Amazon Releases New Video Platform & Takes Aim at YouTube


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Amazon, the world's shopping destination, has just decided to go head to head with YouTube by launching Amazon Video Direct (AVD), a new video hosting platform that's open to the public. This is not only a very smart way to feed Amazon Prime but it's also bound to bring in a solid advertising income that Amazon has so far left untapped. Amazon Video Direct is currently offering four different options for distribution and monetization of your video content. Content creators can:

  1. Make their videos available through Prime Video and receive a royalty fee of 15 cents/hour domestically and 6 cents/hour outside the US up to a $75,000 cap

  2. Have their content sold as an add-on through Amazon's Streaming Partners Program

  3. Make their videos available for rent or purchase and receive 50% of the retail price

  4. Offer their videos for free with ads to all Amazon users and receive 55% of the ad revenue

When Amazon Video Direct launched in early May its video publishing partners included: Conde Nast Entertainment, HowStuffWorks, Samuel Goldwyn Films, the Guardian, Mashable, Mattel, StyleHaul, Kin Community, Jash, Business Insider, Machinima, TYT Network, Baby Einstein, CJ Entertainment America, Xive TV, Synergetic Distribution, Kino Nation, Journeyman Pictures and Pro Guitar Lessons.

Amazon has also launched an AVD Stars program to incentivize and reward top video producers. Bonuses will be going out to creators of the most popular content as early as June 1st. Amazon explains it like this:

Amazon will distribute a share of $1,000,000 per month as a bonus to the Top 100 titles included with Prime through Amazon Video Direct. This bonus—based on global customer engagement—is incremental to revenue earned from hours streamed, rentals, purchases, monthly subscriptions, and ad impressions. All of your titles included with Prime are automatically eligible.

Amazon Video Direct will be available for streaming on any device compatible with Amazon Video including mobile and game consoles but its content is currently only available for streaming in the US, UK, Germany, Austria and Japan. Publishers can signup

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