How to Build Your Own OTT Platform

Launching an OTT (Over-The-Top) platform can be a powerful way to reach audiences, monetize content, and control your brand's narrative. This guide breaks down the process into manageable steps.

Step 1: Define Your Platform's Purpose and Audience

Before diving into technical details, answer two critical questions: What do you want to achieve? and Who are your users?

Examples:

A local church might want to stream weekly services to remote congregants
An online course creator could sell access to recorded lectures
A fitness brand might offer on-demand workout videos and community forums

Step 2: Research Market Gaps and Competitors

Look for underserved niches or pain points in current platforms:

Are there tools that lack customization for small businesses?
Do existing services fail to support specific content formats?

Step 3: Prioritize Core Features

Streaming Quality

Invest in reliable encoding and adaptive bitrate streaming to ensure smooth playback across devices.

Payment Systems

Choose a monetization model:

Subscription-based (monthly fees for unlimited access)
Pay-per-view for single events or content
Ads or sponsored content for free tiers

User Experience

Prioritize fast load times, intuitive navigation, and mobile optimization.

Step 4: Secure Content and Build a Library

Ensure you have proper licensing for all content. Diversify your offerings:

Original videos you create
Third-party content (licensed properly)
Community-generated content

Step 5: Choose a Platform Provider

Key considerations:

Scalability: Will the platform handle growth?
Customization: Can you brand it to match your identity?
Cost: What are upfront and ongoing expenses?

Step 6: Monetization Strategies

Subscription Models

Offer tiered subscriptions (basic, premium, family plans) to cater to different budgets.

Advertising

If targeting a broader audience, consider integrating ads while balancing user experience.

Paid Content

Sell individual pieces of content, such as exclusive interviews or limited-time events.

Step 7: Drive Viewers to Your Platform

Marketing Tactics:

Social media engagement
Email campaigns with personalized updates
Partnerships with influencers and other creators

Community Building:

Foster belonging by creating forums, live chats, or exclusive events.

Step 8: Iterate Based on Feedback

Regularly gather feedback and track key metrics like viewer retention, engagement rates, and revenue per user.

Final Thoughts

For organizations looking to combine live streaming and VOD with branded portals, a white-label solution like dcast can provide the flexibility and control needed. With revenue share as low as 3-5% and support for multiple streaming protocols, dcast offers creators the infrastructure to monetize content while maintaining full brand control.