Learn who can watch your videos, where they can play, and how sharing permissions work.
Video hosting and privacy decisions start with three questions: who should be able to watch, where should the video play, and how should access end? This glossary explains 28 terms for business owners, marketers, trainers, client-facing teams, and anyone sharing recorded video.
Start with private video hosting, unlisted video, and password protected video. An unlisted link generally gives access to whoever receives it; a password adds a shared secret; invited viewers use permissions tied to specific accounts. These are different ways to manage an audience.
Explore embedding, domain restrictions, and expiring links below. For recording, captions, and audience metrics, visit the Screen Recording & Video Sharing Glossary.
Privacy labels differ by provider. Examples explain the concepts rather than promising a particular feature or plan. Check the current Vimeo privacy documentation and YouTube visibility documentation when configuring those services.
Servers distributed across locations to deliver video closer to viewers.
A content delivery network, or CDN, distributes media through servers in multiple locations. It helps a host deliver playback efficiently to a dispersed audience. A CDN is a delivery component; access rules must still be enforced for protected videos.
Business example: A training provider uses a host with CDN delivery so employees in several regions can watch the same course.
Systems that control access to encrypted media through playback licenses.
Digital rights management, or DRM, combines encrypted media with rules about issuing playback licenses. It can restrict playback on supported devices or players. It requires compatible hosting and playback infrastructure and does not guarantee that content can never be copied.
Business example: A paid course publisher evaluates DRM when ordinary sharing permissions do not meet its distribution requirements.
An embed rule that allows playback only on approved website domains.
Domain restriction controls where a hosted player may be embedded or played, depending on the provider. It does not identify each viewer. An approved webpage may still be accessible to the public unless the website also requires permission to enter.
Business example: A company allows a training player on its learning portal and separately requires employees to sign in.
Settings that allow or disable a host's video download feature.
Download permissions govern whether viewers can obtain a file through a platform's provided download controls. Removing the download button is different from preventing every possible copy. A viewer who can watch may still capture what appears on a screen.
Business example: An agency allows a client to download an approved final video but disables the normal download option on drafts.
A recording intended to play on an external website rather than a public hosting page.
An embed-only setting lets a video play inside other webpages while hiding or disabling its standalone page on the hosting service. It does not automatically make the external webpage private. Vimeo uses the label Embed only; terminology and available controls vary between hosts.
Business example: A business displays a demo on its own website without sending visitors to a separate video-hosting page.
A sharing link designed to stop granting new access after a set time.
An expiring link limits how long its access grant remains valid. The expiry may apply to a sharing page, a media request, or both. It does not erase copies already downloaded, and ongoing playback behavior depends on the service.
Business example: A consultant shares a draft using a link that expires after the client's review period.
A viewing rule that grants access to specific invited people or accounts.
Invite-only access ties permission to selected recipients rather than simply distributing a link. Depending on the platform, viewers may need to sign in with the invited account. Confirm whether an invitation grants viewing only or broader workspace access.
Business example: A manager invites specific department leads to review an internal planning recording.
A recording that requires a shared password before it can be watched.
A password-protected video adds a password check to the viewing process. The password and link can both be forwarded, so this is different from permissions tied to named accounts. Check whether password changes apply to existing links and active sessions.
Business example: A designer sends a client a draft link with a password and changes the password after the review is complete.
A recording restricted to permitted viewers under a host's privacy rules.
Private video describes a platform-specific access setting. It may refer to selected accounts, workspace members, or another restricted audience. On Vimeo, Private generally limits viewing to the owner and account team; YouTube supports private sharing with chosen recipients. Check the host's definition before distributing a link.
Business example: A business verifies that only the intended staff accounts can open its internal briefing.
Hosting recordings online with limits on who may view them.
Private video hosting combines storage and playback with audience restrictions. A host might support invited accounts, passwords, organization access, or other controls. Choosing a setting involves deciding who should watch, whether they can forward access, and how access will later be removed.
Business example: A company chooses account-based viewing permissions for internal training that should not be accessible through a forwarded link alone.
Distributing a recording to an intended audience with viewing restrictions.
Private video sharing is the workflow of sending access without making a recording openly available. The sharing method could use invitations, a password, or another access rule. A link described as private is not enough by itself; inspect what happens when someone outside the audience opens it.
Business example: A support team sends a customer a troubleshooting recording and verifies that another customer's account cannot watch it.
A recording intended to be available to a general audience.
A public video can be watched without a private audience restriction. Depending on the host, it may also appear on profiles, in platform searches, or in recommendations. Public availability does not mean a search engine will necessarily index or rank the video page.
Business example: A company publishes a product introduction publicly while keeping implementation recordings restricted.
Hosting with controls that help protect video storage, delivery, and access.
Secure video hosting describes a collection of capabilities rather than one universal setting. Relevant controls may include encrypted connections, restricted viewing, permission management, and activity records. Evaluate the controls needed for the actual workflow rather than treating the word secure as a guarantee.
Business example: A training business checks how a host authenticates viewers and removes former employees' access.
Sharing a recording using controls suited to the audience and content.
Secure video sharing considers the link, the audience permissions, the delivery connection, and the ability to remove access. Passwords, signed links, and account invitations address different needs. No single sharing option makes every video workflow equally protected.
Business example: A company uses employee account permissions for staff training and time-limited links for a short external review.
Video stored and delivered through infrastructure you operate or configure.
Self-hosted video places responsibility for storage, playback delivery, access control, and upkeep with your organization or its infrastructure provider. Uploading a file to a web server is only one part of that work. Managed hosting often bundles these tasks.
Business example: A business compares maintaining its own video storage and player with using a managed hosting service.
A link with a signature that lets a server verify an access grant.
A signed URL includes information a service can verify, often including a resource and expiry time. Many signed URLs grant access to whoever possesses the valid link, so they should not be assumed to identify a particular person or to work only once.
Business example: A customer portal checks a user's permission before issuing a short-lived media link for playback.
A recording accessible through its link without ordinary public listing.
An unlisted video is generally omitted from a host's normal discovery areas, but people with its link may still watch and forward it. Platform details differ: YouTube notes that an unlisted video can appear in search if it is added to a public playlist. Use stronger audience controls when possession of a link should not be enough.
Business example: An agency uses an unlisted link for a non-sensitive event recap and invited accounts for confidential client material.
Rules that decide which people or requests may view or manage a recording.
Video access control enforces permissions such as viewing, editing, downloading, or changing sharing settings. Authentication establishes who someone is; authorization decides what that person may do. Some access grants are attached to links rather than named people.
Business example: A team allows customers to watch a tutorial while reserving editing and sharing changes for staff.
The amount or rate of data used to deliver video.
Video bandwidth can refer to network capacity or the data transferred over time; hosting plans may use the term differently. Playback demand depends on encoded bitrate, viewing duration, and how much of a recording is actually delivered.
Business example: A business estimates delivery usage for a training rollout instead of looking only at the size of the uploaded file.
Placing a hosted player inside a webpage.
Video embedding displays playback within your website while the hosting service delivers the media. It does not automatically change the video's audience permissions. A public page may contain a restricted player, and a restricted page may accidentally embed a publicly accessible video.
Business example: A company embeds a training player in its staff portal and checks both the portal login and the host's video permissions.
Encoding video data so it requires the appropriate keys to read.
Video encryption can protect stored media or data moving between systems. Encryption in transit, encryption at rest, and encrypted playback address different parts of delivery. Encryption alone does not determine which viewers should receive access or a playback license.
Business example: A company asks a host how video is protected during upload, storage, and playback rather than treating all encryption claims as identical.
Storing recordings online and providing a way to watch them.
Video hosting normally combines upload, processing, storage, and playback delivery. Providers differ in audience controls, embed options, delivery limits, and player features. For business use, compare how a host handles the entire sharing workflow as well as the initial upload.
Business example: A consultancy hosts recorded project updates online so clients can watch through a player instead of downloading large attachments.
The interface and software that loads and plays a recording.
A video player handles controls such as play, pause, seeking, volume, and captions. A protected player may request authorization before loading media, but simply hiding its controls does not protect the underlying recording. Player usability and media access rules are separate considerations.
Business example: A business checks both whether customers can operate its embedded player and whether unauthorized accounts are denied playback.
The rules and settings that govern a recording's audience and visibility.
Video privacy covers who can find a video, who can open it, where it can be embedded, and what recipients may do with it. These controls are related but not interchangeable. A video can be hard to discover while still being accessible to anyone with a link.
Business example: An operations team reviews discovery, viewing, embedding, and download settings before distributing an internal announcement.
The space used to keep source recordings and processed video files.
Video storage holds uploaded originals and, depending on the host, additional versions prepared for playback. Storage limits are different from delivery or bandwidth allowances. Retaining old drafts and multiple versions can increase space requirements even when viewing stays low.
Business example: An agency checks how a host counts archived drafts and processed versions before choosing a storage plan.
Playing media as it is delivered rather than waiting for a complete file download.
Video streaming delivers data as playback progresses. It can support recorded video as well as live broadcasts; this glossary focuses on recorded content. Streaming is a delivery method and does not itself make a video public or private.
Business example: Employees watch a recorded lesson in a browser while the host delivers the portions needed for playback.
Converting encoded media into other playback versions.
Video transcoding creates versions with different codecs, resolutions, or bitrates from a source recording. A host may use these versions to support different devices or connection speeds. Transcoding can improve delivery flexibility, but it does not set the audience permissions.
Business example: A host processes one uploaded walkthrough into several playback sizes for desktop and mobile viewers.
Adding a visible mark or identifying signal to video content.
Video watermarking can display branding or identify a recipient or viewing session. Visible watermarks may discourage unauthorized redistribution or help trace a leaked copy, but they do not themselves stop playback, forwarding, or screen recording.
Business example: A review service displays a viewer's identifier on a draft so a redistributed copy can be associated with that review session.
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Choose the intended audience first, then use a host that provides matching viewing permissions. Invite specific accounts when access should stay with named people. A shared password may suit other workflows, but both the password and link can be forwarded. Test playback using an account that should have access and one that should not.
An unlisted video is generally left out of public discovery areas but can be watched by people with its link. A private video restricts the audience according to the host's rules, often to invited accounts or team members. On YouTube, an unlisted video may appear in search if it is added to a public playlist. Always check the specific platform's behavior.
It usually means the video is not shown in the host's normal public listings. The link can still grant access and may be forwarded. Unlisted is useful when you want convenient link sharing, but it should not be treated as permission restricted to particular recipients.
Yes, if the hosting service supports password-protected playback. Upload the recording, select its password setting, set a password, and test the viewing link. A password on a hosted player differs from encrypting a downloadable file; check which type of protection your tool provides.
Use a host that supports a password on the video's viewing page, then share its playback link and provide the password through a separate channel when appropriate. Confirm the recipient can watch and that the normal download setting matches your intent. A recipient may still forward both the link and password.
Ask the owner to grant access to the account you will use to watch. Sign in with that account and use the supplied viewing link. If the host restricts the video to a workspace or organization, a link alone may not grant permission. The owner may need to change the audience or sharing method.