Discover the best video hosting platform for you

Video Hosting

Want to learn more about video hosting and video hosting platforms? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll provide a complete and comprehensive guide to video hosting. We’ll outline the basics, the benefits, and the different options you have for video hosting. Some of the topics that will be covered include:

• What is video hosting?
• Best video hosting site
• Pros and cons of video hosting services
• How to share videos and host video online

What is video hosting?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of all things video hosting, we should probably define what it means to be a video hosting server. Video hosting allows you to upload, store, share, and play your videos on an online platform. The basic function of video hosting is to store and share videos, so they are accessible without taking up too much storage space and can easily be shared with others. Though they all may seem similar, various video-sharing platforms have some differentiators, and some platforms work better for certain situations and needs. There are a large variety of popular video sharing sites, including free video hosting online. Sites like YouTube and Vimeo live in this space, but there are also private video hosting platforms for when you want to send videos directly to an individual rather than for a public audience to see. We’ll dive into this more throughout the article.

Benefits of video hosting

There are many benefits to hosting a video online. For starters, it allows you a space to store and host large video files without taking up precious desktop storage space. Other benefits of video hosting include:

Viewer experience
On most video hosting platforms, users can view and watch videos in high definition with player controls that let them pause, remind, and fast forward through the videos.

Saving time
Hosting large video files on a platform not only gives you peace of mind but it saves you time as well. These platforms compress and upload your video for you and stream the video on multiple devices.

Availability
Uploaded videos are easily accessible and available on multiple devices by sharing video links. After your video is hosted, you can easily share a video to link to others, making it accessible and convenient.

Mass reach
Because these video hosting platforms are available all over the world, users from anywhere can view your videos.

Video hosting sites

Many free video hosting sites are available to use, and each brings several advantages (and disadvantages). You can read this guide for a full list of popular video platforms other than YouTube and Vimeo alternatives. However, the guide includes YouTube and Vimeo as options for free video hosting sites and lists more information, distinguishing features, and differentiators for each of the platforms. Some of the most common or popular video hosting sites include:

• YouTube – YouTube is by far the most popular and most well-known video sharing and hosting platform.
• Vimeo – Vimeo is similar to YouTube but allows you to buy subscriptions to use the platform.
• Facebook – Facebook is a social media platform that allows for simultaneous video hosting.
• YouNow – YouNow is a popular option among streamers to host their live-streamed content.

Although these sites above are popular amongst users, they also have a few disadvantages you want to consider when choosing a platform to host your videos. Some of these disadvantages include a lack of personalization, very few tracking metrics, and very little customer support since these sites are free. Many of these platforms are also not designed or effective for teams. They’re mainly just used for marketing purposes. Plus, you’ll need add-ons like a YouTube screen record or extra video sharing methods. In addition, these sites tend to distract viewers’ attention from your message with advertisements and suggested videos on the sides, which takes aways from your video being the main focal point. I’m going to touch on solutions to these problems in the next section and offer some alternatives to YouTube and Vimeo that are better for sending private video messages.

When to use private video hosting platforms

Sometimes a private video hosting platform is a more practical alternative based on some of your business needs. Private video hosting platforms can help ensure your shared content’s privacy, making it a better solution for businesses as the type of content stored on these platforms is not necessarily created for the entire public to see. These types of videos are more direct and are shared between individuals one-to-one. Private video hosting platforms are usually paid services (for a small fee) but usually come with additional benefits like speed, support, analytics, and consistency. Oftentimes, teams send video messages through a private video hosting platform for things like sending sales videos, customer service videos, or using video to recruit students or employees. There are a few things you should consider when determining if you’re in the market for a private video hosting service.

Is personalization important?

Traditional video hosting platforms, like YouTube, are intended for mass audiences and are accessible to the public. Meaning, your message is pretty general and lacks any sort of personalization. Using a private hosting service allows you to upload and send custom and personalized videos to recipients that make your message a little more meaningful and personal.

Which teams and departments are using video?

Traditional video hosting sites are great for marketers to upload their professional videos to increase reach and brand awareness. On the flipside, customer service teams or sales teams want to use videos to reach out to and quickly respond to customers or build sales relationships. In this case, traditional video hosting platforms would not suit their needs. Private hosting platforms allow all teams in a company to use video hosting for their intentions and goals.

Do you want to track the effectiveness of your videos?

With private hosting sites, users usually have access to analytic tools that can help you track who’s watched your videos, when they were watched, how many times they were watched, and more. With a traditional video hosting site, you can only see certain statistics like the number of views your video has and a few others that are not very specific or measurable. If you want to know how many people clicked on your video vs. how many saw it, if someone specifically watched it, you wouldn’t be able to see that type of information with those platforms.

Do you want additional video support for your team?

Although they are free, these large video platforms rarely offer support when you’re having issues with your videos. Essentially, you’re on your own. Many private hosting sites, like Covideo, offer full hand-on support and will train your team and teach them everything they need to know and can even help strategize a video solution to fit your needs best.

Are you looking to drive engagement and action from your video?

When you send a YouTube video to someone, you are directing them to an entirely new website. As you know, YouTube is full of content and can therefore easily distract your viewer and encourage them to get lost and watch other videos. This ends up making your message significantly less effective. However, with a private video hosting platform, your video will send the recipient to a completely branded video landing page with clickable call to action buttons. Your viewer will watch your video alongside your branding without any other videos distracting them from your message. You’re also able to add contact information and clickable links that are great for direct calls to action.

Best place to host private videos

Covideo is one of the best private video hosting services to use. Covideo is a platform that lets you record, share, and track videos. With Covideo, you can create personalized videos with custom landing pages, calls to action, and more. After sharing your video, Covideo lets you track your video’s performance. Covideo allows you to host an unlimited number of videos in your video library. You can easily host and send large video files with the click of a button. With Covideo, you can also add captions to videos, use video annotations to add your contact information, logos, and CTA’s to the top of your video. If you’re looking for consistent private video hosting for your business, Covideo is a top choice. Our support team can help onboard your team and is there for you whenever you need it. If you’re looking for the best video sharing platform, Covideo makes it easy to record, send, and track video messages at ease. Private video sharing doesn’t get easier than this.

Try Video Hosting – Free

If you want to learn how to host a video, check out this blog. If you’re looking for the best video platform, try out Covideo today for free. With Start a free trial, you’ll get instant access to all of our standard features, and you’ll be able to upload, record, send, and track video emails within minutes. Start a free trial; no credit card required! Covideo is the best way to send videos through email; let us show you how to host through our free unlimited video hosting properly.