Diversification: The Emergent Long-term Solution for Content Hosting
In the age of digitalization, content hosting has predominantly been dominated by platforms like YouTube, which supplies a one-stop solution for creators to upload, disseminate, and monetize their content. However, as wonderful as this one-platform solution appears - it inherently compels creators to compromise on their control over the content. It is time for us to recognize the significance of diversifying content hosting, specifically for videos and live streaming, aiming not just for this diversified hosting but also to regain our control.
Currently, YouTube remains the uncontested leader in video hosting, making it inconvenient, if not difficult, for creators to consider other alternatives. Vimeo, as an alternate, does have potential, with its focus on supporting professional filmmakers and businesses. However, restrictions of its free scheme, allowing a mere 24 videos, pose a significant limitation to creators. While the paid versions do provide greater leverage, Vimeo's core audience remains professional filmmakers and businesses with deep pockets to shell out on 4K cinematic shots rather than independent content creators.
Tracing back to YouTube's inception, its mission was simple and clear - enable user-generated content for the people, by the people with their tagline 'YouTube: Broadcast Yourself'. It was a platform creating ripples in the digital world by putting power in the hands of its users, transforming them from recipients to broadcasters of content. This democratization of digital content production made YouTube a revolutionary platform. However, over the years, it has heavily leaned towards commercialization, restricting creative freedom by pushing advertisers' interests to the forefront. In essence, YouTube, despite being a platform designed for the people, has somewhat lost its original charm due to corporate interests overpowering user interests.
YouTube's growth in the market is unprecedented; its monopolistic control over the video storage platform discourages competition. To be a formidable rival, one would require a colossal capital investment, making it nearly impossible for anyone to challenge this platform's popularity. This, unfortunately, underpins YouTube's ever-growing market dominance.
Although challenging YouTube's dominance appears arduous, it isn't quite impossible. One potential workflow would revolve around using YouTube but not complete reliance on it. But, how, as creators, can we employ this strategy without jeopardizing our dependence on it? One alternative is establishing our server for content sharing. However, this mandates a high level of technical proficiency coupled with the tedious tasks of maintaining, updating, and ensuring the server's optimal running, which may not resonate well with all.
A relatively user-friendly alternative lies with ‘PeerTube'. This open-source, video-hosting platform offers creators the liberty to share their content without any rigid restrictions or meddling algorithms. As I embarked on the journey to set up a PeerTube instance myself, it took me about two hours, highlighting that while it is relatively easy with some basic knowledge, the process can be daunting and not necessarily crafted for those seeking simplicity. However, the payoff is enormous: it returns the control of the content back to its rightful owner – the creator.
Hosting on PeerTube allows creators to bypass intermediaries, ensuring that content is being shared exactly how and where it is intended. It may not be entirely foolproof, as you may have to rely on the person on the other end's ability to keep their server functioning correctly. But as the saying goes, 'Half a loaf is better than no bread.'
Another alternative is to build a storage server and post your videos there, or use cloud storage services like OneDrive, iCloud, or Google Drive. Admittedly, this wouldn't guarantee the best viewership due to the lack of a platform's organic reach like YouTube, but it provides creators with more control over their content.
On diversifying content, free open-source options can come to the rescue for various content creators. Podcast creators can use 'Castopod', and musicians can utilize platforms like 'SoundCloud' or 'Whale Spin'. Several other alternatives support content hosting away from YouTube, each giving creators the choice to diversify their content while retaining control.
A crucial aspect that creators must remember while hosting their content on these varied platforms is to adapt to the terrain. An example worth considering is, when hosting videos on a platform like PeerTube, despite lesser viewership compared to YouTube, creators can embed their content's links in blog posts and share them on multiple other platforms like Twitter, ensuring that it reaches the intended audience.
For many creators, shifting away from a platform as comprehensive and vast as YouTube may be a daunting transition. However, it is a change that needs careful consideration. As creators, the content we produce is a part of our identity, an extension of our self. To let corporate interests dictate what we create is, in essence, relinquishing our control over this part of our identity. The obtrusive prevalence of toxicity in such dominating platforms further complicates the matter. Hence, diversification and control over content need immediate deliberation among creators.
In conclusion, being a content creator is no longer about churning videos and uploading them on YouTube. It is about regaining control, standing against the homogenization of the content industry, and having the audacity to say, "I will control my content, my free will." We must reassess the current dynamics of the content industry and possibly shift a gear or two for a more creator-centric future. I hope my message resonates with some of you out there, pushing you to reclaim your control, rethink your strategies, and liberate yourself from the box that platforms like YouTube inadvertently pushed you into.
