Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Self-distribution means selling directly to viewers through your own website or apps, so you set the prices and keep the customer list. You need the rights for the territories you sell in, a platform that handles rentals or purchases, and a way to bring viewers in, such as your festival audience, a newsletter or social channels. Many filmmakers self-distribute alongside storefront releases.

An aggregator delivers your film to storefronts for a fee or a share, and you usually keep the rights. A distributor licenses the rights, often exclusively for set territories and years, and then markets and sells the film itself, paying you a license fee, a minimum guarantee or a share of revenue. A sales agent sits between you and distributors and negotiates those deals for a commission.

There are three common ways. Work through an aggregator that delivers to storefronts, which handles their technical requirements. Use a sales agent to license the film to channels and services. Or launch your own branded streaming platform and sell directly. Whatever you choose, prepare a clean master, subtitles, artwork, metadata and proof of your rights before you start.

Use layers. Encryption, such as AES-128, protects the stream in transit. DRM, such as Widevine and FairPlay, controls which devices can play it. Geo-blocking limits playback to your licensed territories, and signed expiring URLs stop shared links from working for long. No system makes copying impossible, but together these layers make it much harder. Licensing your film properly is your responsibility on every platform.

Define your audience and business model, plan a launch catalog and release schedule, choose your streaming technology, prepare your video library, set up monetization, and launch on the web or in apps. Promote the service before launch and use analytics to improve it after release.

No. You can build a custom platform, assemble open-source components, or use a white-label OTT platform. The right option depends on your budget, technical team, customization needs, and launch timeline.

The most common models are advertising (AVOD), subscriptions (SVOD), pay-per-episode or pay-per-view (TVOD), sponsorships, and branded series. Many platforms use a hybrid model: free, ad-supported episodes plus paid access to premium content.

A content management system, reliable video playback with adaptive streaming, search, show and episode pages, user accounts, analytics, and a responsive design. Subscription management, advertising integrations, and mobile or TV apps become important depending on your business model.

Yes. A responsive web platform is a practical first step. Add iOS, Android, or smart TV apps when audience demand and your business model justify the investment.

Publish search-optimized episode pages with notes or transcripts, share short clips on social media, collaborate with guests, build an email list, and keep a consistent publishing schedule. Focus on viewers who are likely to return, not one-time clicks.

A podcast hosting platform mainly stores podcast files and distributes them through feeds to apps and directories. A video podcast streaming platform focuses on the viewing experience and can include branded apps, video playback, subscriptions, advertising, analytics, and content discovery. Some services offer both.

Yes, for creators, media companies, and businesses that want a branded streaming experience without building every component themselves. Confirm the provider supports your video formats, show and episode structure, monetization model, and target devices.

There is no universal price. Costs depend on whether you build or license technology, plus video storage and delivery, app development, production, marketing, and support. Compare the total cost of ownership across providers, not only the setup fee.

Roku lets developers publish channels through its Developer Dashboard after certification testing. Check Roku's current developer terms for any fees or revenue share before you budget. In practice, the real cost of a Roku channel is not the listing: it is building the app in BrightScript, passing certification and keeping it updated as Roku changes its requirements.

Yes. Roku Pay lets viewers buy subscriptions and one-time purchases inside the channel, billed through their Roku account. You can also use your own billing and let viewers link their account on the TV, with on-device sign-in or a code entered on another screen. Many publishers support both, so a viewer can pay where they already have an account.

It depends on your app and on Roku's queue. Roku runs static analysis and app behavior tests, plus extra testing for apps with sign-in, and a failed test means rework and resubmission. On Vodlix, the app is built automatically and the only wait is the store review by Apple, Google and Roku, which typically takes one to three weeks.

On a custom build, yes. Someone has to update the BrightScript code when Roku changes its certification criteria, test each release on several devices and fix problems after OS updates. On a template builder or a white-label platform, that work sits with the provider, so check in writing that it is included in the fee you pay.

The useful question is not which one is cheaper but how many builds you pay for. A Roku channel is written in Roku's own BrightScript language, so its code does not carry over to Fire TV or other TV platforms. If your viewers use both, building once on a platform that covers several TV stores avoids paying for each app separately.

Reach. A viewer watches through whichever platform their TV or streaming stick runs, and a smart TV app on another system does not appear on Roku. If part of your audience watches through Roku, a Roku channel is how you reach them on the big screen, alongside your apps for Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, LG and Samsung.

As of October 2026, the Roku app comes with the Vodlix Enterprise plan at $3,850 a month or $38,500 a year. Enterprise also includes Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV apps, web, iOS and Android, and the Roku Ad Framework. The Roku app is not included in the Launch, Grow, Scale, Professional or Business plans.