As a millennial, we all are aware how video has now taken over the digital media. In the USA, about 85% of the users view video content online daily. We not only binge-watch videos for entertainment, but for businesses, video is the need of the hour. It helps in internal business operations for virtual meetings, training tutorials, or executive updates.

YouTube was the game-changer. It was easy to record, share and stream videos online. Businesses started using it from a marketing perspective. Videos soon became a part of the content strategy, and a need for a platform to handle the sheer amount of content arises. It ended up causing friction among customers and colleagues. To tackle this Video CMS (Content Management System) comes into play.

What Exactly is a Video Content Management System?

A software application that helps an organization to store, manage and organize video content.

However, you might be wondering, isn’t this what YouTube does?  Well, not precisely, let me break it down for you.

Video CMS caters to internal and external audiences by supporting management and streaming live and on-demand videos. Most of the Video CMS provides an ecosystem where you can centralize and manage video content, create a searchable video library, and optimize playback of your video. Sounds cool! Right?

Every Video Content Management System is different from the other with varying capabilities. The criteria and key features to look at in video CMS are as follows.

  • Security
  • Video searchability
  • Compliances
  • Access Control and Content Segregation
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Integration and Video hosting options

Let us take a deeper dive and see the Pros and Cons of the following Video Content Management Systems (CMS).

List of Top 5 Affordable Video CMS Software in 2024

1. GUDSHO

GUDSHO offers a powerful Video Content Management System, that provides a wide range of solutions by streamlining your content workflow and addressing all your video marketing needs within one platform.

No more switching between multiple platforms for hosting, live streaming, uploading videos, managing bulk video series, marketing, and monetization, GUDSHO provides an all-in-one content management system to deliver videos seamlessly.

You can also perform crucial tasks like managing settings, customers, videos, payment modes, and pricing plans conveniently. 

Pros:

  • Unlimited video hosting enables you to upload, store, embed, transcode, and stream videos of any size and format, including MP4, MPEG, FLV, and AVI.
  • Customize subscription models from GUDSHO’s video monetization options to align with your preferences and those of your viewers.
  • Utilize AES-encrypted special screenings and private streaming features for enhanced security.
  • Access a specialized video marketing toolkit to optimize branding, visibility, targeting, and viewership.
  • Benefit from adaptive 4K HD video streaming and transcoding for high-quality viewing experiences.
  • Enjoy smooth playback supported by CDN, Akamai, ensuring buffer-free and flawless video projection.
  • Gain insights into channel performance, high-performing content, and viewer activities through comprehensive analytical metrics available on a single dashboard.
  • Monetize videos through various means including subscription, rental/purchase options, bulk video series, and donations.

Cons:

  • There is no video editing tool.

2. Microsoft Stream

Designed for organization-wide information sharing and training. Microsoft Stream is probably included in your Office 365 subscription. It works in best use cases such as secure video sharing and management. Its downside is that it lacks secure video sharing externally and is limited when organizing content internally.

Following are the Pros and Cons:

Pros:

  • It allows controlled access for internal stakeholders.
  • Highly secure because of FIPS 140-2 end-to-end encrypted
  • SSO integration
  • Bulk control access and audit logs are provided by MS Stream.
  • Integration with other platforms.
  • Automatically transcribe videos.
  • Your data is stored securely in Microsoft Azure’s data center.

Cons:

  • No custom security features.
  • Can’t limit time availability and number of views.
  • For improved search, you can’t add custom metadata.
  • The only data hosting option is Microsoft Azure and no on-premises deployment options.
  • No Artificial Intelligence capabilities.

3. VIDIZMO

VIDIZMO caters to both internal and external audiences for on-demand and live streaming of videos. This is a plus and my personal fav in terms of a Video CMS. It is a business-ready and comprehensive platform. VIDIZMO makes ingesting videos easily while allowing secure video sharing.

Furthermore, it can be integrated with Zoom, Learning Management Systems, Content Management Systems and Customer Relationship Management, and more. For better clarity, here are the benefits and drawbacks:

Pros:

  • It fulfills all the compliance needs and is end-to-end encrypted with FIPS 140-2 Compliant.
  • It provides role-based access control and has rich content segregation options.
  • AI capabilities for transcription and translation for enhanced search.
  • SSO enabled for enhanced video playback.
  • Seamless integration with multiple systems like CRM, CMS & LMS.
  • Supports 255+ video formats playable irrespective of any browser and device.
  • Search texts, objects, faces, and even sentiments among piles of videos.

Cons:

  • Monetization of videos is a problem but can be achieved through 3rd party integration.
  • Can’t create videos within VIDIZMO.

4. Vimeo

A simpler solution for a simple business use case. This an economic solution with its initial plan starting from $7/month. You can stream and upload videos for the public. It is known as a creative platform and now has over 90M creators. The best part for me and probably all Vimeo users, you can’t find ads popping up everywhere.

Through the reviews on multiple sites, what I discovered about Vimeo is that it has lousy customer service and application glitches. Let us summarize its strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:

  • It’s a good platform to monetize your videos and retain 100% ownership of your content.
  • It supports mainly OTT-focused services.
  • Allows you to insert clickable CTA’s.
  • Freemium model for basic video streaming
  • Add your touch with a brandable video player.

Cons:

  • The high-end package allows live streaming.
  • App bugs, glitches, and lags based on customer reviews.
  • Doesn’t support role-based access and user groups.
  • No customized security policy.
  • Lastly, it doesn’t support internal video streaming.

5. Kaltura

Kaltura stands by its mission to power any video. Founded in 2006, the company hopped towards improvement over time. It is specialized in over-the-top (OTT) and for those who want to add their touch, meaning build-your-own highly customized solution. Still, it doesn’t mean that it’s suitable for enterprises.

It offers on-demand and live streaming of videos for both internal and external audiences. Have a look at the summarized pros and cons.

Pros:

  • OTT solutions enable the monetization of content for media companies.
  • Similar to VIDIZMO, you can segregate the access by creating separate channels.
  • Integrates with multiple video streaming platforms like Zoom and with Learning Management System (LMS) to stream videos on demand.
  • It has AI capabilities for automatically transcribing videos, translations, and transcripts for face and object search.
  • Just like VIDIZMO and Panopto, it is recognized by Gartner, a leading IT firm.

Cons:

  • Not high in security even though it is protected and encrypted because there are no specific content policies.
  • No password protection feature.

6. IBM Watson Media

Our last video CMS option is IBM Watson which offers AI-driven solutions. Over time, Watson Media has changed slightly from its peer-to-peer origin. It provides hosting solutions and cloud video streaming.

To explore further about them, I landed on a website where I found out how costly it can be. If you have enough resources, then IBM Watson is better in terms of security and accessibility. Here are the pros and cons for a better understanding of its robust suite and where it lacks.

Pros:

  • You can monetize your videos.
  • Integrate with other business applications, multi-feed playback, and in-video collaboration tools.
  • For improved search, it allows you to add custom metadata.
  • AI capabilities such as automatic transcription.
  • Track analysis in real-time.

Cons:  

  • The cost is steep for small businesses.
  • Creating user groups and content segregation is not possible.
  • Lack of vital integrations such as SSO.
  • Internal video streaming is not possible.
  • API support is not available in the basic version.

Conclusion

To sum up, every platform has its pros and cons, and the selection is based on your business needs. I would recommend keeping privacy and security in mind irrespective of the cost, as these are the factors that can’t be compromised. In the end, finding a suitable Video CMS will result in an organizational boost and efficient management process of videos.