Video Sharing Apps – Let’s Explore!

Video sharing apps have become a normal tool on the internet. Whether for educational purposes or entertainment, sharing videos is essential in getting messages across, depicting something particular to viewers, and allowing for a more interactive online experience. By deciding to include a video about a topic, you are catering to a large portion of the population that is more visually inclined when it comes to learning.

There are a multitude of video sharing sites that offer their own format and built-in features that ease the experience for a novice. If you have ever found yourself on the internet, it is likely that you have run into a few of these popular sites. Platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Streamable, Dropbox, and Google Drive are a few examples of online video sharing sites.

The common denominator of sites like these is their ability to allow their users to create a video, upload it to the platform, and share it with millions of people around the world. A few of them also have the capacity to allow users to interact with the videos by liking, disliking, leaving comments, and more.

On some websites and apps, you do not even have to be the one creating the video! The site provides the tools to transfer and convert a video that you may have taken from someplace else, make it compatible with the website, and promptly share it with the world. All of these features are not accessible on any website or social media platform that you visit. This is why video sharing is such an integral part of the websites and apps described below.

What Are Video Sharing Apps & Platforms?

Before diving in, understanding the origins and characteristics of video sharing apps and platforms will help you make your decision for which platform works best for you. Shared videos online actually originated years before MySpace or Facebook took over the online media game.

ActiveMovie launched in 1995, becoming the platform that internet users could stream videos on. Macromedia Flash came about one year later, quickly rising to become the standard for web videos. People were mostly sharing videos and music on these sites, but because of the long downloading time, not many people were engaging in this form of video sharing.

In the early 2000s, the rise of online video sharing became even more prominent in internet culture. The introduction of high-speed Internet becoming more widespread allowed for video sharing to take off faster than ever before.

Not only was high-speed internet on the scene, but the early 2000s also brought along the launch of social media sites such as Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook. All of these paved the way for the most successful video sharing app in the world: YouTube.

As technology advanced, smartphones were created, and a variety of video sharing apps began popping up. They became an integral part of websites and online presence in general. Without shared videos, the internet would not be the same.

The Importance of Video Sharing

Aside from the entertainment value, video sharing provides a lot that other features on a website or app simply cannot do. Whether you are an individual or an individual behind the bigger name of a business, video sharing benefits you more than not.

When it comes to building a brand, videos help with increasing engagement, projecting promotional content, and transmitting the values of your business or brand. With a video, you are better able to translate what you want a viewer to take away. Videos will not only keep people on your website, but videos can also inform a lot more than a typical blog post or picture can.

As an individual, video sharing allows you a deeper connection to those you are trying to reach online. For example, the pandemic brought about a distance that no one could have ever expected. Through video sharing online, though, people were able to keep relatives updated, remain informed about what was going on in the world, and busy their minds with funny and entertaining videos.

Video sharing does a lot more good than harm when it comes to providing context, building a brand, and remaining entertained throughout a hectic world.

Getting Started with Video Sharing

If you have never shared a video online, there are a few critical components that you must be aware of. There are three things that you will need in order to share your videos: a device for recording, a computer, and an internet connection. You can use specific video editing software to get your video from the camera to the website as well.

Some websites such as YouTube and Blip.tv give you the ability to record video directly onto the website without having to use any third-party software. If you are a video blogger, this may be your preferred choice. To direct record, all you need to do is this:

1. Use a USB or Firewire cable to connect your video recording device to your computer. You can also just use a built-in web camera if you have one.
2. Navigate to the direct recording section on your video sharing site. This can be called different things; on YouTube, it is referred to as “Quick Capture.”
3. Turn on the recording device and press the record button.
4. Once you stop recording, the video sharing site will compress and optimize the clip.
5. Your video clip will automatically appear on the site without a need to edit or upload on your part.

If you plan on using video editing software in order to edit and upload how you like, there are plenty to choose from. Software such as Movie Maker, iMovie, and Final Cut Pro are popular options.

After recording your video, you will have to import the clips onto your computer with the video editing software. How you do this is dependent on the software you are using. An advantage of using video editing software to share your video is the ability to add titles, transitions, music, special effects, and edit the video.

After you have completed your preparation of the video, you have to compress the movie file so that it is small enough to play on the video sharing app of your choosing. It is your responsibility to export the video, choose the file size and resolution, and upload it to the site.

Without prior knowledge of how-to video share, this may sound like a daunting task, but there are usually manuals and how-to guidelines online for all video sharing platforms. All you have to do is find what is best for you, then learn how to use it.

How to Video Share Publicly vs Privately

Sharing a video online can be an intimidating experience if you have never been acquainted with doing so. Something that not many people tell you about video sharing is the ability to set your videos to private or public.

Public video sharing is exactly what it sounds like. This is when you publish a video on a video sharing app or video sharing site with the intent to share it with the world. There are no restrictions for who can view the video, share it, and engage with it. There are a few disadvantages and advantages to uploading publicly.

An advantage is that if you want anyone and everyone to view your video, you have provided the resources to do so. This is especially true for businesses or brands trying to utilize video sharing as a marketing strategy. If you are hoping to entertain anyone in the world who comes across your video, publicly sharing allows you to do so as well.

A publicly shared video is regarded as public domain until it is changed to private. A disadvantage to this is that anyone in the world will be able to take your video, manipulate it, and share it as they like. Authentic and truthful videos have been turned into the opposite because of this.

A privately shared video can be restricted for your eyes only or for a list of people that you have allowed access to. With private video sharing, you have more control over who sees it as well as who shares it.

How to Choose the Best Video Sharing Site

There are a few crucial components that you must consider before choosing a video sharing site to upload your content. If you want to find a platform that suits your needs, you must take into consideration these few, qualifying factors.

Firstly, you should be clear about the reason you need a video sharing site. You must choose between private or professional reasons and draw a distinct line between the two. It is not recommended to use your private accounts for sharing professional videos and your professional accounts to share private videos.

Next, you should be aware of the video formats you will be using to share your videos. Larger video files do not work well with all platforms. There are a few, such as DailyMotion, that allow you to share large files, but you are not guaranteed this on every video sharing platform. If you are sharing shorter videos, you will probably not need to find a specific website or video sharing app that meets this need since most would be able to do this.

Security level is another important criterion you should consider when choosing a platform for your videos. If you are looking to deal with highly sensitive video files, you must take a closer look at the security level of each provider. The level of security varies when it comes to encryption level or GDPR compliance.

Lastly, collaboration features allow you to streamline your content creation. You should determine if you are going to need advanced collaboration functions such as allowing viewers to leave comments and notes inside the video or even approve files. Finding the right platform that provides the necessary collaboration tools you need may just save you a colossal amount of time.

Best Video Sharing Apps and Video Sharing Sites

When it comes to video sharing, there are a multitude of options. Based on all the criteria and features mentioned above, you will have to make the best decision for your content when choosing a specific app or website. Although they are all essentially the same when it comes down to the core function, there are many reasons why you could choose one over another.

Rather than resorting to the most well-known sites or the most popularly used, it is essential that you determine what fits the type of videos you want to share. This is because a website that is perfect for the majority of online users may not have the best features for what you are trying to achieve.

As the internet becomes even more advanced every passing day, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact website or app you need for your video sharing goals. Luckily, we have compiled a list of the best video sharing sites and apps.

1.YouTube

YouTube is undoubtedly the most popular video sharing app on this list. It is owned by Google and makes use of machine learning for compiling and indexing suggestions for its users. It supports up to 8K quality as well as HDR content. This entails many possibilities for YouTube creators.

People on YouTube have the opportunity to earn money as well. Depending on how many subscribers and the number of viewers you have on your videos, you can earn money through AdSense. YouTube began paying its creators in 2018, which has now turned into people being able to earn millions through the app.

There is also an opportunity to review and analyze statistics for your YouTube channel. You can see total subscribers, comments, likes and dislikes, and total viewership based on the data YouTube collects for you. From there, you can find the age and gender of your viewers, traffic source, and devices used, and get a good sense of the key points in your videos based on click patterns.

The YouTube creators’ program is considered the most advanced out of all its competitors due to the many programs and workshops created for those based on the video sharing app. Creators get 55% of the revenue generated by ads without having to pay to be on the app.

You can upload 15 minutes of video without verifying your account and 12 hours of video once you verify your account. There are also many video formats that work on YouTube. Premium plans vary along with their pricing depending on the region. Premium involves things such as ad-free watching and free YouTube music.

2.Vimeo

Around the world, people can agree that Vimeo is second only to YouTube. Vimeo does not feature advertisements throughout videos, which the audience appreciates greatly. This also allows creators to upload high-definition videos with a maximum upload limit of 500 MB per week with the free plan.

This is what puts YouTube above Vimeo according to users. Most of the best features of the website are available to Vimeo Pro users while the basic free plan allows for limited use. Content creators receive 90% of the revenue they earn through their videos. The website prides itself on providing the best quality videos with the least amount of intervention.

You can upload 500 MB on the basic free plan, 5 GB if you have Vimeo Plus, and an unlimited uploading feature for Vimeo Pro. Vimeo also supports many different video formats such as MOV, MP4, AVI, WMV, MPEG4, and more.

The pricing for the premium plans includes Vimeo Plus being $84 each year, Vimeo Pro being priced at $240 a year, Vimeo Business being priced at $600 a year, and Vimeo Premium costing $900 every year. Depending on your priorities, Vimeo may just be the video sharing site for you.

3.TikTok

TikTok is a fairly new app that has taken the world by absolute storm. Its popularity around the world is undeniable and at a record high. Unlike its competitors, TikTok differs from typical video sharing apps because of its short-structured videos that you can aimlessly scroll through during your day. The content on the app includes anything from catchy dances to DIY walk-throughs.

There is a rapidly growing community of creators who produce videos that their fans do not get tired of watching. Something that also sets TikTok apart is the massive amount of free music and sounds at users’ disposal the second they sign up for the app.

TikTok also includes new and old filters, AR objects, and real-time effects that make the app even more interactive than it already is. With constant updates to these features, young people especially cannot get enough of this video sharing app.

You can upload up to 287.6 MB using iOS and 72 MB using an Android on the app. There is a TikTok Creator Fund that partners with popular creators to give them revenue and sponsorships to earn money.

4.Facebook Watch

Facebook is considered the largest social media platform in the world and is also home to tons of video content that you cannot avoid the minute you open the app. Users, pages, brands, and creators upload videos regularly onto the video sharing app, allowing for a diverse and vast library.

There are a few notable features of Facebook that make it different from its competitors. One of them is the ability to watch videos with friends. Due to a highly personalized feed, you can endlessly scroll through Facebook pages and creators with your friends.

Facebook Creator Studio is where creators get help with publishing and moderating original video content. They can also choose to include ads in their videos to earn money. There is also an award-winning series on Facebook Watch called Mind of a Chef that proves the reach of the video sharing app.

You can upload a maximum of 240 minutes of content in multiple video formats. Creators can earn 55% of their ad-generated revenue, and there are absolutely no premium plans and pricing. This is something that has people gravitating to Facebook and its video sharing capabilities.

5.Twitch

It is important to keep gaming in mind when talking about video sharing apps and sites. Gaming is a huge online source of entertainment that brings in a lot of viewers and a lot of money. Twitch is the most renowned video game streaming service on the internet. This network has more than 11,000 partnered content creators under its belt.

If you decide to get Twitch Turbo, you will also be able to view everything on the site ad-free. To become a partner at Twitch you must have 1,000,000+ subscribers and an average of 15,000+ views per video. Twitch is a crucial video sharing site for gamers and one of the biggest on this list.

The maximum streaming bitrate is 3500 bits/s, and Twitch also supports many different video formats. Compared to the other video sharing sites, though, you may be more limited in what formats you can use. The premium plan is called Twitch Turbo and only costs $8.99 per month.

6.DailyMotion

DailyMotion is another fairly popular video sharing site online. Here, you can upload, view, and share videos throughout the network. The popularity DailyMotion generated mainly comes from the feature on the website in which you can upload long and hefty clips.

There is a partner program called Dailymotion Publishing Partner program that allows creators a share of the revenue from monetized videos. DailyMotion offers an immensely flexible revenue sharing model for its creators, offering money to be earned through in-video advertisements, paid content, and through your own website. DailyMotion is most popular in Europe and especially France, which is where the site originated.

You can upload up to 2 GB of file size and 60 minutes of video length with many supported video formats to choose from. Paid partners can receive up to 70% of the shares of the revenues from their videos, and there are no premium plans.

7.IGTV by Instagram

Lastly, IGTV is a newer video sharing app that stems from an already established and popular app: Instagram. This platform is targeted at smartphone users because its short-form video content is portrayed through a portrait format. Instagram wanted to bring users closer to businesses and creators, but because it is fairly new, users are still trying to determine its effectiveness.

On IGTV, anyone can upload up to 10 minutes of video while certain renowned creators have the opportunity to upload up to 60 minutes. Unlike the others on this list, IGTV only supports MP4. Creators receive 55% of ad-generated revenue, and there are no premium plans available.

Take Away

Video sharing is one of the best ways to implement a marketing strategy, grab the attention of users, and entertain anyone who happens to find your video. It is important to find a website or app that provides the best possible features and tools to house your videos. Whether you are searching for a place that gives its users ultimate freedom or a place that allows its users freedom of features under specific guidelines, there is most likely a website out there that will meet your needs.

Although there are many options, each of them shares in common the ability to promote your video on its site. Hopefully, this list provides you with all the necessary information to take action to start your video sharing adventures.