If you're using Uscreen to monetize your video content... well, there might be better options. Finding the right video monetization platform is an essential step for content creators and businesses, especially via OTT video streaming, which allows users on both sides to bypass traditional broadcast methods, instead delivering video streaming content over the internet to any device with an internet connection (PCs, tablets, phones.)

While Uscreen can be a popular choice for educational creators, instructors, event streamers, and some live streamers, its lack of flexibility and high prices means you might want to look into other video and OTT streaming platforms - like Vimeo OTT, Muvi, Dacast, or Brightcove, among others - that could suit your video streaming and content monetization needs. They could also allow you to better integrate your video content with ecommerce platforms like Fourthwall, to make for a power pairing of video revenue and merch sales!

Why Uscreen Might Not Be Your Platform

Pricing Limitations

Uscreen has high pricing plans (starting at $149.00 per month), which is definitely a barrier for smaller creators or those with limited budgets. Platforms like Vimeo OTT (starting at $12 per month) and Dacast (starting at $39 per month) offer more flexible pricing models that can be better suited for growing businesses or startups doing video streaming.

Feature Limitations

Uscreen does offer some decent features, primarily for businesses, but it can fall short in terms of customization and monetization options. Alternatives like Muvi and VPlayed provide more advanced customization choices, like pay-per-view (PPV) single videos, interface customization, and white label video streaming (so you can basically make your own custom streaming platform), allowing for a more tailored experience that aligns with your brand’s identity.

Content Ownership and Flexibility

Both ownership of your content and flexibility where storage is concerned are important factors. You do keep ownership of your content on the majority of these platforms; so the next issue is content storage. Uscreen's entry-level plan allows 1 hour of live video streaming, and just 100 hours of video storage; the next level up (at $499.00 per month) only increases that to 10 hours of live streaming and 150 hours of storage; so that's not great for anyone serious about their content.  

Complex User Interface

Some creators can find Uscreen challenging to use, especially those who are new to video monetization. Other OTT platforms like Brightcove and Vimeo OTT offer more beginner-friendly options for customizing, video streaming, and monetizing your content.

Key Features to Look for in a Uscreen Alternative

Ease of Use

Speaking of complexity, one thing you don't want to be doing is spending a lot of time figuring out site navigation and how to get your features set up. Look for a platform that offers a user-friendly interface with lots of easily customizable features, to make it easier for you to actually create, upload, and monetize your video content, whether you're a beginner, a business, or an experienced content creator.

Monetization Options

Having options for your video monetization is also an important factor to consider. Research different revenue models like SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand - viewers pay for a subscription and get to access your library of content); TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand - viewers pay for individual videos), and AVOD/FVOD (Advertising or Free Video on Demand - lets viewers watch for free or inexpensively in exchange for watching ads). Some platforms, like Muvi and VPlayed, allow multiple monetization methods. You can also monetize your video streaming in different ways on different platforms, to see which works best for you.

Branding and Customization

The ability to customize their streaming platform is so important to many content creators and businesses!  VPlayed, Vimeo OTT, and Muvi, for instance, provide extensive white label solutions, with customizable video players, landing pages, apps integrations, and other custom branding; features like these make platforms more attractive alternatives to Uscreen, giving the creator/business more control.

Integrations

While the main goal is to find a video platform that serves the majority of your needs, having additional integrations available can be a huge bonus for expanding your viewing audience and your revenue, for instance ecommerce platforms like Fourthwall (so you can sell products related to your video content), video analytics, or direct integrations with your social networks.

Six Great Uscreen Alternatives

1. Vimeo OTT

Vimeo OTT is a well-known, global platform that’s been around since 2004, and is often used by indie filmmakers and other creatives. Offering a highly customizable platform with high-resolution video, Vimeo OTT is great for content creators who want flexibility in their video streaming, and offers SVOD, TVOD, AVOD/FVOD monetization options plus live or on-demand video for viewers.

• Pros: Vimeo OTT has flexible pricing that scales from a very small subscriber base up to 1 million; no start-up costs, strong analytics.
• Cons: Vimeo OTT is somewhat of a steeper learning curve for beginners, which might require some time to get used to, but Vimeo OTT's site does offer a blog and webinars to help.
• Pricing: Try for free; Vimeo OTT Starter plans begin at $12-20 per month.

3. Muvi

Muvi is a comprehensive OTT Uscreen alternative that allows you to basically launch your own OTT platform, video streaming live shows and events on any device, including chat options and watch parties. Muvi also has video hosting, managing your video files all in one place, and offers options like pay-per-view for your audience. 

• Pros: Muvi offers multiple monetization models (SVOD, TVOD, PPV), advanced customization options, built-in DRM security.
• Cons: Fairly pricey, which means Muvi isn't an ideal OTT platform for creators with smaller budgets, even though it does offer unlimited uploads and subscribers for those fees.
• Pricing: Standard Muvi accounts start at $399 per month.

4. Dacast

Dacast is a good choice for those looking to broadcast business events, education, government events, or live video content events like sports and fitness classes. strong video protection features. This OTT platform allows unlimited concurrent viewers and simulcasting, plus secure video hosting and VOD management.

• Pros: Dacast offers both pay-per-view (PPV) VOD options and subscription models, plus DRM protection at higher account levels.
• Cons: Complex interface can be challenging for beginners; aesthetics are fairly basic and lean more toward professional content as opposed to creative content.
• Pricing: Starter accounts billed annually are $39 per month.

5. Brightcove

Emmy-winning OTT platform Brightcove is ideal for creators looking to grow a community around their video content, offering features like replay of live streams, customizable video players and monetization options, video hosting, and playlists for viewers, plus comprehensive Brightcove analytics for creators and businesses.

• Pros: Brightcove has an easy to use content management system with playlists, global reach, and retail-friendly tools and monetization models.
• Cons: Some of Brightcove's video analytics and video streaming customization tools are lacking, in spite of how big Brightcove is.
• Pricing: Not listed directly on Brightcove's site; need to contact sales to inquire about plans and costs.

2. Thinkific

Thinkific's video platform is primarily for educators, course creators and those interested in educational video content. It’s fairly user-friendly and offers video hosting and a drag-and-drop course builder with professionally designed themes; is good for creating an experience around video learning content.

• Pros: Easy to use, integrated course tools, virtual discussion rooms for teaching and updates, and the ability to offer digital download course materials.
• Cons: Thinkific has a fairly plain interface, isn't OTT, and doesn’t offer many splashy extra features.
• Pricing: Starts at $36-49 per month for the Basic plan.

6. VPlayed

VPlayed is an emerging OTT company that claims fast launching of your own video streaming platform in just a few days. VPlayed's video platform also offers DRM protections and white-label capabilities, letting you customize 100% of your features and interface, making it ideal for those wanting full control over branding, video hosting, and video streaming.

• Pros: VPlayed offers full OTT video streaming customization with drag and drop tools, multiple monetization options (including SVOD, TVOD, AVOD and more), video analytics, and solid DRM for content security.
• Cons: VPlayed's user interface can be difficult to use, some of VPlayed's integrations can also be frustrating to set up.
• Pricing: Not listed directly on the VPlayed site, but appears to start in the several hundred dollar range per month; need to contact VPlayed's sales department.

Successfully Switch to Your Uscreen Alternative!

Ready to switch? Here are some quick pro tips to make for a smooth transition!

Inform Your Audience

Whether you're moving to Muvi, Dacast, Vimeo OTT, VPlayed, Brightcove, or another option, let your followers know about the change and how it benefits them; you can even use this as an opportunity to build hype for your new video streaming platform!

Migrate Your Content

Use professional tools to ensure that any content you want to bring with you from Uscreen is migrated smoothly without data loss, and is titled correctly so prior viewers can find it.

Test the Platform

Before going live, test the video streaming platform to make sure you have a good grasp on how everything works, and to make sure all of the components you want to use are ready to go.

Max Those New Features

Make the most of the new features on your new video streaming platform! These can include anything from video analytics to customizing your branding and your video player, to organizing your video hosting and setting up your new community-building tools.

Optimize Your New Video Monetization Platform

And now that you’ve made the switch, whether to Muvi, Vimeo, VPlayed, or Dacast, here’s how to make the best of it!

Use Branding and Customization

Leverage customization tools like the ones provided by Muvi or VPlayed to create a top-drawer experience for your viewers. Keeping cohesive visuals and branding throughout your video platform, video player, and other components helps solidify your brand.

Work on Your SEO

Optimize all of your video content titles, descriptions, and tags to improve discoverability on search engines and within your new streaming platform, so your regulars can continue viewing your content, and brand new viewers can find you, too!

Create Landing Pages

Use dedicated landing pages for specific categories of video content to increase conversions; putting an already popular video front-and-center, or drawing attention to a specific series or category of videos, can help capture viewers’ attention right away.

Use Built-in Analytics

Platforms like Vimeo, VPlayed, and Brightcove offer advanced video analytics; use them to research your audience and how your videos are performing via viewer engagement, so you can adjust and improve your video content strategy. 

Choose Your Monetization Models

Carefully consider your type of content and your audience demographics, and decide upon how you’re going to monetize, whether you choose SVOD, TVOD, AVOD, or pay per view; some platforms offer extra flexibility by allowing multiple options.

Plan Your Content

Strategically plan the types of content you’ll produce, based on what kind of content you want to make, plus what your audience relates to. Scheduling content so you can comfortably shoot and edit it ahead of time to meet your own deadlines ensures that you’ll always have fresh videos for your growing audience to watch.

Boost Your Video Monetization with Fourthwall

Fourthwall is a powerful alternative for content creators looking to monetize their video content! Start by building your own custom website on Fourthwall, and then upload your VOD content (including 1080p videos.) You can host your exclusive videos behind a memberships paywall, and build video collections for your fans to enjoy. 

Fourthwall’s best-in-class video streaming playback gives your viewers a top quality viewing experience that you can customize with Fourthwall’s no-code storefront builder, so your colors, images, and logo are all there to brand your site!

Fourthwall is also a great membership website builder, offering detailed analytics for your memberships, so you can grow your online community - and then send them to your integrated merchandise store, so they can support you by buying some amazing customized swag! It’s another great way to promote your videos and so much more - Fourthwall really has it all. Get started today!