Don’t hurry when choosing a platform for your new video streaming business. Think long-term as you will probably want to expand your business in the future. It’s better to have a solution with all components and features that can help you use the platform at full power. In this article, we want to talk about these essential components.
#1 Software
The central part of a video streaming service is Middleware. It is a program that helps arrange the whole process of video streaming. It is responsible for managing content, subscribers, user interface, and monetization capabilities. You cannot have a video streaming service without such an OTT/IPTV panel. Check if it has the following features:
- The white-label platform feature is essential to customize the interface users view pursuant to your brand colors and fonts. If you have a white-label OTT platform, you can configure the user interface and be recognizable.
- Analytics is essential for understanding the content performance and your viewers’ preferences. Using these insights properly can lead to platform enhancement.
- Monetization models. The primary goal of a video streaming platform is to help you earn money on your video content. That is why a solution should maintain at least one monetization model: ad-based, transaction-based, or subscription-based.
#2 Security
Your content is an essential asset that cyberactors can chase to resell or steal to use for free. They also have other techniques to damage your service and extort money. But you should check if the solution you are going to obtain has an OTT/IPTV DRM solution.
DRM (Digital Rights Management) controls access to your content. It protects your copyright holder’s rights so that nobody can get unauthorized access to videos.
DRM helps content creators define what consumers can and cannot do with their works. The solution protects the efforts you put into creating the material and prevents illegal distribution.
#3 VOD and Live
Both VOD and Live features provide wide opportunities for businesses. For example, VOD allows consumers to view videos anytime they want, while Live streaming allows you to communicate with your audience in real-time.
Both means allow you to make revenue due to the monetization capabilities IPTV/OTT platform provides. It depends on what models IPTV/OTT tech solutions maintain. For example, platform developers could add an AVOD (Advertisement-based Video-On-Demand) feature, but their solution lacks TVOD (Transaction-based Video-On-Demand) feature.
#4 Applications
A perfect addition to a Middleware can be applications for smartphones, Smart TVs, tablets, and laptops. They will help a platform owner to reach more people and, consequently, have more revenue.
What is more, people are more satisfied with your service as they don’t need to invest in extra devices to access your platform. Also, the whole family can access your service because everyone has their own device.
#5 Support service
It is good to have a support service around if something goes wrong. Especially if you can address the support team not only during working hours but 24/7. Check that out when choosing an IPTV/OTT solution.
Conclusion
These are not all the features or components that an IPTV/OTT platform should have. But they are important if you potentially want to reach more people and cover new markets in the future.
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