Meet howtube: a go-to destination for “how to” videos
In the vast landscape of online video content, howtube.com has emerged as a niche platform catering to the ever-growing demand for tutorials and “how-to” videos. As one-third of video consumers actively seek such content, howtube has positioned itself as the go-to destination for this segment of the audience.
The howtube platform stands out for its robustness. Hosting thousands of videos from diverse creators goes beyond mere video hosting. It empowers creators to monetize their content and even sell products through a seamlessly integrated and proprietary e-commerce feature. According to howtube founder Mike Robertson, their guiding principle is “knowledge first, commerce second.”
Central to howtube’s success is its ability to host and manage vast amounts of video content, process payments, and integrate advertising — at scale and with predictable budgeting. However, the pricing model of their previous cloud-based online video platform provider (OVP) posed a significant challenge, with volatile pricing structures and surprise fees hindering their growth. This prompted howtube to seek a solution that offered greater scalability, performance, and pricing predictability.
Punished for success by their previous provider
A viral video was the tipping point for howtube and its services had to scale to meet the demand. Despite their success in generating viral content, they found themselves penalized with exorbitant charges. Payment plans were arranged but conditional, requiring howtube to pay 300% + markups for every megabyte streamed outside their original contract. Additionally, the same markups were levied on all new content being streamed over the duration of the payment plan. To find financial relief and secure and grow their business, howtube approached Rumble for a solution, just before Rumble Cloud became generally available to the public in March 2024.
According to howtube founder Mike Robertson, “It was a big problem for us. Within the context of a structured contract, with a certain amount of bandwidth and such, we were fine. As a matter of fact, we spent a couple of years with them while we were building our company and making our way to the marketplace. So within that structure, we didn’t have too many problems.” But according to Robertson, once howtube stepped outside of that original contractual structure with a viral video series, the problems began. Essentially, howtube was being punished for its success.
The situation had a snowball effect on howtube.
“In our case, we got a little bit behind because we chewed up a full year’s contract in one month with the video series that went viral. And then we chewed up about the same amount another year in the following month, and that was at least 300% more. They wanted full payment immediately or they were going to shut us down,” according to Robertson. “We thought, ‘Wow.’ Ok. Time to look elsewhere,” said Robertson.
So the conversation with Rumble began. Howtube needed a solution to both address challenges with their existing provider, but also to make moving to a new provider seamless. They defined the following features and criteria necessary for a successful move:
Predictable pricing: Transparent and predictable pricing model, to confidently plan and scale their video operations without worrying about hidden fees or unexpected expenses.
Efficient video-on-demand hosting: A scalable and trustworthy cloud for storing and delivering video content efficiently.
High-performance transcoding: To ensure videos are optimized for various devices and bandwidths.
Playback: Customizable video players for seamless playback across different platforms and devices.
Live streaming: Unlimited live events and broadcasts using live streaming features.
Video player customization: To match branding and user experience requirements.
Monetization options: Through advertising and paywalls integrated into their video content.
Analytics: For tracking video performance, engagement metrics, and audience behavior.
Content management: For organizing, categorizing, and managing video libraries effectively.
API for programmatic migration: To enable developers to programmatically migrate video libraries from their previous OVP provider to a new cloud, facilitating seamless platform transitions.
This is where the Rumble video streaming platform and Rumble Cloud come together to deliver the Rumble Cloud Video Platform solution.
The Rumble Cloud Video Platform Solution
Rumble has been a powerful, cost-effective alternative to Big Tech for video publishers for more than a decade. Additionally, with the official public launch of Rumble Cloud in March 2024, Rumble was well-positioned to solve howtube’s challenges with the Rumble Cloud Video Platform solution. The Rumble mission to protect free speech and empower creators was also important to howtube. Howtube’s previous provider used a Big Tech cloud provider for their platform, so censorship was always a possibility.
By leveraging the Rumble Cloud Video Platform solution, howtube was able to overcome limitations and cost overruns by taking advantage of the following features of the bundled solution:
New platform for video hosting and management: Howtube chose Rumble Cloud for hosting the howtube website, including paywalled content, and video streaming infrastructure.
Pricing predictability: The Rumble Cloud Resource Tier pricing model puts howtube in control, with predictable and transparent pricing and no hidden fees. Rumble won’t punish howtube for success when a video series goes viral. Howtube is in control of scaling and budget management.
Video catalog migration: Howtube migrated their full video publishing catalog to Rumble Cloud in a matter of days.
Encoding: Unlike their previous provider, Rumble Cloud does not charge for encoding. Encoding is included in our Publishing services.
White-label video player: Rumble’s Publishing services include a white-label video player.
Live streams: Howtube will be able to take advantage of the robust streaming features of rumble.com.
During howtube’s migration to Rumble, business didn’t stop. New features were being developed throughout the whole process. According to Robertson, “Every step of the way you guys were literally clearing the road for us as it was happening in real time. And everybody was fantastic. Everybody was really great and courteous.”
Looking ahead
“By embracing the Rumble Cloud Video Platform solution, howtube gained newfound autonomy over its business operations. The predictability of Rumble’s pricing model empowers them to scale their services without fear of punitive charges, enabling them to pursue ambitious growth strategies,” according to Michael Arsov, Vice President of Cloud Sales & Enterprise Account Management.
Moreover, Rumble’s unwavering support for free speech and monetization aligned seamlessly with howtube’s values, fostering a partnership built on mutual trust and shared objectives.
Looking ahead, howtube is poised to utilize Rumble’s suite of tools to enhance its platform further. With a renewed sense of confidence and control, they are ready to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the competitive landscape of online video streaming.
The Rumble Cloud Video Platform solution is uniquely positioned to deliver performance and pricing predictability to other video streaming companies that want to migrate their content, data, and apps to a high-performing solution, free from Big Tech censorship, and driving unrestrained innovation and growth.
Contact Sales to learn more.
