Hi @nancy.shanteau!
Vimeo does support just about any kind of video file, including these common formats: MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, and FLV. We can definitely link to a help article with tips on how to optimize your video for upload.
As far as livestreams, we do have a couple of livestream options through the Livestream post editor currently. Are you hoping to livestream through Patreon and then easily post the recordings to specific tiers?
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi @angelafineart! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about livestreaming. The nuances of livestreams have come up quite a bit as we’ve talked to creators about their workflows. Have you tried using an unlisted YouTube livestream through Patreon’s Livestream post page? I’m wondering if that would meet your needs and if you have any feedback on that, please feel free to share!
Hi @TypographyGuru!
Would you prefer to upload the video to Vimeo and post the URL on Patreon? Or do you prefer the convenience of uploading through Patreon?
The privacy settings that we’d use are available on the Vimeo paid plans, but we know that cost is a factor for some creators, so we’re trying to explore other options.
Thanks for your feedback!
Yes, that’s what I want, to post livestream videos to particular tiers. Thanks!
Yes that is what I currently use for my monthly bonus videos. The problem is that anyone with the link can view it so there is no login/security process. Plus I have had YouTube share the unlisted videos in some of my automatic playlists. I also had the link to one of my unlisted Patreon videos shared in a Facebook group a few months ago and it caused all kinds of problems. I had to create a new live event and send out emails the day before the show to let patrons know the new link. And the person who shared the link in her Facebook group is not a patron so I did not even have a way to find the patron who shared it. I have the same issue with my Patreon images of traceables being shared on Pinterest.
My experience with Vimeo streaming (of other people’s content) has not been positive. It freezes, stops and starts, in a way i haven’t seen as much with youtube. I don’t understand the reason for this, and wonder about this choice.
I am glad though that you are addressing this issue of videos for patrons having a secure place to live.
Hi @maxdashu!
I’ll definitely make a note of your concerns with Vimeo. We’ve been exploring Vimeo as an option because of the privacy settings that they offer on their platform. YouTube is more popular, but they don’t have a completely secure way to host videos.
Thanks for the feedback!
Video paid plans = 
All these small service costs add up, and I try hard to avoid them.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, @Marion! As we consider adding more integrations, cost is a factor that we’re going to keep in mind because they do quickly add up.
Hi @Temrin, @Watsup, @dekilah, and @myrrh,
Just curious, but have you found a video hosting platform that you feel comfortable using for NSFW content? Are there any that you’re currently using?
I’ve only found places that are okay If you stream nsfw content. Not really for hosting/uploading to.
There is a furry fandom art site that does allow nsfw videos (drawn content only afaik, not real people) but it’s a social site. Not a video site.
Honestly I think pornhub might be one of the only open platforms that lets people upload non-porn adult content to its platform and have user accounts like youtube does, but it tends to go past what Patreon finds acceptable in its adult content.
For content creators that make animated content you can also use newgrounds to post videos, the blast from the past has recently seen a resurgence with the shuttering of tumblr. But again, this site doesn’t allow you to post real nudity.
Most sites with adult video support are usually focused and don’t want you to post things that aren’t explicitly adult content, so you wouldn’t be allowed to do your daily vlogs and your adult content updates using the same service.
We were just discussing this on the Discord; of the sites that have good uptime, solid streaming infrastructure across a lot of platforms and devices, and have a clear and consistently-applied content policy, PornHub is… surprisingly top-of-the-list. If it were possible to partner with them in a way where we had the option to omit their branding (even by paying a fee to do so), I would 100% support that (and, as a SFW creator who has at least a few patrons who probably wouldn’t be happy knowing my stuff was coming to them via PH, I’d 500% be happier with them as the backbone of Patreon video than I would Vimeo).
Again, the big problem with Vimeo is that their content policy is not clear, is not consistently enforced (people have had accounts removed and content taken down for things that appear less extreme than other content which has remained up on the site), and, most importantly, lacks any consistent method of review and appeal for content policy violations.
The last thing I want to worry about, as an artist, is the chance that my content could suddenly, without warning and without possibility of appeal, become unavailable to my patrons. Not to mention that for a lot of members of at-risk communities, reporting procedures at sites like Vimeo have been weaponized by critics as a means of silencing or interfering with the work of artists & activists.
I use DropBox. It’s not optimal and I wish I could find something more user friendly. But it works.
if by automatically publishing after the video finishes processing could be integrated with the post scheduling feature, that would be ideal. This sounds very cool. Looking forward to it. Thank you!
Yes. I was actually looking for just this very thing when I went to do what I thought would be a live video to my patrons to announce my upcoming podcast. I foolishly thought it would be as easy as it is to go live on Facebook. Boy was I wrong!
I not only can’t afford $50 a month to CrowdCast, but I got lost in the weeds trying to jump the hoops to do it with YouTube hosting. And it doesn’t seem private/secure there, or not easily.
So if this could work it woudl rock. The only thing missing if I understand correctly is the ability to go live, vs just uploading pre-existing content or files. Thanks for addressing this.
I totally agree, as my Vimeo accounts were already deleted 3 times when I tried to use it in Patreon for my +18 content.
We’re just starting, so still working out the best method for patrons to view our films. Got a vimeo account, so integration would be fabulous.
However, we have a slow upload connection to go with the slow films. Took me 3 days to upload our first film to vimeo, and I couldn’t do anything else on vimeo in the meantime. Would this be the same issue through the patreon app?
Hi @rubenfcid! Thanks for sharing that with us. Have you found an alternative solution?
Hi @artfulproductions! Wow, 3 days is a long time. The video would continue to process in the background, so you can continue working on Patreon. We’ll send you an email when the video is ready, so you know when to complete your post.
As no one in Patreon gave me an alternative solution neither by mail, discord or here, I reposted all my content ( over 1 year work ) using google drive links. It’s not ideal because patrons have to open a new window, but at least it’s secure.