What is videoblogging? Depends who you ask, but let's accept as a working definition: "Distributing personal video over the Internet." By "personal" I mean that you're probably not a big name or working in Hollywood, though perhaps you aspire to. "Distributing" usually includes having an RSS feed so that people can easily watch your video in their preferred aggregator.
Learn How to Videoblog
- Freevlog
- For free...
- Feevlog
- ...or pay a bit for (generally) better service.
- Why Flash is Here to Stay
- ...with lots of helpful information on how to use Flash video for your videoblog, and links to free tools.
- My Own Videoblogging Process
- ...not quite like anyone else's. People have been asking how I use Flash in my site, so here's an overview of my entire videoblogging process.
- VlogAssist
- Resources for vloggers - discussion forums.
- Learn to produce, distribute, and promote your video with Web Video 101
- The Phovi Blog Learn to produce, distribute, and promote your video with Web Video 101
September 1st, 2006 - YouTube Video Toolbox
- A series of tutorials from the big guys - all in text, oddly enough...
Videoblogging Stuff on Amazon
Videoblogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Amazon Price: $22.49 (as of 10/07/2008)
Videoblogging
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 10/07/2008)
Secrets of Videoblogging (Secrets of...)
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 10/07/2008)
Be a Better Filmmaker
Now that major and minor TV stations are jumping into the citizens' media act, lots of useful guides are springing up to help us learn how to do their jobs for them - and we do it for free! (Uh, hmm - something wrong with that picture?)
Many of them go on to the nitty-gritties of editing and compression as well.
Many of them go on to the nitty-gritties of editing and compression as well.
- BBC
- Free online courses for "professional" filmmakers.
- CurrentTV
- Guides on storytelling, gear, shooting, editing, and compression.
- Shooting Web video: How to put your readers at the scene
- Freelance writers, bloggers and independent journalists yearning to use video on the Internet, grab your PDAs. Use these tips to help you begin shooting and editing your own Web video stories.
Online Journalism Review - vloblive.info
- Very LOw Budget LIve Video for Events
Tips, tricks and lessons learned from doing live video on a shoestring. - Channel4.com
- Britain's Channel 4 - Guide for makers of "FourDocs" (citizen documentaries).
- Digital Video in the Classroom
- From "Technology School of the Future" - The potential of computer based digital video in expanding and extending a student's capability to think, learn, understand and communicate is enormous.
- Freevlog ยป Tutorial: Secrets of Videoblogging-Editing for Vlogs
- Making you a kick-ass videoblogger
Videoblogging FAQ #1: What video format should I use?
Any or all of these:
1. MOV (QuickTime). Pro: Easy and cheap/free to create on a Mac, any Mac user can view. Con: Windows users will have to download a plugin.
2. WMV (Windows Media Player). Everything I said above about MOV for the Mac is true of WMV on Windows.
3. SWF (Flash). You'll need additional compression software (e.g. Sorenson Squeeze, $99) to create it, but 96% of web users already have installed the plugin they need to view it.
4. M4V: Native (though not only) format for video iPods. Most easily created using QuickTime Pro ($30).
The best choice for you will depend on your time and resources (including storage) and your intended audience. e.g., if you want to promote your videos through iTunes, you'll have to use an iPod-friendly format.
1. MOV (QuickTime). Pro: Easy and cheap/free to create on a Mac, any Mac user can view. Con: Windows users will have to download a plugin.
2. WMV (Windows Media Player). Everything I said above about MOV for the Mac is true of WMV on Windows.
3. SWF (Flash). You'll need additional compression software (e.g. Sorenson Squeeze, $99) to create it, but 96% of web users already have installed the plugin they need to view it.
4. M4V: Native (though not only) format for video iPods. Most easily created using QuickTime Pro ($30).
The best choice for you will depend on your time and resources (including storage) and your intended audience. e.g., if you want to promote your videos through iTunes, you'll have to use an iPod-friendly format.
Yahoo Videoblogging Group
Founded in June, 2004, the Internet's oldest, largest, and most active discussion group on everything about videoblogging. Be prepared for a lot of lively discussion (that you won't always agree with) and (mostly) very kind and helpful people. Sometimes we wander off topic, or have long philosophical arguments, but mostly it's good, meaty stuff about videoblogging. Here's a feed of the most recent messages:
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMostly Free Video Hosting
Places to post your video
...so you don't strain your webserver, blog host, etc. New services are springing up all the time, so don't consider any listing to be exhaustive.
Most will only accept video in certain formats, which they then may convert to some other format. So one service or another make work well for you, depending on what OS and software you prefer.
NOTE: Many of these services are still in beta and many are pretty rough around the edges - short of usability, instructions, and clarity. There's still some way to go in really bringing videoblogging to the masses...
Third-party hosting services work best if you are creating your own original video. If you're looking for a place to post the latest "viral" that belongs to someone else, be aware that many services are starting to crack down on copyright abuse and will delete the accounts of repeat offenders.
But you're a real videoblogger so that's not an issue for you, right?
Most will only accept video in certain formats, which they then may convert to some other format. So one service or another make work well for you, depending on what OS and software you prefer.
NOTE: Many of these services are still in beta and many are pretty rough around the edges - short of usability, instructions, and clarity. There's still some way to go in really bringing videoblogging to the masses...
Third-party hosting services work best if you are creating your own original video. If you're looking for a place to post the latest "viral" that belongs to someone else, be aware that many services are starting to crack down on copyright abuse and will delete the accounts of repeat offenders.
But you're a real videoblogger so that's not an issue for you, right?
- Deirdre's Test Page
- Test page on my site where you can compare presentation and speed of some of these hosting services (and more as I have time to add them).
- The Flickrs of Video
- Useful comparative review of several video hosting sites. (Somewhat out of date by now!)
- Testing Grounds @ loadedpun
- Testing Grounds, hosted by loadedpun.com,is testing area for video upload sites and software. We test them first so you don't have to. Reviews and comments welcome.
Tools for Videobloggers
- Video Pop-Up Link Maker
- "This is a little wizard that writes the code for you to generate pop-up windows with embedded videos. Paste in your video URL, give it a title, and paste an image URL if you'd like. Then copy and paste the
generated code into your blog entry -- Shazzam!
The code generated will launch a small pop up window with your video embedded. Its still a little experimental, but basically works with most video types that play using Quicktime or Windows Media plugins."
Publicize Your Videoblog Even Without an RSS Feed
Add your vlog/site to as many relevant directories as you can find.
- 12 Ways to Promote Your Podcast
- Most of the advice here applies equally to videoblogs.
- VlogDir
- A directory.
- PodcastStyle.com - Podcast Links Directory.
- "The Most Relevant Directory on the Internet."
- Welcome to the world of video blogs | VlogMap Community
- A world map of vloggers and their video blogs (vlogs, vidcasts, vodcasts, vids, vods and video podcasts).
How to Get an RSS Feed
Most blog/vlog hosts do this automatically, but if (like me) you're doing something weird (like showing your video on a plain old website), you can still have an RSS feed to alert people to cool new stuff they should come and see.
Better yet, with RSS 2.0, they can view your video directly in most feed readers and aggregators.
Creating a feed with all the goodies is complicated. I suggest you let these nice folks do it for you:
Better yet, with RSS 2.0, they can view your video directly in most feed readers and aggregators.
Creating a feed with all the goodies is complicated. I suggest you let these nice folks do it for you:
- Feedburner
- Create a feed with all the frills, the easy way.
Publicize Your Videoblog WITH an RSS Feed
If you can/want to make videos in a MOV or M4V, try to get listed in Apple's iTunes directory. This may not be easy (it took me 4 tries), but is will give you a LOT of exposure.
In iTunes, click on "Podcast" in the upper left, then "Submit a Podcast", and follow the instructions.
If you've got an RSS feed, there are about a zillion directories you can get listed in. Here's one way to get into a bunch at once:
In iTunes, click on "Podcast" in the upper left, then "Submit a Podcast", and follow the instructions.
If you've got an RSS feed, there are about a zillion directories you can get listed in. Here's one way to get into a bunch at once:
- FeedPing
- Automatically submit your feed to a bunch of directories.
- Ping-o-matic
- Will ping over 20 popular feed directories at once.
- Apple FAQs on Podcasts
- Including detailed instructions on how to submit your podcast to iTunes.
- blinkx.tv
- "Submit content" to be indexed and included in their directory.
- Pingoat
- Another pinging service.
- VODCASTS.TV | Vodcasting | Your Vodcast Directory
- Vodcasts.tv is the first vodcast directory, the best site to find all your vodcasts, vodcast feeds and vodcast software.
- vlogmap.org
- A world map of video blogs (vlogs) by vloggers.
- ZENcast.com - Ultimate source for free video blogs and podcasts
- Another directory.
- VLogList.com
- Another place to list your vlog.
Ways to View Videoblogs
The vlog hosting services mentioned above of course offer ways to view the videos they host, but what if you want to look at vlogs from a variety of sites?
- Mefeedia
- Web-based vlog aggregator with trailers, comments, and ratings.
- FireANT
- A video aggregator for Mac and Windows. Subscribe to the RSS feeds of your favorite vlogs, and FireANT will download the latest videos for you automatically.
- iTunes
- You don't have to own a video iPod to grab and view great videos - just download the iTunes software and subscribe to "video Podcasts."
What to Watch
As videoblogging becomes more popular and the number of vlogs climbs steeply, WHAT to watch starts to become a dilemma. Here are some resources that you can think of as VB Guides - videobloggers recommending other videoblogs that they like.
- Vlog Soup
- Steve Garfield's Video Blog features The Carol and Steve Show - 'Real' reality TV, and Vlog Soup - a video tour around the vlogosphere.
- Josh Leo's Picks
- What Josh likes.
- Del.icio.us
- Videos tagged by Del.icio.us users.
- Mefeedia Popularity Rankings
- If you want to see what others like.
- RealPeopleNetwork
- JD Lasica's Vlog about Vlogging.
What About Music?
What can I use, legally?
Great music can add tremendously to the effectiveness of a video, whether you use it as an intro, outro, background, or your entire soundtrack.
It's tempting - and fun! - to use familiar tunes in your videos. But is it legal?
The short answer is: probably not, though it seems unlikely that you'd get in trouble for it AS LONG AS you are only distributing your videos for fun (that is, NOT charging for them in any way).
However, some hosting services will not accept any media to which the person posting it does not have full legal rights. (Ourmedia is particularly sensitive about this.) And, if you're a nervous sort, you may prefer to be careful.
So how can you include music with your video and keep it entirely legal?
One way is to record your own - though keep in mind that you'd still owe royalties on your cover of Madonna's latest, no matter how, er, different from the original.
Or check out one of these resources for music whose creators WANT you to use it, as long as you give them credit. To find more, look for "podsafe music."
Before you use a tune, check carefully that the artist's license allows you to use it in this way; the sites are usually pretty clear about what you can and can't do.
It's tempting - and fun! - to use familiar tunes in your videos. But is it legal?
The short answer is: probably not, though it seems unlikely that you'd get in trouble for it AS LONG AS you are only distributing your videos for fun (that is, NOT charging for them in any way).
However, some hosting services will not accept any media to which the person posting it does not have full legal rights. (Ourmedia is particularly sensitive about this.) And, if you're a nervous sort, you may prefer to be careful.
So how can you include music with your video and keep it entirely legal?
One way is to record your own - though keep in mind that you'd still owe royalties on your cover of Madonna's latest, no matter how, er, different from the original.
Or check out one of these resources for music whose creators WANT you to use it, as long as you give them credit. To find more, look for "podsafe music."
Before you use a tune, check carefully that the artist's license allows you to use it in this way; the sites are usually pretty clear about what you can and can't do.
- Podcast NYC
- "Fresh cuts from the bands and artists that make the NYC music scene the best in the world."
- Opsound
- "Opsound is a gift economy in action, an experiment in applying the model of free software to music."
- Association of Music Podcasting
- "We are a bunch of music lovers who have access to great, mostly independent music ... It is all 100% legal and safe to download."
- Podsafe Music Network
- "Works submitted to the Podsafe Music Network are the property of the artist, and all rights to these works, including lyrics and music, are the property of the artist..."
- Magnatune
- "Internet music without the guilt."
How to Make Money Videoblogging
...if you care about all that crass commercial stuff ; )
- Will Video for Food
- Viral Video Tips for Videographers and Advertisers
