Are you wondering how to make a streaming website? You’ve arrived at the perfect place. This guide explains how to create and monetize your streaming platform with ads and other methods. Read on to learn the ins and outs of running a successful movie streaming website.
What is a movie streaming website and why create one?
A movie streaming website is loosely defined as a site that hosts movies. It hosts a movie library that others can stream from their homes, offices, commutes, or any location.
Netflix and Disney+ are the most popular streaming platforms, but these are massive examples with hundreds of millions of users. Many other platforms exist on a smaller scale, focusing on a specific niche for a loyal audience. You can start your own and benefit from this potentially lucrative opportunity. For reference, here’s a case study of a publisher who earned $9,000 monthly from a movie trailer website:
This guide will explain how to make a video streaming website and monetize it effectively.
To Contents ↑Can you make money from video content?
Yes, streaming website owners can make considerable money. You can monetize streaming sites both with display ads and user subscriptions. For instance, Adsterra unlocks access to high-quality advertisers in your movie niche, e.g., E-commerce brands and software providers. When users view or click on ads, you’ll earn money.
You can also charge monthly or annual subscriptions to stream your site’s content. This model provides steady revenue, but it’s difficult for newcomers to implement. Building a fanbase and convincing some of them to pay for your content takes significant time. Likewise, you can combine ads and subscriptions on the same streaming site to make money.
To Contents ↑Understanding licensing movies for public use
What is movie licensing?
Movie licensing entails obtaining permission from movie copyright holders to stream their content. After its creation, every movie is granted copyright protection. The movie producer usually owns the copyright, but they can sell it to a third party. Licensing involves paying the copyright holder for permission to add their movie to your content library.
Do I need a license to stream a movie?
Yes, you need a license to stream any movie under copyright protection. The exception is public domain movies, i.e., films that have lost copyright protection after 95 to 120 years of existence. Some producers also purposely release their movies into the public domain, so you don’t need a license to stream such movies.
Most movies are copyrighted by default, except when stated otherwise. To find public domain movies, you can check sites like PublicDomainMovie.net, PublicDomainMovies.info, and Infodigi’s public domain list.
Most movie studios have a licensing department you can contact via email or telephone. Smaller, independent movie creators also list their contact information online. Some websites, such as Swank Motion Pictures, aggregate movies across different niches and let streamers purchase licenses seamlessly. This option is more convenient than struggling to find contact information and negotiating directly with copyright holders.
To Contents ↑How much does movie licensing cost?
The cost depends on the movie you want to license. The rule of thumb is that the more popular a movie is, the more expensive it is to license. As a small streamer, you can focus on affordable films and build a lucrative niche.
What happens if I don’t buy a movie license?
Streaming movies without appropriate licenses exposes you to legal troubles. The copyright owner can sue you for monetary damages and prevail. Illegal streaming can also attract criminal charges and jail time. For example, in 2023, five people were sentenced to at least 3 years for illegally streaming Premier League soccer matches. Showing movies without a license is not advisable.
Complete guide on creating a streaming website (for Movie niche)
1. Make a plan
A successful streaming website starts with a plan. At this stage, you’ll formulate your video streaming strategy. How large will your content library be? What video quality will users get? Will you add complementary features like games and a live chat panel? These are common considerations when planning your movie streaming service. Let’s dive deeper into other planning considerations.
Identify your unique value proposition (UVP)
The unique value proposition (UVP) is your website’s selling point. It’s a short statement communicating why people should choose your streaming website over others. The UVP can be your niche, e.g., “Come for the best horror movies,” or “Watch the old classic movies you’ll hardly find anywhere else.” It can be the streaming quality, price, library size, or other factors. The below table contains some catchy UVP ideas:
| Theme | UVP |
|---|---|
| Exclusivity | Our platform helps movie lovers access exclusive content by offering curated collections and personalized recommendations. |
| Time-saving | Our service helps busy professionals unwind with quality movies and quick searches. |
| Family-friendliness | Our site is perfect for families who enjoy watching movies together. We offer family-friendly content and avoid inappropriate content. |
| Foreign movies | Our site helps international audiences access movies from various cultures by offering multilingual subtitles. |
| Affordability | Our service helps budget-conscious viewers watch movies affordably by offering flexible subscription options to increase your value for money. |
| User-friendliness | Our platform helps mobile users stream movies on the go with stellar speed and video quality. |
| Specific niche | Our website helps indie film lovers discover independent, under-the-radar gems. |
| Binge-watching/large content library | Our site helps binge-watchers watch the best trending shows. |
| Specific niche | Our service helps classic film enthusiasts enjoy timeless cinema by offering rare, remastered classics. |
| Student-friendly | Our platform offers a vast library of documentaries, lessons, and specialized knowledge. |
Define your target audience
The next step is clearly defining your target audience. You should know the precise demographics for your live video streaming website. Suppose you’re building a website to stream K-dramas. Your target location should include South Korea and the U.S., where K-drama is massively popular and people aged 16-24 who are more likely to love this movie genre.
Analyze market trends and competitors
Running a website for live streaming isn’t guesswork. It requires a comprehensive analysis of market trends and competitors in your desired niche. Suppose you want to start an anime streaming website: research whether this market is growing significantly. If so, it means there’s an opportunity to grab a share of the growing market.
In the same anime niche, research the popular incumbents to learn how you can differentiate your site from theirs. What features can help you stand out from the rest? For example, if existing services are expensive, you can focus on affordability to attract users.
Use data portals like Statista to find up-to-date information about movie genres. For instance, Statista data shows that adventure and action are the most popular movie genres in the U.S. and Canada. If you’re targeting these locations, it makes sense to include adventure and action movies on your website.
You can check other streaming sites to see what’s popular and use that to guide your strategy. Likewise, monitor X, Instagram, and Facebook trends to see what movies people talk about, then add those movies if possible.
To Contents ↑2. Select a monetization model
With your plan set and your understanding of movie licensing, monetization is the next step in knowing how to make a live streaming website. The best monetization models include:
Advertising
You can show relevant ads to your users and make money when they view or click on them. The key is choosing an ad network that offers relevant, high-paying ads in your niche. For example, if you’re running an action movie website, you can advertise action figures of popular movie characters. An audience interested in your movies is likelier to follow an ad to buy the action figures.
Adsterra is one of the best networks for your streaming website. With access to 15,000+ advertisers and $87 million in annual publisher payouts, making money from your streaming site is a surefire way.
To Contents ↑Subscriptions
You can charge monthly or annual fees to access your content library. Your movie streaming website can have different subscription tiers, e.g., Tier One for 1080p video quality and Tier Two for 4K video quality.
Subscriptions let you generate steady revenue and easily forecast your revenue growth. The drawback is that the market for streaming subscriptions is intensely competitive. You need high-value content to convince people to pay for your streaming site, and licensing this content is expensive.
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view entails charging a one-time fee for specific content. This model is commonly used for live events, such as a widely anticipated sports match or a business conference. Like subscriptions, you need high-value content to convince people to pay a one-time fee.
Hybrid
Hybrid entails combining different monetization models. For example, your site can have an ad-based free tier and a subscription to unlock more movies. Some websites run both subscriptions and pay-per-view for specific live events. You can combine multiple monetization models to maximize revenue from different audience segments.
How do I choose the best monetization model?
The best monetization model depends on your niche, content library, traffic type, target audience, and long-term goals. For example, if your niche is children’s cartoons, you can earn lucrative income from promoting toys. If you have an extensive movie library, it’s easier to convince people to pay monthly or annual fees to access it.
As a new streaming service operator, it is better to monetize your website first with ads. You can start making money from ads at the get-go, unlike subscriptions, where you need ample time to build a loyal audience and convert them into subscribers.
In the long term, you can depend on subscriptions and pay-per-view to get steady revenue, but ads are the best starting point.
Below is a case study of a movie website owner who earned $14,000 monthly by showing Adsterra ads to an engaged audience.
3. Technical setup
Essential equipment and software
Servers are the primary physical equipment for a movie streaming service. To the uninitiated, servers are online computers that provide information for other computers. They store the movies your users can access via the internet.
You can operate your own servers, but buying and maintaining them is cumbersome. The convenient option is choosing a hosting provider that maintains servers on customers’ behalf. They already have the server infrastructure; you just need to rent sufficient bandwidth for your streaming site.
Streaming protocols and CDNs
Servers are the main physical equipment but require software to work effectively. You need streaming protocols that speedily transmit videos from the server to a user’s device. Such protocols include WebRTC, HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), and Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).
You also need a content distribution network (CDN) to transmit videos smoothly. A CDN is a network of servers distributed worldwide. When someone opens your streaming website from any location, the CDN links the user to the server closest to them. Physical proximity means faster streaming and lower latency.
Don’t get scared by technical jargon. You can choose a streaming hosting provider to handle every technical aspect of your website, while you focus on sourcing content. The hosting platform provides the servers, CDN, and streaming protocols for your website.
To Contents ↑DIY streaming server vs hosted platforms
A hosted platform is much better than a do-it-yourself (DIY) streaming server. Buying and maintaining servers is expensive and requires technical expertise most people don’t have. The streaming protocols and CDN add more complexity to the task. It’s better to leave this task to the experts and rent cloud hosting space.
Dacast and Vimeo are excellent examples of video streaming providers. They provide the infrastructure to upload your videos and stream them seamlessly across the globe. You can easily embed the videos on your website monetized with Adsterra ads. These platforms save time and money compared to running a DIY streaming server.
To Contents ↑Choose a domain name
Your streaming website needs a unique domain name. This name is how people identify your site, making it stand out from competitors. Advisably, choose a name that relates to your streaming niche, e.g., “EuropeLiveSports.com” for a website streaming European sports matches or “TheClassicHome.net” for a website streaming classical movies.
You can buy a domain name from registrars like Namecheap and Ionos. Pricing depends on the name, but expect to pay $20 to $50 annually for new domains. Your domain name should be as short as possible so people can easily remember it.
To Contents ↑4. Platform setup and development
Website builder vs. custom development
You have two options for creating the front end of your streaming website: a ready-made site builder or custom development. The best website builders, such as Wix, simplify the process of creating your streaming site. You can choose a theme, edit the colors, upload logos, and customize the site to your taste. You can also find a professional movie website template and customize it with your brand colors. Thanks to this template, you can create a high-quality site on par with your rivals.
On the other hand, paying a developer for a custom site is expensive and time-consuming. It requires a significant upfront investment that independent website creators might not have. With a website builder, you can create a streaming site in less than 24 hours, but a custom build requires many days or weeks.
To Contents ↑Essential features of a streaming website
Firstly, your streaming website needs a registration system. Users should be able to create accounts with an email address or phone number. They can also use existing Google or Facebook accounts to sign up for your site.
Your website needs advanced search capabilities that let users find their desired content. There should be a visible search box, and you can categorize your videos for easy discovery.
You can add a real-time chat feature to foster user engagement. Discussing movies with other users gives viewers something to remember and increases their loyalty to your website.
Your website’s user interface should be minimal and uncluttered. You can use personalization techniques, e.g., by letting users see their watch histories and recommend new content based on what they’ve watched.
To Contents ↑Mobile and TV integration
58% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, so optimizing your streaming website for mobile displays is helpful. Every visual element should automatically adjust to the size of mobile devices so that users can watch videos seamlessly. Most website builders offer automatic mobile optimization, so you don’t need to stress about this requirement.
Many people also stream videos from their smart TVs, so your website should be compatible with TV displays. Optimize the visual elements to fit larger TV screens and make your site easy to navigate (so that viewers with TV remotes can find movies without hassles).
To Contents ↑5. Marketing and promotion
SEO and content marketing
Search engine optimization (SEO) focuses on tweaking your website to boost its search engine rankings. It entails using relevant keywords, adding alternative text to images, creating accurate meta descriptions for each page, and precisely describing videos.
Suppose you run an anime streaming service. Every movie page should have clear descriptions. List the movie’s name, storyline summary, and main characters. This improves the chances of your website appearing when someone searches for a specific anime title.
You can write blog posts related to your movie niche, e.g., “The best action films of 2024,” “The best comedy films to watch,” and “What happened in [Insert Movie Title]?” When someone searches these queries, they can read your posts and sign up for your site. This process is called content marketing.
To Contents ↑Social media
Social media promotion is an effective way to drive traffic to your streaming website. You can create brand pages on Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter) to connect with your target audience. These platforms let you show ads to a precise demographic, e.g., a sports streaming site advertising to people aged 18-30 interested in soccer.
Better audience targeting yields high conversion rates. Social media enables you to build a loyal following with time and engage directly with users. You can monetize this loyal following with Adsterra ads on your streaming website.
Adsterra offers creative ad formats like Popunders, Interstitials, and Social Bar. With 200,000+ new ad campaigns launched yearly, there’s ample opportunity to make money with these ad formats.
To Contents ↑Email marketing
You can promote a streaming website and engage with your audience via email. To do this, you should place an email newsletter form on your website. When users enter their email addresses on this form, they give you consent to send them notifications and promotional materials.
You can leverage emails to promote new titles on your website, e.g., “Hi, [Recipient’s Name], these are new movies available on [Your Streaming Website]…” Notice the inclusion of the recipient’s name: this is called personalization, which makes the recipient feel esteemed and more likely to heed your message.
6. Analyzing and improving a streaming website
Knowing how to create a streaming website isn’t all there is to learn. You need to constantly analyze your website and make adjustments. Check your traffic over time to see if you get the desired results. If not, it signals that you need to change your marketing tactics or tweak your content library.
User feedback is crucial to your website’s long-term success. Observe common complaints from users and try to fix them immediately. For example, if users complain about slow speed and quality, you can request more bandwidth from your video hosting provider to enable smooth streaming. Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement, applies to movie streaming websites.
To Contents ↑Conclusion
A streaming website can be lucrative if you play your cards right. This guide demonstrates how to create a streaming website, from planning to movie licensing, monetization, technical setup, and promotion. The key is having high-quality content and choosing the proper monetization methods.
Adsterra enables you to monetize your streaming website effectively. Our platform unlocks access to reputable advertisers across the globe, with up to 30% click-through rates on some ad formats. Many movie website owners already use Adsterra, so you’re in good hands with our platform.
To Contents ↑FAQs about live streaming websites
Yes, you can stream videos live on YouTube. This platform operates one of the largest CDN networks, which enables streaming with stellar speed and quality. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to upload and organize videos.
The best websites for live streaming include YouTube, Vimeo, Dacast, and Uscreen, among others. These platforms provide sturdy infrastructure for hosting and streaming your videos with high quality and speed. They handle the complex technical aspects, freeing time to focus on sourcing valuable content.
Yes, you can stream videos live from your phone. You can stream content directly from your smartphone’s camera to viewers worldwide. The key is choosing a reliable video streaming provider with excellent quality and speed. However, this topic doesn’t relate to setting up a movie streaming platform; it’s tightly connected with game streaming or live podcasts.
You can start by signing up for a free streaming service, such as YouTube or Vimeo (the free tier). Then, you’ll upload the videos or stream live from a smartphone or professional camera setup.
