OTT Platforms are one of the fastest growing digital entities in the current era. Statista predicts that the revenue generated in the OTT video segment will hit US$ 275.30 billion by 2023. So, it can be clearly understood why every video business is preparing to have its own OTT platform (and some of them already have theirs)!
But, developing an OTT Platform from scratch is not a cakewalk. Especially because OTT platforms are complicated pieces of software, consisting of a lot of technical aspects like CDN, Encoder, Transcoder, Ad Servers, Payment Gateways, etc. And to build a complete OTT platform, you need to assemble all of them and ensure the perfect coordination to have a smooth operation of your platform. For a single group of individuals, it is never going to be easy.
That is why there are OTT providers to help you out! These OTT service providers deliver No-Code Platforms where you can design, create, and launch your own white-level OTT platform without writing a single line of code! But the catch here is that there are simply too many platforms. More often than not, it becomes very difficult to choose one out of so many. So, in today’s blog, we will take you through the points that you must consider while choosing an OTT platform provider.
Top Features to Look For While Choosing OTT Platform Provider
When choosing an OTT Provider, there are some features that you simply cannot miss. So, it’s always suggested to look for them beforehand so that you don’t have to struggle later. Let’s take a look at some of those most essential features.
White Label
When you are calling the OTT platform YOUR OWN, then the platform must not bear any symbol, logo, or brand identity of the platform provider. This feature is called white labeling.
While most of the platform providers offer white-label solutions, there are some platforms that might force their users to use watermarks, copyrights, or other identities of the platform. You should be aware of such things as it might be an issue for you later.
Revenue Sharing
If you pay monthly or yearly subscription charges to your platform provider, then why would you share your revenues? Your revenues should be yours. So, while choosing your OTT provider, make sure to check their earning model. If they mention revenue sharing, then make sure to discuss it with their team and clarify all your doubts beforehand.
By the way, most of the ruptured OTT platform providers do not follow the revenue-sharing model.
Your Own Domain
When you start your OTT platform, you may or may not have your own domain. But it does not mean that you will not have it anytime later. A good OTT provider gives you the flexibility to have your own domain at any point in time. And if you don’t want to have one, they provide you a domain too!
Reliable Security Features
The OTT platform should be secured enough. Otherwise, you might have to face data losses, and piracy issues. To ensure the security of your OTT platform, many OTT providers provide you with advanced security features like:
- DRM: Digital Rights Management is a technique through which you can prevent the reuse of your OTT content. When your platform is DRM-enabled, your users cannot record their screens, and hence they cannot make direct copies of your content.
- Watermarking: Features like dynamic watermarking help protect your content from Piracy. When dynamic watermarking is on, the person who is recording your content through their camera cannot use it later, as the entire content will bear the watermark of your platform.
- Geo-Blocking: Using geo-blocking you can restrict viewers from certain geographies from visiting your site and viewing your content.
- Two-step Login Procedure: To restrict unwanted access to your OTT platform, you can adopt a two-step sign-in procedure.
SVOD, AVOD, PPV Support
In today’s times, OTT viewers are exploring different monetization options, in order to save a few bucks. That is why OTT giants like NetFlix are now coming up with innovative monetization schemes like Ad-supported plans. If you want to stick in the market for a long, you will have to explore innovative monetization models too!
That is why you should choose an OTT platform provider that allows you to explore multiple monetization models like SVOD, AVOD, PPV, Coupons, Vouchers, and more!
Additional Features Like AOD & Live Streaming
It is often seen that OTT Platforms end up providing multiple services like live streaming and audio content while they scale to achieve greater success. That is why you should always choose an OTT provider that allows you to add live streaming content, Audio-On-Demand, Meetings and Events, and Movie Marchendises, all in a single place.
And there are some OTT platforms that actually provide you will all of these mentioned features and more. Let’s have a look at some of these platforms.
Top 3 OTT Platform Providers (According to G2)
According to the current ratings of G2, the top three OTT platform providers are:
- MUVI
- Uscreen
- ViewLift
1. MUVI
MUVI is currently the top-rated OTT Platform provider, according to G2. It enjoys an overwhelming G2 Satisfaction score of 90!
Currently, MUVI serves a large variety of industries, including Entertainment, Hospital & Health Care, IT & Services, Education and Learning Management, Judiciary, Religious Content, and more!
The overall score-card of MUVI is tabulated below:
Parameter | User Given Score (From G2) |
Ease of Use | 95% |
Meets Requirements | 96% |
Ease of Doing Business | 96% |
Ease of Setup | 92% |
Quality of Support | 98% |
Ease of Admin | 90% |
2. Uscreen
Uscreen is currently the second-highest-rated OTT platform provider, according to G2. It enjoys a G2 Satisfaction score of 77.
The main forte of Uscreen is in Health, Wellness, and Fitness Industry. While it also caters to Entertainment, Events, and Films.
The overall score-card of Uscreen is tabulated below:
Parameter | User Given Score (From G2) |
Ease of Use | 97% |
Meets Requirements | 87% |
Ease of Doing Business | 92% |
Ease of Setup | 88% |
Quality of Support | 94% |
Ease of Admin | 86% |
3. ViewLift
ViewLift is currently the third-highest-rated OTT platform provider, according to G2. It enjoys a G2 Satisfaction score of 47.
ViewLift mainly caters to industries like Entertainment, Media Production, IT & Services, and Broadcast Media.
The overall score-card of ViewLift is tabulated below:
Parameter | User Given Score (From G2) |
Ease of Use | 87% |
Meets Requirements | 86% |
Ease of Doing Business | 86% |
Ease of Setup | 81% |
Quality of Support | 83% |
Ease of Admin | 84% |
The MUVI Advantage
MUVI is the highest-rated OTT provider for a reason. We provide all the features mentioned in the discussion above, along with many other features too.
In addition to compulsory features like white-label services, NO Revenue Sharing, the ability to link with your own domain, and strict security features, we provide some other unique features too, which have proved to be the major USPs of our platform over the years. Let’s have a brief look at some of them.
CDN
MUVI has its own built-in CDN, which helps in delivering content with ultra-low latency to viewers across the globe. Our platform is backed by the powerful AWS CloudFront CDN, which is highly scalable. As a result, we can deliver content via 225+ points of presence to a global network of 42 availability zones connecting 16 geographic regions globally.
You can read more about our CDN here.
Encoder and Transcoder
Just like the built-in CDN, MUVI has a built-in encoder and transcoder too! It helps us deliver a hassle-free video uploading and encoding process to our customers, and a buffer-free viewing experience to their viewers. It allows you to compress your videos without losing their quality, and upload videos of multiple formats.
You can read more about our encoder and transcoder here.
Software Development Kit
MUVI has rolled out its own set of SDKs which can be used by partners, 3rd party integrators, individual developers, production companies, etc. It contains programming tools that can be used to add features and create your own apps. Read more about our SDKs here.
Multiple Monetization Models
Muvi supports almost all forms of monetization models including Subscription Based Monetization Model (SVOD), Ad-Based Monetization Model (AVOD), Pay-per-View Model (PPV), Pay-per-View Bundles (PPV Bundles), Coupons, and Vouchers. In short, you can implement literally any type of monetization with MUVI.
Multiple Ad Servers
MUVI allows you to integrate multiple ad servers into your OTT platform. This list includes SPOTX, Google Ad Manager, and more! In fact, you can bring your own ad server, and integrate it to your OTT platform using VAST tags.
Multiple Payment Gateways
At MUVI, there is no restriction on Payment Gateways. From an overwhelming list of 40+ payment gateways, you can integrate whichever suits you the most. In fact, you can also integrate multiple payment gateways at a time, to give more payment flexibility to your customers.
And this list is only the trailblazer for hundreds of features. Click here to go through the complete list of our features. (We know that list is too long, our apologies for that :D)
Wrapping Up
Before choosing an OTT platform provider, you should carefully consider the features that the OTT Provider has to offer. Some of the most basic features that an OTT provider must have are white-label services, NO Revenue Sharing, the ability to link with your own domain, and strict security features. But, good OTT providers like MUVI deliver much more than that.
Want to kickstart your OTT journey with MUVI? Click here to sign-up for a 14-Day Free Trial today!
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