What is Vimeo?

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Vimeo is a way that people are able to share their videos online as well as view those of others. The platform is free of off-putting advertisements allowing viewers to focus instead on their chosen video. It’s a great solution for artists and film makers looking to make it big. The majority of the 14 million members use it to promote their skills as an artist or filmmaker.

To find out more about how Vimeo can benefit you watch this Video:

1. Membership

Vimeo offers several different options for members who want specific storage and feature needs.

Here’s a brief breakdown:

1 Basic

There are a few options available to you if you wish to join Vimeo, with the most basic option being free but limiting users to just 500mb storage every week. There is however the option to upgrade, but free users have the ability to get used to the site and how it works before paying any cash.

2 Vimeo Plus

Vimeo plus costs about $10 each month and gives you a storage limit of 5GB each week. This included the ability to upload in HD without limitation and stops any banners from showing on your videos.

3 Vimeo Pro

If you are looking to get serious with Vimeo and upload a lot of videos then Vimeo Pro is the one for you. It costs around $200 per year but this gives you the best quality, 50GB storage per week and no caps to bandwidth. You are also able to use the more advanced tools and receive statistical feedback so you know what you are doing right or wrong.

Take a look at Vimeo Membership Comparison here: Vimeo Basic, Vimeo Plus or Vimeo Pro: Which is Right for You?

2. Making Videos on Vimeo

There are a lot of excellent features that Vimeo users are able to access including the following:

1 Enhancer

If you want to add a music track to your video then you can do so using its very own catalogue. The majority of the videos are free to add.

2 Video School

If you are just starting out with Vimeo or want to know more about how to make the best videos then the handy video school has lots of tutorials to show you the ropes.

3 Music Store

The enhancer tool allows you to look through every music track they have available on Vimeo and makes it simple to add them to your films.

4 Creative Commons Videos

Unlike YouTube where the videos are often copyrighted there are certain sections on Vimeo where you are able to use parts of videos or all of them to add to your own without the whole video being removed for copyright infringements.

5 Tip Jar

Although you won’t earn money through advertisements there is still a way to earn money on Vimeo. That is through the ‘tip jar’ which lets your viewers make small donations to you to show their appreciation if they wish.

3. Watching Videos on Vimeo

1 Staff Picks

There are lots of ways for viewers to enjoy the videos they want to watch and by giving more choice will give you a better chance of being viewed. As a viewer the best video’s as picked out by staff are put into a ‘staff picks’ section. This lets viewers see the best videos on the site without having to search for them. As a video maker you can find out what you are up against.

2 Movies

A feature that has been recently added is the movies section. For a small fee viewers are able to watch not just snippets but full movies, which is great for those up and coming movie makers to get their videos noticed.

3 Categories

You don’t have to make your way through numerous videos to find one that sparks your interest. This is thanks to the categories feature which allows you to go through your category of interest to find videos that meet your needs.

4 Channels

Members on Vimeo use the channels to segregate specific themes so as well as the categories you can flip through channels to find ones that will interest you.

5 Groups

The members on Vimeo are able to talk about certain subjects and videos by joining groups. Users can create their own or join one that has already been created.

6 Couch Mode

There’s nothing worse than finding a great video and having to squint to be able to watch it on the small screen. Couch mode allows you to fill the screen with the videos which allows you to enjoy them in the same way you would a DVD at home rather than distractions from the rest of the site.

4. Downloading Videos from Vimeo

If you want to download a video then follow the instructions below:

• Click download located just under the player
• Use the pop up menu to decide which version you want to watch depending on the device you are using.
• Click the chosen device

Click on the desired link and if it starts to open/play in another tab rather than downloading don’t despair just read on for instructions as to what to do next:

For Windows:

• Right click your link to save it

For Mac:

• Click link while pressing control and select save

You may also like: How To Download Vimeo Video to MP4

Summary

Vimeo is an excellent platform if you are serious about creating films on a more professional level. There are different levels of membership to suit your usage and the people that comment on videos are moderated so there is less chance of negative rude feedback. You can also select your target audience and being ad free the focus is on the videos rather than the pre advertisements.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison