Latest Video On Demand Platforms With 10 Best Video Streaming Apps For Business Marketing

Video on demand (VOD) is the future of online content delivery. A recent HubSpot survey found that audiences prefer videos over all other forms of content, including emails, infographics, and blog posts. Another report found that viewing time on video on demand platforms increased year-over-year by 155% (up nearly 20 minutes per session).

According to Cisco Systems, the demand for video will only increase. In their annual report, they predict that the number of internet-connected devices will more than triple the world’s population by 2023. Cisco also predicts that by then 70% of the world will have mobile devices and that consumer demand for 4K / UHD content.

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The Need For (And Market Opportunities) For Video Is Increasing.

We’re not just talking about educational or entertainment content. Broadcasters, SMEs, and corporate brands are also reaping the benefits of video on demand (VOD). By giving the public access to the content they want, when and how they want to view it, the needs of customers and markets are met with ease and efficiency.

This article takes a look at what video on demand is and how you can take advantage of it. We’ll contrast live streaming with video-on-demand platforms and recommend the 10 best video streaming apps and services for Android.

What Does VOD Mean?

The meaning of VOD is “video on demand”. This is a pretty literal definition, meaning that these videos are online and accessible when the viewer wants them.

Sometimes these videos are only available to subscribers or registered members, while other models have the content available to everyone online as part of their marketing strategy. The content remains online and in many cases, quite extensive video libraries are created.

Netflix and Hulu are two excellent examples of brands that have built their businesses around video on demand, but an increasing number of brands of all sizes are making it an important part of their business models. Here’s a full library of great VOD websites to browse.

Different types of VOD Platforms to choose from

Video on demand is a simple principle, but there are several specific VOD Platforms you can choose from to best suit your business. These include:

SVOD or “subscription VOD”. This is a subscription agreement in which a user pays a fixed amount at regular intervals to access the video content. In many cases, these subscriptions work on the ‘watch till you drop’ principle, where you can watch as many hours of video as you want.
TVOD or “transactional VOD”. This is a different payment model for video-on-demand services, but it works the other way around than an SVOD. You pay based on the amount of content you watch. This is more of a digital version of the original Blockbuster, or how to buy specific movies or series on Amazon. This model is not very popular with many small businesses, as most audiences prefer a subscription method.
AVOD or “VOD Ads”. This model is free in theory and companies to create free video content that is accessible to everyone online as part of their passive revenue and marketing campaigns. You can convert users to your brand and they can also monetize the ads that users see before or during your videos. Think of YouTube ads with certain videos.

What is the difference between Live Streaming and VOD?

While related, there are a few differences to keep in mind when it comes to live streaming and video on demand. It’s worth noting that for most brands, the choice to implement one methodology often leads to another. That’s why it’s important to think long-term when designing a video marketing strategy.

Live Streaming

Live streaming offers content creators and their audiences some important benefits such as a low barrier to entry, time efficiency, and real-time interaction.

The biggest benefit of live streaming is that customers enjoy real-time experiences. They get a sense of belonging by being part of (and being able to participate) in an active online event. Live streaming provides a sense of exclusivity and community at the same time.

Live streaming is also a valuable tool for businesses. Active online content enables brands to cut costs and improve service. Instead of paying for travel, accommodation, or food expenses, broadcasters can offer the same experience (online) to all members of their organization.

Brands can also use live broadcasts for product demos, press releases and to address news events as they arise. This type of real-time messaging keeps the public informed and keeps employees up to date with product or service updates.

Technically, live streaming requires a little more resources compared to VOD. Content is submitted in smaller blocks, but there is more general. Shorter streaming packages minimize the delay between streaming events and the players used for remote viewing.

Since online video players cannot cache large amounts of content, methodologies such as adaptive bitrate streaming are used to enhance the experience. This ensures smooth delivery and minimizes buffering on the receiving end.

Broadcasters must also encode and package live broadcasts in incompatible formats that viewers can access. Online video platforms take over much of this back-end work for you by partnering with trusted CDNs that optimize each user’s streaming experience.

VOD: Video On Demand

VOD is the opposite of live streaming, allowing users to watch videos at any convenient time and from any device with an internet connection.

Video on demand is the opposite of live streaming. Users can view content on their schedule and from any device connected to the Internet. We’re not just talking about movies or TV shows either. Tutorials, educational content, inspirational messages, and other entertainment are part of the video-on-demand libraries.

A modern, busy lifestyle is one of the factors driving the explosive growth of VOD. The content is always accessible and you can tolerate delays in both regular publishing schedules and the quality of connecting links.

Video-on-demand allows broadcasters to fine-tune their content before publishing it. Video makers have time to record, edit and enhance their videos before showing them to their audience.

Logistically, the blocks of video content on-demand are longer than streaming content. These larger file transfers tend to make the overall process more efficient. Video players can cache enough data for reliability, but at the same time download entire content files (if allowed) for offline viewing.

What is OTT?

One of the biggest advantages of OTT is being able to stream content on many devices.

OTT stands for “Over-The-Top” and offers the possibility to stream content directly over the internet. Usually as a standalone product. The term OTT often refers to video content, but it can also be applied to audio messages or VoIP calling solutions.

OTT is an attractive option for organizations that want to add value to their brand. Broadcasters can offer consumers content at a fraction of what traditional cable and telecom providers charge. Brands can create original content that cannot be found elsewhere and retain exclusive distribution rights.

OTT and VOD stations can broadcast business content such as conferences, trade shows, and special events. Schools and universities can provide teaching materials online. Churches and worship centers can share services, outreach efforts, and testimonies. Even organized sports and advertising agencies can benefit from OTT.

One of the best parts of OTT transmission is its ubiquity in terms of technical requirements. Rather than needing a telecommunications or TV box to interact with content, users can access media from a wide variety of devices. Everything from mobile devices and desktop computers to game consoles and smart TVs.

As long as these devices have internet connections (and support displaying the selected content) they can benefit from OTT services.

How Does OTT Streaming Work?

OTT streaming

Unlike a traditional cable/broadcast provider, an OTT service distributes content via an internet connection.

Over the top streaming services bypass traditional media channels such as cable and telecom networks. Those providers typically charge a tiered subscription rate that includes a certain bundle of their products. Thus, the provider decides what content or channels users receive within that bundle.

Paying for services that users don’t want is inefficient and unfair to consumers.

Audiences don’t have a choice of what they get without buying/upgrading to a more expensive package. They’re also limited to using specific hardware devices and sometimes restricted to regionally specific content (e.g. sports) for their geographic area. That’s not the case with OTT.

OTT provides a better user experience than traditional content delivery methods.

Audiences gain access to any (authorized) content they want regardless of location, time of day, or equipment. OTT streaming technologies monitor and adjust content delivery metrics in real-time to improve performance and minimize disruptions.

Features such as adaptive bitrate streaming and transmuxing allow providers to serve up multiple bitrates, resolutions, and streaming protocols at the same time. These options help broadcasters reach larger audiences with varying bandwidth speeds and device types.

OTT offers better segmentation capabilities as well. Rather than blasting your entire audience with the same content, users can sign up for the specific info they want to learn about. Broadcasters can then focus on that topic or niche and provide more detailed, actionable advice.

What Makes a Great Video Hosting Platform for Business?

A great video hosting website provides its users with features that will allow users to create content available across the world easily.

As mentioned, most consumer-based and social media video hosting options don’t meet the needs of businesses and high-volume broadcasters. These outlets have poor security controls, limited (if any) monetization options, and focus more on their own branding and SEO than their clients.

Broadcasters who are serious about providing the best online content experience choose business-grade platforms to grow their brands. By integrating video hosting, live streaming, and VOD, partners like Dacast provide the all-in-one solution that organizations and influencers need.

Here are a few reasons why using a professional online video platform makes sense.

White label branding and appearance – use your own logos, colors, and images to ensure your brand stays front and center. Your content is served ad-free and with no interruptions.
API and SDK integration – easily integrate existing workflows or build your own OTT platform and mobile apps from scratch.
Multi-level access – grant custom access controls and user permissions within your organization and for each audience group. Use built-in safeguards to ensure only the intended audience is able to view (or share) your content.
Livestream recording – capture events as they happen and automatically save them to your VOD library. Organize your CMS by tags and filters to improve search options and functionality.
Scalable content delivery – provide exceptional experiences using world-class CDNs and offering multiple viewing options for a wide range of devices.

Regarding VOD, you’ll also want options to monetize your video library. Additional OTT video services can be broken down based on their specific business models and functions.

Why Does VOD Matter for Businesses?

Video on demand is an excellent strategy for several reasons.

First, the immediate and constant accessibility of the content is highly valuable to consumers today who have come to expect it.

Think about how many people you know who have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube Red; there’s clearly a demand for this type of accessible content. And, of course, if your content isn’t available when consumers want it, they’ll go somewhere else.

VOD models also offer great ways to monetize video content rather than simply offering it in addition to basic content marketing. This is an additional income stream that will always contribute to your bottom line.

There is also no real limit to the number of benefits you can get, so the more customers sign up the better; Unlike conventional products that are limited by time, labor and cost, there are no limits on the scale.

Wanderlust TV is a good example of this. Wanderlust is a traveling yoga festival and they created their Wanderlust TV channel as a source of brand development and marketing, as well as additional income.

VOD content gives you another way to connect with your target audience, even if it isn’t your company’s main offering. Video is king, and nothing comes close to being as valuable as it is, which is why it’s worth noting.

How can my company implement VOD?

Are you ready to take the plunge and incorporate a video-on-demand model for your business?

Here’s how to get started …

1. Create a strong video library

You want to have a strong video content library before you start promoting, especially if you choose a subscription model. It should have enough content that people think is worth investing in. If you don’t have a large library but want to start now, you can start with TVOD, make people pay for individual videos, and offer subscription models later.

Guitarcast does this exceptionally well. They have a large library of diverse videos with instructors teaching different categories such as blues, rock, classics, basics, first steps, and more. They emphasize this on their homepage to entice users to subscribe by showing them what’s already available.

2. Create your own VOD websites.

YouTube has a built-in audience, which is great, but if you really want to monetize yourself by selling videos online and drawing people to your website, hosting your VOD channel, there is no great option.

3. Consider adding a .tv domain.

If your business focuses solely on paid video content, you can turn your entire site into one .tv domain. If you add it as an extra service, you can create a designated .tv domain portion on your main site.

4. Upload content constantly.

Yes, in theory, a single video could generate an infinite ROI as long as there are new users who haven’t seen it yet. If you want to keep subscribers and/or keep previous visitors returning to your site, you need to keep uploading great content consistently.

While creating new content regularly works, it can be even more effective if you can upload new content regularly, such as every Tuesday or Friday.

Informing viewers in advance, even before signing up, that there will be many new and frequent additions is a big selling point, especially for SVOD subscriptions. MagicStream, a video plan that offers magic trick training, does exactly this on your landing page.

5. Promote it well.

If your video content is blocked behind a subscription wall, make sure you offer enough to entice users to sign up. Add SEO-focused video descriptions and consider including short 10-30 second clips of your videos available for preview based on their length.

You also want to rely on more than just SEO to drive users to your site. Offer free trials, run Facebook ads or Google AdWords campaigns, and try to engage influencers.

Advanced Features Of The Video Streaming App

1. Social login and registrations

The application must integrate multiple registration options into the application. It shouldn’t be a tedious process to write down every detail of the users. To keep the process short, the user should be able to sign up earlier from all their social media accounts. This short process will help the user to save time and not let them lose patience when registering.

2. Integration of users

An application providing a video content service must guide its customer through the entire application once the user signs in. It should explain every function correctly.

3. Behavioral control

It is very important to know what content is of interest to the user. Based on your searches stored in the backend, the application should push recommendations that interest it. This helps promote content and get more user views.

4. Bit rate (transmission quality)

Service providers must guarantee high video quality to users with the required bandwidth. The app should be able to determine the quality of the video itself, depending on a device’s network connection.

5. Recommendation Algorithm (AI)

Using rankings and reviews collected by users, these platforms filter the content that is sent to a user’s screen.

6. Role-based dashboards

This helps create different marketing strategies. The administrator can get information about real-time statistics of user behavior. It can be controlled through the app.

7. Real-time analysis

Basically, this means the admin will get real-time statistics in the form of pie charts, reports, and dashboards in the admin panel. They can get information about the live programs running at any given time and the retention numbers. This helps the manager to design strategic plans and market their content accordingly.

8. In-app voice support

This works just like Siri on iPhone and helps make it easier and more convenient for the users. This allows them to speak a command supported in the app, which works on your behalf without you having to touch the device.

9. Push notification

A user should be intimidated by any update of their video content that they like the most. This provides a seamless and more transparent experience for users.

10. CRM integration

Customer relationship management is important for every application and organization. Users can talk to their relationship managers and provide feedback on the app. This helps application developers to improve the user experience.

11. Loyalty program

Do you want your users to be loyal to your application? Offer them reward points that will draw their attention to your app again and again. These referrals and rewards programs should offer them some sort of discount in the future. This will pique your interest in the application.

12. Digital asset management

You need to store and organize your digital assets, and this feature allows video streaming applications to do it. Wondering what the benefits of such a platform could be? Well, the limited rights videos are assets of the company. Other services offered by digital asset management include transformation, security, manipulation, etc.

13. Data storage and management

Video streaming applications must archive and store the data for future use. Each streaming stream goes to the user’s device through the video provider’s server and is removed from the server once the user has viewed it. The server runs the stream after the stream conversion.

Technology Stack Needed To Develop A Video Streaming Application

Here is a basic list of technologies that can be useful for video streaming application development.

Push notifications: Twilio, Push.io
SMS, voice, and phone verification: Nexmo, Twilio
Payments: Braintree and PayPal, Stripe, EWallets
GWT: for powerful programming
Datastax: for data management
Mandrill: for everything related to emails
Database: MongoDB, HBase, Cassandra, Postgress, Mail Chimp Integration
Cloud environment: AWS
Real-time analysis: Hadoop, Spark, BigData, Apache Flink, Cisco, IBM
Streaming Media System: Wowza Streaming Engine, Nimble Streamer

Development team structure for VOD application

Leading mobile app development companies are focused on providing competitive video streaming apps to users to influence users and keep them loyal to the app. Hence, there is a lot of hard and skilled work behind the development of these applications.

While some may need to start from scratch, some require updates and some add-ons while the app is running. A team of professionals can be hired and paid regularly along with the rest of the company’s workforce.

They become permanent employees of the company and receive all benefits such as paid time off, public holidays, insurance, and other office parties. These are full-time employees who receive monthly paychecks credited to their accounts.

They are always present in the office and can be a source of immediate support. These employees are also responsible for taking care of any updates to the application shortly. Take a look at the equipment needed to develop a video streaming application:

Project Manager
Front-end developers
Backend Developers
Business analyst
Android app developers
IOS app developers
Graphic designers
Professional quality analysts

Another way to hire professionals is to hire them as freelancers. They work for a fixed period and are paid by the hour or by the day. Your job is to work on a project, develop it and deliver it to the parent company.

It is relatively cheaper than full-time workers, but hiring freelancers to develop such complex projects is not the right option. An experienced mobile app developer should be hired to develop a video streaming app and backend architecture.

How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Video-On-Demand Streaming Application?

As with all other applications, the cost of video streaming application development also depends on the features, size, and complexity.

Also, the reputation of the VOD application development team that will be hired to develop the application will have its own cost, which is negotiable, but dependent on the experience of the application development experts. View the rates per country:

Developers in the US: $ 50 to $ 250 per hour
India-Based Developers: $ 10 to $ 80 per hour
Eastern European Developers: $ 30 to $ 150 per hour

The costs of application development are only calculated after approximating the time that professionals spend developing video streaming applications.

Conclusion

Not only are video-on-demand models becoming an important part of many business models, but they are also actually the foundation of some companies

Stay ahead of the pack by developing video streaming apps that are accessible and cross-platform. With an increase in the demand for original video content online and on OTT, these applications have seen a surge in downloads.

A company that wants to launch its own VOD application in the application stores must be knowledgeable about the market trends of the video streaming industry in the application world.