In 2022 48% of businesses will spend their video marketing budgets on video hosting software and platforms.
With video marketing exploding and smaller businesses getting into the streaming content business, the market for video hosting and live streaming platforms is on the rise. This is because of the engagement video gets as opposed to reading and article or static content like images.
Businesses looking to integrate video into everyday communication, externally supporting marketing and sales or internally for employee engagement and training must have a video hosting platform to be successful.
This article provides an overview of video hosting for businesses including a list of video hosting software and sites to use for storing and presenting videos online and a breakdown of video marketing use cases and investment ROI for hosting technology.
Why should your business use video?
In 2022 there is no question that online video is the best customer engagement type, with 64% of consumers saying that they prefer video instead of other content types.
Most businesses use online video for:
- Reaching customers through video marketing campaigns and sales support.
- Highlight products and services with demo videos.
- Employee training and learning videos.
- Launching a paid or free streaming content service.
- Hosting virtual events, webinars and conferences using live video.
These are just a few examples, video can be used in many ways throughout most businesses and executing video marketing correctly comes down to the video hosting platform you are using.
What is video hosting and why do you need it?
Video hosting and streaming software is used by the world’s most valuable and successful brands, spanning a variety of use cases, in different departments for both internal and external communication.
Why your should invest in video marketing:
- In 2022 online video will account for more than 85% of all web traffic in the world.
- 85% of the entire population of the United States watches online videos.
- 50% of buyers report that they watch videos online before making purchases
- 81% of consumers say they are interested in engaging brands through interactive video.
- Digital marketers have reported an 8x conversion on email campaigns that include personalized video versus those that don’t.
- Marketers that leverage personalized video have seen upwards of a 25% lift in sales.
For more information on what businesses and consumers are doing with video marketing and video hosting check out our research here.
What makes business video hosting platforms unique?
Video hosting software enables businesses to store, organize and stream videos online in the cloud, from a single software interface. The best video hosting platforms for business are capable of sharing video across social media, broadcasting a live stream and presenting video in branded experiences on the web.
Business video hosting platforms are much more than simple video storage and playback through a player. These software tools have advanced features for content management, security, sales enablement, website marketing, lead generation as well as addressing internal learning needs.
In 2022 there is now software for businesses to launch their own streaming service like Netflix with over-the-top features and integration with connected TVs.
What are the top features of video hosting software for businesses?
Video Security
Businesses using video online for internal training and learning will care about security, especially for sensitive content like CEO messages and non-public product communications. Having this type of content hosted online makes video security one of the top requirements of business video hosting platforms.
Here are the top video security features common to business video hosting platforms:
- Encrypted vide upload and file transfer
- Password protected videos, video libraries and live stream broadcasts
- Domain, IP and Geo Restrictions to control where a video is played back.
- Tokenized security and AES encryption is also common with business video hosting platforms.
Video encoding and transcoding
When a video is uploaded to video hosting platform it is automatically converted and encoded into formats that are readable by web video players and web browsers to ensure seamless and beautiful video playback. Almost all business video hosting platforms have video encoding and transcoding.
Modern HTML5 Video Player
In 2022 its safe to say that all major business video hosting platforms include an HTML5 video player as part of their software package. HTML5 video players work across any device (mobile, desktop and TVs), and are a required component for a successful video viewing experience.
Most business video hosting platforms provide an HTML5 video player that can be branded and customized to fit most requirements. HTML5 video players are embeddable across the web.
Ability to launch and manage a live stream
Modern business video hosting platform include the ability to work with both on-demand or pre-recorded videos and also the capability to launch live streaming broadcasts for internal events, virtual conferences, webinars, etc.
It’s common to find that live streaming features include the ability to record the live stream, trim and clip it and share it later with the audience.
Video monetization toolsets
Businesses looking to build, launch and manage OTT streaming services and connected TV apps will find that most business video hosting platforms provide features for gating video and collecting payment for viewing access.
Video paywalls are now very common in 2022 and businesses can easily create libraries of subscription-based content, pay-per-view or ad monetized experiences.
Robust APIs to extend capabilities
Businesses looking to extend video capabilities beyond the core video hosting platform will want to look for software that offers API access. Having API access will enable the customization of the video experience, allow of integration in to 3rd party software or platforms including LMS, CRMs and DAMs.
Sales enablement & lead generation
Modern business video hosting platforms now have features to support sales and lead generation. These feature range from video record capabilities for sales reps, personalized video campaigns, email marketing integrations, interactive video and advanced video analytics and tracking.
In 2022 most business video hosting platforms integrate with sales and marketing software such as CRMs and MAPs.
The 17 Best Video Hosting Software Platforms For Businesses
With all those features in mind, choosing a business video hosting platform should be straight forward and easy. To make it even easier, we’ve compiled a list of the top video hosting software platforms to consider in 2022.
1. Vimeo
Vimeo
Vimeo is a video experience platform designed to give marketers and video creators the ability to assemble high-quality video experiences. Vimeo offers a full suite of online video tools from video hosting to monetization and much more.
2 . Vidyard
Vidyard
Vidyard hosts your videos, analyzes their effectiveness, and transforms them into powerful marketing tools. Vidyard provides everything you need to manage your video collection and ensure the optimal viewing experience for your visitors. Vidyard's si...[Read More]
3. Wistia
Wistia
Wistia provides marketers with a complete video marketing platform and toolset to create, host, market, and measure the impact of video in marketing campaigns in one solution.
4. Brightcove
Brightcove
Brightcove is one of the largest online video platform providers, used by media companies, businesses, and organizations worldwide to publish and distribute video online. The company provides hosting tools such as video on demand and live streaming. ...[Read More]
5. JWPlayer
JWPlayer
JW Player offers an advanced and flexible online video platform and media player for publishing videos, running video ads, and streaming content. JWPlayer offers a consistent viewing experience across HTML5 and Flash, across mobile, tablet, and d...[Read More]
6. Panopto
Panopto
Panopto is a platform that makes it easy for universities and enterprises build searchable video libraries, manage, live stream, record, and share videos across the organization in a secure and protected fashion.
7. Microsoft Stream
Microsoft Stream
Microsoft Stream is a corporate video-sharing service and online video platform that enables companies to standup internal video portals and easily include video in SharePoint pages and other integrated Office365 products.
8. SproutVideo
SproutVideo
SproutVideo is an easy to use video hosting solution for small to medium sized businesses. SproutVideo makes it easy to upload video content, create a custom branded video player, add security features, and track video engagement and analytics. Deplo...[Read More]
9. TwentyThree
TwentyThree
23 Video provides video hosting and video site solutions, via a cloud video CMS built just for companies and organizations. 23 Video provides an all-in-one video experience solution.
10. Jet-Stream
Jet-Stream
Jet-Stream provides a best in class video hosting and live streaming platform, enabling broadcasters, enterprises, sports teams and event companies to integrate complex workflows in minutes for successful and reliable video streams.
11. Kaltura
Kaltura
Kaltura provides an Open Source Online Video Platform that provides media companies advanced video management, publishing, and monetization tools that increase their reach and monetization and simplify their video operations. Enterprises use Kaltura'...[Read More]
12. MovingImage
MovingImage
MovingImage provides an enterprise-class online video platform designed for secure video streaming, video hosting and video management that optimizes video workflows across large organizations.
13. Uscreen
Uscreen
Uscreen is a Washington, DC based, robust all-in-one video monetization platform that enables video creators and entrepreneurs to upload, store and organize their videos in a secure environment and set up a paywall for their content, thanks to a secu...[Read More]
14. Cincopa
Cincopa
Cincopa is not just another video hosting platform. It centralizes the management and distribution of business videos, images and digital content with the ability to analyze their performance. Embed your content as beautiful customizable players, pla...[Read More]
15. Brandlive
Brandlive
Brandlive is the leading live video platform for brands and retailers to interact with their audiences for training, marketing and commerce events.
16. Mux
Mux Video
Mux Video is an API to video hosting and streaming, powered by data and designed by video experts. Mux offers real-time performance monitoring and analytics for video streaming, helping publishers deliver better quality of experience to their viewers...[Read More]
17. Dacast
Dacast
Dacast provides a self-service, all-in-one video live streaming platform. With Dacast users can easily broadcast vivid, high quality video over the web and across mobile. Out-of-the-box live streaming has never been so easy.
