You are just a few steps away from creating
your own TV network!

CREATE A CHANNEL | PRODUCTION STUDIO | EMBEDDING | LIVE STREAM | DIRECT LINK & CDN

BEFORE YOU START

We highly recommend taking 30 minutes of your time and learn all of the STEPS below well.

Pay attention to the TIPS! :) You are about to build your own online television network and, like with any big platform, it is essential to learn it first, to properly utilize it for your success and benefits. Buckle up and enjoy the ride! It is easy and fun!

1. KEY ELEMENTS.

First, visit a HOW TO area (https://strimm.com/guides). It has essential introduction about the main parts of the platform. It is very important to read this page fully before you continue to the next step.

2. CREATE A CHANNEL.

Unless your channel is created already, create a channel. The button to create a channel can be found either in a navigation menu (located in the top left corner of the Strimm.com website) or in the "My Network" area. Click on the CREATE CHANNEL button and follow the steps in the form.

Essential Tips:

a. Make sure to complete all requirements, including adding an avatar for the channel, language, category, etc.

b. Do not use any special characters in your channel name or in the description, like " ", ?, !, @, &, and alike. Use letters and/or digits only. The length of the channel name should not exceed 15 characters, including spaces. The length of the description should not exceed 300 characters, including spaces. It is recommended to not add a description during the channel creation. You can always add a description later.

c. When CREATE is clicked, please wait 10-15 seconds, once the creation process is completed.

3. PRODUCTION STUDIO.

Once your first channel is created, go to the Production Studio of your channel (the link to it is in the menu). This your main working area! Follow Sam, our "tour guy" to introduce yourself to the core elements of this page. You can also watch a short tutorial video, a link to which is located on top of it.

a. ADVANCED MODE option. It is below the INSTANT SCHEDULE button. Make it ON.

b. GET VIDEOS TO THE CHANNEL. To add the video content to your channel library, click on GET NEW VIDEOS button. Then, you can either search for the best HD-quality videos from the top video platforms by keywords (SEARCH) or import them by URL (IMPORT).

Remember, there is no direct upload of the videos to Strimm. Therefore, there is no charge for the video storage and bandwidth. You can add applicable video links from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, if they are not restricted, or from your own private server with CDN (Professional plan and up), as direct, private links ("Allow Private Videos" option should be turned ON in the channel settings to do so).

c. CALENDAR. The CALENDAR is clickable. Select the day, for which you wish to create a TV program. You can use "Instant Schedule" or "Custom Schedule" options for any selected day.

d. CUSTOM SCHEDULE. It allows you to select a certain day in the calendar, then to select a start time and create a custom TV program for a certain day (or multiple TV programs with breaks in between them). Once the start time of the TV program is selected for a day ("Custom Schedule"), click on the "+" (appears on mouseover) of the video or use the drag-n-drop option to create a custom TV program. Click PUBLISH to publish it. Please note that the TV program should end before midnight of the selected day.

e. INSTANT SCHEDULE. Clicking on this option will instantly generate and publish a TV program for you until midnight for the selected day out of your videos in the channel (random selection).

f. AUTOPILOT. Turning this option ON will generate a 24-hour random schedule for you everyday. It will start generating it at 11am, Central Time for the following day, considering that there is no schedule being previously created for that day.

g. CHANNEL SETTINGS. This form will allow you to adjust settings of your channel, activate embedding of the channel on your website or Facebook and use paid options, based on your paid subscription.

h. APP SETTINGS. This area is for the paid subscriptions that include APPS (Roku app, Mobile app, etc.). It allows an automatic generation of your own, white-label and custom-branded apps.

i. HLS. The acronym HLS stands for HTTP Live Streaming. It is designed for .m3u8 videos only. It allows you generate a single M3U8 link out of your M3U8 videos located in your daily TV program and insert it in the native OTT apps that accept HLS link input, like Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku TV and Android TV. The HLS stream will be refreshed daily based on your scheduled TV program. It is a paid option. Please check your package to see if it is included there.

CLICK HERE for details.

j. VAST. A VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) tag URL allows you to monetize your TV network and automatically place videos ads between your shows. The ads are delivered by the Ad Delivery Network of your choice, which can provide you with a VAST TAG URL. It is a paid option. Please check your package to see if it is included there.

CLICK HERE for details.

k. ANALYTICS. Strimm Analytics allows you to get the statistics about the visitors (users) coming to your TV channels located on different platforms during a selected date range. Please note that the data shown is the data for the channels and not for the videos.

CLICK HERE for details.

l. CHANNEL PREVIEW. If you wish to preview your channel on Strimm.com, simply click the PLAY icon on the channel avatar. Please note that paid options do not apply to the free broadcast on Strimm.com. For example, a Strimm logo cannot be removed from the top of Strimm.com website. Also, \since we cannot control the nature of the private and hidden content, if you activate "private" options in the channel settings, like "Allow Private Videos" or " Allow Mature Content" or "Embed Only", the channel will be restricted to broadcast on Strimm.com.

m. TIME ZONES & TV PROGRAMMING. Remember, you are building a TV channel. Once videos are added to your video library, they have to be scheduled for the broadcast on a certain day and time. The time of broadcast will be the same for any part of the world, meaning if it is scheduled for 7pm, then it will broadcast at 7pm in New York and at 7pm in Tokyo on the scheduled day.

IMPORTANT: Use LONGER-DURATION videos (15min+) mostly in the channel. Do not leave your channel with just a few short videos, like 1-min long ones or even shorter, and then turning ISNTANT SCHEDULE or AUTOPILOT ON. It will generate a TV program with thousands of super short shows per day and will cause a load delay of your TV program on the screen for your viewers. Use longer videos in the channels.

4. EMBED A CHANNEL ON YOUR WEBSITE (based on the paid subscription).

ACTIVATING AN EMBED MODE. Go to the channel settings by clicking on a gear icon next to the channel name in the Production studio.

Production_Studio- Updated chanel settings icon.jpg

Production_Studio- channel settings form closed1.jpg

Turn the "Embed this channel on my website" ON and complete all needed and permitted fields in that form. Make sure to correctly place the root domain of your website, where the channel is going to be embedded. It must be in the form of "https://example.com" or "https://www.example.com". Once done, click UPDATE, to save the settings.

Multiple Channels Embedding. Only the code of the DEFAULT (main) channel shall be physically embedded on your website. In order for other channels to appear in the same TV guide, their embedding settings should be activated and set up in the same way as a default channel, but without physical embedding of the code on your site. It is also important that all channels have exactly the same URL in their channel settings as a default one. Make sure that the URL is copied from the browser and is not manually typed.

IMPORTANT:

a. An "i" ICON. Each feature in the Channel Settings form has an "i" icon next to it, explaining what the feature does. Just click on it to learn the feature. Please only activate it, if you understand what it does.

b. YOUR WEBSTITE DOMAIN. Check how your website URL appears in the browser. If it has WWW in it, then it has to be in the channel settings form, in the URL/domain field in order for our system to recognize it and make the broadcast appear on your site. The WWW is considered a subdomain by the web. In other words, the entire URL where the feed will be played should be in the channel settings form.

Do not manually type your site domain in the URL field of the channel settings form. Instead, copy your website URL from the web browser as it appears there, and then paste an EXACT copy in the Domain/URL filed of each channel settings. Click UPDATE to save the changes.

5. CHANNEL SETTINGS FORM OPTIONS.

Please lean the Channel Settings form screenshot below that explains each feature in details.

Key Elemens

Create a channel

Production Studio

HLS

VAST Tag

Analytics

Channel Embeddig

Channel SETTINGS update - Jun 2023-1.jpg

a. EMBEDDING ON THE WEBSITE. The embed code for your DEFAULT (main) channel should be copied from the channel settings form and then placed on your website, where you need it.

b. TV GUIDE BELOW SCREEN (cable Tv look). If you want to keep the TV program being always visible to your audience and let them easily switch between your channels, then turn the "Keep TV Guide Open" option ON. Once done, click UPDATE, to save the settings. Make sure to add enough space in a desktop and a mobile view area to keep the GUIDE open below the screen for all channels.

c. CUSTOM BRANDING. Would you like to add you own logo on the screen or textual brand on top of the player? If you have a Professional or a professional PLUS plan, then you can do it! Simply turn the Custom Branding option ON, select a logo upload or textual branding, add it and click UPDATE to save the new settings.

d. LIVE STREAMING.

Real-time live streaming can be achieved through YouTube Live, Vimeo Live, or HLS Live links. To broadcast live, schedule your event on the chosen platform or obtain your HLS Live link, and then input the live URL along with the start and end times into your Strimm channel settings. The Live Streaming is scheduled and appears separately from the pre-recorded broadcast, to avoid interference with a daily program.

Live Stream Options and Platform Compatibility:

YouTube Live: Compatible with web browsers, Fire TV, and Android TV. Note: YouTube Live is not supported on Roku or Apple TV. Embedding YouTube Live streams outside of YouTube.com may require your channel to meet YouTube's eligibility criteria, typically 1000+ subscribers and 4000+ watch hours.
Vimeo Live: Compatible across web browsers and some OTT platforms (Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV) Note: embedding Vimeo Live streams outside of Vimeo.com requires an Enterprise plan with Vimeo).
HLS Live: Compatible across web browsers and all OTT platforms (Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV).

Integration Steps:

Navigate to Production Studio. In your Strimm channel's Production Studio, click "Get New Videos."
Select Import and Provider. Click "Import" and choose your provider: YouTube or Vimeo or HLS Live. Note: to see HLS LIVE option in the providers selection, please turn "Allow Private Videos" option ON in the channel settings first.
Paste Live Event URL. Paste the URL of your live event and proceed to the next step.
Metadata Entry for HLS LIVE. Add a video title (mandatory), thumbnail, and description (optional). Proceed to the next step.
Select Category. Choose the appropriate category for the live stream.
Schedule Event. Hover over the video thumbnail and click the "+" button. Select the start date and time and the end date and time.
Save. Once submitted, the scheduled live event will be added to your channel. No further scheduling is required.

Default Live Broadcast Feature:

In your channel settings, the "Default Live Broadcast" toggle prioritizes live streams for viewers. When enabled, the live stream automatically plays, overriding pre-recorded content of a regular program. Important: Only enable this feature when a live stream is actively broadcasting. Disable it when no live stream is available.

Website Live Streaming Indication:

Once a live stream is integrated, a "Live" button will appear in the top-right corner of your embedded TV screen on your website, alongside the "GUIDE" button, signifying an active live broadcast. It will also appear separately in the OTT apps.

For general live broadcast instructions, please refer to our guides: https://strimm.com/guides.

e. PLACEHOLDER IMAGE FOR THE AUDIO PODCASTS AND FOR THE BREAKS. Strimm allows you to link audio files in .mp3 and WAV formats for your own scheduled audio podcasts! In order to avoid having a black screen, when the audio file is playing, turn the "Show Placeholder Image" option ON, upload a rectangular (16:9 ratio) image, to show on the screen during the podcast. It can be your brand logo, channel avatar or any advertising banner.

The same image will appear during the breaks between audio or video program schedules, if you have multiple custom schedules for the same day.

f. STANDARD vs. FULL PAGE PLAYER LOOK. By default, Strimm embedded code is designed for a rectangular shape, which can easily blend into any website design and does not take the entire real estate of the page. It allows you to show any other content on your we b page, including banner advertisement, show announcement, etc. You can also adjust the size of the player to make it smaller or bigger. Such look is called STANDARD PLAYER LOOK.

However, if you prefer having a whole-page look and design similar to the design of a proprietary Strimm player, similar to the one that appears when WATCH NOW is clicked, then you can select FULL PAGE PLAYER LOOK.

IMPORTANT: Make sure to keep the same player look selection for ALL of your channels to avoid breaking your page and causing bad viewer's experience.

Details: https://www.strimm.us/embed-look

5. PRIVATE VIDEO FILES (DIRECT LINKS) & CDN

a. MULTIPLE FORMATS. Professional plan and Professional Plus plan users can now add more video types to their channels as direct video links (private, pre-recorded videos):

- Rumble videos

- Facebook videos

- Twitch videos

- Streamable videos

- videos in .mp4, .m3u8, .mpd, .ogv, .m2u8, webm formats (located in your video streaming CDN server)

- audio files (great for scheduled audio podcasting) in .mp3 and WAV formats (in your streaming CDN server) .

NOTE: When you use videos from Rumble, Facebook, Streamable or Twitch, please make sure to use an embed URL from the "Embed" section, not a link from a browser address bar.

b. CDN SERVER. To use your own CDN (content delivery network) server , you would need to upload the video file from your computer to a video streaming CDN, obtain a direct video URL (e.g., https://mycdnserver.com/myvideo1.mp4), and then use the IMPORT option on Strimm to add each video to your channel, including its title, description, and duration.

A properly formatted direct video link from a CDN can be used across all platforms—including Roku, Firestick, Android TV, mobile apps, and the web.

Important Notes About Video CDNs:

A video storage service like Dropbox is not a video streaming CDN. It is designed for storage and file sharing rather than optimized for video streaming to multiple viewers at once.
Professional and Professional Plus plan users can add direct video links to their channels using MP4 or M3U8 formats from a video CDN.
The direct video link must:
- Start with HTTPS
- End with a supported format (e.g., .mp4 or .m3u8)

Steps to Add a Direct Video Link from a CDN:

Choose a Video Streaming CDN . Though we are not affiliated with any CDN service directly, popular options used by Strimm customers include (but are not limited to):
- Bunny CDN (bunny.net)
- CDN77
- AWS (Amazon CloudFront)
- Fastly
- Streaming Video Provider
- Akamai
- DynTube
Upload Your Videos to the CDN – Once uploaded, obtain the direct video URL (not a page link). Example: https://videoserver.com/video1.mp4
Test the Direct Video URL – Open the link in Chrome or another browser to ensure the video plays correctly.
Enable Private Video Support in Strimm:
- Navigate to Channel Settings
- Turn ON the “Allow Private Videos” option
- Click UPDATE to save
Import the Video to Your Channel:
- Go to Production Studio and click Get New Videos
- Select Import → select Import Private Video check box
- Fill in the required fields (URL, title, description, duration)
- For the Provider field, select Custom
- Click Add Video

DIRECT LINKS

Live Stream

Roku App

6. ROKU TV APP. BROADCAST YOUR TV NETWORK ON ROKU (based on the Professional PLUS subscription).

Now, you can create an entire TV network on ROKU and have your own, white-label Roku app. You can also add Roku Advertising Framework (RAF) to it and monetize it on Roku! This Roku app capability is a part of a newly added Professional Plus package, which also comes with a 100 channels option.

Please note that if you add your channel to the Roku app, the channel should either have Vimeo videos or direct videos links in .m3u8 or .mp4 formats. Roku does not allow YouTube or Dailymotion videos.

ROKU APP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: https://www.strimm.us/roku-app-instructions

We can professionally install this Roku app for you on your Roku account. Just order a professional setup on the PRICING page, in ADD-ON section.

7. FIRE TV APP. BROADCAST YOUR TV NETWORK ON AMAZON FIRE TV.

Fire TV

Now, you can broadcast your TV network on Amazon Fire TV and have your own, Fire TV app. You can also inject video commercials as pre-rolls and mid-rolls thru your own VAST tag URL.

You can use your video content located in YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion or direct videos links in .m3u8 or .mp4 formats, coming from your video streaming CDN.

We can professionally install this Fire TV app for you on your Amazon Developers account. Just order a professional setup on the PRICING page, in an ADDON section.

Mobile TV App

8. MOBILE TV APP. BRODCAST YOUR TV IN YOUR OWN, DOWNLOADABLE MOBILE APP ON iOS & ANDROID DEVICES (Based on the Mobile App subscription)

Bring your TV business to a whole new level! Offer your customers a white-label, downloadable TV app for iOS and Android to broadcast your own TV channels from your Strimm account with your own logo.

MOBILE APP INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: https://www.strimm.us/how-mobile-app-works

We can professionally install this Mobile app for you on iOS and Android. Just order a professional setup on the PRICING page, in ADD-ON section.

Sublease

9. SUBLEASE YOUR CHANNEL. RENT/SUBLEASE SOME OF YOUR CHANNELS & GENERATE A PASSIVE INCOME.

It is one of the best ways to create a passive income stream! Have a plan for 100 channels, but only use 10 of them? Sublease the remaining 90 channels! Simply find organizations, who need their own channels, may be just one channel, create the channel for them and rent it out for the fraction of regular Strimm fee. Control the access with permission settings. You can also use this option to provide an access to your channel to another team member. Offer management of the rented channel for an additional fee. Feel free to charge your client your own sub-lease fee and collect the fee directly, yourself.

Details: https://www.strimm.us/sublease-a-channel

Monetization

Monetization Options

1. Integrate VAST Tag Ads into Your Channels
The Professional and Professional PLUS packages allow you to seamlessly integrate a VAST Tag URL into your daily programming. VAST technology enables the insertion of video ads between shows, helping you generate revenue automatically. You can obtain a VAST Tag URL from various ad delivery networks that support VAST and offer video ads through their ad servers, such as Google Ad Manager, AdGlare, AdButler, or AdSpeed.

2. Monetize Through Sponsor Ads
Partner with sponsors and advertisers to showcase their video commercials (pre-roll ads) during prime time or throughout your TV schedule. Additionally, you can display sponsor banner ads on your website, where viewers tune in to watch your channels. This direct sponsorship approach provides an effective way to generate consistent ad revenue.

3. Sell Airtime to Independent Content Owners
Offer promotional opportunities to content creators and businesses by allowing them to purchase airtime on your TV channel. Broadcasting their content helps boost their brand awareness while providing you with a revenue stream for premium placement on your network.

4. Manage TV Channels for Clients
Expand your business by creating and managing TV channels for your clients. Many Strimm users already provide this as a professional service. Each channel can be linked to a custom domain, enabling you to charge for TV channel setup, branding, and ongoing management services.

5. Sublease Your TV Channels for Recurring Revenue
With the Sub-Lease Your Channel ADD-ON, you can transfer (share) a channel with another Strimm user who has a free account—even if they don’t have a paid plan. The subleased channel will mirror your website embedding options, allowing them to embed the broadcast on their own website or Facebook page.

If you are on a Professional PLUS plan, you can sublease each TV channel for $25-$50 per month, potentially generating $2,500 - $5,000 per month by leasing 100 channels while providing your clients with an affordable, white-label broadcasting solution.

Details: https://www.strimm.us/sublease-a-channel

6. Monetize with Roku Advertising Framework
Strimm offers a white-label Roku app that enables users to broadcast their linear TV channels on Roku. This app can be integrated with Roku’s Advertising Framework, allowing you to monetize content further. This feature is included as part of the Professional PLUS package.

7. Leverage HLS Link for OTT Monetization
Strimm provides an HLS output link of your scheduled daily TV playlist, allowing integration with various OTT platforms, including Fire TV, Apple TV, and Smart TVs that support HLS streaming. Many of these platforms offer built-in monetization options, giving you more ways to generate revenue.

8. Create and Sell Subscription-Based TV Access
Both the Professional and Professional PLUS packages offer a password-protection feature, enabling you to create your own subscription-based TV network. With this feature, you can restrict access to paying subscribers, providing a reliable, recurring revenue model for premium content.

9. Launch Your Own White-Label Mobile TV App
Strimm users can generate a fully branded, white-label mobile TV app via the ADD-ON section. This enables you to broadcast your TV channels on iOS and Android devices, providing a seamless, app-based viewing experience. You can charge a subscription fee for app access or monetize through in-app advertisements.

Data-Driven Growth with Strimm Analytics
Strimm includes integrated analytics, allowing you to track viewer engagement and identify which channels, programs, and marketing strategies drive the most traffic. Use these insights to optimize programming, boost audience retention, and increase monetization potential.

Essenial Tips

Essential Tips

1. LONG VIDEOS VS. SHORT ONES. We recommend adding long videos (longer than 20 min) to the channel. This way, it will be easier to create a Custom Schedule. Additionally, their titles will be visible in the GUIDE (the short videos are grouped in the GUIDE as "assorted videos").

2. RESTRICTED BY PROVIDER. If the video is restricted by the video provider or video owner, it will show a message - "Restricted By Provider". Such videos cannot be added to the channel. Please select another one in this case. Sometimes, the video can become "Restricted by Provider" later. Simply delete it from the library.

3. AUTOPILOT. Turn the Autopilot ON. If you forget to create a schedule, it will randomly create it for you, at 11am, Central Time, for the following day.

4. PAYMENTS FOR THE PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS. Our system and your account are heavily connected to Paypal and your selected payment method. Please make sure that your Paypal account or a credit card has enough balance to cover the subscription cost on the due date in order to continue the service at the end of the billing cycle, without interruption.

5. QUESTIONS. If you have any questions, please contact us at support@strimm.com. We are always just an email away from you and are ready to assist!

Get Started

(You will be redirected to the Strimm.com Home page. Please login, create channel & go to your Production Studio to start)

You are just a few steps away from creating your own TV network!

BEFORE YOU START

Monetization Options

Essential Tips

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You are just a few steps away from creating
your own TV network!