It can be difficult to monetize videos that you put up or plan to put on the internet. If in doubt, just ask Google. They had a real tough time making money off video after sinking more than a billion dollars into acquiring YouTube. If there’s anyone in this universe who knows about internet advertising, it’s them—they practically invented it.
So how does a simpleton like you make some money off the cool gadget reviews, inspiring documentaries or anything that might entice the long tail? With Monetizer, which helps you charge customers for renting or downloading videos from your website.
Follow me after the break to see how Monetizer can help you make money from your videos.
Overview
Monetizer is a web app that allows the sale of video and other presentational content from right inside the Monetizer player. The Monetizer player works just the way popular web video players work; just copy the embed code and paste into your blog or webpage and the video will start playing. This simplicity allows sellers to escape the clutches of a walled video garden and to sell their content in a multitude of places.
Overview
After signing up you will have to activate the account from the e-mailed link before you can access your Monetizer account for uploading and pricing your content.
Pricing
Monetizer has a three tiered pricing model. Monthly subscriptions in each of these plans vary based on storage space, transfer bandwidth and the revenue share. To the delight of content owners, even the lowest priced plan offers a 92% revenue share from the proceeds.
Pricing
Monetizer has a free 30-day trial period with nearly all the features of the top tier $79 per month plan. Even during the free trial period, you get a 92% revenue share. Do note that once your membership ends, or if the free trial expires, you will no longer be able to add or edit your videos. To their credit, Monetizer will keep your embedded videos functioning normally but you cannot claim your revenues until you upgrade or renew the account. Sounds fair!
Getting Started
Immediately after activation, we are taken to a welcome screen which basically screams at you to monetize your content! The dashboard is elegantly designed with web 2.0 colors and design elements. Links to complete your profile, add a PayPal email address and add content are displayed prominently.
Welcome Screen
Adding PayPal Information
Your Profile page is the central hub of all personal and payment information. You can update your address, password, upload a custom logo and more from here. If need be, you can also update your credit card information for monthly subscription payments.
Profile Page
All payouts are sent to the PayPal email address you submit in the deposits section. Payouts are disbursed at the end of each month to this email address. Monetizer is a month-to-month service, which means you will not be eligible to receive payouts from months when you are not enrolled as a paying member.
Adding PayPal Information
Adding Content
Uploading videos from your desktop happens in a single click. Monetizer supports a wide range of popular video formats including asf, .avi, .flv, .m4v, .mov, .mp4, .m4a, .3gp, .3g2, .mj2, .wmv, .mpg, and .mpeg. So you can rest assured knowing you can shoot your videos in any format you please without needing to spend hours converting them into another format.
Adding New Content
The video uploaded quickly without any fuss and the transcoding begins as soon as the video is uploaded to Monetizer’s servers. At this point you can close this page and go for a cup of coffee as your part is done. Monetizer also allows you to upload more videos, even while a video is still being transcoded.
Transcoding the Video
The transcoding process was very quick. You will be shown three small screens, each one showing the original video, a preview and the keyframe respectively. Using the keyframe option, you can go to any part in the video and select that image to represent the video before it starts buffering.
Video Options
Below the screens we have options to add a title, description and pricing information. When it comes to pricing the video, you get to have two levels of pricing for renting the video based on the number of days the user can keep it for viewing. An option to set a fixed price for the user to download the video is available as well.
Pricing & Rating
You have the option to specify whether the video is safe for viewing for all age groups or if it is for adults only. Once you’ve added all the details and you click Publish, you get the embed code for the video.
Monetized Video
After embedding the video in your site’s page(s), interested buyers will be able to watch the preview clip that you created earlier in your Monetizer dashboard. To make a purchase or rent the content, the user just has to select an option available, right there in the Monetizer player.
Final Thoughts
It’s an undeniable fact that Monetizer has the potential to really change the manner in which video and other presentational content is bought and sold online. It just couldn’t be easier for everyone involved in the process. For web video producers looking to make money, Monetizer is the perfect solution—just copy and paste the code, then wait for the money to start pouring in!
Unfortunately I encountered a browser specific bug in the sign up page. While signing up, I did not enter an alphanumeric password and Monetizer let me know that it’s mandatory. Once this notice shows up, the sign up page button moved to the bottom of the screen and was not clickable anymore. I had to force refresh the page and enter all the details again to complete signup. This appears to only happen in Google Chrome (could not replicate this in Firefox). A tiny bug that should be pretty easy to fix though.
Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think of Monetizer? Is there a better solution available for monetizing your videos? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section. Thanks!