Independent filmmakers who use Vimeo as their distribution channel of choice now have a realistic way to make some money with the video streaming service.
The New York-based company on Tuesday announced Vimeo On Demand, a platform that gives Vimeo Pro members the opportunity to sell their work directly to their audience.
Th set-up seems straightforward enough – you upload your masterpiece, set the price, add a title description, set a viewing period (anywhere between 24 hours and a year), set a price (what’s it worth, a buck? Two?), set the available region (an individual country or worldwide) and….errr….that’s it….though there is, of course, the small matter of whipping up a frenzy of interest in your production.
Ninety percent of any money you make off views goes straight to you, with Vimeo pocketing the remainder – a very reasonable deal, I’m sure you’ll agree. Take note though, the service is currently open only to Pro members ($199 a year), and not Vimeo Plus members, who pay rather less for the service ($9.95/month or $59.95/year).
News of the new feature was announced simultaneously at a SXSW event in Austin and in a blog post on the company’s site.
“We’re creators ourselves, and we know how hard it can be to get your work out there and connect with an audience,” Vimeo’s Blake Whitman wrote in the post announcing the new feature. “Since we founded Vimeo in 2004, we’ve been dreaming of a world where more and more creators can support themselves with their work alone. Today we’re proud to be taking a big step in that direction, and there are many more exciting steps to come.”
Vimeo, which has been popular with the artistic community pretty much from day one, first offered creators a way to make some cash from their work last September with its ‘tip this video’ button, though one wonders if any filmmakers made any serious money from the feature.
Vimeo On Demand could prove more lucrative, though of course, for a movie to be a hit it’s going to need a pretty smart marketing team behind it to push traffic its way and convince viewers to part with their hard-earned cash.
Vimeo On Demand: Sell your work, your way from Vimeo Staff on Vimeo.
