Video crowdsourcing platform Vloggi today released a new suite of tools in its market-leading video submission platform aimed at content creators, following an unprecedented surge in interest from YouTubers channel owners.
The platform has added new features including video questionnaires, bulk download, and enhanced rights management in response to a 137% increase in usage from online content creators, predominantly YouTubers with a large follower base.
“What we’ve seen this year in particular is a need by YouTube channels with a large fanbase to incorporate viewer video into their content,” said Justin Wastnage, founder and CEO of Vloggi.
“At the end of last year, Gordon Ramsay’s trainee Nick DiGiovanni ran a huge campaign on our platform soliciting video clips from his audience” he added. Since then some of the largest names on YouTube, including Dude Perfect and Cody Petersen’s Brave Wilderness, have used the platform.
One of the biggest shifts in online content creation is already underway, the software company says. “As YouTubers struggle for relevance and authenticity in the face of AI-generated content flooding our screens, they can amplify their authenticity through harnessing the power of user-generated content just as brands do”.
This trend, known as co-creation, is one of the hottest trends in social media video storytelling to emerge in 2024.
“What we’ve seen is that viewers stay on and watch longer if there is a chance that their contribution will be featured on the channel they love,” said Mr. Wastnage.
Enhanced video content ownership features in the face of generative AI
Legal challenges around content ownership have also sparked the need for channel owners to ensure proper attribution of viewer-submitted video content as well as having digital content assignment forms in place in case of dispute.
One of the key features of Vloggi’s system is its digital content assignment form that transfers copyright over the video submissions to the channel owner. In this latest release, that feature has been strengthened to include additional terms and conditions that users may require.
Another key feature enhanced in this latest release is around multiple submissions from a single contributor. The platform launched its Video Questionnaire feature in early April to cater to the trend for Q&As on social media. The tool allows users to accept video questions from viewers and then program those into a carousel to be answered by the content creator.
A third feature launched is the ability to either download video submissions in bulk or transfer to cloud storage.
“Our move to bulk download and bulk export was driven by the market. As YouTube channels move beyond the 2 million subscriber base, they also move from being one-man bands to professional video production teams. What these teams need is access to the raw files their viewers have sent in in an easy fashion,” said Mr. Wastnage.
In a recent report into the leading trends for YouTube creators in 2024 by Epidemic Sound, this year will see a greater focus on community. One of the areas channel owners are looking to exploit is the low-cost, high-impact use of audience-submitted video clips.
Video co-creation is the social media equivalent of radio phone-ins
“Just like radio phone-ins in the 1960s, vox pops in the 1980s or even the funny home video TV shows of the 1990s, audience members love being part of the content. They love hearing their own voice, seeing their own content,” said Mr. Wastnage.
In a bid to stay relevant in an era of generative AI and fake video, YouTubers are embracing the authenticity of viewer-submitted videos in record numbers. This approach fosters a two-way dialogue with audiences, sparking conversations, and fostering deeper engagement.
In a recent project, sports and comedy channel Dude Perfect collected over 4,500 viewer-submitted clips via Vloggi of trick shots for use in its channel. With a modest outlay in terms of prize money, the channel quickly amassed over 320 hours of owned video content that it can legally re-use whenever it needs to in its programming.
Another main use case for viewer videos is in audition tape for guests or participants. YouTube leader Mr. Beast recruits potential talent through the use of video application forms and talent waiver forms. These are the features that other YouTube channels using Vloggi are deploying, notably in the health and wellness space and among faith communities.
“Recruiting talent through a video application form allows you to see the talent through a screen test before you book them as a guest,” Mr. Wastnage concluded.
Video submission platforms such as Vloggi replace a very manual process currently used by content creators, typically including email folders, cloud drives, and manually seeking re-use permissions.
For more information visit vloggi.com
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