Vimeo launches tools for simultaneous uploading or livestreaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and others
Video platform Vimeo is today rolling out new features designed to simplify video distribution across social networks, including one tool that allows live video to be streamed to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Periscope at the same time. Another allows creators to upload to both Facebook and YouTube simultaneously with one click.
The additions come at a time when Vimeo has been shifting its business away from being a destination site for video content, like YouTube, and more of a tool provider for video creators. The company last year decided to scrap its subscription video-on-demand plans, promoted its creator business lead Anjali Sud to CEO, and acquired live video streaming platform Livestream.
Now the company aims to be more of a one-stop shop for anything video creators need to run their businesses, from tools to host, share and sell their videos, to those that allow them to build their own subscription or over-the-top streaming services.
“We’re starting this year with this creator-first mission, and the first launches we have are really about helping creators get distribution anywhere,” explained Sud, in an interview with TechCrunch. “This is a new strategy for us, and it’s different from what others are doing in the market.”
“A lot of platforms – whether it’s media platforms like Snapchat, or other social platforms like Facebook or YouTube – because they rely on eyeballs and clicks for ad dollars, they’re very focused on keeping content on their platforms,” she continued. “And they’re increasingly becoming walled gardens. As a creator, that means it becomes harder to figure out where your work should go and how you can get the audience that you want.”