--- title: "What Is an OTT Platform? Definition and Examples | RentAnOTT" description: "An OTT platform is the software behind a streaming service: CMS, encoding, delivery, player, billing and apps. See the parts and how to choose one." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ott-platform" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ott-platform.md" category: "Platform" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is an OTT platform? An OTT platform is the software and infrastructure a business uses to run its own streaming service. It covers content management, encoding, delivery, the video player, subscriptions and payments, apps and analytics. ## What an OTT platform includes - Content management: catalog, metadata, artwork, seasons and availability - Video pipeline: encoding into multiple qualities, storage and CDN delivery - Player and apps: web, mobile and television - Monetization: plans, paywalls, payments, advertising and offers - Security: access tokens, DRM, geo rules and account limits - Audience features: profiles, watchlists, recommendations and notifications - Analytics: audience, content, revenue and playback quality ## Two meanings of the term The phrase is used in two ways. Viewers call a consumer service such as a film or sports streaming app an OTT platform. In the industry it means the technology that such a service is built on. This entry is about the second. ## Ways to get an OTT platform - Managed (SaaS): a vendor hosts and operates it for a monthly fee; fastest to launch - Licensed and self-hosted: you buy the software, sometimes with source code, and run it yourself - Custom-built: your own engineering team assembles encoding, delivery, billing and apps ## What to compare when choosing Look at total cost at the audience size you expect in a year, not the entry price: per-subscriber fees, cuts of sales, delivery charges and the cost of each app. Then check which devices are covered, whether live, DRM and advertising are included or quoted separately, and who handles migration and store submission. ## OTT platform on RentAnOTT RentAnOTT is a managed OTT platform with a branded website, CMS, live and on-demand video and all three monetization models on every tier. Tiers start at $169/month and apps are priced per platform. [See features](https://www.rentanott.com/features). ## Related terms - [OTT](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ott) — OTT (over-the-top) is the delivery of video to viewers over the open internet, direct from the service to the viewer's device, without a cable, satellite or telecom operator controlling the distribution. - [White-label OTT](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/white-label-ott) — A white-label OTT platform is ready-made streaming technology that a business launches under its own name, logo and domain. The vendor builds and operates the software; viewers see only the business's brand. - [Managed OTT](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/managed-ott) — A managed OTT platform, also called OTT SaaS, is streaming software that the vendor hosts, operates and updates on your behalf for a recurring fee. You run the content and the business; the vendor runs the technology. - [Self-hosted OTT](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/self-hosted-ott) — A self-hosted OTT platform is streaming software that you license, usually for a one-time fee and sometimes with source code, and then install and operate on your own cloud account or on-premise servers. - [Video CMS](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/video-cms) — A video CMS (content management system) is the back-office application where a streaming team uploads video, adds metadata and artwork, organizes titles into a catalog, sets who can watch and at what price, and publishes to the website and apps. - [Online video platform](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/online-video-platform) — An online video platform (OVP) is a service that lets a business upload, encode, store, deliver and play video, typically through an embeddable player and an API, with analytics on how it is watched. - [OTT app](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ott-app) — An OTT app is the application through which viewers watch a streaming service on a phone, tablet, television or browser. It handles browsing, sign-in, payment and playback, and is published under the service's own brand. - [Multi-DRM](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/multi-drm) — Multi-DRM is the use of several DRM systems, normally Widevine, FairPlay and PlayReady, to protect the same video so that it plays securely on every browser, phone and television. - [Per-subscriber fee](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/per-subscriber-fee) — A per-subscriber fee is an amount a streaming platform vendor charges each month for every paying subscriber on your service, usually on top of a base plan. The total grows in step with your audience. ## Further reading - [OTT solution guide](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/ott-solution) - [White-label streaming platform buyer's guide](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/white-label-streaming-platform) - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing) ## Frequently asked questions ### How long does it take to launch on an OTT platform? On a managed platform the website can be live quickly; the full timeline depends on catalog size, integrations, subscriber migration and app-store review. ### What is the difference between an OTT platform and an online video platform? An online video platform hosts and plays video, often embedded in another site. An OTT platform adds what a standalone service needs: branded apps, subscriber accounts, billing and content protection. ### Do I need my own apps, or is a website enough? A website is enough to start. Most viewing happens on phones and televisions, so apps usually follow once there is an audience to justify them. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt