CasablancaExpert

Which Video Hosting Web Site to Use?

I replied to a post on one of the Cassie Tips List Serve yesterday and thought the topic was certainly worthy of sharing here.

A video producer colleague had a client (a collegue) who had started using an internet hosting website to share their videos on-line. He was helping them to use VIMEO, hearing that many other video producers were using that service. Here is my reply in the topic:

As suggested I do use VIMEO but primarily just so I am aware of it's functions and operation.

As was pointed out VIMEO free and VIMEO Plus are not for those who wish to use the service for a business or commercial enterprise (it is against their terms of use policy)  however they are allowing video producers to use the service to promote their business (not the business of their clients).

Any service - even VIMEO PRO - has a cap, and increased associated fees if you exceed their Storage (amount of data stored - size of video files, usually in GB) and their bandwidth (amount of data/video transferred to your viewers, usually in GB).

If you just wish to go ahead with a suggested work-flow to upload to VIMEO, YouTube, Facebook, iPlayedHD, Sprout Video, Exposure Room (I have used them all)  -- I recommend this process: Exporting Casablanca Video to Internet Hosting Website  (which yes, still uses the Media Manager for optimum results).


If you wish to delve deeper into the question in your post -- which video hosting service your client uses depends, I believe, on what their primary goal/s are for hosting the video:

• Do they wish to use the video/s to increase their marketing reach - improve their SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
• Do they wish to share the video/s to allow students to access academic content - as part of paid coursework ?
• Do they want to make the video/s accessible for any community member / internet viewer?
• Do they want/need the ability to utilize analytics to determine the viewer patterns relative to the video/s?
• Do they need/want social sharing, commenting, etc. for the video/s?
• And what is their budget for video hosting?

The answers to these questions will guide them to the best host (or as I usually recommend) a mix of host sites to best suit their needs.

On-line video is THE arena for many companies at this time, with great efforts geared to engaging their prospects and customers as well as increasing market awareness and market share. 

Website members Skip can access my most recent overview of video hosting web sites is available in a 79-minute streaming video lesson here: Introduction to Video Hosting Websites

How Can I Guide Viewers Directly to a Video on my YouTube Channel, Without Showing Other Videos?

QUESTION: 

Seems to me that when I give someone a link to one of the videos on my 
YouTube account, they click on that and go directly to the video.  That's 
good.  But they also see and can easily access all of the products in "My
Videos."  I think I have about 60 other videos.

Is there a way to set it up so that when I send a YouTube link either 
privately or publicly in an email that person only sees the video link I sent 
them?  That is, without making it a private video? 

I just want them  to be  able to see only the video I sent to them.  Again, I don't want to  have to make it private putting only a few email addresses as the only one(s) who can view it.  I still want to keep everything public.

Is this even possible on YouTube?  Vimeo and some others don't work  for me  because of business and commercial content in most of my  productions.


ANSWER: I have two answers to your question - the first is within YouTube, which may not get you what you really want - the 2nd is using a different service/provider.


1.  Within YouTube:

A newer option in YouTube is set the video to 'unlisted',  this is a nice way to make it so other folks won't see if on your Channel - but they could if they search for the tags or content which is relevant in your title or description.

This is more accessible than Private as you don't have to specify an email address and they don't have to have a  YouTube or Google account to access an Unlisted video.

To access this setting - first select the video, then click on 'Edit Info', click on 'Settings', then under Private select 'Unlisted', Click Save and you're set

2.  While the use of a Private Video designation on YouTube allows you to direct viewers directly to this video - they will still see a listing of your other videos on the YouTube account, and video suggestions following the display of your video on-screen.

To eliminate this, you would need to either embed the video onto your own website or use a different video hosting service.

As you indicated because your videos are business related, and incorporate a website address you would have to step up to VIMEO PRO (not Vimeo Plus, but PRO).

You could also use Sprout Video or iPlayed HD which are the two services I use for my longer videos that give me full and complete control over what the player looks like, no other videos are referred, etc.

I recently presented an updated webinar (end of October 2011) on the
topic - Video Sharing Websites,  where I presented fundamentals of using such a provider and also reviewed my 5 favorite services (YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Exposure Room, and IPlayerHD)

Since you are a website member, you and other members will find the 79-minute video (with accompanying 15-page PDF booklet) here:  Video Sharing Webinars - An Introductory Webinar

If you're not a website member but would like to access this resource - you can do so with my new Pay Per View Webinars here:
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