8 Best YouTube Alternatives For Content Creators
YouTube is undisputedly the leading platform among video portals, with more than one billion users, we could consider it as the leader in the sector. For this reason, there is no doubt why it has been recognised as a very effective marketing tool. In this list, we gather some of the best YouTube alternatives for content creators to build an audience, showcase their talent and earn some handsome money.
Uploading videos to this platform is very simple, you can do it with just a few clicks, thanks to the HTML that is generated automatically. It is also possible to embed them easily and effortlessly on any external website. Now we want to know if there are alternatives to YouTube and if so, what they are.
Lately, some users have started to move to other sites similar to YouTube for different reasons. Some reasons they claim are the change in the new policies, the extreme tiredness of the Youtubers as the work is very demanding, stress, among others. They decide to take a break and switch to fresher platforms that may be better for some content creators.
The intention of this article is to let you know the new alternatives to YouTube, which turn out to be, in some cases, better for content creators and in others for those who wish to consume such content.
What are the best YouTube alternatives available in 2021
After YouTube gained so much traction among netizens, websites offering similar services began to emerge, some with greater reach and different philosophies, which have positioned them as competitors. Many of these sites can be an alternative, while others can be used as a complement to YouTube.
1# Dailymotion
A French portal that has become one of the best alternatives to YouTube, Dailymotion has been on the market since 2005 and already has more than 314 million users worldwide and plays approximately 3.5 billion videos per month.
Among the advantages are its upload specifications as it allows files of up to 2GB with a duration of up to 60 minutes. It supports various audio and video formats, such as mov, mpeg4, mp4, avi, wmv, among others.
This platform recommends an H.24 video codec and an ACC audio codec for a frame rate of 25fps, supports a resolution of up to 2840 x 2160 (4K). So this portal is perfect for those who want to upload quality videos.
Users have some additional features and functions available that allow it to be an alternative to YouTube for monetizing videos, customising the player, and monitoring revenue with its own analytics tool. It has well-known users such as National Geographic and the EFE news agency.
Another great advantage of this platform is that it is compatible with different applications such as Smart TV, Set-Top Boxes, and even Sony’s Play Station and can also be used on mobile devices with iOs or Android systems. This allows users to access their content from the comfort of their couch.
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2# DTube
This eponymous social networking and blogging platform was launched by US-based Steemit in 2016. An essential part of the Steemit network, it is based on the IPFS protocol and allows all videos uploaded to the Blockchain computers to be stored in a distributed manner. YouTube, on the other hand, stores all its data on Google’s servers.
All users on DTube can receive cryptocurrency rewards for uploading their videos, likes and comments. One of the great advantages of this platform is that it does not contain advertisements. In terms of data security, it is considered a good alternative to YouTube, and in terms of design, they are very similar.
DTube has three options for uploading videos:
Peer-to-peer: this is a way of uploading content that provides anonymity. You can choose between BTFS, Skynet, and IPFS protocols.
Third-party URL: this is the easiest way to upload videos. Videos can be embedded via the URL of a video from platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Dailymotion, Instagram, Liveleak, Vimeo, or Facebook.
File uploading: This is the perfect method for uploading small and simple files.
DTube is presented as an alternative to YouTube of the future, it has more than 189,000 registered content creators and curators who upload videos every 3 minutes, but they still need to keep growing as they only have a little more than two million visits per month.
3# Vimeo
It is a platform for consuming content, started in 2004, and specializes mainly in artistic content. Its founders are filmmakers who wanted to provide filmmakers with a platform to distribute content, both private and professional.
Vimeo is a service that brings together short films, documentaries, and music videos. Anyone interested in independent production can find in Vimeo an alternative to YouTube. However, the platform’s figures still lag behind those of its competitors. Vimeo offers a wide range of options for its users to upload their videos in the best quality.
For this, it offers a free version that allows uploading up to 500 MB per week and paid accounts Vimeo plus that offers a maximum of 5 GB per week and Vimeo Pro up to 20 GB. For professional accounts, content creators will have very few limitations.
Additionally, Vimeo has a help section with a variety of tutorials where they explain to users how to use their platform. On the other hand, it usually gathers professionals, marketers, or artists.
In the free version, users can also enjoy innovative content and can also enjoy numerous applications. This platform is available for Android, iOS, or Windows mobile devices. It is compatible with devices such as Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox 360, and Smart TV providers such as Panasonic, Philips, and Samsung.
4# Twitch
Gamers also have an alternative to YouTube. This platform was launched on 6 June 2011 as a beta version, in 2014 Amazon acquired it for 970 million dollars and as of 2016 Amazon Prime customers have Twitch Prime available.
It is a platform for watching streaming videos, simple, intuitive, and has applications so that we can stream without problems.
Free registration with your email address or Facebook account will allow you to add friends, use the chat and follow some channels. The published content can be monetized through the partners an affiliates programme.
This platform differs from YouTube in that it does not show videos but live broadcasts. It also allows storing short clips of live broadcasts as videos, which can then be accessed by the user for a while. The biggest disadvantage of this platform is that many of its features are only available with Amazon Prime accounts.
5# Vevo
A platform from Sony and Universal Music, Vevo is currently only viewed through third-party services such as YouTube, Apple TV or Long Channels.
The advantage is that it has a large number of official music videos from major artists and has different video formats for both established and emerging artists. The disadvantage is that it is only available through third-party platforms.
6# VidLii
It has all the categories of technology, entertainment, vehicle, news, music, among others, and was created by a university student in 2015.
Its owner focuses its priority on usability, i.e. uploading and sharing videos should be easy and fun, registered users choose whether to create their own open video channel or just share their content with family and friends.
Is it really an alternative to YouTube? For those who are not looking to monetize their content and miss what YouTube used to be, this may be an option. But for those looking for relevant and quality content, this is definitely not what they are looking for. The disadvantages include the platform’s limited reach.
7# Odysee
A platform available since September 2020, this is an alternative to YouTube that, like DTube, is based on Blockchain technology and includes the use of cryptocurrencies. To get “LBRY Credits” it is necessary to publish content and get other users.
Odysee gives users full control over their content as they seek independence from a central unit, they must respect some rules and conditions such as: avoid broadcasting content protected by trademark rights or content that promotes violence.
An advantage for many users is that this platform does not have advertising, because monetization is done through cryptocurrencies. Content creators will receive LBRY credits for each and every view, and can also receive donations from users who like their content.
Odysee is inspired by YouTube especially in its design and structure. This could encourage users to try this Blockchain platform and why not, maybe switch to it.
It has excellent advantages for attracting users such as being free, ad-free and having decentralized content storage. Although it also has its disadvantages but they are not very significant, such as a low number of users, for now, and the fact that the videos cannot be integrated with other web platforms.
8. Metacafe
It was created in 2003 in Palo Alto California, with the aim of sharing short videos, no longer than 90 seconds, on subjects such as films, television, video games, music, and sport. It does not have many filters, it is very easy to use and we can watch videos of all kinds.
It started as an alternative to YouTube and Dailymotion, it has a similar interface that allows users to comment, share, “like” or “dislike” videos. It also has a personalized search function as well as a theme-based navigation, which includes different categories such as animation, comedy, pets, entertainment, animals, sports, science and technology and much more. It has, according to statistics, an estimated 12 million viewers per month in the United States alone and some 40 million worldwide.
Users of this platform can create individual videos, a playlist, and an image gallery. In addition, they can share, “like” and comment on videos with a single click on different social networks.
It is ad-supported and provides both user-generated content and professional content from media partners. Advertisers can promote their products and brands in video clips and offers are targeted at advertisers in various sectors such as entertainment, consumer, food, telecommunications, hi-fi, and automotive.
This website seeks to position itself by offering unlimited video uploads. It is free and you can register directly with Metacafe or with your Facebook account. It has an Android application available. Among its advantages, we can mention that its content is original, curated, has no upload limits, and is free.
All these options that we have mentioned and that are shown as an alternative to YouTube have tried to carve out their own niche. Undoubtedly YouTube remains the king of video platforms and content consumption on the internet, but each of the new platforms has its own characteristic.
Some of these platforms are very new and are still trying to position themselves and should not be overlooked. Vevo stands out as a reference for music artists, Twitch has control of streaming games and esports, and so on. The important thing is to get to know them and choose the one that best suits our needs.