Patreon is working on its own video hosting platform to combat YouTube's dominance

[Polycount]

In context: YouTube creators are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the platform in recent years. Algorithmic changes can tank the visibility of videos from both new and established uploaders, and clips can be demonetized for seemingly no reason at all at any time. These difficulties, combined with frequent copyright strikes and video takedowns, have made YouTube an unstable environment to build a business, forcing creators to seek alternative revenue streams -- such as Patreon.

Patreon has its problems, but generally speaking, it's popular among YouTubers, artists, and indie game developers of all stripes. Some YouTubers have even shut off ads on their channels, relying entirely on fan contributions through Patreon to stay afloat.

For those creators, a question might come up: what, exactly, is the point of YouTube? If people can't find their videos due to unannounced algorithm changes, and they can't profit off of ads, why bother with the platform at all?

That's a question Patreon is seeking to answer now, according to The Verge. Moving forward, the company plans to launch its own video hosting platform so that creators that wish to do so can finally cut ties with YouTube or other, similar video services. Patreon CEO Jack Conte says the company's ultimate goal is to create a "horizontal architecture" that allows any creator, no matter their medium, and no matter their upload format, to build a business around their work.

Patreon's upcoming video hosting push is part of that. In the end, Conte wants to make his platform a one-stop-shop for all of a creator's needs: revenue generation, media hosting, and communication with fans. Whether or not he can achieve that dream remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: more YouTube competitors can't hurt.

Of course, Patreon's video hosting service won't be a direct competitor to YouTube. We doubt the site's goal is to create a fully-featured video hosting platform that anyone can upload to. That would take years of effort, and it's unlikely that non-Patreon users would make the jump.

Instead, Patreon aims to challenge Google's dominance more subtly: by providing a very specific subsection of creators -- those who don't generate the bulk of their revenue through YouTube -- with an alternative way to deliver content to their audience. Patreon is essentially cutting out the middleman.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/92195-patreon-working-own-video-hosting-platform-combat-youtube.html

 

[psycros]

"Of course, Patreon's video hosting service won't be a direct competitor to YouTube. We doubt the site's goal is to create a fully-featured video hosting platform that anyone can upload to. That would take years of effort, and it's unlikely that non-Patreon users would make the jump."

Is that really accurate? YouTube has shown both how you should do this kind of thing, ala YouTube circa 2012 and how you shouldn't through everything they've done since. Cloud services are more affordable and easier to manage than they used to be. If any significant online business wanted to build a robust streaming platform today the tools are there. The hardest part is finding the expertise to hire. That said, Patreon would probably be better off partnering up with a good existing video site to create a YouTube killer. They'd have to spend serious money to market their new service as well.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

With the direction YouTube is going with censorship a replacement is badly needed.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Youtube is GOOGLE.

Google has infiltrated classrooms, office spaces and other infrastructures.

There is NO competing with that.

 

[shark975]

With the direction YouTube is going with censorship a replacement is badly needed.

too bad patreon is worse with censoring conservatives than youtube. Patreon banned Alex Jones etc (I'm not a Jones fan, just saying). Screw both of them. Google/FB/Apple/Patreon/spotify/paypal/twitch/twitter/all big tech collude to censor anyway, they all "independently" banned Trump with in a day of each other (again, I'm no Trump fan either).

Rumble seems to be gaining some traction as a youtube alternative. it's just so difficult though to overcome the massive big $ incumbent advantages. To build a video streaming platform that could compete with YT would cost untold sums, YT has giant warchests, years and years of manpower etc already invested.

 

[Dimitrios]

Youtube is GOOGLE.

Google has infiltrated classrooms, office spaces and other infrastructures.

There is NO competing with that.

Yup two Octobers ago I had to unlock all the doors and they had tripods and scan everything even hall ways the run takes a long time Google hires a 3rd party that came to our schools in CT. I asked them why and that gave me a funny answer because I thought it was because of the virus. They claimed they wanted to scan everything and use it for later on one being something about safety and making it easier for firemen.

 

[Ean Mogg]

And who's going to pay all the Royalties that Patreon aren't paying! and that most subscriber's need to pay more a month than pay Netflix and Amazon, let alone the rest of their YouTube subscriber's, and it might be $1 a month but if you had a few dozen subscriber's well I'm sure you can work it out! And what's with Adverts every few minutes or even less every few minutes!!!!!!

 

[Puiu]

And who's going to pay all the Royalties that Patreon aren't paying! and that most subscriber's need to pay more a month than pay Netflix and Amazon, let alone the rest of their YouTube subscriber's, and it might be $1 a month but if you had a few dozen subscriber's well I'm sure you can work it out! And what's with Adverts every few minutes or even less every few minutes!!!!!!

Patreon doesn't set the sub prices, they just take a cut of it. I've seen creators that start at 1-3$ for the basic subscription. For example, the Team Four Star patreon starts at 2$ per month and I think they deserve at least 5$

 

[VaRmeNsI]

too bad patreon is worse with censoring conservatives than youtube. Patreon banned Alex Jones etc (I'm not a Jones fan, just saying). Screw both of them. Google/FB/Apple/Patreon/spotify/paypal/twitch/twitter/all big tech collude to censor anyway, they all "independently" banned Trump with in a day of each other (again, I'm no Trump fan either).

Rumble seems to be gaining some traction as a youtube alternative. it's just so difficult though to overcome the massive big $ incumbent advantages. To build a video streaming platform that could compete with YT would cost untold sums, YT has giant warchests, years and years of manpower etc already invested.

That's one of the consequences of cheap fiat from the central bank, it encourages consolidation of industry in the hands of a few.

 

[Mister_K]

If you get a solid looking UI with great user experience as well as special selling points for creators to jump ship then this is feasible within a decade. VoD platforms have been stagnant in innovation, maybe Patreon could do it. That said, this platform would need a better name, better than 'YouTube' ..

 

[m3diapers]

Thanks a lot to introduce the masturbation streaming service--patreon

 

[GamerNerves]

I know it seems to be a living nightmare for many people to use two different services/apps for pretty much the same purpose, but I gladly as a tech oriented fella welcome a competitor. Youtube is a very good service for the end-user, but it seems content creators are unhappy time and time again, so I'm willing to use two services for them to continue their work contendedly - and who knows, maybe the new alternative can become better than Youtube? Unlike the article says, it doesn't take years to build a video streaming service, but it will take a long time to make it better than Youtube, at least feature wise.

Most importantly, if you don't offer a solid mobile app from the get go, you will have trouble gaining popularity, so I suggest to competitors to really focus on a good mobile app.