some errors or mistakes and realize it only after the video is already online? Seems like a big problem, but Vimeo makes that problem disappear in no time, by letting all users replace their videos losing their URL or views. This feature is available for all users.
Per View Service (Pro and above)
Using this service users can rent, sell, or set subscriptions for their videos at any price they want. The platform gives you far more monetization options than any other platform.
Duration graphs and detailed engagement
Using Vimeo, you can also track how your videos are doing online from days to years. You can see where your viewers live, how they are finding your content, and what devices they are using to watch your videos. Most importantly, the duration graphs let you track when your viewers stop watching, helping you to pinpoint the exact moment your viewers lost interest. Later on, you can work to improve that.
Live Video Streaming (Vimeo Premium)
Vimeo Premium users can enter the realm of live streaming with the same kind of customization offered across the site. When you are done with the posting, the in-depth stats let you know who was watching where, and when did he leave. The auto-archive feature of Vimeo makes sure you have a whole record of your event.
Of course, the final decision on what to choose depends on the type of audience you are trying to reach. Started in 2004, Vimeo has already made its place in the market as well as in the lives of people due to the features it offers. Vimeo is the home of creative video artistry, but its professional tools can be used to help anybody stream better videos.
Vimeo isn’t just for artists showing off their work. Businesses big and small use their tools to create ads or website videos, live stream companywide meetings, and even sell video content subscriptions.