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Last Updated on September 19, 2021 by Daniella
You might be familiar with selling photos online but did you know you can sell your videos online too? Selling videos online is something that anybody can do. You don’t need to know coding, or have an intensive knowledge of video recording software to sell videos.
Selling videos online could also build up to be a lucrative side hustle idea and semi-passive income stream down the line.
If this sounds interesting to you, keep reading to learn:
- How to sell videos online
- 3 steps to get started selling videos
- 7 places to sell your videos
Let’s go!
Table of Contents
How to Sell Videos Online
There are two routes you can go for selling your videos:
- Sell your videos online
- “Sell” your video content
First, selling your videos is direct and to the point. It’s what most people think of when you talk about video selling. You create a video, find a buyer, and sell your video to the buyer.
You can make videos for:
- Commercials
- Ads
- Social media
- Cinematic footage
These are just a few kinds of videos you can sell.
Video footage is in high demand. Many people are looking for videographers to create custom or premade video footage that they can use. Video filming and video editing are both high income skills, with the video editing industry alone expected to reach over $3 billion by the year 2027.
Creating and editing your videos is only half the battle. Next, you want to figure out where you can sell your videos to make the most money. And, we’ll cover that down below.
Next, let’s talk about the second way to sell videos online and that’s through “selling” your video content.
What does that mean?
Selling your actual videos is more of a direct sales approach (like selling directly to tourism companies). You make videos and you sell those videos. One and done.
“Selling” your video content is an indirect approach where you can make money off your video content, that may not necessarily include selling the actual video.
Let me explain.
If you create videos, there are many ways you can monetize that content without selling the actual video.
For example, if you’re a Tik Tok creator, you might qualify for inclusion into their Tik Tok Creator Fund where Tik Tok will pay you for your participation on the platform, based on the number of views your Tik Tok videos get.
That’s one way to get paid for your video content.
You can also work with brands and get paid to participate in brand deals or sponsorships, earning money for making video content about companies.
Here are some other examples of how you can get paid for your video content:
- Affiliate marketing commissions
- E-commerce sales
- JV launches
If you have an online presence then you can monetize it by “selling” your video content and technically, make money as an artist. Video is your art. It’s an untapped income stream a lot of people aren’t taking advantage of but it can be very lucrative and an opportunity to make passive income.
3 Steps to Get Started Selling Videos
So, how do you actually get started selling videos?
These 3 steps will breakdown the process of how to start selling your videos online.
- Pick a niche
- Film your videos
- Sell your videos
1. Pick a niche
The first step is to pick a niche. Choosing your niche or topic is about deciding what path you want to take with video selling.
Will you focus only on shooting cinematic footage like b-roll or, do you want to make ads for e-commerce companies?
While it might be tempting to try to do it all, it makes the best sense to decide on one clear direction to take because as the saying goes, “jack of all trades, master of none.”
That means if you do everything, you risk your chances of getting really good at one thing and mastering one core skill.
You can avoid this by picking one niche to focus on and then with this in mind, you can start filming videos.
2. Film your video content
To film your videos, make sure you have the right equipment, tools, and resources available, like a video camera, computer, video editing software, etc.
Next, start shooting videos.
Even before you have your first customers, filming some content in advance is a great opportunity for you to build a portfolio.
When prospective customers ask to see your work, you’ll have a portfolio of your videos available to show them so they can see your filming style, editing, etc.
3. Sell your videos
Lastly, you’ll sell your videos. We have a long list of places you can sell your videos down below and they’ll consist of a mix of:
- Websites
- Marketplaces (Like
- Platforms
- And, more!
You can also sell on your own website powered by an e-commerce platform like Shopify. Having your own site gives you the most control over everything from your site design, video pricing, navigation, etc.
9 Websites to Sell Your Videos
Here’s a roundup of 7 places to sell your videos online:
1. YouTube
YouTube is a video network for short form and long form video content. You can create videos to teach, inspire, and entertain your viewers.
YouTube is a good place to showcase some of your work, get prospective clients to notice, and contact you for services.
For YouTube, make sure the About page is filled out fully including your contact details.
2. Tik Tok
Tik Tok is a social network that caters to short form videos up to 3 minutes long. You can follow the same practice as YouTube, posting some of your video content to show off your skills then get contacted by prospects who want to work together.
On Tik Tok, your bio is very powerful. Not only can you write a short description of who you are and what your Tik Tok channel is about but you can link a website and post your email address. Do this!
3. Instagram
Instagram is the network I constantly hear people making money from.
From brand deals, to selling services, selling courses, ebooks, and digital content plus, a lot more.
Use your profile to highlight what your Instagram account is about, talk about what you do, who you work with, and link to your website or online scheduler so prospects can schedule a meeting to speak with you.
Instagram is also currently paying creators to go live.
4. Facebook
For Facebook, there are many places you can sell your videos:
- Facebook fan page
- Facebook groups
- Facebook marketplace
Creating your own fan page for your business is free on Facebook. You can add a banner, profile photo and share an endless amount of content on your page, including showing off your videos.
Facebook groups are communities usually centered around a core topic like photography, videographers, sewing hobbyists, keto dieters, couponers, etc. All you have to do is join groups in your niche, participate in discussion and promote your business every now and then, if allowed.
Facebook marketplace connects buyers and sellers together to conduct transactions. It’s typically used for local shopping, like if someone in your city is selling a washing machine that you want, you’d meet at a location to complete the purchase and you’d haul away the washing machine (thrifters also love the platform). It can also be used for long distance shopping with shipping involved.
And, there’s an opportunity to gain more exposure for your video selling business if you post videos for sale on the marketplace or post your services. You can drive traffic to your video selling business for free just by using Facebook Marketplace.
5. Uscreen
Uscreen helps you grow your video streaming business. You’ll be able to upload, organize, stream, and monetize your videos by joining their platform. You will also get access to analytics and data so you can learn from your audience, figuring out what they like best and what content they engage with.
How can you make money with your videos on Uscreen?
You can monetize your videos through:
- Subscriptions
- Rentals
- One-time purchases
Visit this page to check out examples of companies that use Uscreen to monetize their videos in niches like kids, food, spirituality, entertainment, and more.
Uscreen is a paid platform with prices starting at $99/month if you choose month-to-month. Annual billing offers a discount. There’s a free trial you can check out too, so you can test drive the software and see if it’s a good fit.
6. Vimeo
Vimeo is a video platform that you can use to host large video-based ad-free events and ongoing video subscriptions for your customers.
Joining Vimeo gets you a 30-day free trial to check out the platform.
Pricing starts at $7/month.
Click here to learn more about Vimeo.
7. Website or Blog
You can sell your videos online through your website and blog. The benefits of selling on your own website include flexibility, full design control, and a budget-friendly option.
Starting your own WordPress blog requires no coding and you can have it up and running within an hour or so. These videos could be course videos, webinar videos, weekly coaching videos, etc.
You can connect plugins for selling, build custom sales pages on your website, and more.
8. Pond5
Pod5 is a site that will buy stock videos from you. It lets you set your own prices and collect a higher royalty than other marketplaces.
All of the types of media they accept are:
- video
- music tracks
- ae templates
- sound effects
- images
- 3d objects
You can read more about Pond5’s buying program here.
9. Shutterstock
You can list your videos for sale on Shutterstock and make 40% commission every time someone purchases your media.
When you sell more, you earn more. Your earnings rate increases as more of your content is licensed.
Read more about Shutterstock’s system here.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of ways how to sell videos online. You don’t just have to stop here. Look at selling your videos everywhere including the social media channels you use, in your email marketing, on marketplaces and websites.
Try one or more of these methods for selling videos to go spread your message.
Which one will you try out first?
Related:
- How to Make Money on YouTube: Step By Step Guide
- Twitch Review: How to Make Money on Twitch
- How to Make Money on Snapchat Spotlight
- How to Make Money on TikTok
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