Update: All videos are back up; I'm working on CC/Subtitles. More info soon

I've moved my entire archive to another host and am working on streamlining the last bits and pieces.

Thanks,

Thomas

Hey everyone.

I host my videos on Vimeo, but they have temporarily suspended my account due to excessive bandwidth usage.

It seems to be a handful of videos that have been binge-watched in July.

The video in orange, for example, was viewed for a total of 11 hours on July 20.
It's not available anywhere else than via Patreon; it was posted more than a year ago, is only available in the Vault, and I have not promoted it since then, so it is pretty weird if a lot of people would all of a sudden watch this particular video on the same day, but equally unlikely (IMHO) that one person would watch it on repeat for 11 hours.
But either way, according to Vimeo, it happened.

I learned about this about a week ago when Vimeo reached out, and since then I've spent about 40 hours rescaling video sizes, bitrate, and framerate; I have managed to shave around 50-60% off around 50 of the most bandwidth-heavy videos, and then I've reuploaded them, replacing the former larger files.

I've had an ongoing dialogue with a Vimeo rep who now says "his team requires me to upgrade my account" and upgrade to an enterprise account (which is $400/month).

Quite frankly, I can't afford that, which is why I put in all the work to minimize bandwidth.

From Vimeo's online help:

Q: What happens once I exceed the monthly bandwidth threshold? 

A: Generally, when users exceed the 2TB monthly threshold, we do not enforce this limit by stopping their ability to stream. Instead, users will receive automated notifications encouraging them to keep their bandwidth usage below Vimeo’s monthly limit. Someone from our team may reach out to you if your usage: 

• Exceeded 2TB per month at least two (2) times in the past 12 months, or

• Exceeded 10TB per month one (1) time in the past 12 months

Q: What are my options once a Vimeo rep reaches out to me regarding my bandwidth usage?

A: There are a number of options for you in these instances, and our aim is to find a solution that best serves their needs. This includes:  

• Reducing bandwidth usage below 2TB/month and remaining on your current Vimeo plan.

• Upgrading to a Vimeo Custom or Enterprise account, where pricing depends on the expected bandwidth usage. Rates are competitive relative to alternatives in the industry. 

• Exploring an alternative option to migrate, in the case that Vimeo is no longer the best solution for your needs.

But despite the first option, Vimeo has temporarily disabled my account and, therefore, disabled your access to the around 900 videos I currently have published via Patreon.

There are two potential outcomes of this:

1. Either Vimeo will restore my account, which their online help says is an option as long as I reduce the bandwidth (which I have done).

2. I'll have to migrate my entire archive to another provider.

If Vimeo agrees to reopen my account and let me continue on my current premium plan (prepaid well into 2027), everything on my Patreon goes back to normal.

If not, I have to migrate the entire video archive to another provider (I'm currently looking into options). Even if I could automatically migrate all the videos, I'd still need to manually review all the Patreon posts and relink each one to the corresponding post on the new provider; frankly, it's a daunting task that will take a lot of time to complete.

I hate bitching and moaning, but this is not how I expected to spend my first week back from holiday; I had planned to edit images and announce my next Lanzarote workshops in spring.

Thanks for your support, guys, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

Best regards,

Thomas Holm