Pay-per-view content was once deemed suitable only for traditional television companies, which routinely devoted hundreds of their pre-digital channels to paid content and which have increasingly integrated pay-per-use videos into their on-demand content areas. But the Internet is beginning to change the perception that paid movies and television programs are the mainstay of only the most traditional television companies. Indeed, as IPTV takes off in a global sense, pay-per-view is being redefined as a universal technology that is almost common sense online.
That change in perception is being driven by a number of hardware and software developments that specifically cater to online content creators. The rise of IPTV has given companies like EyePartner a reason to develop user-friendly software which enables sharing of all content — paid or unpaid — in high definition, and to a wider and more mobile audience than traditional television technologies allow for. It allows content creators to bypass traditional media outlets and high fees, opening their content to all-new distribution channels.
Setting Content Creators Free of Corporate Constraints
Before the rise of IPTV technology, content creators were subjected to an arduous process that required them to submit their work to major corporations and content distribution companies for approval. This approval determined whether anyone would see their work at all, or whether it would be rejected and tossed aside in favor of other projects. This small group of people essentially dictated the direction and availability of media in countries around the world.
With TikiLIVE, there is no more jockeying for approval, no more thrown-away content, and no more corporate ladder to climb before a project can be seen by the world That’s because TikiLIVE combines dedicated streaming media server technology with a user-friendly administration interface to make online media distribution a reality for content creators of all skill levels.
TikiLIVE comes in several different components, which serve to administer the server, upload content, and create live feeds of streaming media. This comprehensive approach is unlike anything on the market today, including competing streaming server products. Those servers use software solutions from many different companies, and this puzzle-piece approach to content distribution leads to confusing upload processes, complex user interfaces, and an array of videos that cannot be shared with social networking sites and popular blogs.
The Three Components of High Definition Content Distribution
TikiLIVE makes content distribution easy, breaking the process down into three essential parts. These three pillars of distribution cover content creation, website integration, and social media distribution and assure that content creators can cultivate fans and regular website visitors within a short period of time after uploading their inaugural work.
Content Creation: TikiLIVE combines a strong suite of server-side software with desktop computer applications that make content creation and uploading relatively easy. On the server side, TikiLIVE enables multimedia uploading via a web based form, and it enables users to encode and convert that content once it has been upload. Users can then determine whether or not the content should be free or paid, establishing their first revenue 
stream. On the desktop side, customers can download software to their computer which allows them to stream content live to their TikiLIVE server account with just a few easy steps. This is great for the occasional live stream or for broader, television-like live programming.
Website Integration: The developers at EyePartner have worked hard to develop a flexible WordPress plugin that integrates into new and existing blogs powered by the world’s most popular content management software. It allows TikiLIVE users to place their content anywhere on the site, whether that’s the sidebar, the homepage, or a new page dedicated entirely to their video content offerings. The company has also been working on a new encoder to make HTML5 video embedding straightforward, widely compatible, and able to be done using two separate file formats.
Social Media Integration: Because every video uploaded to the TikiLIVE servers is given its own static permalink, as well as placed on a user profile page, it’s easy for TikiLIVE customers to link to those files on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and other social media sites. In fact, Facebook will even use special code to embed the featured video directly into a user’s Timeline and News Feed so that their friends or followers have direct access to the content. For other sites, like Twitter and MySpace, a simple link to the video content can be paired with a short description of the video. It helps the content go viral and gains new website visitors entirely for free — and largely without effort.
Monetizing Independent Content in an Effective Way
TikiLIVE isn’t just about empowering the independent content creator to have their videos seen and their figurative voice heard. Instead, it’s about being able to monetize that content and make real profit based on the quality and popularity of what is produced. To that end, the TikiLIVE software offers two distinct ways to make money based on video content uploaded to the service’s streaming servers.
Similar to the feature offered on most traditional cable television set top boxes, TikiLIVE users can offer their content on an on-demand basis to interested viewers. While this can certainly be done with free content, users can also require that viewers pay a small fee to watch the video for the first time. This small fee adds up and, over time, the most popular content creators who power their works with TikiLIVE end up earning a healthy income. Because the fee allows unlimited use, viewers feel like they’re getting a great deal on their favorite content. It’s perfect for shorter productions and online-only television shows that might lack traditional advertisers.
For those who are creating longer, feature-length content, and even more lucrative option may be appropriate. TikiLIVE allows its customers to turn their independently produced content into pay-per-view programs, where a customer will be required to pay a small fee every time they wish to view the content. For feature length productions or more expensive content, this is the best option to both cover the cost of production and turn a healthy profit with a committed audience that is willing to pay for quality content that they can’t find anywhere else.
Once these productions have been monetized, their inclusion on blogs and social media networks–which TikiLIVE makes relatively easy and straightforward–will only increase their reach and their moneymaking potential. While traditional cable companies might leverage their television platform and promote VOD content with regular advertising, independent content creators on IPTV systems can leverage social media, viral marketing, and prime placement on their own blogs as well as the blogs of fans and supporters.
Flexible Server Options and Powerful Technologies
All of this technology would be useless if EyePartner didn’t back up its TikiLIVE video service with a powerful server and flexible hosting plans. Luckily, the company has the right mix of power and price for a wide range of consumers who are looking to bring their independent work into the internet limelight.
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that every server is powered by Apache 2, widely considered to be the industry standard. These servers make use of an open source operating system, CentOS Linux, which allows the company to undercut the competition on price while offering a superior product. And all of the major server software features are on board with these streaming servers: PHP, MySQL, FFMPEG, and a whole host of tools that make these servers good for more than mere streaming. Then again, with a web based control panel as powerful as the one offered by TikiLIVE, most of the features included with the server are a necessity.
Backing up this commitment to power and features is the company’s affordable pricing structure which bases a consumer’s monthly hosting fee on whether or not they’ll be live streaming or offering VOD content; it then takes into account how many viewers, and how many hours of programming, the customer will be catering to. This flexible pricing structure means that TikiLIVE can easily fit into the budget of an upstart broadcaster, while it can expand and grow with those who achieve success and notoriety with their self-produced content.
The Time to Monetize Independent Content is Now
TikiLIVE does what the cable companies have refused to do for at least a generation. That is, it takes independent content out of the limited film festivals and the living rooms of its creators and it makes it available to the entire world. The Internet has allowed independent producers of short films, television shows, and even feature length productions to share their work with whoever will view it, or whoever will pay a small pay-per-view fee to enjoy something that didn’t come directly from the major studios.
With the option to charge a one-time fee for unlimited access, or charge a per-use, pay-per-view fee on each video, TikiLIVE is a revolutionary new way for artists everywhere to do what they love and get paid for it, without selling their work to major studios and hoping for a distribution deal that is increasingly rare. Contact Eyepartner today for more information on our products.
