Streaming Cost Calculator

Streaming costs is a complex calculation and differ for each service provider, depending on their business model. However there are common factors that are taken into account in all cases and you should be aware of these in case you intend to publish video online.

Factor 1: Video Traffic

Traffic in the context of video hosting is the amount of video delivered in a certain amount of time (per month usually). Video traffic can be measured by amount of data i.e. bytes (MB/GB/TB)  or other logical unit like “streams“(Visitor Points etc.). When a logical unit like “streams” is used, it is based on a certain calculated average of bytes-per-one-logical-unit that the provider sees feasible. In all cases the amount of traffic has a part in pricing calculations for a video hosting package or subscription plan. With many video host services that is the only obvious factor in their pricing model.

Factor 2: Storage space

Storage space has a good part in streaming cost calculation especially for “low traffic” packages,  since video files are usually quite large and in a CDN they have to be stored in multiple places. There are some types of users(like movie producers) that have huge libraries of video (4000 hours+), which on average is not played very much.

There is usually a predefined amount of available storage space per traffic that is included in a video hosting plan. You should always check with your provider about their storage policy if you have a large library of video content.

Factor 3: Bandwidth (simultaneous users)

Bandwidth is the “width” of the “data channel” needed to serve a certain amount of simultaneous users(viewers). Bandwidth is measured in absolute units i.e. bits-per-second(kbps/mbps/gbps/tbps) or logical units “simultaneous viewers”.

With video, simultaneous viewers stream(or download) data from the network for a relatively long amount of time each. For example if 10 users start to view a video on your site each second and you have an average video length of 3 minutes this means that an average of 1800 viewers would be watching your videos simultaneously. The bandwidth required with a 600kbps stream would about 1.1gbps. Remember it’s just 10 users per second…  As a reference a regular webpage with 1800 simultaneous viewers would hardly top 2mbps.

The bandwidth factor is the reason why CDN’s exist and why even companies like Microsoft and YouTube prefer to use external CDNs in some scenarios. While you can manage to do it to a decent level with traffic and storage in a DIY video hosting scenario, when it comes to scaling things are very different.

The bandwidth factor in video hosting packages is about “peak handling”. On most websites the main traffic comes in certain days of the week and during certain hours of the day, depending on the website topic and user base. No provider will ever complain about high average bandwidth usage, but peak can be a problem with your plan. You should always check with your provider about their scaling policy if you have a large user base or you plan on spending a monthly plan in 3 days.

Cost estimation for video publishing

There are many different models when it comes to video hosting pricing. Some companies provide  traffic based monthly plans. Some companies provide a lot of added value in the form of related features and applications. Some companies provide exclusive features. It is a complex calculation and all factors must be weighted for each specific case. You should not look only into the traffic factor unless you are completely sure that this is what you need. The cost of changing a service is substantial, so consider all factors before going for cheap or unproven solutions.

The cost calculator

This cost calculator is intended primarily as a comparison of plans between video services with the above mentioned primary 3 factors in account.

The video hosting cost calculator is not complete yet. It will occupy this placeholder when it is finished.