The average US adult watched 157 minutes of digital video content in 2022 – and that number is expected to hit 184 minutes by 2026.
That’s over 3 hours of video viewing time every day.
Between school, work, and unmissable cat videos – there are a lot of topics users want access to online. Video content is fast, easily accessible, and available anywhere you have internet (and even available offline if you download it in advance). Suffice to say, there’s an ever-increasing demand for video content.
So, if you’re a video content creator, it’s time you monetize your work!
Here’s a quick overview of the best video monetization platforms for your business in 2024 including free video monetization platforms and top features to watch out for.
Skip ahead:
- Ways to monetize your video content
- 10 best video monetization platforms
- 9 things to look for in a video monetization platform
- Start monetizing your video content
- FAQ
| Platform name | Designed for |
| Creating and selling multiple digital products, including online courses and communities | |
| Effortless, AI-powered creation of digital products like mini-courses, plus email marketing and sales features | |
| Creators with small budgets who don’t need editing and management support | |
| Growing and maintaining loyal subscriber audiences | |
| Creators with bigger budgets who want to take home 100% of the revenue | |
| Getting custom-built apps on many platforms | |
| Businesses that rely heavily on video (eg. newscasters) | |
| Intelligent video recommendations to users in a cookie-less world | |
| Sharing multiple media types (eg. podcasts, books, video) with the same audience base | |
| Beginners who might want to hire a professional to help |
Related:
Ways to monetize your video content
There are several different approaches to monetizing your video content. Here are some of the most popular:
Ad-based video-on-demand (AVOD)
This monetization approach relies on placing ads before and after your videos to generate revenue. An advertising company or third-party advertising network will pay you to post their ads on your videos. Some companies might pay for an ad as a set fee per period (for example, per month). But usually, ad revenue is paid based on the number of views the ad gets.
This form of monetization is measured in cost per thousand views (CPM). So some of the onus is on the creator to ensure their content (and, in turn, the video ads) get the most views possible to maximize their ad income.
An example of AVOD would be those ads playing before or after your favorite music videos.
Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD)
The Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) approach is exactly what it sounds like: it gives users access to a collection of video content for a fee, often as a monthly subscription.
Transactional video-on-demand (TVOD)
Transactional video on demand (TVOD) is also commonly known as pay-per-view (PPV). This approach to making revenue off your media requires the viewers to pay to watch a video or to rent it for a limited period.
TVOD can also be combined with SVOD in a hybrid approach. This model charges users a set subscription fee to access some or most of the platform’s available content. Access to premium content is available at an additional pay-per-view cost on top of the set subscription fee.
For example, if you purchase an online course, you are buying into TVOD. Similar to the SVOD approach, TVOD allows you the option of selling your video content directly from your own link-in-bio or creator storefront.
SVOD and TVOD hybrid models
Some content creators offer a hybrid model so that a selection of content is always available through the subscription fee and premium content is available pay-per-view on-demand.
One example of SVOD would be a professional chef selling subscriptions to video cooking classes. One of the advantages of the SVOD monetization approach is that it allows you the option to sell video content directly from your own link-in-bio or creator storefront.
Live streaming
With this approach, users pay to view content as it happens live. Payment can be made ahead of accessing the content or pay-as-you-go which charges by the amount of video content watched. Paid ad strategies can also be integrated into live streams you watch on video monetization platforms like YouTube Live or Twitch.
10 best video monetization platforms
Thinkific is a platform designed to help content creators build and launch their own courses and online learning communities. Through the platform, creators can upload pre-recorded videos or set up sessions for live-streamed classes. This content can be paired with other educational resources like quizzes, discussion forums, and downloadable readings to ensure students get a comprehensive learning experience. And with add-on features like Branded Mobile, you can offer your students a mobile learning experience, where they can access your content with your brand at the forefront.
Key features:
- Multiple interactive learning products for students to get engaged, like courses, and mini-courses
- Support for building and nurturing online communities and discussion groups
- Custom no-code mobile app builder, to sell content and community access
- Integrated marketing tools, including a website builder to host your content and market your business
- Built-in payment processor for digital products & subscriptions with many powerful selling tools, including coupons, affiliates, promo codes, and support for payment plans
- Bookkeeping tools and tax friendliness
Monetization strategies supported:
- TVOD
- SVOD
Pricing:
- Has a free plan
- Paid plans start at $36USD per month
- 25% discount for purchasing an annual subscription
The Leap is a beginner-friendly platform that functions as a link in bio storefront and digital product builder, allowing creators to create and sell (aka monetize) their video content all from a single app.
Whether you’re looking to create mini-courses, guides, or tutorials with video content, The Leap’s AI-powered authoring tool allows you to bring your digital products to life, easily. This platform’s zero-cost, user-friendly digital product builder makes it easier than ever for creators to turn their products into lead magnets, which in turn helps them grow their email list — and their pile of cash.
If you want to start monetizing your video content by transforming it into digital products in just minutes, then The Leap is the platform for you.
Psst: Want the full rundown on what you need to launch digital products? Check out The Leap’s digital product checklist.
Key features:
- Link-in-bio storefront
- AI-powered digital product builder for mini-courses, tutorials, guides, and challenges
- Email list builder and native email feature
- Audience analytics
- It’s free!
Monetization strategies supported:
- TVOD
- SVOD
Pricing
Free!
Try The Leap today to quickly build your creator store and start monetizing your expertise.
YouTube and YouTube Live
YouTube is one of the most popular free video monetization platforms, making it a great overall choice for sharing and monetizing video content on a global scale. Video creators on YouTube make money on video ads, as the platform also serves as an advertising network for third-party companies. The average YouTube creator earns an average of $18 per 1,000 ad views. However, YouTube creators need to attain a certain level of growth before they can begin monetizing their video content with ads.
YouTube Live integrates into YouTube, allowing creators to instantly livestream on the platform.
Key features:
- Use multilingual translation tools to convert your video content for global audiences
- Embed live-streamed videos onto social media platforms for distribution
- Chat with viewers in real-time
Monetization strategies supported:
- Livestream
- AVOD
Pricing:
- Free!
Related: The Best YouTube Monetization Alternatives
Cleeng is a subscriber retention management (SRM) platform that helps you market, sell, and maintain an audience. The platform leverages AI to make payment processing, market segmentation, and customer care activities much more predictable. Therefore, it’s easier to be proactive about your business!
Key features:
- Integrated authentication elements to maintain content integrity and fraud prevention
- AI tools to help reduce churn and trial new payment methods
- Detailed analytics page
Monetization strategies supported:
- SVOD
- TVOD
Pricing:
- Free trial available
- Starts at $0.325 per managed user (ie. subscriber)
Muvi is a leading over-the-top (OTT) media platform that allows creators to build their white-labeled streaming channels. While it offers comprehensive management into the channel and does allow creators to keep 100% of the revenue earned from viewership, it is one of the more expensive platforms with a fee-heavy pricing model.
Key features:
- 100% no coding required
- Collect reviews directly on the platform
- Content schedule management
- Built-in content delivery network (CDN) for fast video speeds
Monetization strategies supported:
- Live Streaming
- TVOD
- SVOD
Pricing:
- Free trial
- Starts at $399 USD per month + $299 per month per app + infrastructure fees
- 15% discount for subscribing to an annual plan
In addition to video content delivery, Lightcast also supports the development of mobile apps, web apps, and TV apps – and helps you manage the content on all apps from one place. This makes it quite a comprehensive streaming service provider!
Key features:
- White-labeled content so you can add your own branding
- Extended features to make distributing your videos to social media and app stores easy
- Build websites to host and promote your videos
Monetization strategies supported:
- SVOD
- TVOD
- AVOD
Pricing:
- No free plan is available
- Starts at $199 USD per month
JW Player (previously known as InPlayer) is designed for businesses that rely on video monetization like publishers, newscasters, and musicians. All content is hosted in the cloud for speedy delivery and includes support for distributing media across the web.
Key features:
- Integrated digital rights management (DRM) tools
- Flexible and custom payment models
- Intelligent video recommendations to boost engagement
Monetization strategies supported:
- AVOD
- SVOD
- TVOD
- Live Streaming
Pricing:
- 30-day free trial available
- Custom pricing per business
Connatix leads the way with insightful usage of digital signal processing (DSP) tools that can sense what users are most interested in and recommend relevant video content. As Internet browsing authorities contemplate switching to a cookieless world, this approach is going to be useful to offer customers targeted options.
Key features:
- Strong DSP integrations
- Ability to launch and manage marketing advertisement campaigns
- Deep analytics on video performance and engagement
- Built-in video creation and editing tools
Monetization strategies supported:
- AVOD
- Live Streaming
Pricing:
- No free plan is available
- Custom pricing per business
Patreon began as a paywall for creators who wanted to monetize existing content. For this reason, it’s possible to put any kind of content into a Patreon page, including videos, books, downloadable templates, podcast episodes, and more. Creators with dedicated followings can also receive donations from their audience through their Patreon page.
Key features:
- Marketplace for viewers to find and purchase content
- Unlimited app integrations
- Support for global currencies and distribution
Monetization strategies supported:
- TVOD
Pricing:
- No flat fees
- Between 5-12% of the revenue earned on a channel
For years, Vimeo has existed as an online video platform with a great reputation and wide use around the world. Now, with Vimeo OTT, you can use the platform to monetize video content.
In addition to helping you monetize videos, the platform also allows you to create marketing content, offer video subscriptions, build branded apps, and host live events. Vimeo OTT is well set up for reaching global audiences, as its payment processor accepts over 100 currencies.
Key features:
- Lots of training resources to help you get started
- All plans include thousands of templates
- No upfront monthly fees
Monetization strategies supported:
- AVOD (only available for enterprise plans)
- TVOD
- SVOD
- Live Streaming
Pricing:
- Pay $1 per subscriber per month + 10% processing fees on each transaction
- Custom enterprise plans available
9 things to look for in a video monetization platform
Clear and flexible pricing structure
You want to be able to grow with your platform. When you’re just starting out, you’re looking for something that’s easy to use and affordable. But as you grow, you’ll need more functionalities, more storage space, and the capability to run more users through your content. Look for a platform that offers a flexible pricing structure that accommodates your growth.
A little hint: don’t look at the platforms that maintain the same pricing despite your audience size. A great platform will decrease the pricing per view as your audience grows, meaning it rewards you for growth and helps you scale more effectively.
Easy payout options
Almost every platform will accept payments on your behalf. But if your platform of choice isn’t making it easy for the payments to hit your bank account – you might need to keep searching for a better platform. Getting revenue from your videos should be frequent, on-demand, and in a method that works for you (for example, many content creators prefer working with PayPal to accept payments).
Remember that your bank or payment processor might have additional fees associated with each customer transaction or on payouts, so make sure this is included in your business’ financial plan.
Supports multiple monetization strategies
Go for a platform that lets you offer multiple video monetization strategies. Most platforms already accommodate hybrid strategies and live streaming, so this shouldn’t be hard to find. It’s important because if you offer your customers multiple ways to pay for and consume your content, you open up the number of ways you can earn revenue.
If you’re just starting out, it might feel overwhelming to build out multiple types of content at once while also building out pricing strategies. Our recommendation? Start small with one strategy, and work towards the second one only once the first strategy thrives. Even if you only plan on working with one strategy now, having a platform that accommodates multiple strategies gives you room for growth in the future.
Advanced paywall function
Beyond thinking about how you’ll receive income, you also want to consider how consumers will pay for your content. Here are some questions to consider:
- Are there multiple ways (eg. payment plans, pay-what-you-can, etc) that users can pay for your content?
- Do you want to be able to offer promotions to your customers?
- Are you offering tiered pricing that limits access to videos to certain plans?
- Is group pricing or bundled pricing something that is important?
- Does the platform have coupon codes, affiliate tracking, or gift receipts?
Those questions help you think about the consumer experience. For your own backend operations, you’ll also want a platform that can give you insights into your payments. Look for a platform that provides a comprehensive dashboard with information about recent payments, average value of your orders, and most popular content. This helps you measure if your business is on the right track.
Multiple currencies accepted
Your audience is limited to the amount of currencies you can accept. Even if your content is created in English, you might attract viewers from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and more. You’ll want to look for a platform that can accept and convert a wide variety of global currencies. Keep in mind conversion fees, as these make an impact.
Ability to translate into multiple languages
If you offer your content in only one language, it can isolate you from new target audiences. Some platforms offer translation services, usually through the delivery of translated subtitles that can be embedded into your videos. While it’s possible to do the translations yourself or to outsource them, it can also require a lot of time and money. Video monetization platforms that offer translation services give creators the potential to gain access to a more global audience, which in turn increases their earning potential.
High customizability
If you need a lot of customization, aim for a platform that offers customizable video players or content management systems. A lot of platforms will also offer customized, automated workflows for simplifying processes like subscription billing and more.
Integrated security features
When it comes to video monetization platforms, security features are often underappreciated and overlooked — but they can be one of the most important things you want to look for when comparing platforms. There are several ways that security can be integrated, such as through dynamic tokens, multi-factor authentication (MFAs), and secure payment channels. This helps protect your content’s integrity and prevents fraud from occurring through your channel.
Does the platform have a built-in audience?
Different video platforms offer varying levels of audience reach, and monetization control — and there may be a tradeoff between reach and monetization.
Here’s an example of this tradeoff, and how you could use two platforms together:
- Youtube Partner Program: Large Audience, low monetization per audience member
Large potential reach, with serious earning potential per view once you make it big. But it’s an investment of time and energy before you’ll see payouts.
| Benefit | Limitations |
| Potential to go viral, and grow your audience | Limited control over monetization, and less revenue per follower |
- Selling Digital Products on Thinkific: High monetization potential, bring your own audience
Pay a software fee for the tools to create and sell digital products; like video courses, access to a community, ebooks, templates, and worksheets, or even memberships directly to your audience.
| Benefit | Limitations |
| Full control over monetization by selling directly to your audience. | The platform does not necessarily have a built-in audience of followers. |
By pairing YouTube’s ad revenue and audience growth with the ability to sell premium digital products directly to your audience on Thinkific, creators can benefit from using these two platforms together.
Start monetizing your video content
Now is the best time to start monetizing your video content as users continuously reach for more engaging and educational content throughout their day. The best video monetization platforms free or not will always be the ones that are best tailored to your specific needs and goals as a creator.
If you’re looking for a platform that caters specifically to creators who want to monetize their knowledge and expertise by transforming them into digital products…then it sounds like The Leap is for you.
The Leap’s AI authoring tool is kitted out with everything you need to create the best and most engaging digital learning products, from mini-courses and guides to tutorials and challenges. Ready to take the leap?
Start making money from your video content. Try The Leap free today to build your creator store and sell your digital products.
FAQ
How do I monetize my video content?
Many creators seek out brands that are willing to sponsor their content in order to monetize it. While this is a great strategy, it’s not the only one. The best video monetization platforms offer several other ways to monetize your content.
Video content monetization platforms like YouTube or Lightcast use the advertising video-on-demand (AVOD) approach, among others. Video monetization platforms like YouTube Live, Connatix, and Muvi offer the live streaming ad model while Patreon, The Leap, and Thinkific offer the transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) approach alongside SVOD.
How do you monetize live streaming?
If you want to make money from live streaming, then you’re in luck — there are several ways to do so. Most live-streaming video monetization platforms like YouTube allow you to display in-stream ads, where advertisers pay you to give them a spot during your live stream. You can also ask your audience to pay in advance to sign up for a live stream. Or, you can provide your live stream content as part of a subscription package. There’s also always the option to partner with brands who are willing to sponsor your livestream.
This blog was originally published in February 2024, it’s since been updated in September 2024 to include the newest information.
