YouTube is the #1 video destination on the web, and has dominated the space in recent times – despite increasing competition from the likes of Facebook. But recently some content creators have been utilising a site called DTube to take advantage of it’s differences from YouTube. So what is DTube, how does it differ from YouTube, and why should brands and content creators even care?
To understand DTube we must first talk about and understand Steemit, a blockchain-based social media platform that launched in July of 2016. Essentially it’s a Reddit-type service where anyone can earn rewards by posting, curating, and up-voting relevant content. Monetary rewards come via a cryptocurrency token named STEEM, and in US dollar-pegged tokens called Steem Dollars. So think of Reddit (i.e. users post links, and vote good content up, and bad content down) – but every user who participates gets a monetary reward. Decentralized Tube (or DTube for short) is a YouTube-like video platform that is built as an application on top of Steemit. So it’s on the same platform utilising the same rules but specifically for video content. Essentially, users post videos, and are rewarded for creating and uploading content. So… that’s the basics, and in essence it sounds much like YouTube – so how does DTube really differ?
Both Steemit and DTube are built on the blockchain. You’ve probably heard of the Blockchain by now – it’s what Bitcoin is built on. Essentially it allows for a secure, decentralised, list of record keeping. It’s inherently resistant to modifications, and the data is managed by a peer-to-peer network. By utilising the blockchain, DTube benefits in a number of ways which we will now elaborate on.
The beauty (and the beast) of the blockchain is that it’s decentralised – meaning no one entity controls what users upload and send. No video uploaded on Dtube can be blocked to viewers because of copyright or non-family friendly content. Many users enjoy this aspect as it truly empowers their creativity without limits. Brands and media companies on the other hand will be shocked to learn that there is no way for them to pull down content that has been uploaded by other users.
Another great feature of using the Steemit platform is that there are no advertisements. Viewers can enjoy a pure viewing experience without being disrupted with commercial messages.
A constant worry with DTube is that what goes on the blockchain, stays on the blockchain – which by design cannot be tampered with. You currently cannot delete a video from your channel. Once it’s uploaded, it stays online forever. This also means users need to be 100% confident in the content they upload because they cannot edit the video afterwards.
YouTube is primarily focused around popular uploads that drive high view counts. On DTube however, view counts are not even shown. Instead, how much money a video has generated for it’s uploader is displayed. Understanding the exact dollar value of this figure however is a lot more complicated. With Youtube you get an overview of your different types of revenue streams. And because you are paid in a known currency (as opposed to a cryptocurrency), it’s much easier to understand what you have earnt. The DTube homepage looks a lot like YouTube but without the play counts.
YouTube links for popular content index superbly well in Google. And we all know YouTube is the world’s second most popular search engine. So with content on YouTube it’s easy for users to find what they want. DTube however, is a new video platform, and is barely recognised by Google in search results. Not great for getting new users from outside the DTube ecosystem to discover you and your content.
“DTube has become a hub for smaller content creators who missed the boat on YouTube”
DTube has become a hub for smaller content creators who missed the boat on YouTube. This is no different to any new content or social platform where getting in early gives users an advantage over those who join once the platform becomes more saturated. Creators such as Dnews, SpencerRyan, PaolaJane, Art.Visuals, CaptainBob, and HarshilPatel are all creating amazing videos on Dtube and enjoying everything that a decentralised video platform has to offer.
DTube is still in beta – version 0.7 was released last week which included huge improvements like 720p uploads, multi track subtitle options, and GPU encoding. But there are still an array of problems for its users. Loading and uploading videos on DTube can be slow. The 7 day payout system adopted on the Steemit blockchain means older content cannot be further monetised. And the lack of communication from DTube’s developers throws in a touch of uncertainty for consistent monetisation.
DTube is a new platform that is not without its pitfalls, but it is one to keep an eye on. Despite being a relatively small player, it has an avid set of content creators trying innovative new approaches. DTube presents itself as an interesting alternative option for video creators who want an instant impact and monetisable outcome, but remains a difficult platform for the mainstream to understand.
