One of the top video destinations on the internet, YouTube, with 5,499,685,753 search visits per month, has emerged as the most viewed website after Google in 2021. The watch time of this site is more than that of Facebook and TikTok combined.
However, in recent times, another video site has emerged as a competitor of YouTube, and that is DTube. Many content creators are now increasingly taking advantage of DTube’s unique features and services.
But what exactly is DTube? Why do content creators and advertisers consider it as YouTube’s substitute, and what makes it different?
What is DTube?
Decentralized Tube (DTube) is a platform similar to YouTube and built as an application on top of Steemit. Steemit is a blockchain-based social media website similar to Reddit. So, any person can earn rewards in the form of tokens by posting or curating videos and up-voting good and relevant content.
The monetary rewards in the form of tokens are given via STEEM—a cryptocurrency token and Steem Dollars—US dollar-pegged tokens. So, DTube is similar to Reddit as people can post links, and vote on content, but the major difference is that every participating user earns money.
Although DTube is on the same platform as Steemit and utilizes the same rules and guidelines, it is specific to video content, and users can earn rewards for uploading videos.
How is DTube different from YouTube?
To understand how DTube or YouTube works, understanding the concept of blockchain is essential as both platforms are built on it.
Blockchain allows for a safe and secure, decentralized catalog of record keeping. So, it does not allow for modifications, and the management of data is through peer-to-peer networking.
Read more: Top 20 YouTube Alternatives You Need to Know About
Now, let’s elaborate on how DTube takes advantage of blockchain and utilizes it in a way different from YouTube.
Allows more creative freedom
One of the greatest advantages of DTube is that it is decentralized. So the content uploaded and circulated is not monitored by any particular person. It also empowers many DTube users, as an uploaded video cannot be taken down or blocked because of “non-family-friendly” content or copyright issues.
This is a great benefit to those users who can upload all of their creative content without any limit.
But, at the same time, it also means that other media companies and brands cannot take down the content copied from them and uploaded by other users.
Non-disruptive viewing experience
You can watch DTube without any disruption. Compared to YouTube, where you are basically forced to watch a non-skippable ad, DTube offers a smooth viewing experience without the hassle of watching advertisements.
Does not allow deleting or editing content
One problem with DTube is that you cannot tamper with the content once it gets on the site. This means that once a video is uploaded, you cannot delete it from your channel, and it stays on the web forever.
It also does not allow any editing in the content after it is uploaded. Thus the user must be completely confident in the content they are putting out there.
DTube content is not visible on search results
As YouTube is the second most popular website in the world, the content uploaded on YouTube is more accessible for the users and much more visible on search results.
On the other hand, DTube is not as recognized by Google as it is a relatively new platform. So, there is a lower probability that your content reaches people outside the DTube realm.
Payment is made with cryptocurrency
The primary focus of the uploads on YouTube is the number of views. But in the case of DTube, the views are not displayed. The uploader is only presented with the amount that the video has generated.
While on YouTube, the user is offered various revenue earning options, on DTube, the uploader gets paid in cryptocurrency.
This can be a little inconvenient as estimating the precise dollar value of digital money can be difficult. At the same time, it is easier for YouTubers who know exactly how much they have earned in terms of monetary value.
Greater monetary benefits for new creators
Every content creator who cannot earn enough money from YouTube turns to DTube and enjoys the experience that a decentralized video platform offers.
DTube is similar to many other media platforms where an early user gets greater monetary benefits compared to those who turn to it after the platform has become saturated.
Pros compared to YouTube monetization
The payment policy on YouTube is directly proportional to the popularity of a video, which is related to the number of views and subscribers a creator has after meeting the app’s monetization policies.
As far as DTube is concerned, the uploader earns steem money, and steem power is based on the number of upvotes a video gets from the viewers. Based on the popularity of a video, the uploader can easily make ten to a hundred bucks in one night.
Considering that a beginner upvotes a video on DTube, in that case, the uploader earns $0.001. If a whale or a popular block producer with steem power upvotes the video, the uploader gets several dollars.
Cons compared to YouTube monetization
A significant drawback of DTube is that the monetization of a video ends after a week. While on YouTube, a creator can earn money on a video as long as it stays on the platform and receives traffic, a DTube uploader stops making money on the video after 7 days.
Read more: Tubebuddy vs. vidIQ: A Comparison
Is DTube better than YouTube?
As discussed above, DTube is better than YouTube due to its non-censorship policies.
On the other hand, YouTube has stringent community guidelines and does not hesitate to remove a video if it does not meet those guidelines.
Moreover, YouTube also prohibits some videos from being watched in certain countries. You may have noticed this when a “video is not available in your country” notification pop up in a video player
In the case of DTube, users do not face such issues and can view and upload any type of content.
DTube is also better than YouTube due to the earning opportunities it provides. On YouTube, a user has to fulfill specific criteria and meet with guidelines to upload content, and then that video has to trend on YouTube for the user to receive a good payout.
On DTube, only views and likes count, and there are no algorithms or guidelines. As the content is viewed and liked by more and more people, the uploader gets the revenue, not by meeting the 10-minute mark or having at least 1000 subscribers.
DTube vs. YouTube: The final verdict
Although DTube is a great alternative to YouTube, it is still not the best.
According to video marketing statistics 2021, 71% of people pick YouTube as their favorite platform for watching videos, while 54% of marketers pick YouTube as their favorite platform for sharing content.
Let’s look at the reasons why:
YouTube is better for your SEO
To improve your website’s search engine ranking, it is a good idea to add a video to it. Google also favors YouTube and includes many of its videos with descriptions and thumbnails in the search results.
YouTube has a bigger audience
The videos on YouTube can be shared and circulated with a large number of people due to the platform’s reach.
Even on Facebook and Twitter, many YouTube video links pop up in the user’s timeline. Thus, YouTube disperses content videos to a wider audience also due to its easy shareability option.
Read more: 20 Tips on How to Get More Views on YouTube
Getting into YT does not require a huge investment
To be on YouTube does not require big funds and equipment. Many educational and entertainment videos, etc., can be uploaded on the platform with minimum video-making tools.
YouTube is mobile friendly
The YouTube app makes it easier for people to access the content they want to watch and view it in a mobile-friendly format.
That’s all, folks!
This brings us to the end of this blog. Whatever video platform you choose, video is still the king. So, if you need any help creating video content for your followers, feel free to hit us up.
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