How to start a streaming channel in 8 steps

Vimeo Staff
Image of a man sitting at microphone with a modal prompting to live stream or start an event

Video streaming services have become a mainstay in the entertainment industry, with 88% of U.S. households subscribing to at least one, according to Leichtman Research Group

In fact, the average household subscribes to four streaming platforms. Based on the number of subscribers, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ are the most common, and most people are familiar with the other big names like Apple TV, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Peacock. But there are several smaller channels like Curiosity Stream,Crunchyroll, Dropout (formerly CollegeHumor), and Zeus that offer more niche content

This article explains how you can create your own streaming service and select the best white-label video streaming platform to power it.

Start a streaming channel

Is creating a streaming service worth it?

While starting a streaming platform is far from easy, it’s a worthwhile opportunity. Video streaming services are only growing, with Statista predicting increases in metrics such as annual growth rate and number of worldwide users (over 1 billion!).

With such a promising future, now is the time to create your own video streaming service. You don’t have to compete with Netflix or Apple — you just have to offer a unique selling proposition.

How to start a streaming channel in 8 steps

Creating a streaming service requires considerable research and effort, but it can be lucrative. Thankfully, there are white-label streaming platforms like Vimeo Streaming and Uscreen that can give you an advantage.

Here’s an eight-step plan for starting your own video streaming service and selecting the right platform to build it on.

1. Define your niche and identify your target audience

Identify your target audience and learn what this user base is looking for in a streaming service. Nielsen has been a trusted source of audience research for decades, but you can also use a free option like Google Trends to check out what’s trending.

Use this information to find your niche — a defined segment in your target market that you can carve out for yourself. For example, if you want to make travel guides, research the most popular destinations users search for. Then, look for commonalities between regions or attractions to find your unique niche, like ecotourism or culinary adventures. 

Ideally, your streaming service should provide a specific yet sizable demographic with information and entertainment around a certain topic, but also blend with your talents and interests as a creator. Don’t just chase the hype.

2. Develop your unique selling proposition (USP)

Now that you know your target audience and what they want, you can determine what you have to offer them. Consider what makes your approach to video content unique:

  • Do you have expertise in the subject matter you want to stream?
  • Do you have connections with industry veterans?
  • What about your style or personality differentiates you from competitors?

Take some time to consider these questions and revisit your research to discover opportunities to lean into your USP. Find existing movies, TV shows, and live streams in your niche and take notes. Identify aspects your competitors and peers get right and find areas that you can improve on.

3. Choose a monetization model that aligns with your business goals

There are several ways to monetize a video streaming platform depending on your business goals, content, and audience. These various monetization strategies are key components of Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, which deliver streaming content directly to viewers via the internet.

  • Subscription video on demand (SVOD): Subscription is the most common model used by streaming services these days. Offer subscription levels that give viewers tiered access to your VOD streaming app. Basic tiers might run ads while premium ones offer early access to videos before they launch. 
  • Transactional video on demand (TVOD): Sell individual videos on demand – set a price for each video or live stream that gives viewers permanent access. You can offer some for free to give viewers a preview on your VOD platform. You could also offer content for rental like Amazon Prime does with some of its movies. 
  • Advertising video on demand (AVOD): Offer free video content but include advertisements within the videos, similar to how YouTube operates. This VOD streaming revenue comes from the advertisers paying for the ad space.
  • Live pay-per-view: Set a price viewers must pay each time they watch a live streamed event or performance.  

4. Legalize your business

Obtain your small business license to legitimize your work and streamline your eventual revenue reporting. After you’re incorporated, look up the laws in your region regarding copyright and trademark protection. 

For example, in the U.S., copyright laws apply automatically to any “tangible” piece of unique work. But it’s in your best interest to register your new video streaming platform with the U.S. Copyright Office so it can have a public record of ownership in case complications arise.

5. Secure content licenses

Unless you’re creating all content yourself, you’ll need to license content from other creators. Find movies, TV shows, and live streams you want to include in your streaming service and reach out to their creators to ask about fees and agreements. 

Don’t commit to anything right away. Instead, develop a business model for your streaming service: Calculate how much you can invest in to maximize your video platform’s initial offering. Then, set thresholds for the number of subscribers or viewers you’ll need to afford to add new videos to the platform and continue to grow.

6. Select a video streaming platform to host and manage your content

Developing a streaming service from the ground up requires a significant investment in software and hardware infrastructure. It’s a much better idea to work with a white-label streaming platform like Vimeo Streaming, which provides all the tools you need to launch your own streaming app without having to hire a team of developers. 

Here’s what Vimeo Streaming offers:

  • Customization: A modular video player, website design tools, and app development options give you complete control over your streaming platform’s look and feel.
  • Monetization options: The ability to monetize your content via subscription, TVOD, AVOD, or more basic tools like video bumpers to run sponsorships. 
  • Streaming analytics: Tracking viewer watch times and engagement, audience demographics and trends, and business metrics like how much revenue you’re making from different audiences and monetization strategies provides valuable metrics for determining if your platform is growing and sustainable
  • Speed and quality: You’ll need fast, reliable video hosting to ensure viewers have a consistent experience. Features like a content delivery network (CDN) and broad device compatibility can help. If you use Vimeo Streaming, you’ll be able to use our stream health monitoring tools to regularly monitor your bitrate quality.

Upload your video content to Vimeo

7. Develop a marketing strategy to promote your streaming service

Develop a business plan for advertising your streaming website on social media and search engines. Find groups on those platforms where your target audience frequents. For example, if your streaming platform niche is cutting-edge science, you might place advertisements on r/Science or purchase search ads for words like “new technology” or “scientific discoveries.”

8. Gather feedback and continuously improve your platform

After launching your streaming service, regularly check in on its analytics to detect opportunities for improvement. Also, review comments and reactions to your social media posts and ads to determine if you’re gaining traction with your user base. Create polls and surveys occasionally to ask for feedback from real users and use their insights to plan improvements to your streaming content.

Frequently asked questions about streaming services

Are streaming services profitable?

Streaming services offering unique video content can earn a profit through subscriptions, through ads, through one-time purchases, or through live pay-per-view. As with most businesses, the trick is finding a niche and filling a need. Look for an under-served topic you can flesh out with high-quality entertainment in the form of online videos, movies, or TV.

How much does it cost to start a streaming service?

If you were to build a streaming website from scratch, you'd need to invest heavily into developers, hardware, and software infrastructure that would cost thousands. With a white-label streaming platform like Vimeo Streaming or Uscreen, you build your streaming service off of a sound foundation so you can focus on your content and not the tech. 

If you want to include content from other creators, you’ll have to spend money licensing them. But if you're able, it's best to create your own online videos first to bring in a dedicated user base. Then, when you have some revenue, you can invest in growing your video platform with content from outside movies, TV shows, and other creators.

Can anyone start a streaming service?

Of course! It isn’t simple by any means, but it doesn’t require a degree in software engineering to get started. With Vimeo Streaming, you don’t need coding or software development experience — you just need a vision and the passion to see it through. 

What are examples of streaming services?

Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube are all common examples of successful streaming services, but they’re far from the only ones. Zeus, Dropout, WoW Presents Plus, and True Royalty are all successful streaming platforms with a dedicated user base, and they all use the Vimeo Streaming platform.

"Our subscription business is far and away our biggest revenue driver, and Vimeo's comprehensive suite of tools means we're delivering it to our audience stylishly and reliably."
Sam ReichCEO, Dropout

Host your streaming service with Vimeo across all devices

Vimeo is your one-stop shop for all things streaming. Everything you need to design a curated, top-notch video service is there, with no coding required. You can customize your monetization strategy, site branding, and app experience and let Vimeo handle the boring stuff, like the payment gateway and tax collection. 

Joining Vimeo makes it easier than ever to turn your content into a functioning, profitable video streaming platform. 

Learn more about Vimeo Streaming

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