YouTube was launched back in 2010 and is currently owned by Google itself. On YouTube you can stay for days without realizing how much time just passed by. YouTube is one of the most used website and application where users are active each day. There will be millions of users active right now as your read this article. The content on YouTube can be anything from professional to poorly made. However YouTube allows you to earn as you upload videos. Yes, YouTube is famous for making people filthy rich. It even has awards for its best YouTube stars. You must have encountered them yourself. If you have not yet, you should definitely head over to YouTube and find out all the interesting content. However, you might have some issues. There is a chance that YouTube is blocked in your region or if you are already addicted to YouTube you might think that the content is offensive these days and more hyped about instead. YouTube has definitely begun to compromise on quality while its channels are now focusing more on quantity. Other than that the YouTube stars have produced a lot of controversy these days and it might not sit well with you at all.
YouTube has everything. You can watch Ellen’s channel or you can watch short SNL sketched of your choice. You can watch advertisements to tutorials and academic videos as well. You can even follow your favorite beauty bloggers and watch your favorite movies or documentaries. However, from time to time its always nice to give other similar applications a try and see you might find something there that YouTube does not offer yet. So from here onward we will be introducing some YouTube alternatives that follow similar pattern of a video sharing website. However, some of these websites and applications are truly diverse. they just might be your cup of tea!
There are six YouTube alternatives that you can use to watch any type of appropriate content that you wish to:
- Dailymotion
- Vimeo
- tv
- Veoh
- Metacafe
- Shots Studios
If you pick number one of the YouTube alternatives, you are going to experience the best content by the second largest video streaming website that you can find on the internet. After YouTube, you have Dailymotion that might not look as high definition as YouTube (judging by the interface) but the content on this website actually makes it very entertaining. Dailymotion is also available as a website to access from your browser or as an application that you can launch anytime on your mobile phone. You can access the content on this application with or without an account. From the homepage of Dailymotion you get a list of all the trending videos right now, you can even access categories, sorting and you can also follow channels that you like. This YouTube alternative includes features similar to any other social networking site. You can, if you choose to, even have your own channel and upload videos. While this application might seem like it has amateur content, it includes an array of professionally shot and directed videos as well. You can use the search bar to easily access the content you wish to watch. From music videos to movies to news channels and blogs, Dailymotion has just as much content as YouTube. But there is one feature that sets them both apart; While YouTube is famous for making careers that let you touch the sky, we are not so sure about Dailymotion helping you out that way for now!
The second of YouTube alternatives is Vimeo. Now, Vimeo is a little different than Dailymotion and YouTube. Because the interface it offers is more refined. One might even say that Vimeo is smoother. Either way, the content you can access on Vimeo is endless. Do you like watching videos of cute little kittens meowing? Do you like watching prank videos on the internet or just simple and plain old silly videos that can make you laugh really hard? Vimeo offers all of that for you! Unlike YouTube, Vimeo is more concerned with short films that users create as well as really artsy videos. On Vimeo you will notice a pattern: You will see that people are more concerned regarding the quality of the videos they share instead of the number of videos that they should share each day. You might find the need to use more intuitive to navigate through the homepage but once you get familiar with all the categories, you will definitely be hooked!
One can always compare YouTube and Vimeo and suggest that YouTube has more intelligent content. However, out of the list Vimeo really stands are a true competitor of YouTube and is definitely worth your shot!
Now, they third contender from our list of YouTube alternatives is Blip.tv which also brings to you an experience that is something different. Now the content that you can access on Blip.tv is not directly related to YouTube because what Blip.tv gives you is a lot of mini television series as well as web series instead of a plain collection of random videos. While you might find some off the topic video here and there, Blip.tv is known for encouraging the uploading of serial like content and for that purpose it allows you to access a large range of production tools that you can use to create the best content. On the website, you have access to two type of account; free account and premium account for which you have to pay! But this account definitely comes with a lot of production benefits for all of Blip.tv’s producers! So, if you are into filming short serials and web series or if you wish to give it a shot, you should head over to Blip.tv now. If you are not someone who likes to upload content, you can simply be a consumer of web series and mini television serials. The content surely is very different and fun to watch!
Moving on with the YouTube alternatives, we should talk a little about our fourth competitor: Veoh. Similar to Vimeo, Veoh is slightly different from what you are usually addicted to on YouTube. Unlike Blip.tv however, on Veoh you are supposed to produce long or full length content. This can include self-made movies, videos, animated series and so on. Because on Veoh there is no length limit or size limit that you must meet in order to be able to upload your content. The site would rather encourage you to go for full length movies. So, if you are someone who wishes to watch ten minutes of cat videos you must want to stick to YouTube for that. However, if you are someone who is looking for creative and innovative movies you should definitely head towards Veoh. While the interface of Veoh and the navigation on the website might become the subject of your criticism, it is the rich content available on the site that matters the most! And if you give it time, you will get used to it before you notice. On Veoh you will be able to locate some of the very high quality movies as well as documentaries so give it a whirl!
Then comes Metacafe which is quite yellow in its theme. Similar to YouTube, the homepage of Metacafe will be packed with a lot of latest trending videos that you can watch. However, if you want to you can simply choose any category from the list of categories and find appropriate videos. Each piece of content you find will link you to another content that you can find on Metacafe and so you will easily lose hours from your day without even noticing.
Next on our list of YouTube alternatives is a recent website which used to be an application. Released in 2013 as Shots Studios, this place is where you will find the most comical content from your favorite comedians without even being bored. The videos shared on this website are shorter in length but they all have one theme and one goal: Make the audience laugh. So, if you wish to watch humor filled but high definition content produced by some of your favorite social media comedians, you should head over to Shots studios now! and if you are someone who is already famous and likes to make comedy filled videos, you should definitely try and get in touch with the Shots studios team to get yourself a shot. Because currently, users can only view content instead of uploading their own creations on the website.
So there we have it, six best YouTube alternatives at your door step. Give them all a shot. It might deprive you of many hours of your day but the content on each of these alternatives is worth a shot! Some of these alternatives have the ability to become your next go to application. So test its potential now! Once you get familiar with the idea that the world has more things to offer than just YouTube, you might begin to research on your own and add more potential video sharing sites to the list yourself!
Hina Akram 
Cybil