OTT refers to over the top technologies that are used to deliver content, such as audio and video, over the internet to a certain audience without them having to pay for a traditional TVor satellite subscription. What started out as a buzzword is a growing industry on its own; OTT has carved a niche for itself across domains and uses, making it indispensable to the cause of distributing knowledge.
What is the impact of OTT platforms on e-learning?
An OTT video platform for education allows for the sharing of knowledge and information at lower costs but higher scales. This democratises education, and erases the geographical boundaries that otherwise prevent students from accessing the courses and material prescribed at schools and universities overseas.
The biggest impact of OTT video platforms has been during the pandemic, where millions of students were able to continue their education from home, or reduce the number of classes taken in physical proximity to ensure each other’s safety. OTT is also leading the charge for many universities taking part in Open Education Resources.
The perks of choosing OTT platforms for e-learning
- Simple to use
OTT platforms are straightforward and intuitive, ensuring that all users need to access a wealth of content is a smart device, such as a laptop or a mobile phone, an account to the platform and a working internet connection.
- Robust Delivery Infrastructure
Most OTT platforms dedicated to learning have robust infrastructure that can handle thousands of users accessing a variety of content all at once. These are highly secure and scalable, and can deliver content across multiple devices and bandwidths within seconds of a request being placed.
- Branding
OTT platforms help to enhance an e-learning company’s brand image, especially if you choose a whitelabel platform that is fully customisable.
- Scale your audience from anywhere
OTT platforms for education are equipped with high-level analytics that make user behaviour easy to track and understand. This allows companies to scale specific audiences and make their marketing a lot more targeted.
- Highly Secured Platform
Good online video education platforms are secured with state-of-the-art security infrastructure and DRM systems to both protect the rights governing the content and secure the privacy of individual users.
How to monetise e-learning videos the right way
A great way to monetise e-learning videos and reap profits from carefully created and curated content is to keep premium content behind a paywall. This paywall prevents unauthorised people from accessing your video content, allowing only authorised users who’ve legitimately subscribed for access to be able to watch anything.
Most of the time, the OTT video monetization platform you choose might already have a paywall set up. However, you’re able to customise the way you want to derive your revenue, depending on which strategy makes the most sense for the stage of growth you’re in.
Here are some of the best video monetization models you can choose from:
- Subscription-based video on demand (SVOD)
Subscription video on demand refers to video subscription platforms that users must subscribe to, with a monthly or yearly fee, to view the content available. It helps customers to pay only for the content they want which offers relief from ad distractions.
- Ad-supported video on demand (AVOD)
AVOD is an ad-based video platform monetization model that is quite frequently used by big players in the VOD industry. This model includes consumers needing to watch internet video advertisements to watch their favourite content, which is otherwise totally free. It’s quite similar to TV commercials.
- Transactional video on demand (TVOD)
TVOD is the alternative of streaming video — in this case, viewers buy programming, videos or audio on a pay-per-view basis. In most cases, the most recent video launches are provided by TVOD providers, which in turn means higher income for copyright holders through educational video monetization and timely access to fresh content from users.
- Pay Per Course
Some of the best OTT video platforms allow users to pay for individual courses, rather than for the platform as a whole. This allows them to select the course that they want, and also limits their access to other courses on the platform, unless they pay for those separately.
- Live Classrooms
Live classrooms allow companies to create a virtual schooling atmosphere albeit online, through their OTT platform. Access to these classrooms can be monetised as it will involve a lot more hands-on learning and virtual face-to-face time with the professor. It’s a great elearning application monetization method to take advantage of available benefits.
- Premium Access
Premium access allows your audience to access a limited number of videos for free, which are intended to entice them into paying for premium access for loads more. It is one of the most popular ways to monetise e-learning websites.
- Group Accounts & Additional Video for Education
Group accounts are fantastic ways to get entire institutions on board your e-learning platform and accelerate towards e-learning app monetization. You can create exclusive discounts while still making your revenues, and upsell and cross-sell supporting material such as additional courses, textbooks and extra videos.
Why choose OTT platforms for online courses?
Coupled with the need for students pursuing higher education, the growing number of students in general offers the best reasons for imparting education through OT platforms and other alternative means. Additionally, the present generation is made of internet natives for whom e-learning makes education much more convenient and accessible. Given that billions of dollars are to be invested into the OTT sector over the next few years, there’s no better time than now to merge the two and explore educational video hosting with monetization.
Benefits of publishing your online course with OTT platforms
- Access to learning materials
Learners receive unlimited access to all the learning material they may need for that course through a single platform. This includes videos, audio, live classes, documents, PDFs and more.
- Quick and easy interactions
For learners, the quick and easy interactions they can have on online course hosting platforms ensure that they reap the benefits of personal tutelage without having to be physically present, or shelling out a ridiculous amount of money.
- Pause, playback and more
Using OTT video content to learn lessons allows learners to enjoy their education and pick up information at their own speed. They can access content whenever they need a refresher, and go back to concepts again and again until it’s clear enough.
- Cost-effective
In the case of both learners and e-learning publishers, OTT platforms are the most cost-efficient alternatives. Learners cut down on the cost of transport and accommodation while still accessing quality education; publishers don’t have to invest in physical buildings and infrastructure but can still make a difference through video hosting for online courses.
How to get into OTT broadcasting
It’s not the easiest thing in the world to publish your online course, especially given there are several competitors in the market today. However, a surefire way to start off on the right foot is to choose OTT platform providers that do all the backend heavy lifting, so that you can focus on creating and publishing quality content. Here are some of the best educational video monetization-friendly options:
1. Uscreen – An All-in-one OTT Platform
Uscreen is a turn-key video monetization solution that allows you to distribute and monetize your videos, and grow your business all-in-one place.
The platform is dedicated to video creators, educators, and entrepreneurs who want their own video streaming business, offering access to their premium videos. Uscreen offers the ability to build branded websites and launch OTT mobile and TV apps; everything you need without any coding.
Uscreen comes with almost all the tools you need to retain users and grow your business. This includes built-in marketing tools & automation, landing page builder, lead generation funnel, retention tools, integrations, and more.
2. CONTUS VPlay – Online Video Education Platform
This platform for live streaming and video-on-demand supports multimedia seminars and webinars at lightning speeds via CDNs. As a live streaming service for online learning, this app enables professors to live stream their courses to simulate classroom scenarios at a regularly scheduled time. It also encourages guest speakers and curators to become more interested in the process of learning.
3. Vimeo OTT – OTT Platform for Education
Vimeo OTT helps you transform your content into a subscription-based system that draws steady revenues and eyeballs. It’s one of the best answers to the question of how to monetise e-learning apps, and helps you with stable and scalable architecture that you can just plug your videos into and sell.
4. Kaltura – Video Cloud Platform for Education
Educational video-on-demand and live experiences with virtual classrooms, lecture capture and secure webinar hosting capabilities can be skillfully powered by Kaltura Video Cloud for Education. This open standard e-learning live streaming programme allows students to access a whole host of videos prepared for them by their professors through a steady content system. The MediaSpace video platform for a single organisation is more like a private YouTube, while the live broadcast role allows for smooth tlive classes and webinars.
5. Panopto – Leading Education Video Software
Panopto builds video archives, enables safe live streaming and allows students and teachers to record and display videos on virtually every operating system. Teachers can host videos such as screen captures, lecture recordings and tutorials through the safe video management portal, which can then be accessed by students during lessons. Panopto also makes live video streaming simpler and more usable for students, with limited buffering and the handy ability to project slides or even stream all together from various computers and places.
Conclusion
The best e-learning app monetization method and platform depends on the stage of growth you’re in. However, it goes without saying that OTT platforms help generate streams of revenue from quality content that can’t be matched.
