Whether you have the cutest cat ever or you think you should be the next American Idol, this list of video sharing sites offers you the opportunity to upload your favorite recordings and instantly share them with the world.
List of Video Sharing Sites Available
If you're interested in sharing videos with your online network, there are a number of available sites:
- YouTube is one of the most well-known and popular video sharing sites.
- MySpace is another popular source of online viewing. You must be a MySpace member to upload videos, but anyone can search the archives and watch available clips.
- If you're a Yahoo user, Yahoo! Video is yet another option, featuring an interface and content similar to other sites.
- In addition to being a free photo sharing site, Photobucket also allows users to upload and share videos.
- Blip.tv aims to provide a platform for new media filmmakers and broadcasters. However, despite the lofty goals, in many cases, it contains the same homemade music videos and clips of cute animals and crazy stunts that other sites host.
- JibJab is slightly different than many other entries on the list of video sharing sites. It offers users the chance to place images of themselves and others in humorous videos. Unfortunately, you must pay to share your creations with others, but the site offers free credits for first-time account holders.
- deviantART is a site devoted to artistic expression of all kinds, including film. Video categories include everything from abstract to horror.
Adding Video to Your Blog or Profile
Once you have uploaded a video or found an amazing clip that you can't wait to share, there are a few different ways that you can pass on the footage. The first way is to create a link to the video. The most popular way to pass on a film, however, is to embed it in the page. This makes the video load and play directly on your site, so visitors don't need to stop reading your MySpace page to watch it. Most video sites make it easy to embed by providing the code so you just need to copy it and paste it into your blog or Facebook profile.
Tips for Using Video Sharing Sites
- Use editing software to remove unnecessary footage. If you're showing off a great skateboard trick, remove the times you fell, or if you're performing a song with your band, cut out the sound check. You may even want to play around with adding captions or special effects like a fade out at the end.
- Network with other video makers and watchers. Respond to comments that people leave on your posts. Watch other videos and leave comments. Ask questions of users whose work you enjoy. It's more fun if you feel like you're part of a community.
- Be careful of copyrights. If you've recorded an episode of your favorite television show, it's not legal to upload it to a video site. It's also a copyright violation to use others' songs as background music in your own videos. However, not all use of copyrighted material is forbidden. For instance, when the band Nine Inch Nails released its first online-only album, Ghosts, leader Trent Reznor announced a contest seeking videos and short films set to the album's music. Outside of these sanctioned events, stick to uploading your own personal videos.
- Don't overload your social networking profile or blog with videos. This can make the entire page load slowly, causing frustration for your visitors.
- Don't use video sharing sites to be cruel. If you record your friend dancing awkwardly at a party, laugh about it with each other later. Don't post it on YouTube, so she can become an Internet laughingstock.
