PeerTube ⧉ is a video platform for the Fediverse, sort of like Mastodon but for videos.
Just like Mastodon, PeerTube is spread out on many different servers that talk to each other. Also, because both PeerTube and Mastodon are part of the Fediverse, PeerTube accounts can be followed from Mastodon etc as well as from other PeerTube servers.
How do I watch PeerTube videos and follow PeerTube accounts? How can I follow them from Mastodon?
If you’re wanting to just watch and interact with videos, have a look at the guide to using PeerTube.
How do I upload videos to PeerTube?
If you want to upload videos on PeerTube, check out the guide to publishing on PeerTube.
Where can I see an example of PeerTube in action?
If you just want to see an example of a working PeerTube server, have a look at fedi.video ⧉.
Which apps can I use with PeerTube?
You can follow and interact with PeerTube from your Mastodon account, including through your server’s website or any Mastodon app.
Alternatively, if you are using a PeerTube account yourself, you can use your PeerTube server’s website, or the Android apps Fedilab and NewPipe ⧉.
If you just want to watch videos without interacting, you can subscribe to PeerTube channels through your favourite podcast app.
What if I want to start my own PeerTube server?
There are basically three options:
- Non-technical people can use managed hosting companies ⧉, which do all the techy stuff on your behalf behind the scenes.
- Semi-technical people can use online service management systems like Yunohost ⧉ to create a PeerTube server on a VPS etc.
- Very technical people can install a PeerTube server manually using the official PeerTube documentation ⧉
Isn’t video really expensive to host?
Video sites are definitely more expensive to run than text-based social networks, but PeerTube has a clever system to keep the costs down.
When several people watch the same video, they start sharing their bandwidth on a peer-to-peer connection (which is where PeerTube gets its name). This significantly reduces the strain on the PeerTube server where the video is hosted, and it provides the greatest amount of help when the strain is greatest.
I thought PeerTube was a way to view YouTube videos with better privacy?
No. You’re probably thinking of a totally different project called Invidious ⧉
Does PeerTube run on blockchain or cryptocurrency or something?
No. None of the Fediverse uses blockchain or anything like it. The Fediverse runs on traditional sustainable servers federated in a structure similar to email.