Made It Myself TV is a new streaming channel for crafters offering 24-hour high-quality instructional content in all types of crafts.
Photos courtesy of Made It Myself TV
There’s a new video content platform on the market, and crafters of all stripes—professionals and hobbyists—will want to take note. Made It Myself TV is a 24-hour FAST (free ad-supported television) channel and AVOD app (advertiser-supported video on demand) offering high-quality videos covering all kinds of crafts: beading, photography, woodworking, macrame, jewelry, culinary, knitting, crochet, pottery, sewing, paper crafts, upcycling, gardening and more.
As a fledging channel, Made It Myself TV (MIMTV) wants to be “Netflix for crafters.” Marcy Levitas Hamilton, CEO and founder, calls it a “relaxing space where people can sit back and watch the creativity unfold, or take an active part in learning new skills.” The 24/7 FAST channel programs in blocks, with each block focusing on a particular craft, while the app allows the user to select whatever program interests them at the moment.
CEO Marcy Levitas Hamilton says viewers can either sit back and relax while watching the DIY tutorials, or get out their supplies and follow along at home.
What is a FAST channel?
Free, ad-supported television is similar to traditional TV, but is presented through streaming instead of over-the-airways broadcasts. Each FAST channel is aimed at a niche audience. Made It Myself TV is a linear channel, meaning that viewers don’t choose the programming on demand, as on Netflix, but watch whatever is being presented at a certain time, like traditional television. A FAST channel doesn’t require a cable subscription or membership of any kind.
The Made It Myself TV channel is available on many smart TVs as an app and streaming services like Samsung, Vizio, Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast, as well as through the Made It Myself TV app for Apple and Android. You can also watch through its website. The FAST Channel (also called LIVE Channel) can be found within the App, or separately at places like PLEX TV and LOCAL NOW, which are Apps that bundle FAST Channels. As Made It Myself TV expands, you’ll find the FAST channel at more and more platforms and TVs. TriCoast TV, the parent company of Made It Myself TV, has years’ worth of technical and industry knowledge. They have the ability to dub video into different languages, and plan to launch the channel worldwide.
It’s Not YouTube
How is watching Made It Myself TV different from streaming YouTube? The answer is in the curation. Anyone who has watched YouTube knows that it is a mix of great, good, not good, and truly horrible. Made It Myself TV chooses the best, fresh content and serves it up to viewers, allowing them to relax in the knowledge that they are getting high quality instruction without any effort.
It’s not Craftsy or Creativebug, either, as these platforms may hide their best content behind a paywall. Viewers will, however, find many of their favorite artists from these familiar platforms joining the Made It Myself TV content bandwagon.
The MIMTV app offers additional functionality beyond the viewing experience. Want to actually make the thing you are viewing? Many of the projects have additional downloadable instructions or patterns to allow you to make along with the video. Want to watch a certain creator or video? It’s available on demand in the app, with the “Search” or “Series” links.
Who Watches?
Since the channel is so new, there aren’t a lot of data on viewership yet. Hamilton believes that the subject matter appeals to all ages. Younger generations are keen on sustainability; categories like upcycling and visible mending will appeal to them. Topics like woodworking, cooking and photography span ages and genders, as well.
There’s no commitment involved in simply turning on the TV and watching. This low barrier to viewing means that MIMTV can reach a broad audience. Individual viewers will be introduced to new-to-them crafts. This in turn might spark an interest in learning. At the very least, it may help the public understand why that artisan item costs so much more than a mass-produced one!
Made It Myself TV will be ad-supported, rather than subscriber-supported, so all of the content is available to everyone.
Who Creates the Content?
About 95% of the current content is produced outside the TriCoast TV studio. Artists are paid by revenue share. Most importantly, MIMTV does not require exclusivity. Creators are free to use the same content on YouTube, Vimeo and other platforms.
TriCoast has about half a dozen of its current crafters creating new original product. They’re also looking for new crafters with video content of all types, including both modern and heirloom crafts. Hamilton notes that someone may be a fabulous instructor or creator, but not understand how to produce an effective video. The MIMTV producers will work to guide new creators in the steps needed to create in-focus, steady, well-lit material. Ideally, the video will be in a horizontal 16:9 aspect ratio, but they may also accept a vertical format, depending on content. Videos that are 10 minutes to over an hour long are welcome. Super-short videos (2-3 minutes) can be bundled together. Series are also welcome on the channel.
How Does Advertising Work?
There are several types of advertising on MIMTV. The first type is programmatic advertising. This is what you see on YouTube, where ads are pre-bought and delivered into the program automatically. Sponsorship, the second type of advertising, is generally open to larger brand names. With sponsorship, a company would pay for advertising and for their products to be featured on a program.
MIMTV realizes that smaller businesses may not be able to afford to pay for sponsorship. In this case, they offer a barter system. Small businesses and designers can get a free ad in exchange for a social mention. To make it simple, the advertiser supplies images and MIMTV plugs them into their template.
How to get involved
To apply to provide content or to learn more, complete the form on the website. Share links to video you have already produced and ideas of the content you’d like to produce. The subject doesn’t have to be educational. It could be as simple as a nice shot of you doing your work; MIMTV can add a music track if needed.
If your content fits their programming needs, you’ll set up a Zoom meeting with a MIMTV producer. If you are invited to join, you’ll sign a contract and start uploading your material, including video and metadata, via templates.
Made It Myself TV is a new enterprise from an established player in the movie making and video distribution industry. The CEO is herself a knitter and crocheter. She understands how important crafts are to individuals as well as how they help create community. In our interview, Hamilton stressed that the company has a focus on sustainability and saving our planet’s resources. As MIMTV grows and fills out their programming, it has the potential to be a bright new player in the ever-evolving crafting video cosmos.
Edie Eckman
Contributor
Edie Eckman is a knit and crochet author, designer, teacher, blogger and technical editor with more than 25 years of experience in the yarn industry. Find her at www.edieeckman.com.