Share my videos with patrons – Patreon Help Center

Are you a cinematographer, a Vlogger, or do you document your creative process through video? You can share videos directly with your patrons as Video posts as a benefit.

Feel free to click ahead if you know what you’re looking for! In this article we’ll go through:

Uploading a video using a URL or Vimeo
Ensuring patrons have permission to view your video on Patreon
Attaching a video file to any post
Making a Post that’s only visible for certain patrons (available for Pro, and Premium plans)

Uploading a video using a URL or Vimeo Integration

Can I upload videos directly from my device?

Patreon does not host video content directly on our site, so you'll want to upload your video to a hosting site before posting it on Patreon. Many creators use YouTube, or Vimeo as their third party video hosting sites.

Uploading a video using a URL
You can upload a video link to a Video Post, and it will appear as the main body of your post in a player box. Here's how:

Log in and click New under your Post section.
Choose the new Video post option.
Add your URL in to the link field, and you'll see a preview of your video appear.
Don't forget to add your Title, and short summary of what you're posting before publishing.

Note: We use embed.ly for all embedded Video Posts. You can test your URL, here to ensure that your video will post properly. Add your URL into the field, and click the arrow to the right. If you see an error in the “type” field, your URL will not post, and you’ll want double check your link.

Uploading a video using Vimeo

You can set up the Vimeo integration that's available on Pro and Premium Plans on Patreon.

If you'd like to start sharing secure videos, select Vimeo and then follow the steps in this Help Center article: Share private videos with Vimeo

Are there alternatives to YouTube and Vimeo?

We recommend using YouTube if you are unable to use Vimeo. Learn more about using YouTube, here. If YouTube, or Vimeo are not an option for you to host your videos, we have a recommended list of other video hosting services that may work for you in this help center article.

What should my privacy settings be on my videos?

Ultimately, only you can decide what level of security you want for your videos. With that said, there are some basic settings that we recommend on YouTube, and Vimeo to ensure that your videos will play on.

YouTube

If you're using YouTube as your 3rd party hosting site, there are a few settings you can enable to ensure that patrons can view your videos on desktop, and on the Patreon app. With YouTube, we recommend publishing your video as Unlisted. Additionally, there are a couple of YouTube default Advanced settings that you'll want to keep as-is.

Keep the License and rights ownership field on the default Standard YouTube License. If you change this, your videos will not play on Desktop or on the app for patrons.
In the Distribution options setting be sure to leave Allow embedding checked.

As quick tool, your YouTube video advanced settings should look like this:

Note: If you're seeing that your video is "Unavailable" on the app in particular, you'll want to double check your licensing on YouTube. YouTube may add additional copyright licensing to a video that uses music from different artists. This license prevents embedded players within apps from playing these videos outside of their own app, or website. You can learn more about music in videos hosted by YouTube, here.

Vimeo

When editing the privacy settings for your videos on Vimeo, there are few things we recommend doing to ensure that your videos play for your patrons when viewed on desktop, and the Patreon app.

1. In the Who can watch? ? field, be sure to select either: Anyone, or People with the private link. Selecting different options may result in errors for patrons. .

2. In the Where can this be embedded? field of your Vimeo privacy settings. We recommend allowing embedding Anywhere. That said, we totally understand that you want to keep your videos secure. If you select the option to allow embedding only on Specific domains, you'll want to add www.patreon.com as a domain (click the + sign to add it).

Here's what if will look like once you've given patreon.com permission to embed your video. Once added, it will appear under the field where you can remove the permission by clicking the "x".

To learn more about Vimeo's privacy settings head on over, here.

Using the Vimeo integration for Patreon?
If you are using the Vimeo integration with Patreon, the privacy settings are already configured and only patrons who can access that particular post can see the video. These settings can always be changed within Vimeo.

Here's how to get started with Vimeo: Share private videos with Vimeo

Attaching a video file to a Post

You can attach a video file to any Post type directly from your device.

This won’t appear as a video player in the main body of your post, but it will appear as a link at the bottom of your post. Patrons can then click on the link to download your video file. To attach your video file, click the Upload option near the bottom of the Post creator/editor.

What file types can I attach to Video Posts?

Your video file must be 200 MB, or less, and in one of the following file formats: .mov, .gif, .mp4, .m4a, .mpeg, .ogg, and .gif

You’ll know that your file is attached when the upload arrow is gone and you see your file listed at the bottom of the post.

How do I make a Post for certain patrons only?

Note: If you’ve indicate that you create Adult Content, your Posts will default to Patrons Only. If you did not indicate that your create Adult Content, your Posts will default to Public.

Creators on our Pro, and Premium platform plans, can publish posts for Select Tiers. To do this use the drop-down under Who can see this post? on the right-hand side of the screen. The content of your Post will only be accessed by patrons within the Tiers you've selected.

Note: If you’re a per creation creator, you cannot simultaneously charge patrons and make a Post only for certain patrons. You can find more information about how Posts work a little differently for you, here.

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