Video Crowdfunding Put to the Test

Linc Wonham
by Linc Wonham 02 May, 2012

Dailymotion, the second largest video portal on the Web, has partnered with social micropayments platform Flattr to create the first global-scale, socially funded video network.

The partnership allows online video creators to be paid for their content directly by individual viewers, presenting new opportunities for bloggers and others to monetize their videos.

"By empowering video creators to take control and earn money from their work, no longer will online video be limited to an unpaid pursuit," says Dailymotion managing director Roland Hamilton.

This is the largest-scale implementation of crowdfunding for online video, with traffic numbers and user volume substantial enough to determine if social funding has a future as a viable revenue model for video on the Web.

Video creators on Dailymotion can import a Flattr button directly onto their channels and each individual video. Flattr users, who make a monthly donation ranging from a few dollars to several hundred, click to donate funds directly to the creator.

Each month, the number of total donations from each Flattr user is calculated, and payment is divided evenly among all recipients the user has chosen. Recipients also register for Flattr accounts to receive funds, which they can then donate to others as they see fit or withdraw to a bank account.