Resources for Video Blogging |

Resources for Video Blogging

YouTube is still probably the best option if you are looking for online exposure. When it comes to video blogging (or monetizing your video blogging), however, other sites out there pack a wallop too, and rarely see any return for it. Here’s a look at a few of the larger ones: the near-duplicates, the snobby high quality sites, and the video&more sites.

Plain Old Sharing

Some could say they completely ripped off YouTube. And that may be the case. But if a certain look/feel and the little features matter to you, these may still be worth a browse.

ClipShack

Featuring a fairly dull interface, ClipShack probably wouldn’t be the place to go if you’re looking to be cooler than YouTube. One highlight, though, is that it seems that they’ve integrated Google Maps with their application, so you can map your content and search by location. If that sounds interesting, it may be worth checking out.
Crackle

If you hadn’t heard the news lately, Grouper recently ducked behind the Sony curtain and reemerged as Crackle, a site where, supposedly, independent filmmakers are supposed to find jobs. I’m not convinced: best as I can tell it’s contest based and (go figure) only jobs at Sony are offered as prizes. But it is definitely a cooler site than YouTube. Crackle has only existed for a week or two though, so proceed cautiously.
DailyMotion

One of the biggest of all the video hosting sites I’ve seen has been DailyMotion. Definitely worth a look. (thanks one man)
Eyespot

An interesting twist at Eyespot: you can remix and edit videos of your own with videos of others. This is a feature that some sharing sites have capitalized on (like others in this list) but YouTube has never taken advantage of.
Jumpcut

A fan of Flickr? A fan of Yahoo!, even if only by association with Flickr? Cool. Jumpcut was also acquired by Yahoo!, at the end of ‘06, so take that for what it’s worth. Jumpcut allows for remixing video too. Makes one wonder about integration with Flickr at some point…
Metacafe

Metacafe is one of the big boys: a lot of videos and users with an interesting user-based rating system. I don’t know whether this is a way to stand out in the crowd or not, but it definitely belongs on the list. (thanks Adnan)
Stickam

This one’s a slightly different ballgame. The focus is actually streaming live video on your blog, for the purposes of a show or broadcast. The implications of this at a blog are pretty extensive: a weekend talk show, daily one-hour casting, or some creepy sort of 24 hour broadcast of your bathroom or something. Hey, I can see it happening now.
Vsocial

Another sharing site cooler than YouTube, Vsocial allows for complete branding control over your videos. YouTube has recently adopted something kind of similar, but it’s nothing compared to what Vsocial is offering.
Vimeo

Security is number one at Vimeo. Share your videos only with the people you want to. It’s a pretty slick interface, and if you’re uploading a lot of family/personal videos, this may be a place to check out.
Viddler

Weird name and logo, but it works I guess. While Viddler also focuses on video security, it offers the ability to publish to the site straight from your webcam. It may not be a selling point by itself, but it’s nice to know that’s available.
Veoh

With a very cool interface and having experienced an upward trend (nay, an explosion) as far as traffic and rank go, Veoh may be the new hot spot for sharing video on the web. I know not much about VeohTV, but apparently it’s hot.

Sites Which Share Profits

One major downside to YouTube is a lot of views and cult popularity really only promises…a lot of views and cult popularity. These sites will offer you a (figurative) bag of money for your work.

Blip.tv

They will take your videos (only the ones you create), give you a cut of the advertising that your video brings in, offers publicity, and a dangling promise to get selected video on TV. More interesting (to me) is that they’ve released some API (yum) to offer some more functionality with their application. Worth a glance, especially if you have videos you could make some dough on.
One.Revver

Revver pairs targeted ads with user created content and gives a 50% cutback to the creator. It also has a cool steel interface and lots of gradients. They must be cool!

Video&More

If you have the desire to host video and photo (even music) in one location, check these out.

Bolt

Bolt offers video and photo uploading/sharing. Think of it as a combination of YouTube and Flickr. But not quite as advanced as each on their own. Minor annoyance from a cynic: they refer to the combo of photos and videos as your portfolio. Modest, aye?
Vmix

Bring your videos, photos, and music to Vmix. The site design reflects their aim toward artists. I’m a big fan of the design, and would probably check this one out first due to only that fact. Yes, I’m superficial.

Sites for Hosting

Sorry, no blogging, but these offer things like high quality video hosting or a chance to be featured as the independent filmmaker you are. I guess you could blog about being featured, right?

Stage6.Divx

I’ve seen some cool videos on this one before. I love the interesting site layout (a little different than most, though not much) and the claim that they reward great work is a bit mystifying. I’m not sure how they reward.
Dovetail.tv

Looking for a way to distribute a larger quality video file? Dovetail uses peer-to-peer technology to make it possible. Not ideal for the average user.
Independent Features
If you are an independent filmmaker (or at least you claim to be one) this is the place to go and get some exposure. Videos are voted on by users and the winners are showcased in an IF film festival, complete with red carpet and faux prestige. There are only about 200 or so videos on the site right now, so if you have something good to put up, go for it.
Motionbox

Upload your videos, edit/enhance them with Motionbox’s simple tools, and share them with your friends. But don’t blog them. From what I can tell, you can’t see other videos on the site (aside from a member spotlight) until you sign up and are invited. Limitations on this site aren’t explicitly explained.
Vuze

If you’re a hi-def snob (and these days, who isn’t?) you can get your fix from Vuze’s peer-to-peer technology. Took a big jump in views at one point because it is hooked up with Azureus, a pretty popular torrent application.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 at 4:43 am and is filed under Miscellaneous. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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