Video hosting services refers to websites or software where users can distribute their video clips. Other sites such as file hosting services image hosting services and social network services might support video sharing as an enhancement to their primary mission, but in general, they are not listed here. Many services have options for private sharing and other publication options. Video sharing services can be classified into several categories, among them: user generated video sharing websites, video sharing platform / white label providers and web based video editing. Please note that websites that are solely search engines and do not provide the hosting of their video content (such as Singingfish) are not included in this article. Some services may charge, but the large majority of video sharing sites offer their service for free. Some websites offer commercialization features, such as partnership programs and the ability for users to offer pay-per-view for their videos.
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User generated sites mostly offer free services whereby users can upload video clips and share it with the masses. Many sites place restrictions on the file size, duration, subject matter and format of the uploaded video file. Many sites do not allow inappropriate content though each site makes judgment calls on what qualifies as inappropriate content, usually via its Terms of Service information. Some sites provide access control to adult material where the user must verify that they are of adult age. Some sites screen all their content before it is published and others approve first and use community features to filter out inappropriate content "after-the-fact."
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White-label providers sell the technology to various parties that allow them to create the services of the aforementioned "User Generated Video Sharing" websites with the client's brand. Just as Akamai and other companies host and manage video/image/audio for many companies, these white-labels "host video content". Many of these companies also offer their own user-generated video sharing website both for cats
Enterprise video hosting sites are aimed at businesses wanting to share video content internally with employees or externally with customers, partners, or prospects. Features may include limiting access to authenticated users, tracking of user actions, integration with single sign-on services and a lack of the advertisements normally present on public sites. Among sites in this category are:
Web based video editing sites generally offer the "user generated video sharing" website in addition to some form of editing application. Some of these applications simply allow the user to crop a video into a smaller clip. Other services have invested much time and effort into replicating the same functionality that has previously only been available via Windows Movie Maker, iMovie and other client-side applications that run outside of a web page. Some of these applications are based in AJAX and others in Flash. Some websites also offer downloadable editors but they will not be listed here due to the number of pre-existing video editors.
Websites in this category include: