Everyone and their mother is getting in on the VOD game, and for some time, Vimeo has been positioning itself as a way for indie filmmakers to get their content to viewers and see a profit; they've just introduced new bells and whistles for filmmakers and content creators, including several new features for their PRO users who distribute content using the service, including a revamped dashboard and more in-depth metrics to help creators see where their work is selling. Check it out and see what Vimeo's VOD could do for you and your film.
Everyone is in the Video On Demand game these days, from major players like Amazon, Netflix and YouTube, to more niche sites like Fandor; for $199/year, Vimeo PRO members, who have been able to set their own price and customize their page design, as well as distribute their videos through their own domain, now have access to more granular metrics about where their traffic is coming from, including information on sales regions, embeds, and performance that Vimeo thinks will make their VOD service attractive to filmmakers who want to tap into the 100 million unique visitors the site receives monthly. According to Vimeo:
The new dashboard drops down from the top of Vimeo On Demand pages to provide VOD creators with a quick glimpse of sales performance and where sales are happening. This includes purchases that occur on Vimeo On Demand vs. Vimeo’s embedded player. This feature is only available to VOD creators, on content they are the owners of, visible when logged into their Vimeo account. All VOD titles in our catalog gain this new feature.
With their streamlined aesthetic and general lack of trolls, Vimeo has long been at the vanguard of HD streaming video (the White House, for instance, posts HD versions of its broadcasts to Vimeo, and the site has a distinct lack of people falling off of/down things videos, which, depending on your perspective, is either good or super lame.) They are clearly making a play for a bigger piece of the growing indie VOD market, with a price point that is reasonable for most filmmakers, and a huge built-in audience.
As a filmmaker, what do you think of VOD in general, and Vimeo in particular? Do these new bells and whistles make the site more attractive to you? Or would you rather watch dogs on trampolines?
Link: Vimeo Pro
