Video Platforms that Pay Creators

They didn’t always put cameras on phones. But once they did, easy access to photos and videos changed a lot of the way we live and entertain ourselves. For one, Instagram and YouTube either wouldn’t exist or would be far smaller. And creators who work in the video or photo format would be making a living in a different way. Fortunately, that’s not how things turned out. Here’s our article on photo sharing platforms. But in this article, we’ll profile some video platforms that will pay creators to share videos on their site.

Video is a popular communications format. In fact, all the top five social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat—support videos. We already covered these platforms earlier in our series, so check out the links above to see the details of how they help creators of videos make money.

In this article, we’ll cover some of the lesser-known video platforms. Lesser-known is relative, though. Most people have heard of Vimeo, for instance. And, if you’re a long-time Reddit user, you’ve heard of Imgur.

Some gamers post on the general video platforms we profile here, but others prefer more gamer-focused platforms. Here’s our article on gamer-focused platforms that pay creators.

Lastly, we won’t be able to mention every video platform out there. We’ll mention the platforms that pay creators or help creators make money in other ways. But there are other platforms that do not seem to pay at all. We’ll leave them off this article for now.

Let’s start with a well-known platform that supports gorgeous videos.

Vimeo Creators Make Gorgeous Videos or Animations

There are some gorgeous short films, animations, and music videos on Vimeo. Some of these videos are shot in 4K or at least in HD. A lot of them are free to view, but others are behind a paywall.

Vimeo doesn’t run ads before or in-between videos. Instead, those who want to put their videos on Vimeo must pay for the storage space. Other than videographers and animators, a lot of companies pay Vimeo to host and manage their internal videos such as training videos or marketing videos. This is how Vimeo makes money to stay in business.

Vimeo does have a free tier. But you can only upload 2 videos a month for a total of 25 videos. Here’s more information from Vimeo on this free tier.

If you wish to monetize your videos, you have to upgrade to a paid plan (even if you haven’t reached the 25 videos limit). Vimeo’s paid plans cost $12 (Starter), $35 (Standard), and $55 (Advanced) per month. There’s an Enterprise tier with undisclosed pricing.

Creators can make money on Vimeo in three ways: through Video on Demand, in the For Hire Marketplace, and through the Vimeo Stock service.

Video On Demand

You can set up your own video on demand service on Vimeo. You’ll need a Standard plan or higher.

You can license your videos in three ways:

• Rent. Viewers can stream one or all of your videos for 1 day to 1 year, depending on how you set the period. Stream only. No downloads.
• Buy. Viewers can stream the video for as long as you have it on your page. You can decide if you want them to be able to download it. If they select “buy all,” then they can have access to all the videos on your page, even those videos that you upload later.
• Subscription. Unlimited access to all your videos on your page, including the ones you add later, for as long as subscription lasts.

You get to set the price and you keep 90% of the revenue. Payout is in USD to your PayPal account. You’re paid on the 30th of the month for the revenue of the previous month (i.e. you receive your June earnings on July 30).

Vimeo has an additional service called Vimeo OTT. Depending on the tier of service you buy, you get all sorts of additional video tools, marketing tools (e.g. you can run ads), and customer support. You can also have your own branded app. Basically, you get to run a full video business through Vimeo OTT, but you really only need to focus on the filmmaking. Vimeo takes care of everything else. You have to contact Vimeo OTT for pricing.

For more information on Video On Demand, see this Vimeo page.

For Hire Marketplace

Vimeo’s For Hire marketplace is a place for businesses and creators to connect with each other. Businesses who need customized videos can connect with Vimeo creators and hire them to do the job. Vimeo doesn’t take a fee or commission for this service.

To be able to use this service, you have to have a paid plan.

Vimeo Stock

You can sell stock videos for others to use in their videos or on their websites. The videos can be in HD or 4K video. Your customers pay one time and they can use the video in their commercialized products without having to pay you additional per play royalties.

HD videos start at $64 and 4K videos start at $160. But there’s a 20% discount for Vimeo members. Creators keep up to 70% of the revenue. Right now, this is an invite only program.

Here’s more information on the program.

Utreon is a New Video Platform Competing Against YouTube, Instagram Live, and Similar

Utreon is a general video platform that competes with YouTube, Instagram Live, Twitch, and similar. It’s relatively new and is still trying to attract users.

One strategy Utreon uses to attract new users is to attract creators. It’s hoping creators would move their users to Utreon from other platforms.

This is why Utreon pays its creators. But, because they want established creators, the program is invite only. If you’re a current YouTube, Twitch or other platform creator with existing followers, Utreon can help you port your content over and give you creator status.

There are 3 ways to make money on Utreon: Subscriptions, Utreon Plus revenue share, and Ultra Chat.

Utreon Plus

This is Utreon’s membership program. Members get ad free viewing, video downloads to watch offline, 4K videos if available, and some other perks. Subscription tiers are at $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99.

Utreon sets aside 55% of net revenue from the program and then distributes the money among its creators. Your percentage depends on the percentage of Utreon Plus members who viewed your videos.

Subscriptions

These are subscriptions to your channel. You can provide your subscribers extra content. Utreon takes 5% after payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). You can set the subscription to $4.99, $9.99, $24.99, or a custom amount.

Ultra Chat

This feature is available during live streams. The names of your Ultra Chat buyers are highlighted during the live stream. Utreon takes 15% of the revenue, and you keep the rest after paying payment processing fees.

Payouts

Utreon pays out through PayPal, ACH (US only), or wire transfer. There may be a payout fee, but not from Utreon. There doesn’t seem to be a minimum payout amount.

Utreon releases payments 30 days after the end of every month, on the 1st of every month. So, your January earnings will be paid out March 1.

Huddles is a Platform for 2-6 Seconds Long Videos

Huddles has gone through several name changes. It used to be called Clash. Clash was a merger between Clash and byte. Byte was created by one of Vine’s original founders.

Huddles is a short form video platform. Its videos run from 2-6 seconds. Each creator has their own channel called a Huddle.

There are three ways a creator can make money on Huddles: Drops, Subscriptions, and FanMail.

Drops

Drops are like Coins on TikTok and Diamonds on Snapchat. Users can buy Drops from the App Store or Google Play and award Drops to the creators they like. Creators can then redeem Drops for cash.

Huddles does not disclose the Drops-to-dollar conversion rate.

Subscriptions

Like all subscriptions, subscribers get special perks and extras from the creators. Huddles takes 10-18% of the revenue. There’s also the App Store or Google Play’s in app purchase fee of 15-30%.

Huddles requires the fans to pay the in-app purchase fees. So, a creator can set a subscription price of $2.00-$30.00 in specific increments, and fans see pricing from $3.49-$47.99.

FanMail

FanMail is a special DM between the creator and the fan. A fan would have to pay for the access. Huddles doesn’t disclose the pricing, and we can’t find much information about this service.

We also haven’t been able to find Huddles’ payout information.

Triller is a Short Form Video Competitor of TikTok

Triller is a short form video platform and a competitor of TikTok. Its videos are called Trills.

You have to apply to be a creator and be approved before you can make money on Triller. There doesn’t seem to be a minimum requirement of followers before you can apply.

Triller does pay its creators, but there’s not a lot of information on its website on how the programs work. We did find some information in its Creator’s Agreement.

We found at least two ways Triller creators can make money: by being awarded Tokens or by working with advertisers through Triller.

Creators can be awarded Tokens and then exchange them for cash, but Triller keeps 50% of this revenue.

Triller can connect you with advertisers who might hire you for projects. Triller takes a 20% commission.

Triller also holds Challenge events. The rules aren’t clear, but it seems you might be able to win prizes for winning these Challenges.

Some Help posts suggest that Triller has a Subscription feature. But we haven’t seen any detailed information and this feature isn’t described in any of Triller’s legal agreements. This program may not yet be live.

Triller has a minimum payout threshold of $100. They pay to your PayPal account 30 days after the end of the month during which the amount is earned.

Imgur is Popular with Reddit Users for Memes and Short Videos

If you’re a Reddit user, then you’re probably familiar with Imgur. Reddit users use the platform to post memes and short videos.

Imgur is ad supported. But if you wish to view the videos ad free, you can buy an Emerald membership. Emerald memberships are sold through another company called Coil.

Coil memberships are good for ad-free viewing across several platforms. Twitch is one of the included platforms.

Imgur creators can earn money through the Emerald program. You sign up with Coil. Then, you can get paid for the time Coil/Emerald members spend viewing your content. Coil pays $0.36 per hour, calculated every second. This way, even if someone views your content for only 5 seconds, you still earn some money.

Here’s more information about the Coil creator program.

Likee is a Short Form Video Platform Using Augmented Reality Features

Likee seems more of a Snapchat competitor than a TikTok competitor. Like Snapchat, creators can use augmented reality features when making Likee videos.

Likee does pay creators, but they don’t have extensive payment information on their website. We found two programs: SuperFollow and SuperLike.

SuperFollow

Right now, SuperFollow is available only to a small number of creators. You have to apply to be accepted.

This is basically a subscription program, where subscribers can get exclusive content from creators. Each creator can set their subscription pricing, which can be anywhere from $0.99-$49.90 per month.

SuperLike

A SuperLike is an award from viewers given to videos they like. All creators can receive SuperLikes, but only verified creators can withdraw money.

Likee doesn’t disclose its SuperLike-to-dollar conversion ratio.

There’s not a lot of other information about paying creators from Likee. We couldn’t find any information on payouts or any revenue sharing percentages.

Some Video Platforms Pay Creators with Cryptocurrency

We found two video platforms that pay their creators with cryptocurrency. So, if you’re a crypto enthusiast, you might want to look into:

• Dtube
• Odysee

Odysee does have a cash payment option, if users wish to pay creators with cash instead of cryptocurrency.

Both platforms are for general videos like the type YouTube shows. In other words, there’s no length limit like TikTok or Snapchat.

There are All Sorts of Formats for Different Video Content, so Look for One That Fits Your Style Best

Videographers and animators are not all the same. Those who’re great on TikTok might not do well on Vimeo. And, even if you’re successful on one platform, you might want to explore other platforms to expand your audience and diversify your source of income.

That’s why we’ve presented some alternative platforms for you to consider. Even if you’re already doing well on one of the big platforms, you might want to do a few videos for a newer platform too. Who knows, you might find a new format that you like better. Or find a new audience for explosive growth.

Interested in starting and running a small business? Here’s the beginning of our step-by-step guide: What to do right after getting that great business idea.