The transition to streaming video services occurred quickly. It began as a niche market for seasoned geeks, but has grown to become the primary method of video consumption for almost everyone.
It’s now easier than ever to upload videos to the internet. Free video hosting is equally prevalent (with a few limits in place). However, which service should you select? Here are the best free online video hosting services.
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YouTube
When one considers free online video, one cannot help but think of YouTube. Similar to its owner Google, the term “YouTube” has become synonymous with video search; if you’re looking for a song, clip, or meme, you’re likely to “YouTube” it.
This is not without reason, as YouTube is a massive platform and the world’s largest free video hosting site. You can upload videos with a maximum file size of 256 GB.
Anyone can search for the videos you’ve uploaded. You can keep it private or unlist it to restrict access to it to those who have the link. Additionally, YouTube supports live streaming to a live audience, with the videos being saved to the user’s channel.
Advertisements can be used by any content creator to generate revenue on the video hosting site. For a monthly charge, YouTube Premium disables these advertisements. Premium members also gain access to YouTube Original programming and a premium music service, as well as the ability to download and play music in the background.
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Vimeo
Vimeo has established a reputation as a video site for folks who are serious about video. It got this reputation as the only platform that offered truly high-quality video hosting services for free for a period of time.
This established Vimeo as a clear favorite among filmmakers and animators. While Vimeo no longer outperforms YouTube in terms of quality, it remains the second most popular video hosting service on the web.
With a free Vimeo account, you are limited to uploading 500 MB every week, with a maximum of 5 GB. There are four different types of paid accounts: Plus, Pro, Business, and Premium. Each level increases the upload capacity and adds additional capabilities such as customizable players for embedding in websites and social media. The most expensive plans allow for colossal uploads of up to 7TB.
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Twitch
When you think about Twitch, you probably immediately think of live broadcasting. It is a popular live-streaming site for gamers and fans of esports. The program has exploded in popularity in recent years, as many individuals prefer to see their favorite content providers live rather than on-demand.
Twitch TV is a subsidiary of Amazon. It capitalized on its popularity by offering free hosting to its users, and the site now features as much pre-recorded video as live broadcasts.
Twitch affiliates can upload videos for free. The videos range from previously broadcasted segments to those shot fully off-line and then uploaded after editing. Each user is limited to five simultaneous uploads, with a maximum of 100 uploads in a 24-hour period.
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Dailymotion
Dailymotion was once a direct competitor to YouTube. In the early days of internet copyright law, Dailymotion served as a counterbalance to YouTube, offering access to content that YouTube was beginning to tighten down on.
Dailymotion’s reputation as the cowboy YouTube has waned in recent years, as the service is now used by a slew of corporations and new applications for embedded video. Additionally, Dailymotion enables users to monetize their material based on the number of views.
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Google Drive
While Google Drive is mostly used to save personal files, it is also an excellent platform for uploading films. While Google Drive lacks the community aspect of typical video sites and social media platforms, it does have one edge.
Place a valid video file in your Google Drive and it will be converted to a YouTube video automatically. The videos can then be shared via a link or embedded into websites and social media posts.
There is no hard restriction on the size of Google Drive videos; as long as they fit in your Drive, you’re set!
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Facebook
Because Facebook has changed the platform significantly since its inception (security issues and all), it may be easier to list a service they are not attempting to provide. Facebook offers its users easy video uploading and live-streaming options for free.
Uploading a video to Facebook is as simple as publishing a regular post. On desktop and through the Facebook apps for Android and iOS, videos can be embedded, and HD uploading is available.
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Instagram
Instagram’s popularity has surged in recent years. Nobody is surprised that the Facebook-owned network is expanding into video. Along with the well-known Instagram Stories feature, Instagram launched IGTV in 2018, a longer-form video service.
On IGTV, videos must be between 15 seconds and 10 minutes in length and, in a departure from the norm, must be in portrait mode rather than landscape mode. While prominent Instagram users have embraced the service, anyone may contribute videos by creating an IGTV account in the Instagram app or on the Instagram website.
Summary
Uploading video is straightforward. In many ways, selecting the appropriate format for your videos is a more difficult task.
With so many online video platforms to choose from, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Don’t forget, you need to learn how to produce quality content first, especially if you are trying to grow a following.
