5 Alternate Sites To YouTube
Perhaps someone you used to follow on YouTube has recently disappeared. Perhaps you miss those quirky "made at home" channels that seem to be fading away as YouTube algorithms direct you to "mainstream" sites like CBS and NBC.
Whatever your reason, you are looking for some alternative to YouTube, and below I will give you five sites that I consider the best alternatives.
BitChute
BitChute is a video hosting service much like YouTube that was founded in 2017.
It was created to allow those who had been banned or had their channels barred from receiving advertising revenue ("demonetized") on YouTube or other platforms to have a place to present their videos.
So if you go to their Politics & News section prepare yourself to see every conspiracy theory and extremist viewpoint presented that YouTube wouldn't allow.
In their other sections, Auto & Vehicles, Arts & Literature, Business & Finance, etc. you can find considerable content that is free from politics and can be quite informative.
One of the things I like the most about BitChute is that the videos themselves are Ad free, unlike YouTube which cuts out for Ads almost as if it were a TV channel.
Metacafe
Metacafe reminds me of the very early stages of YouTube, where people go to upload their silly videos and unprofessional efforts at making content, you will find TikTok and old Vine videos downloaded here, this is where you come to get away from the political and the professionally made content.
Metacafe is a video-sharing website that specializes in short-form videos that was founded all the way back in July 2003 that survives to this day.
Dailymotion
Dailymotion is a French video-sharing platform which definitely will have some differing content as many foreign videos can be found here if you search for them, it has a US orientated presentation page that you will start on, but you can find your way to videos that aren't in English and have nothing to do with American events.
There is definitely content you will find here that will not be found on YouTube, it is a site that makes you very aware of the fact that there are plenty of people out there that have nothing to do with YouTube and probably never even visited it.
Dailymotion has privacy protection features which analyze videos as they are being uploaded to prevent copyrighted videos from being added, if you are someone who creates video content and are looking to grow your audience, then Dailymotion might be a new venue for you to try.
Vimeo
Another, and the most likely one you have heard about before, is Vimeo.
Vimeo was created by filmmakers and to this day has strong support for film-like videos. If you are looking to upload your own short films or are looking for user-created films that are far ranging this site is definitely worth the look.
It has video school for content-creators to help them refine their uploads, Vimeo also has a supportive community that is interested in aiding new creators.
Its has Plus and Pro upgrades that you may feel are worth trying, there are people to collaborate with, Vimeo probably has the most supportive community of creators and tools to work with of all the platforms I've reviewed.
Facebook Watch
One day in the near future, it may be that Facebook Watch has surpassed YouTube in visitors and content.
Facebook Watch is a video-on-demand service operated by Facebook, Inc. It was announced on Aug 9, 2017, with initial availability the next day.
Facebook has only been in the "video platform" arena for a few years now and is still establishing its presence in this niche. However, Facebook has billions of users and once awareness of Watch becomes the norm it will likely dominate the North American marketplace the way YouTube does today.
Facebook at any time could expedite this transition by making it harder to post YouTube content on its platform, directing its users to post on and use Watch instead. For content makers that use YouTube, they will find Facebook has competitive financial incentives (at this time).
There are plenty more options out there, but these five cover a wide range. If you are looking for content you used to watch on YouTube that has since been removed, you can probably find it on BitChute. If you are looking to video shorts Metacafe may fit what you are looking for. If you are trying to create new content or more serious works Vimeo may work for you.
They are all alternatives to YouTube that offer something slightly different.
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2020 Ken Burgess