The way we consume video is undergoing a massive change thanks to the OTT platform. Over-the-top (OTT) platform is a technology that is designed to consume video content quickly and seamlessly.
Popular services that use OTT technology include Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Now, Apple TV+, Hulu, iTunes, Peacock, etc. To use these platforms viewers need a streaming device like smart TVs, or a gaming console to view the content.
The major advantage is that many of these OTT platforms allow content creators to create content and publish them on their platform. Whether you are a business coach or a fitness trainer the platforms allow you to monetize your video content the way you want.
Plus, they help you build your brand using their technology without you worrying about the technical details. Now which one of these platforms is great for your audience and your brand is a tough question.
To help you figure this out I have ranked and reviewed the best ott platforms based on marketing, support, pricing, website capabilities, video content-based features, and more.
So let’s get started.
What is the Best OTT Platform?
Here is my list of the best OTT platforms for video monetization to use this year.
1. Muvi
Best OTT Platform for Video and Audio Streaming
Muvi is one of the best OTT platforms on the market offering features unparallel to any other software providers in this segment. Muvi combines the benefits of live streaming, audio hosting, video hosting, and video on demand.
If you are looking to become a media empire in your niche then this is the platform to start with. It allows you to build your own video On Demand capabilities to have your Netflix.
Moreover, it provides a Live broadcast radio to host your own radio shows which is an absolutely seamless experience with not much hassle.
Key Features
- Built-in Monetization – The platform provides you to monetize your content in multiple ways like video advertising, subscriptions, pricing plans, and more. This eliminates your need to rely on third-party technologies.
- No Coding – This allows you to do every customization in the platform without using any line of code.
- Branding – Provides you with an app for Android and iOS along with a smart TV app. This allows you to focus only on content marketing and not worry about other technical stuff.
- Third-party integrations – Supports popular third-party integrations like DoubleClick, YuMe, PayPal, WorldPay, Google Analytics, etc.
Pros
- Offers a 14-day free trial on every product
- Muvi platform allows you to do everything without writing a single code.
- Allows you to monetize audio and video contents in a single place
- Provides you with a feature to create an app for iOS or Android or a smart TV app.
- Has its own CDN system to supercharge your content delivery
- Offers a highly integrated Email and ticketing system
- Allows you to use your own domain to host the content
Pricing Plans
Muvi offers four pricing plans to its customers.
- Standard Plan – Starting at $399 per month
- Professional Plan – Starting at $1,499 per month
- Enterprise Plan – Starting at $3,900 per month
- Ultimate Plan – Starting at $8,900 per month
The Special Black Plan includes premium support and almost unlimited everything.
2. Uscreen.tv
Best OTT Platform for Video Monetization (Starts from $99 per month).
Uscreen is one of the leading OTT platforms that manages and creates video streaming apps for both smartphones and TV. From automated updates to publishing your OTT apps, Uscreen takes complete care of the entire process.
It is one of the fastest OTT platforms with an average time of 30-60 days to launch your brand. This turnkey video monetization platform provides multiple pricing models, including a free trial, freemium, rentals/PPV, subscription, bundles, or fixed price.
Moreover, it also provides a fast 4K UHD video experience across multiple devices, thanks to its robust encoding. Also, it provides other security features like SSL, complete data ownership, 24/7 monitoring, secured payment data, etc.
Key Features
- HTML5 Video Player – The platform offers a white-labeled HTML5 player that provides an amazing cross-device Full HD quality and buffer-free online video streaming to its audience.
- Churn Reducer – Uscreen is designed to increase your customer loyalty by decreasing the churn rate by up to 35%.
- VoD Templates – The platform offers customizable themes and VoD templates to produce amazing online content and monetize it. You can change color and adjust the logo to further scale your brand presence.
Pros
- Offers a 14-day free trial for their products
- Provides free web hosting with SSL
- HTML5 player offered by the platform supports VTT captions and screen readers
- Supports Chromecast and Apple Airplay
- Provides a feature called ‘Try Again for Free’ to help win back lost subscriptions
- Offers leading global CDN providers for its content caching
Pricing Plans
Uscreen provides three pricing plans for its customers along with a 14-day free trial.
- Basic Plan – $49 per month (billed annually)
- Amplify Plan – $399 per month (billed annually)
- Enterprise Plan – Custom Quotation
3. IBM Watson Media
A scalable OTT solution for Enterprises (Starts from $99 per month).
IBM Watson is a white-label OTT platform that measure, manage and monetize your videos and streams across various platforms. It provides video and cloud streaming services that deal with GPU Computing and storage requirements.
Additionally, it provides powerful analytics, live streaming tool, automated speech-to-text, video hosting, and transcoding. Also, it uses Akamai CDN to ensure you get high-quality video streaming.
Key Features
- Copyright Protection – IBM takes care of any copyright or plagiarism issue automatically. It terminates the broadcast of copyright content using its copyright enforcement service.
- Q&A and Messaging – This feature allows you to engage with your audience seamlessly in real-time streaming. It comes with a user upvote, built-in moderation, and user management.
- Branding Tools – This allows you to customize your video platform using integrated branding options available on the platform. This allows you to showcase recent and upcoming events the way you want.
Pros
- Offers a 30-days free trial on their product
- Capable of rendering HD Video on any screen device using its mobile player
- Allows you to monetize your content using third-party services or ads
- Seamless metadata compilation and consumption of videos
- Records your live streaming privately so that you can share it later with public
- No capping on bit rate or on the resolution
Pricing Plans
IBM Watson Media offers three pricing plans to its customer along with a 30-days free trial:
- Silver: $99 per month
- Gold: $499 per month
- Platinum: $999 per month
So now let’s cover the basics.
What is an OTT Platform?
An OTT platform is an online service that provides you with live streaming feeds and videos on any internet-enabled device. It is a platform that allows you to monetize your produced video content without using any third-party applications.
These platforms are basically multi-role tools providing other services like VoIP service, audio streaming, messaging services, etc. Moreover, they manage videos, customize online players, provide video subscription packages, record live streams in HD, offer global CDN, etc.
Therefore, you can say that they are an alternative to television broadcasting with much cheaper rates to acquire potential, customers.
What Features Should You Look For in the OTT Platform?
Thanks to the pandemic and rapid growth in internet penetration and cheaper mobile phones revenue from OTT platforms is expected to see exponential growth.
Therefore, choosing the correct OTT platform is very crucial to making the most of this coming opportunity. Here are some of the essential features that you must search for in an OTT platform for reliable video streaming.
1. Mulitple APIs and SDKs
Having access to custom SDKs and APIs will allow you to customize your video streaming platform. Plus, it will help you to deliver consistent video playback across multiple applications.
2. High Customization
This feature is to make sure that your brand is not lost in oblivion. Therefore, it is crucial that you can personalize the video streaming experience by changing the logo, color, and other necessary tweaks.
3. HTML5 Video
To ensure buffer-free and high-quality video streaming, you require a reliable and robustly coded HTML5 player. The video player should come with adaptive bitrate streaming to render video smoothly on any internet connection on every device available.
4. Analytics and Reporting
Make sure that the OTT platform provides a strong analytics dashboard that covers every minute detail you might require. This will help you gauge your customer engagement and video performance in real time.
5. Live Streaming Tools
These live streaming tools offer features like polls, Q&A, real-time comments, and payments. Moreover, it allows you to produce a meaningful engagement with your audience to further boost your brand loyalty.
6. Marketing Resources
The platform should conduct webinars and share strategic tips to grow its audience on the platform. This helps you get an idea of how the audience is reacting to the platform’s contents and what needs to be improved.
Best OTT platforms – Final Summary
This wraps up my list of the best OTT platforms to use for your business this year. I will keep updating the list with other good OTT platforms available in the market.
All platforms above have their own unique advantages and features and it is up to you to decide what serves best your audience. Make sure you review all the OTT platform list very carefully before making your final decision.
Finally, if you are looking for an overall good platform then I would go with Uscreen.tv
Which OTT platform are you planning to use and why? Let me know in the comments below.
More from Smashitbuck: Do check out my other articles on the Warehouse Management system, CRM software, and shorts downloader to read this year.
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