Video platform Vimeo is launching a new product called Vimeo Streaming that’s designed to help creators of any size launch and run their own paid streaming services and branded apps. 

This “all-in-one” platform lets creators make their own branded streamer without needing any coding experience. And as for cost, “You would be looking at a lower five-figure number per year,” according to a spokesperson—which is much cheaper than building, maintaining and operating a streaming service from scratch. 

Creators can build in multiple subscription tiers, including ones that offer early access to content and exclusive rewards. And Vimeo’s branded streamers also have TVOD (pay-per-view) options for selling or renting individual videos, and selling sponsorship ads and video bumpers. 

Analytics on what audiences are watching are available (Vimeo partnered with NPAW to track and report real-time stats), as is an AI-powered translation service to provide auto-captioning and dubbing. Vimeo Streaming also has an embeddable video player so content from the streamer can be made available on the creator’s website. And it features functionality for digital rights management, geo-blocking and privacy settings. 

Vimeo Streaming has been quietly under construction for the past three years, and creators using its early models have earned more than US$1 billion in that timeframe, according to the company. 

The product already has several case studies of brands that have used the tool to launch streamers, including fitness-focused SotoMethod, coaching brand Me and My Golf, Columbia University, comedy channel Dropout, educational company Coursera, influencer collective Sidemen and comedy group The Try Guys (pictured). 

Vimeo says Vimeo Streaming’s core value is that it gives creators a new way to monetize their content and grow their reach—especially smaller ones who have been relying on YouTube. In contrast to Vimeo’s subscription-driven approach, YouTube’s ad-based model means creators could face unpredictable revenue, the company posited in a blog post, adding that they also have the added challenges of trying to stand out from millions of other channels, and contending with YouTube’s algorithm. 

“We believe creators should be in control of their work and how they are paid; so we’re taking the technologies that are usually only afforded by the biggest platforms and putting it in the hands of our customers, at a fraction of the cost,” says Vimeo CEO Philip Moyer.