As most are aware, Youtube has become a platform no longer for people, as they censor and demonetize many of their content creators while bringing greater attention to the media and celebrities.
I know for artists it is not as big of a deal, as we usually are in a safe little bubble on Youtube, where they mostly don’t care about us. But I know of a Youtuber who had one of his animated short films taken off of Youtube for no reason. It was perhaps because Youtube deemed it ‘Unsafe’ for kids. But it was very disappointing for him when it happened. As that film took ten months to make. He later was able to get it back up.
So as you can tell, Youtube has become more of a hassle to work with for just about everybody these days. So these are some alternative platforms. I know they aren’t perfect substitutes, but neither is Youtube. And at very least, you should think about backing your videos up on one of these platforms.
LBRY
This is my personal favorite, it’s a decentralized platform that promises free speech. It’s not the most straight forward to use platform, as it’s best used as a downloadable desktop app and uses a form of crypto currency called LBC. But it works! And only has gotten better in the last year. https://lbry.com/
BITCHUTE
The most well known alternative. This platform is probably the easiest one to jump into coming from Youtube, but I haven’t tried it out myself, but I know a lot of Youtubers have jumped over to this one.
STORYFIRE
https://storyfire.com/
This is a new one, it’s the mix of a micro-blogger and video platform. Haven’t used it myself, but it may have potential.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES
If you ever are looking for an alternative to a software or a platform, check out alternativeto, it’ll list anything that may be similar to what you’re looking for. It lists a couple other possible platforms that probably could work pretty good too. I just wanted to bring attention to the easiest to use bunch.
If you know about a youtube alternative that I didn’t mention (which there are plenty), or has come to your attention since this post, feel free to mention it.
Vimeo is a video hosting, sharing, and services platform headquartered in New York City. Vimeo operates on an ad-free basis, and instead derives revenue by providing subscription plans for video content …
Btw, does anyone care to explain to me what the word “Blockchain” streaming platform means, exactly? As in, what are the implications of the word “Blockchain”?
While I doubt these platforms will ever grow to the size of Youtube, having more options is better than one. And some of these platforms, like Lbry, ‘claim’ it’s not possible for a company to take it over due to the open source/decentralized nature of the project.
Bitchute is decentralized as well, but according to Lbry, they are still at risk of corporate takeover due to being closed source. This is what Lbry says makes them better-
How is LBRY better?
In the case of LBRY:
You can access and use LBRY in a truly decentralized, peer-to-peer way. Via LBRY Desktop, anyone in the world can access the LBRY network without relying on LBRY Inc. servers or machinery.
If LBRY ever turns evil, all code is open-source and anyone in the world (okay, mainly nerds) could develop and release their own version with minimal effort. Hundreds of people have contributed to LBRY, the vast majority as volunteers.
Anyone in the world can run their own version of lbry.tv or make their own LBRY app, completely separate from us and without our permission.
I think that YouTube has explained it in simple terms:
“suitable” is not equivalent to “targeted”
for example, are you uploading a kids cartoon (made for kids, like literally made for children)
or are you uploading a DIY video about carpet cleaning that kids “could” watch… but isn’t really relevant?
See the advertisement or recommendation algorithm is trying to find a place for everyone by sorting out irrelevant content, which gives you more audience which really digs your stuff.
If you end up generalizing something by saying : “Oh it’s suitable… not made, but suitable”… you are not ending up reaching the right audience…
The result is that Everyone out there wants to grab your audience too, which ends up giving your work no chance to be seen.
It’s only fair what YouTube does in this very regard.
Why should kids watch irrelevant stuff? Why should anyone for that matter?
Been trying my best to get into Bitchute, but it really needs an update and a better UX/search engine/more features. It still feels like a beta.
Youtube will eventually go the way of FB and become largely irrelevant. Since they’ve become highly politicised and banned/booted/censored loads of great content creators they deem to be sexist nazi white supremecist Islamophobes off, they’ve shown their true colours. Another neo-Marxist big tech sjw woke machine.
Either we live in a free society and are free to share ideas, or we don’t and are not. There’s no such thing as ‘limited free speech’, or ‘hate speech’. There is only free speech. Whether we like certain content or not is irrelevant. Don’t like it? Don’t watch it. Simple.
That is why they are now considered liars and hypocrites when they call themselves open platforms and when they oppose bills like SOPA. When government threatens to censor the internet for instance, they need to just admit that they see censorship as not only a good thing, but as a critical function for today’s world.
That is also why they have no authority to speak against plans to recast them as publishers (ie. becoming directly responsible for the content people upload), because they have turned their backs on the original agreement that got them defined as ‘platforms’. They are not open platforms, they are not even platforms and they are lying when they tell you otherwise, as they will bury, ban, and even editorialize any content the corporate executives disagree with.
If the threat to turn Youtube and friends into publishers goes through, then it could be that these alternatives will see a major uptick in traffic because the site will no longer exist.
For now Youtube do not have alternative… be real. Many Youtuber’s spit on YT, nagging about this or this, but they stay on YT… because of $$$$$$$. Subscribe, like, push notification bell… and DONATE!
You know this song
Because of this YouTube is still numero uno. Bitchute and others are just small niche for edgy or “extreme” content. In same time alternative platforms must walk on egg shells because they can be wiped from internet in second, bu governments, banks, providers.
Probably bigger issue are: Do Internet have alternative. I can write couple pages about this, but do not want to bother you with my broken Engrish. Phuck, they edit even “Urban Dictionary”. What is point of internet if they are censored, locked, abused, etc. etc. So in the end of day YouTube and similar platforms are just little part of bigger problems.
