So, when you’re looking to upload some videos to boost your music distribution, you upload them to YouTube, right?

Well… not necessarily.

Vimeo is the other major video upload site that’s managed to hang on through the years, and it actually offers some unique features that may make it worth your time. So, let’s take a look at YouTube vs. Vimeo, and why the underdog might be right for you!

Music Distribution Tips:  Vimeo and Youtube

1. Reach vs. Focus

Just from looking at the numbers – 80-100 million visitors a month to Vimeo versus 800 million or more to YouTube – you’d assume it’s best to just stick to YouTube. However, well, you’ve seen the comments on YouTube. They’re terrible and not in anyway constructive.

Vimeo is known for having a smaller, more elite community of video enthusiasts. You’ll get much better comments on your videos, and you’ll be more likely to be seen by more people who care about a job well done.

2. Layout and Interface

There’s no contest here – Vimeo’s layout is vastly smoother, less cluttered, and more focused on promoting the videos rather than their own sponsors. A video hosted on Vimeo is always going to look more professional than one on YouTube.

3. Length And Data Restrictions

Unlike YouTube, Vimeo doesn’t automatically restrict your uploads to 15 minutes or less, making it a better platform for long-form content.  However, the tradeoff for this is that a basic free Vimeo account has limitations on file size, as well as how many files you can upload.

Full publishing rights require a $200/yr Vimeo Pro subscription, which is also required if you want to use your video to directly promote your business or website.  On a month-by-month basis, that’s not much money for a good content channel, but it may be a problem for bands on a tight budget.

4. Ads, ads, ads!

And lastly, in our opinion the best reason to consider Vimeo for music distribution: They don’t force pre-video ads on visitors. Someone clicking through to your video on Vimeo goes straight to your content, rather than watching someone else’s advertisement first.