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Video SaaS solutions are getting more popular each year. But what are Video SaaS solutions, and what are the best ones?
Read on to find out.
What is a video SaaS solution?
Software as a Service (SaaS) are cloud-based applications provided over the internet as a service. It gives users access to applications on a subscription basis. Data from the app is stored on the company's servers rather than on your computer. Additionally, computing is done on the cloud rather than on your system.
In this case, a video SaaS is a video-focused application provided over the internet as a service. They help in production, hosting, distribution, streaming, etc. These applications can be accessed with a web browser, desktop, or mobile app.
Benefits of SaaS video solutions
Video SaaS solutions have become extremely popular because of:
Low costs
SaaS apps require no installation (as you can use them via a browser) and require no maintenance (as the vendor carries out the maintenance).
This saves you money that you’d have to spend hiring a professional to install these services.
Moreover, multiple users can use a single SaaS subscription. This eliminates the need to obtain expensive licensing for every device.
And finally, SaaS platforms use the ‘pay-as-you-go’ approach, where you can pay for the app only when you need to.
Scalability
With SaaS, you only need to purchase subscriptions for only those users in your company that need them. However, if you need to buy more ‘seats’ in the future, you can do so easily — making SaaS software easily scalable.
Additionally, you don’t have to worry about a lack of server space affecting scalability, as the vendor handles both storage and processing.
Maintenance
Any patch or update on a SaaS app will automatically be installed on your computer/phone when you open the app. Or they will be automatically updated on the web client.
In this way, you get the most up-to-date version of the program without needing to hire personnel for maintenance.
Easy accessibility
You can access most SaaS apps through your computer or phone browser — making them more accessible than traditional apps.
Limitations of SaaS video solutions
While SaaS apps come with plenty of useful advantages, they also come with limitations like:
Lack of control
They don’t give you control over the backend, as the provider manages the app.
Speed
SaaS apps may perform slowly as compared to in-house installed apps. Slow internet speeds make this especially true.
Data Transfer
If you’re unsatisfied with your SaaS provider, you will find it hard to transfer data to a new provider.
What to consider when choosing a SaaS video solution?
Depending on the video SaaS product you’re looking for, you’ll want to consider different features. For example, if you’re looking for a video editing SaaS product, you’ll want to look at compatible video formats but not worry about streaming capabilities.
That being said, the following is a general list of things you may consider when choosing a SaaS video solution.
Security
Ensure that the SaaS vendor keeps your data secure.
Companies that have been reviewed by industry experts are safer than companies that haven’t been reviewed. You can check reviews from popular websites to find out what experts say about a company.
There are also some recognized certifications such as SOC 2 compliance, that can indicate the safety and security of a platform.
Video editing tools
If you’re looking for a video editing-based SaaS then you’ll want to see what editing tools a program offers. You may want tools for trimming, cropping, filters, and more. We suggest thinking about what kind of editing you need first. Some software has both recording and editing capabilities in one. If you need both this is a great solution as you don’t have to use two separate platforms. This also saves both time and money.
Digital Content Management
Video can be data-intensive, so if you’re dealing with hosting a lot of videos you may want to look for a video SaaS platform with adequate data storage. This will allow you to store a large number of videos on the platform.
Also, ensure that the service has good navigation options so it’ll be easy to search, retrieve, organize, and share videos.
Streaming
If you’re looking to go live, then your video SaaS solution should have great live-streaming features. Also, watch for live chat options and the ability to share media like documents, images, or presentations.
You’ll want a service that can stream worldwide with low latency and high quality. Users should also have the option to change the video resolution if they don’t have good internet. We suggest choosing a platform that allows you to simulcast to various platforms at once and it’s good to have custom RTMP capabilities to give you more freedom as to where you push your video stream.
Recording capabilities
If recording is your main focus, look for a video SaaS that supports high-resolution video and audio recording. We suggest at least going for 720 HD video, but some software can even record at up to 4K resolution.
If you’re recording a podcast or online video interviews, you’ll also need software that can record guests remotely. While many video conferencing apps enable recording they’re not always the best quality so make sure to choose recording-focused software and not just any video-calling app if this is your focus.
Compatible video formats
Make sure that the software supports the video format of your choice. Popular video formats include MP4, MOV, WMV, FLV, and AVI.
Hosting
If you’re looking for a video hosting service, you’ll want to look for one that has a responsive and customizable video player, has video SEO, and great analytics tools. It should also have enough cloud storage, as videos tend to be memory-heavy.
Now that you know what to look for in a Video SaaS solution, let’s look into the best ones available in the market in 2024.
Best Video SaaS platforms for 2024
Riverside
If you want to record videos with the highest video and audio quality, then you must try Riverside. These two features, coupled with the fact that it’s easy and intuitive to use, make it popular among podcasters and creators.
Riverside allows you to add up to 9 people to join in on a video or audio call. Once the call begins. Riverside automatically takes care of the recording.
Key features
- High resolution with up to 4K video and 48Hz uncompressed audio
- Local recording to ensure no internet connection interferes with recording resolution
- Separate audio and video tracks for all participants for more seamless post-production
- Cloud storage with videos automatically uploading to the cloud while recording
- Text-based editor which makes editing video as easily as editing a transcript
- Automated editing tools forfinetuning as well as customizable backgrounds, logos, and layouts
- Magic Clips tool that converts long-form recordings into short shareable clips for social media, in just one click
- Live streaming to external platforms like YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, and Twitter
- On-the-go video recording with Android and iOS mobile apps
- Media board to add visual and audio effects live
- Producer mode for controlling recordings behind the scenes
- Business plan with collaborative spaces for easy video content management
Pros
- Doesn’t depend on internet for high-quality resolution
- Easy to use and invite guests with
- All-in-one video recording and editing platform
- Reliable remote recording on any device
- Affordable and caters to solo video creators as well as enterprise teams
Cons
- Limited video editing tools
Zoom
One of the most popular video SaaS solutions is Zoom. It’s used by individuals for both professional and personal video/audio communication.
The app skyrocketed in popularity in 2020 and was downloaded 485 million times in the same year. In 2020, Zoom logged in over 300 million daily meeting participants, a huge jump from the 10 million participants in 2019. It also has over 500,000 businesses as customers.
Key Features
- 1-1 and group meetings (capped to 40 minutes for the free version)
- Can handle 100-1000 people depending on the subscription plan
- Screen sharing, which is great for teaching purposes
- Recording capabilities so you can capture your video calls
Pros
- Easy and intuitive to use
- Perfect for running webinars
- Secure
Cons
- Restrictive time limits for the free version
- Recording quality isn’t the best
- No editing tools are available
Loom
Loom is a video messaging tool that’s often used to send quick shareable videos. The platform can be used as a messaging service, for workplace videos, and more.
So how does Loom work?
Basically, you hit record, state your message, stop recording, and then get a shareable link to the video. It’s that easy.
Loom can be downloaded as a desktop app or can be used directly in a browser like Chrome.
Key features
- Screen, audio and video recorder
- Instant shareable link once a video is recorded
- Video editing feature for trimming videos, custom thumbnails, and adding calls-to-action
- Commenting option for adding comments and notes as annotations in the video at any point in the recording
- Cloud storage
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great organization features
- Has a ‘seen’ feature that lets you know when someone watches your video
Cons
- The free version only allows recording of up to 5 minutes
GoToMeeting
GoToMeeting is a video conferencing option like Zoom. It’s used as an online meeting, video conferencing, and desktop-sharing application.
Key Features
- Fantastic security features that make it a safe and reliable option for big businesses
- Handles up to 3000 participants
- Offers unlimited cloud storage
- Affordable pricing
Pros
- An affordable conferencing option
- Can handle a large number of participants
- Great security
Cons
- Not the most intuitive interface
Discord
Discord is an online communication tool that’s been gaining popularity because of its incredible features. In fact, it was so good that Microsoft tried to buy it for 10 billion.
At first, the service started out as a tool for gamers to communicate with each other. But non-gamers soon started finding the features useful and they started using it too.
Just like Reddit, Discord lets you create communities or participate in them. These communities tend to be very diverse with all sorts of topics of interest, like gaming, crypto, philosophy, spirituality, and so much more. And just like Slack, it has servers with themed channels where members discuss various topics.
Key features
- Community-based servers
- Fantastic DM, voice call, and group chat options
- Live streaming capabilities, similar to Twitch
- Social features that allows users to watch Netflix or listen to Spotify together
Pros
- Text, audio, and chat options
- Create or join community-based servers
- Plenty of customization options
Cons
- Streaming videos in a higher resolution is a paid option
Hopin
Hopin is used for hosting virtual events — it basically simulates a real-life conference virtually. With it, you can host events for up to 100,000 attendees. As of September 2021, the company is valued at about $7.95 billion.
The company has hosted over 80,000 events and has hundreds of thousands of customers, including American Express and The Financial Times. They’ve also worked with large organizations like United Nations and NATO.
Key features
- Customizable landing pages where attendees can view the event description, speakers, and schedule
- Speed networking features that allow people in the virtual event to mingle with each other
- The ability to set up virtual stalls that different exhibitors can occupy
Pros
- User-friendly for attendees
- Great support
- Events can be highly customized
Cons
- Not so user-friendly for the host
Vimeo
Artists, advertisers, and filmmakers often use Vimeo to showcase high-quality video content. It’s a paid platform that’s “by filmmakers for filmmakers.”
You can use Vimeo to upload videos to your website. While you can use YouTube for the same, you'll be stuck with YouTube's bland default browser. Moreover, your audience will be shown YouTube’s “Recommended Videos” instead of your own videos. This can be especially dangerous if your competitors' video shows up.
Key features
- Brand your player and add custom colors
- Email sign-up options that pop up at the end of a video
- Easy uploading from apps like Google Drive and Dropbox.
- Privacy options to make your video public, private, or restricted.
- Vimeo Create – a video editor that allows for timeline editing, attractive video templates, transitions, and more.
Pros
- Great for businesses to host their videos
- Comes with a basic video editor
- No ads played during videos, unlike YouTube
Cons
- Not as popular as YouTube
- Uploading and storing videos requires a paid subscription
Bonus!: The best VPaaS video solutions
Before we get into the best VPaaS solutions, let’s look at what a ‘VPaaS’ even means.
Video Platform as a Service (VPaaS) is a cloud-based third-party platform that provides resources to improve, manage or maintain existing video apps or software. They help bring video experiences into existing apps and workflows. These services usually help users with video analytics, video monetization, provide various embed options, APIs, and more.
The main difference between SaaS and VPaas is that while SaaS applications are completely ready-to-use apps, PaaS provides developers with a framework, software, and tools to build apps and customize them.
Let’s look at two of the best VPaaS solutions available now:
Wistia
Wistia provides video-hosting services for businesses. Its VPaaS functionalities include video embedding on websites, video analytics, A/B testing, and more.
Using Wistia is intuitive thanks to its simple platform. You can customize its video player endlessly. You can choose the size and color of the video player, add social links, and more. This helps differentiate your brand.
Key features
- Video analytics that summarizes the number of visitors, hours watched, number of plays, and other vital metrics
- Heatmaps feature tells you how much of the video was watched, how many times it was replayed, skipped, and rewound
- Clickable calls to action on videos
- Turnstile email collector that helps collect emails from videos
- SEO tool that optimizes videos for Google and sets up video metadata, which helps boost your ranking on Google
Pros
- Great for SEO
- Great analytics
- Customizable video player
Cons
- Expensive
Kaltura
Kaltura is a cloud-based hosting and dedicated content management system that supports both live and on-demand content. It is often used by educational institutions or e-learning services. But since it’s open-source, it's also widely used by other kinds of businesses as well.
Kaltura’s VPaaS offers secure hosting, streaming, asset management, video editing, deep media analytics, and much more.
Key Features
- Open-source, so users can create custom add-ons and integrations
- Cloud video transcoding and image manipulation
- Advanced video analytics
- Fast online video player for web and native
- Optimized storage and media repurposing workflows
- Platform API that helps you integrate monetization systems like AVOD, SVOD, pay-per-view, and others easily
Pros
- Multistreaming
- Attendance Tracking
- Speech-to-Text analysis
Cons
- Very complicated, especially for the average user
FAQs on Video SaaS Solutions
Is Vidyard a SaaS?
Yes, Vidyard is a SaaS platform. Marketers and salespeople use it to record and send memorable and impactful videos to clients throughout the sales cycle.
What is an enterprise video service?
An enterprise video service helps larger organizations manage video content and facilitate video communication.
These services can be used for internal communication, external communication, corporate training, webinars, and more.
What is the leading video-sharing platform?
The best video-sharing platform is YouTube. The platform has 2.5 billion users, which automatically makes it the most widely used video-sharing platform. Its large number of users helps videos to reach more eyeballs than other platforms.
What is the first video platform?
The first video platform is ShareYourWorld.com. It was the precursor to YouTube, and it was similar in that users could upload videos to the site.
The founder Chase Norlin eventually closed it in 2001 due to budget and bandwidth constraints.
What social media sites are video-sharing services?
The social media sites that also serve as video-sharing services are primarily YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
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