Looking for Tools to Develop YouTube-style application

October 24, 2008 9:34 PM

What application/platform should I use to create a YouTube type portal (focusing on user-generated content) that allows site users to search for content (videos as well as other file types) and upload their own content?

The service would provide users with a topical catalog of materials, including YouTube videos as well as FLVs, SWFs, PPTs, docs, and other file types. Users would also be able to upload their own files.

posted by jurczyk to computers & internet (6 answers total)

While looking through your previous questions... it seems like you actually might have an ambition to do this, and I think uou are asking the wrong question.

The correct question should be "What talents and abilities should the person I hire to develop a YouTube type portal possess".

There isn't a cut and paste solution to this. Microsoft YouTube Creator 1.0 doesn't exist. It isn't easy.
posted by SirStan at 10:03 PM on October 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

This and this might be starting points, but there won't be an out of the box solution. I'd suggest hiring a web developer, and discussing the idea of building around a framework to save on time/money.
posted by chimmyc at 10:34 PM on October 24, 2008

Serving so many big files will be very costly. The YouTube links are zero size, but actual uploaded movies? Lots of expensive transfer there.

The actual upload and search and such can be done in any language or on any platform. Better to, as chimmyc suggests, find a web developer you can trust and work with whatever they're comfortable with.
posted by rokusan at 11:49 PM on October 24, 2008

This is what Plumi is made for. It should be an out of the box solution for the video part, but I haven't used it myelf so I can't be sure.
posted by PueExMachina at 10:21 AM on October 25, 2008

If the back-end isn't your business model, you might try something like KickApps. MeFiMail me if you need a c ontact.
posted by softlord at 11:02 AM on October 25, 2008

If you google 'youtube clone' theres a script that apparently gives you a site like youtube for a minimal fee.. there is some setup necessary though..
posted by edman at 3:22 PM on October 25, 2008