How to Host Videos for Online Courses with LearnDash

Videos add an element of engagement to your online courses and help deliver an improved learning experience. This lets you create more interactive online courses that are more desirable for your target audience.

If you use an LMS like LearnDash to create, manage, and sell online courses, hosting videos on your own website isn’t recommended. This can cause your site to slow down and lead to rendering issues or visual errors for your students.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about hosting videos for your online courses with LearnDash.

The need for video hosting with LearnDash

Similar to web hosting, video hosting is where you upload video content. This is also the same place where videos are delivered to your audience or site visitors. It’s essentially a storage and delivery place for your online course’s video content.

However, if you’re using an LMS to sell your online courses, self-hosting course videos can be detrimental to the overall learning experience for your audience.

Let’s dive deeper into some of the major reasons why it’s a good idea to use a dedicated video hosting platform when using LearnDash:

• Storage issues. One of the more obvious problems with self-hosting videos can be storage limitations. It can cost you a lot to host videos on reliable cloud servers without a dedicated platform.
• Bandwidth limitations. Similar to the storage issue, self-hosting videos also means you need to make sure videos are delivered quickly to your audience and with quick loading times. If your cloud or physical server storage isn’t optimized for speed or can’t deliver data to other parts of the globe quickly, it can cause a poor end-user experience on your online course site.
• Slow loading times. If you go with a budget server option that’s affordable, you could run into bandwidth limitations that cause your videos to load slowly. In return, it can cause a poor user experience and discourage your audience from purchasing video courses.

Best video hosting platforms for online courses with LearnDash

Let’s go over some of the best video hosting platforms for online courses with LearnDash so you can decide on the right one for your business.

#1. YouTube

YouTube is one of the most popular video platforms on the internet and the second biggest search engine after Google.

With more than 800 million videos uploaded in total and almost 3.7 million videos being uploaded every day, YouTube is arguably one of the most used video platforms for creators and for audiences. This is mainly because of the ease of use YouTube offers for content creators when it comes to uploading video content on the platform. On top of YouTube automatically rendering your video content to the highest quality possible, it’s easy to upload videos to the platform and embed them anywhere on the internet. This not only helps create a more professional brand image but makes your video content more accessible to all types of audiences.

 

In addition to this, YouTube also lets you automatically transcribe your videos and optimize them using high-priority keywords. It’s helpful for saving time, especially if you upload longer videos, and helps SEO optimize your video content for search engines. You can include keywords in the video title and descriptions, as well as use hashtags to make your video content more discoverable by your target audience.

YouTube is a great option for businesses that are looking for a solid video hosting platform with Google servers but don’t care about their videos not being white-labeled. Since the platform is free to use, anyone can view your video content and potentially download it.

Pricing – YouTube is free to use.

#2. Vimeo

Vimeo is a video streaming platform that lets creators upload their video content so it can be shared with students or learners.

One of the highlight features of Vimeo is that it seamlessly integrates with LearnDash, so embedding your videos on Vimeo is very straightforward. It also works with the video progression feature in LearnDash so that you can offer a smooth user experience to learners.

Vimeo lets creators securely upload their videos and protect them from being downloaded without consent. When uploading course videos, you can turn off downloading, hide the content from Vimeo, and select which sites the video can be embedded on. This way, you can upload premium course content without having to worry about unauthorized users accessing them or downloading them to redistribute your content.

Vimeo videos embedded in other sites also look professional and give creators full control over the aesthetics of the video player. You can choose to remove the Vimeo logo, change colors, and upload your brand’s logo to showcase instead of the Vimeo logo. In addition to this, Vimeo also lets you choose whether you want to display other video suggestions after your videos end. This can be useful in creating a distraction-free experience for your learners and keeps them engaged with your content only.

Vimeo is the perfect solution for brands that want a more premium video streaming platform that securely lets them upload premium course content and showcase it anywhere on the internet.

Pricing – While you can get started with Vimeo for free, you’ll need Vimeo Pro if you want to share and embed course content videos securely. Vimeo Pro pricing starts at $12 per seat per month for the Starter plan, which lets you upload a maximum of 60 videos.

#3. Spotlightr

Spotlightr is a “one-off” solution for hosting your LearnDash videos securely and letting learners easily access them.

Since Spotlightr fully integrates with LearnDash, you can enable LearnDash video course features like video progression and auto-play. The best part about Spotlightr is that it supports HLS streaming which is one of the most secure ways to let members access your premium course content online.

On top of loads of video embedding options, you also have full control over how users see the video player. You can change the logo, upload custom video thumbnails, and set colors according to your brand’s unique aesthetics.

Spotlightr is an ideal option if you’re looking for a professional video hosting platform that also has built-in analytics and marketing tools and offers some personalization options for displaying video content.

Pricing – Spotlightr pricing starts at $7 per month for the Spark plan.

#4. Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a worthy mention in our list of the top video hosting platforms for LearnDash due to its huge networks of servers globally.

Creators can upload their premium course content to Cloudflare’s servers, and the encoding is taken care of for them automatically. This lets you deliver your videos to users in a more optimized way based on their internet connection. This also means your videos will have low loading times, even for users from other parts of the globe.

In addition to this, Cloudflare comes pre-built with a video player while giving creators the option to use their own. You can also upload video thumbnails and video previews to your LearnDash videos which is good for user engagement.

Cloudflare is worth considering for brands that want to host and deliver LearnDash videos to their audiences globally.

Pricing – Cloudflare pricing starts at $5 per 1000 video minutes.

#5. Amazon S3

Unlike other solutions mentioned in our list, Amazon S3 is not a video player and only lets creators host their LearnDash videos on Amazon servers.

Since Amazon S3 is only designed for video storage purposes, it doesn’t come pre-built with a video player. This means you will need to use a free video player plugin to embed your videos in LearnDash. One of the highlight features of Amazon S3 is that it’s highly secure and performance-optimized. When you subscribe to Amazon S3, you can protect your video content using the AWS Partner network, which is one of the most popular and secure cloud storage providers.

Amazon S3 is a great option for creators who want the most affordable video hosting solution that’s fully secure and responsive.

Pricing – Amazon S3 pricing can start as low as $0.0023 per GB of cloud storage, while you can get 5GB of free storage with the AWS Free Tier plan.

#6. Wistia

Wistia is another great video hosting platform that lets you host LearnDash videos and share them with your audience using a professional-looking video player.

One of the highlight features of Wistia is that it lets you display LearnDash videos in an attractive-looking, fully customizable video player. You can personalize the video player to make it match your brand’s aesthetic. Wistia fully supports LearnDash, so you can also use the automatic video progression feature and keep users engaged with your course content.

Wistia focuses on making sure your video content is fully secure and cannot be stolen or copied by unauthorized users. While top-notch security is important, you also have access to in-depth analytics for your videos. This makes it possible to make improvements that actually make a difference and makes it easier to understand your target audience’s behavior better.

Wistia is the ideal video hosting platform for LearnDash creators who want their online course videos to look highly personalized and professional and are willing to pay a premium price for it.

Pricing – Wistia pricing starts at $19 for the Plus plan. Wistia also offers a free-to-use plan with basic features and limited video storage. However, you will need the premium plans for full functionality.

#7. Bunny.net

 When it comes to video hosting for WordPress websites, Bunny.net and Presto Player are a winning combination. Bunny.net, a leading content delivery network (CDN), offers lightning-fast video delivery to users across the globe. With its global network of servers, Bunny.net ensures that videos load quickly and efficiently, eliminating any buffering or lag time. This is essential for an optimal user experience, as slow-loading videos can lead to high bounce rates and frustrated viewers. By leveraging Bunny.net’s powerful CDN, website owners can ensure that their videos are delivered seamlessly to viewers, regardless of their geographical location.

In addition to Bunny.net’s impressive video delivery capabilities, integrating it with Presto Player takes the video hosting experience to another level. Presto Player, a feature-rich video player plugin for WordPress, offers a plethora of customization options and advanced features. With Presto Player, website owners can easily embed videos, customize the player appearance, and control video playback options. Moreover, Presto Player offers advanced features such as interactive video chapters, video playlists, and video analytics. This allows website owners to create engaging video content and track its performance effectively.

Bunny.net and Presto Player make an unbeatable video hosting combination for WordPress websites. With Bunny.net’s fast video delivery capabilities and Presto Player’s customizable and feature-rich video player, website owners can offer a seamless and engaging video experience for their viewers. Whether it’s for business presentations, educational tutorials, or entertaining content, the Bunny.net and Presto Player combination is the ideal solution for effective video hosting on WordPress. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is LearnDash?

A: LearnDash is a learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress that allows you to create and sell online courses.

Q: How can I use LearnDash to create online courses?

A: To create online courses using LearnDash, you can utilize its features to build your course structure, add lessons and quizzes, manage enrollments, and track student progress.

Q: Can I host videos in my LearnDash courses?

A: Yes, you can host videos in your LearnDash courses to enhance the learning experience for your students.

Q: What are the benefits of hosting videos for my LearnDash courses?

A: Hosting videos allows you to provide visual and interactive content to your students, making the learning experience more engaging. It also gives you control over the video content and ensures that your courses are secure.

Q: What are some recommended video hosting platforms for LearnDash?

A: Some recommended video hosting platforms for LearnDash include YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia, and Amazon S3. These platforms offer features like video analytics, customizable player options, and secure video hosting.

Q: How do I host videos for my LearnDash courses?

A: To host videos for your LearnDash courses, you can upload them to a video hosting service like YouTube or Vimeo, and then embed them into your course lessons using the provided embed code.

Q: Can I use a video hosting platform to sell my LearnDash courses?

A: Yes, you can use a video hosting platform to sell your LearnDash courses. By hosting your course videos on a secure platform, you can protect your content and ensure that only enrolled students have access to it.

Q: What is video progression in LearnDash?

A: Video progression in LearnDash allows you to control the flow of your course content by requiring students to complete a video before moving on to the next lesson or topic.

Q: How can I ensure that my videos cannot be copied or shared without permission?

A: To ensure that your videos cannot be copied or shared without permission, you can use video hosting platforms that offer advanced security features like password protection, domain restrictions, and advanced DRM (Digital Rights Management) options.

Q: Can I embed videos hosted on external platforms into my LearnDash courses?

A: Yes, you can embed videos hosted on external platforms like YouTube or Vimeo into your LearnDash courses. This allows you to take advantage of the features offered by these platforms while still having control over your course content within LearnDash. ###

Q: What is the importance of video content in online courses?

A: Video content plays a crucial role in online courses as it helps engage learners, explaining complex concepts and providing visual demonstrations.

Q: Can I use LearnDash for creating courses?

A: Yes, LearnDash is a popular plugin that allows users to create and manage online courses on WordPress websites.

Q: How can I host videos for my LearnDash courses?

A: There are several options for hosting videos for LearnDash courses. You can either use a video hosting service or self-host the videos on your own website.

Q: What are the benefits of using LearnDash for video hosting?

A: LearnDash provides a seamless integration with popular video hosting platforms, allowing you to easily embed videos into your courses and take advantage of features like video analytics and security.

Q: What is the best video hosting platform for LearnDash?

A: The choice of the best video hosting platform for LearnDash depends on your specific needs and preferences. Some recommended options include YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia, and Amazon S3.

Q: Can I sell my courses created using LearnDash?

A: Yes, LearnDash allows you to sell your courses directly from your website by integrating with popular e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce.

Q: Are there any limitations on the length of the videos I can use in LearnDash courses?

A: There are no specific limitations on the length of the videos you can use in LearnDash courses. However, it is recommended to keep the videos relatively shorter for better engagement and attention span of learners.

Q: How can I ensure a good video experience for learners in my LearnDash courses?

A: To ensure a good video experience, make sure to optimize the videos for web streaming, use a reliable video hosting platform with fast loading times, and consider providing options for lower-quality video playback for users with slower internet connections.

Q: Can learners download the course videos from LearnDash?

A: By default, LearnDash does not provide built-in functionality for allowing learners to download course videos. This helps in protecting your content and discouraging unauthorized distribution.

Q: Does LearnDash offer a video progression feature?

A: Yes, LearnDash offers a video progression feature that allows you to set prerequisites for course progression based on the completion of specific videos or video segments.

Conclusion

Hosting videos on your own website for your online courses isn’t recommended, especially if you have longer-style video lessons. This can cause your online course site to slow down and cause a poor learning experience for students.

Instead, using a dedicated video hosting platform to take care of your video content storage and delivery is the better option. This way, you don’t have to worry about video loading times, security issues, and storage limitations when uploading video lessons for your online courses with LearnDash.

What are some of the features you need in a video hosting platform for LearnDash? Let us know in the comments box below.