{"id":20024,"date":"2021-11-30T02:08:30","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T07:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.vplayed.com\/?p=20024"},"modified":"2025-11-19T01:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T06:22:38","slug":"video-subscription-paywall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vplayed.com\/blog\/video-subscription-paywall\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Video Paywall for Your Subscription Service?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People\u2019s willingness to consume paid services have amplified profoundly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 650 million subscriptions as of today, audiences have walked past the confinement to free content.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This soaring demand has driven OTT video platform<\/a> to propel conversions via a sea of heterogeneous approaches.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And video paywall is one such principal tool that urges anonymous visitors<\/span> to sign up. In other words, a paywall keeps the content hidden until a subscription or payment is made for. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlocking subscription opportunities with a video paywall<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By restricting access to a copyrighted video content, a paywall prompts the viewer to perform a particular action before he continues to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDigital paywalls have existed for a long time now by websites and apps of various niches\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, today, it has become an integral part of every VOD<\/a> streaming model that seeks increased conversion rates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, employing a paywall is a critical decision that ought to be handled with caution.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stringent access control might steer away a user while a lenient one makes conversion take a backseat. Hence, an optimal paywall should be instituted such that viewers don\u2019t abandon your service but rather go about signing up, continuing to stay leading to an increased customer lifetime value. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hard paywalls prohibit anonymous bypass in its entirety<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A seldom used access restriction model that prompts the visitor to sign up\/ pay or leave. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online video platform<\/span><\/a> that have implemented a hard paywall usually limit video consumption to a teaser\/ short video and in some cases even a preview is called off. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By handing content access only to genuine subscribers, platform owners & publishers give users no option but to subscribe for the video to play. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, it is important to note that<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly 3% of the market players implement a hard paywall\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the major obstacles when it comes to such strict access control measures is that it disinterests viewers<\/span> to abandon the platform for a better alternative that is liberal in content disclosure.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Softening video access restrictions via metered paywalls<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand is the soft paywall, often referred to as the metered paywall. Unlike its rigid counterpart, videos protected with a soft paywall play for a certain time frame, say 10 mins, before prompting the user for a sign up. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSoft paywall incentivizes the viewer to catch a preview of the video he is about to pay for\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By allowing a limited glimpse of the content, best video streaming platforms<\/a> kindle anticipation among the viewers wanting to look for more. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, publishers restrict the content based on two major factors<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

i) Time-based metering<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii) View-based metering<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft paywalls are predominantly used by top online video platforms<\/a> that are not inclined towards offering free trials yet want to give users the free experience with predefined limitations. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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