Amazon Takes on YouTube and Others, Opening Video Platform to All Creators

joe1946

joe1946

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Amazon’s pitch to video creators: They can now get exposure to the site’s millions of online shoppers, with the flexibility of picking among several different paths for making money.
“There are more options for distribution than ever before and with Amazon Video Direct, for the first time, there’s a self-service option for video providers to get their content into a premium streaming subscription service,” Amazon Video VP Jim Freeman said in announcing the program. “We’re excited to make it even easier for content creators to find an audience, and for that audience to find great content.”
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http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/amazon-video-direct-youtube-creators-1201770058/

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Press Releases

Amazon Announces Amazon Video Direct, Giving Video Providers a Self-Service Program to Reach Amazon Customers, Including Tens of Millions of Prime Members

[TD="class: ccbnNewsArticle"] Creators and storytellers from around the world can now make their videos available to customers as part of Prime Video and earn royalties based on hours streamed

“It’s an amazing time to be a content creator,” said Jim Freeman, Vice President of Amazon Video. “There are more options for distribution than ever before and with Amazon Video Direct, for the first time, there’s a self-service option for video providers to get their content into a premium streaming subscription service. We’re excited to make it even easier for content creators to find an audience, and for that audience to find great content.”
Also launching today is the AVD Stars program, which gives video creators a share of one million dollars per month based on customer engagement with their title. Here’s how the program works: Amazon will distribute to creators a monthly bonus from the one million dollar monthly fund, based on the Top 100 AVD titles in Prime Video, in addition to any other revenue earned. Video creators and providers who use AVD to make their titles available in Prime Video will automatically be enrolled. The AVD Stars program launches today and the one million dollar monthly fund will make its first bonus distributions based on streaming activity from June 1[SUP]st[/SUP] to June 30[SUP]th[/SUP]. [/TD]
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http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2166929

[url]https://videodirect.amazon.com/home/landing
[/URL]
 
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It's a huge platform where people are already used to paying for content. Awesome news to be able to sell your stuff there. Now, what those nasty terms and conditions may be, I have no idea...
 
I think the worst part is right up front where they say they can do anything to your content and you can't remove your content or prevent them for modifying it:

The License Agreement sets forth our rights related to any product information you post or submit through the Program Site. For other information and materials you post or otherwise provide to Amazon related to the Program Site (a “Submission”), you grant Amazon and its affiliates a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to (1) use, copy, distribute, transmit, make available, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, adapt, modify, translate, reformat and create derivative works of your Submission, each in connection with the Program Site and the Program, and (2) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Amazon may remove your Submission at any time. For each Submission you provide, you represent that you have all rights necessary for you to grant us the rights provided in this section.
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You also have to add closed caption to your videos. If I have videos on youtube, can I also place those on Amazon with the addition of a closed caption file?
Some videos i don't mind letting go to amazon, but some of my own documentaries, I am a little concerned signing them over to amazon.
 
The "big" names in that original announcement from Amazon are not signing the same contract as a smaller independent content creator.

BTW, a natural response to both the YouTube and the Amazon rules is a similar independent group/alliance of creators that can negotiate from a greater position of power. In the old days, when I was in retail, chains like Circuit City, Good Guys or Silo had their own deals with the manufacturers. Smaller retailers, those who were unable to negotiate with the major manufacturers from the position of similar power, joined buying combines. Those had thousands of members, who essentially received nearly identical terms by the time the ink on those contracts was dry.
 
Greg_E said:
I think the worst part is right up front where they say they can do anything to your content and you can't remove your content or prevent them for modifying it:
. . . For each Submission you provide, you represent that you have all rights necessary for you to grant us the rights provided in this section.
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Wow, I love that. Translated: "Make sure you do all the work obtaining the necessary third-party permissions so that we can steal your work with impunity."
 
Classic big business move. Love it. Surprised I didn't see it coming with the way Facebook has been going at youtube. There always have to be at least 3 in the fight.
 
There's more than three already. On top of Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vimeo and a few smaller operations, all the major networks and/or studios will be setting up their own streaming operations soon.
 
The thing I like about what Amazon has done here is providing a number of different options for monetization including setting up series subscriptions within the system or offering content to Prime subscribers on a "streamed hours" rate. It's a huge improvement from their ancient CreateSpace system (which required shipping a DVD that they would then rip to digital.)

I've added a few shows and look forward to seeing it grow. Amazon already has very good device penetration that puts them well ahead of smaller rivals like Vimeo. Sure the terms aren't ideal, but I also don't have Netflix knocking on my door. 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing... especially when it's shows that have already had their broadcast run.
 
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Greg_E said:
I think the worst part is right up front where they say they can do anything to your content and you can't remove your content or prevent them for modifying it:

The License Agreement sets forth our rights related to any product information you post or submit through the Program Site. For other information and materials you post or otherwise provide to Amazon related to the Program Site (a “Submission”), you grant Amazon and its affiliates a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to (1) use, copy, distribute, transmit, make available, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, adapt, modify, translate, reformat and create derivative works of your Submission, each in connection with the Program Site and the Program, and (2) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Amazon may remove your Submission at any time. For each Submission you provide, you represent that you have all rights necessary for you to grant us the rights provided in this section.
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Maybe it's true, but I don't see any mention there that Amazon doesn't let the user remove their own content. Modification aside, they need permission to be able to show your content. Many sites have this in their terms (DVX?), even in regards to text posts.

YouTube terms:

6. Your Content and Conduct
  • As a YouTube account holder you may submit Content to the Service, including videos and user comments. You understand that YouTube does not guarantee any confidentiality with respect to any Content you submit.
  • You shall be solely responsible for your own Content and the consequences of submitting and publishing your Content on the Service. You affirm, represent, and warrant that you own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to publish Content you submit; and you license to YouTube all patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights in and to such Content for publication on the Service pursuant to these Terms of Service.
  • For clarity, you retain all of your ownership rights in your Content. However, by submitting Content to YouTube, you hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the Content in connection with the Service and YouTube's (and its successors' and affiliates') business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels. You also hereby grant each user of the Service a non-exclusive license to access your Content through the Service, and to use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform such Content as permitted through the functionality of the Service and under these Terms of Service. The above licenses granted by you in video Content you submit to the Service terminate within a commercially reasonable time after you remove or delete your videos from the Service. You understand and agree, however, that YouTube may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of your videos that have been removed or deleted. The above licenses granted by you in user comments you submit are perpetual and irrevocable.
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https://www.youtube.com/static?template=terms
 
^ Yep.

The only part I really dislike from the amazon terms is "royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license".
 
Amazon wants a closed caption file. I already have my Mpeg4 files I used with Youtube. What is the best and easiest way to make a close caption file for them. PC based. On my phone, I can talk and it converts it to text. Anything computer based that can do this. Just wondering your process and format for closed caption files.

I also could not find any information about if it is ok to have a video you have on youtube and also use that same video with amazon.

And last, I wonder what the least they will allow. Lets say it is a cat falling off the bed. Put a close caption file on it, and see if they accept it. The reason for this, is there is a lot of junk videos on youtube, and wonder if they will filter videos? It will be interesting to see what happens. Looks like Amazon pays out more though then youtube.
 
Deer Film said:
Amazon wants a closed caption file. I already have my Mpeg4 files I used with Youtube. What is the best and easiest way to make a close caption file for them. PC based. On my phone, I can talk and it converts it to text. Anything computer based that can do this. Just wondering your process and format for closed caption files..
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I generate SCC files using a program (Mac) called MovieCaptioner.
 
That is an interesting point. Will it be more proper work or just what folks throw up there. Because Amazon is a store and they sort of have a reputation to protect with the products they offer.
 
First review I seen.

Competition is always great, but in this case, Amazon has a long way to get YouTube's "millions" of creators on board.

The problem is a process that may be OK for a staffed film studio but is much more difficult for amateurs, even the YouTube "pros," like Swedish videogame commentator PewDiePie (with 12 billion YouTube video views) or comedy duo Smosh (with 5.5 billion views.)

Anyone with an Amazon account can upload videos to Video Direct. After you put in your bank information and social security, just as with YouTube, the process involves several steps.

Amazon has very specific photo requests: it needs files as "key art," that need to be presented in 1200x1600 pixels and 1920x1080 pixels format. If you don't have Adobe Photoshop or another imaging program, you'll need it.

You’ll need to add in info about the cast and crew, even if it’s just you talking to the camera.

Another rule is that you must have captioning on the video. YouTube and Vimeo offer these services for free. Amazon won’t let you upload the file until you upload the captioning as a file, and routes you to online captioning firms, which will create the file for you, for a fee.

That's distinctly more complicated than the three-part process for a YouTube upload, which requires title, description and tagging.

In the sample video I uploaded, a 60-second videolog of my hometown, Manhattan Beach, without any dialogue, I still had to spend $2 to get the caption file made from a firm called Rev before I could proceed with the upload.

Lastly, unlike YouTube, where the video is posted almost immediately, Amazon says it will take 3-5 days before your work appears on the site.
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http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/05/12/review---amazons-direct-video-work-progress/84257354/
 
One thing we know for certain -

Everyone with a video camera...or a smartphone...will be uploading tons of videos. (Which means every breathing hominid.) So it WILL become as saturated as YouTube almost overnight.

Like YouTube, it will be a great way to display video for people desperate to have their videos seen. Of course the Terms are as exploitive as any monster corporation...so if you have something you really put major effort into, and it actually gets some traction... be prepared to go straight to hell, because that's exactly where their Terms are going to make you feel sooner or later.

As for anyone "paying" to watch your video - how many YouTube or Vimeo videos would YOU have PAID to watch? Ever? Just think about that before you buy into their promises of revenue.
 
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