There have always been online video platforms but YouTube has always come out on top. YouTube, by far, is the most used and most prominent platform in regards to video so this, without a doubt, gives them a lot of power when it comes to advertising.

Growing up with YouTube and watching the channel evolve, I have definitely noticed the gradual implementation of advertising and essentially monetization of content especially in the form of banner ads on the webpage, banner ads on the video, and commercials before the start of the video. Clearly, there are so many ways a brand can target you. This is what makes YouTube so appealing to brands – the power of its reach. Also I find it creepy how targeted the ads are! YouTube knows exactly what to throw at me because I’ll admit, I’ve clicked on the ads before.

But, there might be a game changer entering the market. Adweek reports that Def Jam (a huge music label) has formed a new partnership with Playwire, another video platform. Read the article here: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/def-jam-pulling-away-youtube-160788.

They argue that the revenue stream is much greater. Apparently with Playwire, “it offers an average of $8 to $10 gross CPM for desktop viewers and $14 to $17 gross CPM for mobile”. For those of you, like me, who don’t know what CPM means, here’s a definition thanks to Investopia:

This gives companies a strong reason to hop on this platform instead because at the end of the day, revenue matters! However, I don’t see Playwire outperforming YouTube any time soon because YouTube is still a major player in terms of audience reach. Maybe overtime, when Playwire grows its viewer base, things will start to shift.