OTT or over-the-top media are one of the most trendy and demanding forms of entertainment for users. You may hear about Netflix, Hulu, and so on. Their standalone service is what you may call OTT media. The provider has total control over the media.
Besides, this is the major advantage of using OTT media. We have so many online platforms like youtube to enjoy multimedia services. So, the question is why you would go for OTT? Thus, you need to know what is OTT along with the advantages and disadvantages. Let’s get into the complete discussion.
What is OTT?
OTT indicates over-the-top media services. Learning to understand OTT through theoretical description is a bit hard. Let’s put it more in the practical way to learn. In simple terms, it is a streaming service. In detail, OTT media is shared through online services. There, a user can enjoy it directly through the internet.
So, a user can enjoy those media through OTT devices like Smart TVs, PC, smartphones, Consoles, and so on. The media services include audio, video, live sessions, product analysis, discussion, or anything else.
In addition, the owner can decide how the boosting, monitorization and other things will be managed. Moreover, this type of sharing is also known as media on demand. You can select whether to get them or not. The period and payment will be offered by the platform or owner. Besides, the audience or user can choose any suitable plan as per demand.
A popular system is the subscription method. We do know about subscriptions, right? Platforms like Netflix, Twitch have this kind of media service. Although, there may be some alternative options like free to watch as well. In the end, they are different from the Youtube service. As a reminder, you can only enjoy them through online streaming services.
Why You should Use OTT?
There are several distinct media facilities you can only get in an OTT or over-the-top service. Cable-connected TV channels have been pretty well known for a long time. Even though we get a large number of channels, there are a lot of issues with it. In most cases, we get a lot of channels but there is no control over the selection. So, many of our desired channels get out of reach.
Another major issue is that we don’t really need that many channels. A collection of necessary channels is enough. Because of that, we need to pay for additional channels as well. OTT service lets us get rid of those restrictions. You can get any channel and pay as much as you want to use.
This facility goes for other media services as well. A monthly or yearly subscription means you only pay whenever you need it. Another great advantage is that you will not miss anything. Even if you miss a show or anything, it will be stored. You can just get it anywhere at any time. These are the things any user wants to enjoy while enjoying media.
We can only get them in an OTT media service. Because of that, the popularity of such platforms is growing rapidly. Moreover, more and more media creators are getting interested in this as OTT interacts directly with the audience. Thus, so many exclusive collections are getting into those platforms which is another reason to move into OTT.
OTT Media providers
Every year, more and more OTT providers are coming to the business. Surprisingly, a lot of them are getting popularity and global recognition. Let’s pick some of the most popular names out there.
Netflix
Netflix is the most growing OTT platform out there. Its popularity and audience count have reached a whole new milestone. Their global subscriber count is more than $158 million. The number is even growing higher.
Moreover, they produce a large amount of original content regularly. It is one of the major reasons behind such great success. Consider it as the best OTT platform in the market. Pricing: $8.99-15.99/month.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is another most growing OTT platform. Its global popularity is as huge as Netflix. They have more than 101 million subscribers. It offers both purchasing original content and online streaming. Thus, it is one of the best OTT platforms as well. Pricing: $8.99-14.99/month
Hulu
Besides Netflix and Amazon Prime, Hulu is another top choice out there. Not to mention, it has $28 million, official subscribers. Moreover, it is one of the most expensive platforms as well. You will get original content right after a day of release. Hulu also has an exclusive channel deal for sport and other categories. Pricing: $5.99-54.99/month
HBO
HBO has been our favorite TV channel for a long time. It has been popular for some of the most famous TV series. Currently, there are more than 8 million subscribers. On top of that, you get to buy and watch their exclusive collection. Pricing: $14.99/month
Disney++
Disney has earned their reputation for some of the best and most exciting shows of our childhood. A lot of movies and special series came out from Disney. Currently, they have more than 10 million subscribers in hand. Even though it is a new platform, they have earned quite a reputation within a short time. Pricing: $8/month
SonyLiv
SonyLiv is an Indian OTT platform. It is one of the top grade and most popular platforms as well. Surprisingly, it is the cheapest OTT platform on our list. Moreover, they have multiple subscription plans to go for. They have more than 23 million active users. Pricing: RS 299-999/year
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is an exclusive OTT media service from Apple. Its high-quality media quality is more than you would ask for. The 4K resolution with the cheapest $5 subscription rate is an amazing deal. They have more than 40 million subscribers. Pricing: $5/month
Is OTT Better Than YouTube?
Both Youtube and OTT have their distinct features and advantages. Even though they are pretty comparable, there are few exclusive benefits of OTT. First of all, the advertisement. All the popular OTT platforms offer ad-free content.
But, the major advantage is the control over the contents.
The owner can decide everything about the content. Besides, the overall features are also better comparing Youtube. It is more direct with the customer-driven customization options. A user can directly get into the customer without any issue.
Besides, the consumer also gets a chance to select their desired contents. The flexibility from owner and consumer makes it a win-win situation for both parties. Thus, OTT is really an updated and improved version of Youtube.
What are The Benefits of OTT?
OTT is amazing with all the exclusive features it has. It has sorted out a new way of distributing different media. Let’s talk about some of its benefits that you get to enjoy.
- Distribution
As we mentioned, media distribution is important. With OTT, you can directly get into the audience who are subscribed to get them.
- Content Copyright
A unique advantage is that you will get many unique contents with the highest transparency. Besides, every content you enjoy will be out of any illegal objection.
- Content Control
OTT provides more control than any other media setting. Monetization, boosting, targeted audience, library creation, and more. You will get such amazing additions only with OTT media.
- Unique Contents
It is becoming a tradition that more and more unique TV series, dramas, streaming, and more are getting into OTT media. Legally, you can only enjoy them through an OTT media provider.
Conclusion
OTT or over-the-top media is the best way to get rid of those complicated cable TV connections. Moreover, you get to pay as much as you enjoy. Besides, there is a lot of upcoming unique content you can only enjoy through it. As it is improved and beneficial for both creator and audience.
Moreover, you can even buy digital copies. In the end, OTT is the future of personalized media sharing. We have mentioned detailed information along with popular OTT platforms.
We also mentioned the regular OTT subscription charge. Although, you may get different discount offers from many local providers. If you are a content creator then OTT is even more convincing as you will be able to interact with the audience closely. So, you should try out any favorable OTT platform to grow the content business even more.