--- title: "What Is VOD? Video on Demand Explained | RentAnOTT" description: "VOD is video a viewer can start whenever they choose, rather than at a scheduled time. See how it works and how SVOD, AVOD and TVOD relate to it." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vod" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/vod.md" category: "Platform" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is VOD? VOD (video on demand) is video that a viewer can choose and start at any time, instead of having to watch at the time a broadcaster schedules it. Films, series and recorded events on a streaming service are all VOD. ## How VOD works Each title is uploaded once, encoded into several quality levels and stored. When a viewer presses play, the player requests the video in small segments from a content delivery network and plays them in order. The viewer can pause, rewind, skip ahead and resume on another device. ## The business models built on VOD VOD describes how the video is watched. The acronyms describe how it is paid for. - SVOD: subscription. A recurring fee for a catalog - AVOD: advertising. Free to the viewer, paid for by ads - TVOD: transactional. One payment per title, as a rental or purchase - PVOD: premium. A higher-priced early rental of a new release - HVOD: hybrid. Two or more of the above on one service ## VOD vs live and linear Live video is streamed as it happens, and a linear channel plays a fixed schedule; in both, every viewer sees the same thing at the same time. VOD has no schedule. Most services offer both, and recordings of live events commonly become VOD titles afterward. ## VOD on RentAnOTT Every RentAnOTT plan includes on-demand movies, series, music, reels and vertical video with AVOD, SVOD and TVOD. Live channels and events are included on Growth and Scale. [See pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing). ## Related terms - [SVOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/svod) — SVOD (subscription video on demand) is a streaming model where viewers pay a recurring fee, usually monthly or yearly, for unlimited access to a catalog of on-demand video. - [AVOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/avod) — AVOD (advertising-based video on demand) is a streaming model where viewers watch on-demand video for free and the service earns from the ads shown before, during or after it. - [TVOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/tvod) — TVOD (transactional video on demand) is a streaming model where viewers pay once for a single title or event, either renting it for a limited time or buying it to keep. - [PVOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/pvod) — PVOD (premium video on demand) is a one-time rental or purchase of a new release at a premium price, offered early, while or shortly after the title is in cinemas and before it reaches subscription or ad-supported catalogs. - [HVOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/hvod) — HVOD (hybrid video on demand) is a streaming model that combines two or more ways of earning, most often a subscription and advertising, on the same service and catalog. - [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. - [Live streaming](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/live-streaming) — Live streaming is delivering video over the internet as it is captured, so that viewers watch an event while it is happening, with a delay of a few seconds rather than after a recording has been uploaded. - [Linear channel](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/linear-channel) — A linear channel is a continuous stream of programs played in a fixed schedule, like a traditional television channel. Viewers join whatever is on at that moment rather than choosing a title to start. - [Live-to-VOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/live-to-vod) — Live-to-VOD is converting a live stream into an on-demand video, either while the event is still running or as soon as it ends, so that viewers who missed it or joined late can watch from the start. - [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. ## Further reading - [SVOD vs VOD: what is the difference?](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/svod-vs-vod) - [Content monetization platforms compared](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/content-monetization-platforms) - [How to start a streaming service](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/how-to-start-a-streaming-service) ## Frequently asked questions ### What does VOD stand for? VOD stands for video on demand. ### Is VOD the same as OTT? No. VOD is about when the video is watched: whenever the viewer chooses. OTT is about how it is delivered: over the internet. OTT services carry both VOD and live video, and VOD also exists on cable. ### What is the difference between VOD and SVOD? VOD is the format. SVOD is VOD sold by subscription, one of several ways to charge for it. 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