How to Make a Video Hosting Website: What Are Your Options?

Are you tired of having to deal with free hosting platforms and would like to learn how to make a video hosting website instead? Whether you’re over YouTube’s strict monetization guidelines or want to avoid paying hundreds of dollars to a hosting provider, creating your own website is one of the solutions. 

There are several different ways you can go about this, from coding the website completely from scratch to using a website builder and CMS. But before we delve into these processes, let’s take a closer look at what exactly video hosting and video-sharing websites are.

What Is a Video Hosting Website?

A video hosting website is a website that “rents out” storage space to businesses and individuals who want to store their video content. On top of hosting videos, video hosting websites may also offer some content management and distribution tools. 

They can also offer an array of features and tools that add value to their product. For example, they may feature several video monetization models to attract customers looking to turn their videos into revenue generators. They could also include video encoding and video transcoding for a smooth viewing experience. All of these services usually come at a price, although there are some free video hosting solutions out there. If you’re looking for a free platform, YouTube and its alternatives are your best bet.

Can You Host Videos on Your Own Website?

If you have some videos you’d like to add to your website, third-party video hosting solutions are not your only option. You can also self-host the videos on your website. Simply log into WordPress or any other CMS you’re using and upload the files directly. 

However, you should keep in mind that large amounts of data can significantly impair the performance of your website. This will then deteriorate the site’s user experience and search engine ranking. If you have a large library that you need to host, it’s better to go for a third-party online video platform or a similar hosting solution. 

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The Differences Between a Professional Video Hosting Website and a Video-Sharing Platform

The terms video hosting website and video sharing platform are often used interchangeably. While they may overlap in some areas, there is one crucial difference between the two — the service they focus on.

On the one hand, a video hosting website’s main purpose is to offer storage space for video content. Although most high-end video hosting sites include additional features and tools, hosting is their main selling point. They will often offer different pricing plans for different storage capacities and bandwidths.

On the other hand, video-sharing websites focus on sharing content with viewers. While they do offer hosting services, often with unlimited storage space, they are relatively limited on the privacy and security front (if these features are high on your priority list, you’ll be better off with a private video hosting platform). YouTube is likely the most recognizable and popular example of a video-sharing website.

How Much Does It Cost to Host a Video Website?

The price of hosting a video website depends on a number of factors. First, there is the cost of obtaining a website domain. Then, you will also have to pay for website hosting. On top of this, which video hosting option you go for will also affect the final price. 

In theory, it is possible to host a website with lots of videos completely free of charge. However, if you’d like to be able to rely on a secure video hosting platform and have a fast, functional website, you can expect to pay from a few dozen to a few hundred dollars a month.

How to Build a Video Hosting Website Like YouTube

There are several ways you can go about building a video website like YouTube. If you have the time, resources, and expertise, you can code a video website from scratch. However, if you’d rather go the easier route, you can rely on a third-party CMS or video platform. Let’s take a closer look at all these options.

Custom-Code Your Hosting Website From Scratch

Custom-coding your video website from scratch is likely the most time-consuming, complex, and difficult way to create a website. What’s more, unless you’re the one building the website, hiring a professional to do it will cost a lot. 

In fact, building your own video-sharing website will have considerable costs either way, both initial and recurring. Some of the expenses to keep in mind include:

• Video CMS,
• Processing and storage costs,
• Video transcoding technology,
• Content delivery network costs,
• Security and legal costs,
• Website design and development,
• Website maintenance,
• Business promotion.

If you decide to take this route, expect to pay tens of thousands of dollars. On top of this, you will also have to go out of your way to get any additional tools, such as video analytics or monetization. 

Build a Website Like YouTube Using a Reliable Video CMS

Using a content management system rather than coding from scratch is a much easier way to build a website like YouTube. WordPress is among the most popular CMSs and website builders, and anyone can use it to build a video website. It is important to note that, to be able to host videos on WordPress, you will need a video management plug-in (which will likely come at an extra cost). 

While CMSs make content uploading, management, and distribution a streamlined process, they do have drawbacks. Mainly, if you plan on hosting videos on WordPress directly, they might affect the site’s performance and drive away your audience.

Luckily, there is another option. With WordPress, you might be able to import videos from a third-party hosting provider (or vice versa). The best video hosting platforms come with a WordPress plugin that makes video uploading and ingesting a piece of cake.

While WordPress is the most widely used CMS, it is not your only option. If you’re somewhat tech-savvy, you can opt for hosting a PHP video CMS script on your own. Some of the popular ones include: 

• PlayTube ($59) — the video-sharing and streaming script has the tools necessary to start your own website like YouTube. It is updated regularly and features a high-end API system.
• OVOO ($56) — this user-friendly script has a robust video content management system and supports CSS3, HTML5, and Bootstrap 3. It allows for monetization through subscriptions and ads.
• Next Hour ($45) — the video subscription portal is great for those who want to start their own online video business. Its customer support is top-tier, too.

Still, using WordPress or a PHP video CMS won’t solve the issue of huge storage and processing requirements necessary to serve videos. If this is the option you decide to go for, choose your server and CDN provider carefully, and keep in mind that the running and success of your business will depend on third-party developers.

Use a White-Label Video Platform

Using a white-label video platform is likely the easiest option of the three. These platforms come equipped with all the tools and features you might need to build a website like YouTube. The best enterprise video hosting platforms come with built-in monetization tools, an intuitive video CMS, video analytics, and so much more.

If you decide to go for this option, keep in mind that you will still have to develop a website and then integrate the white-label platform, such as Brid.TV, with it. You can then easily embed content on your website without overburdening it. Your website visitors will have a smooth viewing experience with Brid.TV’s lightweight HTML5 player that supports all video file formats, multi-bitrate and adaptive bitrate streaming, and full player customization.

On top of all of this, the best platforms also offer additional revenue streams, such as OTT support through application development or video SDKs, so you can distribute your content to a wider audience without hassle. In short, with a white-labeled video platform, you get a faster website tailored to your taste, along with access to an array of handy tools. The best of both worlds!

Important Things to Keep in Mind When Launching a Video-Sharing Website

By now, you’re hopefully able to better understand the process that goes into creating a video website. But is that really all you need to know? The best website in the world won’t do you much good if nobody ever visits it. So let’s take a look at some other important things to keep in mind:

The most important thing to remember about building a video website is that it is not going to happen overnight. Unless you’ve launched dozens of websites before, there will be a lot of testing, trial and error, and redoing things. So be ready to put in some work.

Build a Video Hosting Website Like YouTube With Brid.TV

Building a video platform will take work, but it’s not impossible. If you choose Brid.TV’s white-label platform, you will be able to easily distribute your content to an audience as wide or as narrow as you want it to be. With our state-of-the-art content privacy and security tools, you can rest assured that your videos will stay safe at all times.

Whether you want to use Brid.TV’s tools to build an OTT platform or you have a WordPress website in need of a video hosting alternative, our platform is the right choice. What’s more, you can generate video ad revenue with ad-based monetization (AVOD).

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