Online videos are transforming how viewers consume content. The ability to access video on demand (VOD) offers great convenience and flexibility to viewers. Businesses are using VOD for many different purposes such as to market to customers, train employees, and improve internal communication. Content creators have new ways to generate income and the approach to entertainment has become far more personalized.
What is Video on Demand?
Video on demand is accessible at any time. Viewers don’t have to consult a schedule for content they want to watch as is the case with linear T.V. This offers great flexibility and they can usually watch videos from anywhere on any device.
How does VOD work? A content publisher has a video library from which users can choose the content they want to watch. The publisher’s platform may be in the form of a website or an OTT app. The publisher uploads and hosts videos on a server. Someone who wants to watch a video uses the publisher’s online video player to request the video content. The server sends the person a compressed video file. The video player decompresses the video and it is almost instantaneously ready for the viewer to watch.
Difference between live streaming and VOD: With live streaming, the online player doesn’t receive a whole video file at once but in “packages” that are encoded in real time. With VOD the player also receives “packages” but they are taken from a file that’s already stored somewhere. Live streams and VOD can work well together. A content publisher can host a live stream for viewers to watch in real time and then save it, enhance it using interactive video tools, and make it available as video on demand.
Video on demand is transformative in entertainment and business
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ have made video on demand extremely accessible and they all have wide audiences. Many households have subscriptions to at least one streaming service today.
- Convenience and easy accessibility: Viewers are no longer content to passively consume content sitting in front of a TV. They prefer to choose what to watch and when to watch it. Being able to watch on a range of devices adds to the convenience.
- Content diversity: VOD content on these platforms is highly engaging because viewers can access a wide variety of content. They can choose to watch documentaries, crime, reality series, and much more. New content is constantly made available to keep them coming back to the platforms. Viewers can watch content from around the world. Subtitles make content created in different languages accessible to English-speaking viewers. They also make video content accessible to those with hearing disabilities.
- Full control over the viewing experience: Viewers can pause and resume episodes, re-watch certain ones or binge-watch a whole season. They don’t have to rush home to catch an episode of their favorite show at a specific time.
- Personalized recommendations: The algorithms offer viewers personalized recommendations based on their viewing habits. They can easily get access to their preferred content.
- Data-driven decision-making: Data analytics help with understanding what viewers want. By curating content that resonates with audiences, video on demand services can keep them coming back for more.
In business, video on demand is proving just as transformative. It is offering ways to improve marketing, employee training, customer service, and much more. It is also transforming internal communication and collaboration.
- Marketing: Engaging VOD content, from promotional videos to product demonstrations help to improve marketing strategies.
- Employee training: Training modules that are accessible on demand help to train new hires and existing employees. Tutorial videos they can access in their own time and go through at their own pace help to educate employees and enhance their knowledge of procedures.
- Sales and conversions: Providing prospects with the information they need when they need it in the form of video on demand helps to increase sales and conversions. It can nurture customers through all stages of the buying journey.
- Internal communication: Using VOD can help to improve international communication by streamlining processes.
- Customer service: VOD can help to answer customer questions and quickly resolve their issues.
Types of Video on Demand
It is possible to monetize VOD in various ways:
- Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD): Users pay for or time-limited access to a piece of content. They can only watch once or one-time have a specific timeframe in which to access the video. This model is best for premium content and for pay-per-view (PPV) live streams.
- Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD): Users pay for a recurring fee for unlimited access to a library of content. A video platform like Netflix uses this model. It requires constantly updating content on a regular basis to keep customers satisfied.
- Ad-Supported Video on Demand (AVOD): Users can access content for free but it’s ad-supported. They have to watch the ads if they want to watch the content. The ads can show up before, during, or after a video.
With these different monetization options, VOD is able to provide consistent revenue. It is important to consider these different options when choosing the right monetization method for a business.
The future of video on demand
What is the future of video on demand? Global VOD revenue is expected to reach over $110 billion by the end of 2023. It is likely to explode in 2024 and users of VOD must be prepared for this.
If you host a video library on your own server, it can run up costs and slow down your website. This is why video hosting for websites is popular. Using a reliable enterprise video platform can help you to streamline the whole process. A reputable online video hosting platform can help you to upload, encode, manage, optimize, secure and analyze your video on demand library.
CincoTube – for enterprise video on demand hosting
CincoTube by Cincopa is a personalized videotube. When using CincoTube you can create a secure video library and viewers can enjoy ad-free video hosting. The ‘related videos’ suggested to viewers on YouTube can drive viewers away from your videos but on CincoTube you can offer them more of your own videos for them to watch. They can like, comment on, and share videos in the same way as they can on YouTube.
On YouTube, you don’t have full control over your video assets and hardly any opportunities for customization. It doesn’t offer the security you need for videos that contain confidential information. The best video hosting platforms for business will offer you customization options, security, analytics, and much more. You will also have full control over your video library.
Customization: On CincoTube, you are able to customize your videos. For example, you can customize the video player with your brand logo, colors, and fonts. There are also fully customizable templates you can use to publish media galleries. These galleries perform well on a wide range of platforms, browsers, and screen sizes. When creating an online video course, you can structure it in such a way that viewers can easily access one video after another without any confusion.
Private and public video channels: CincoTube allows you to use private and public video channels. A private channel allows your employees to share information in a secure way and encourages internal communication.
You can also design and host an online course that your audience can access at any time and from anywhere on any device. If you choose to use a subscription model where viewers pay a monthly or yearly subscription to view VOD you can ensure that only signed-up members have access to VOD content. This is due to advanced security features such as encryption, watermarks, and password protection.
Interactive video tools: When using CincoTube you can make use of interactive video tools to enhance video on demand. Some of the features include adding annotations, lead generation forms, and calls-to-action.
- Annotations can offer more information without interrupting the flow of the video.
- Lead generation forms allow you to collect contact information for email lists.
- A CTA prompts users to take an action such as watching a further video, downloading an ebook, or making a purchase.
- Video chaptering allows you to segment a video into chapters. Viewers can go straight to the chapter they want.
- Subtitles and closed captions make VOD accessible to a wider audience.
Security and privacy: Secure video hosting is essential if you want viewers to pay for viewing videos. Using CincoTube allows you to create subscription-based video content and restrict access to it. You also need to protect the confidential details of viewers to achieve compliance with regulations. You must conform to these regulations to avoid penalties.
Apart from password-protected video access, CincoTube has many other security and privacy measures. It uses 128-bit AES encryption, domain lock, right-click protection and single sign-on (SSO) to ensure that information remains private. You can use watermarks to ensure others don’t download and use your intellectual property.
Viewer permissions enable you to decide who can view which content. For example, you can set the viewer permissions for an employee video portal and only give access to VOD content that employees need to do their jobs.
Advanced analytics: When using video hosting for websites you can access advanced analytics and track the performance of your video library. You will get detailed insights into who watches which videos, when viewers drop off, skip content etc. This enables you to make informed decisions when optimizing video content.
Benefits of the subscription model: Netflix is a pioneer in the SVOD model. Using this model also allows creative professionals and others to earn a regular, scalable income. If you have knowledge and skills that others need, you can benefit from using this model. If viewers love your video content, they will be happy to pay a monthly subscription to access it.
Creating a VOD platform is no simple task which is why using a video on demand hosting platform offers many benefits. You can use a subscription model and generate long-term customers who may just continue to pay yearly for access to your VOD content. If you provide VOD content that offers a great solution to a real issue, it can be a very successful income generator.
Conclusion
Analysts forecast that cable TV will soon be history as video on demand is rapidly replacing it. VOD holds immense potential in many areas and Cincopa provides a great video hosting platform for your VOD library. You can enjoy a free trial period of 30 days. During this time users have access to all the premium features and can upload a large amount of files. This ensures that they can really experience the platform. If they decide not to upgrade to a premium account, they are automatically degraded to a free account.
