According to a 2019 study, 70% of American households subscribe to at least one streaming service. What were once convenient ways to binge your favorite cable shows and movies are now sources for original content, including series and films. The monthly costs of these streaming platforms can add up, though, and for those of you with a library card, there are many free alternatives to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
While the options will vary from place to place, every public or academic library should have at least one or two of the streaming services below for their cardholders to use remotely. For those of you who don't have a library card, here's hoping the options below will inspire you to sign up for one.
Hoopla Digital
Hoopla Digital is a public library digital platform that offers everything from eBooks to popular movies and television shows. With apps for almost every mobile or streaming device, as well as an easy-to-use website, Hoopla is one of the best free streaming services available.
Its films range from well-known titles like Into The Woods and What We Do In The Shadows to obscure horror classics like Demons to contemporary masterpieces like Bong Joon-Ho's Mother. Television options range from children's content from Nickelodeon to Stephen King adaptations like Mr. Mercedes. There's something for everyone.
Kanopy
Kanopy is a well-curated video streaming service for both public libraries and academic institutions. Its content is comparable to the Criterion Channel in taste and depth, ranging from classic cinema to independent classics to acclaimed documentaries.
Its collection includes current titles like Moonlight and Lady Bird, as well as classic titles like Chinatown. Kanopy members also have access to its sister service, Kanopy Kids, which offers prime streaming content from children. Like Hoopla, Kanopy is available as an app on both Android and Apple devices.
Acorn TV
Acorn TV is an American streaming service filled with series and specials primarily from the U.K. It's available for library users whose institutions subscribe to RBDigital, an umbrella digital platform.
Acorn TV can be accessed via the web or through an app. It offers up all of the British crime shows American audiences love, as well as documentaries, comedies, and long-standing dramas. It also provides series from Canada, Ireland, and Australia to name a few.
OverDrive
OverDrive is a media distribution service that works with libraries and school. While it's developed a reputation for itself as an eBook and audiobook streaming option, OverDrive debuted its Streaming Video Collection in 2019.
Those cardholders at libraries and institutions that subscribe to it can access the videos through OverDrive's app, which is available for all major devices and platforms. The videos offered are designed to compliment OverDrive's book holdings and encourage learning. Curated lists, organized by genre, topic, or decade, are also offered to users.
Film Platform
Film Platform is a documentary streaming service exclusive to academic libraries. It delivers awarding-winning films from both popular and lesser-known film festival circuits, and its collection is designed to be educational and enriching.
In addition to film lists by subject, Film Platform contains weekly picks of both current and classic documentaries, such as RBG and The Act of Killing. Film Platform is only accessible through the web. There is no app for the service.
Swank Digital Campus
Another streaming service that exists mostly for academic libraries, Swank Digital Campus has, by far, the largest collection of films compared to all other platforms: over 25,000. It ranges from the earliest days of cinema around the world up until the present. It also carries television shows.
While Swank may not be as ubiquitous as other services on this list, count your lucky stars if you have access to it. Its collection can be accessed via the web or by using the Swank Media Player app.
LinkedIn Learning
Formerly known as Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning provides how-tos and educational videos from professionals on nearly every topic imaginable. Paying homage to the DIY shows before it, this is an excellent video resource for nerds and life-long learners.
While much of streaming content these days is oriented around entertainment, LinkedIn Learning provides an alternative for public library users around the country. The next time you go to YouTube for help with your latest project, see if your library carries this resource instead.
IndieFlix
IndieFlix is another public library product under the RB Digital umbrella. Designed for true film buffs, IndieFlix provides access to under-the-radar shorts and feature films that circulate between film festivals.
IndieFlix has thousands of curated options to choose from, as well as an app available to library users. This is your one-stop-shop for independent works that are often ignored by the mainstream. The pictures on IndieFlix aren't just English-language, either; they have a carefully-selected, diverse list of options.
Docuseek2
This streaming platform for academic institutions is designed to provide students with access to educational documentaries and subject-related features. From art to world geography, this service contains films useful to any academic area of study.
While it doesn't have an app, the Docuseek2 website is a great resource for documentary film lovers who are able to get access to it. One tip for people who aren't students, yet who live close to academic institutions: check to see if the academic library near you offers free or discounted cards for local residents. If the answer is yes, you might be in luck!
Infobase Streaming Video Library
Infobase, a large digital and research platform that works with schools, higher education institutions, and public libraries, has dozens of video stream services potentially available to library users around the country. From archival news footage to contemporary documentaries to health and wellness videos, based on what your library subscribes to, the possibilities are almost infinite.
Accessing these video libraries may not be as user-friendly as other options on this list, so make sure to reach out to your local library for help. The more the public uses these services, the more the companies responsible for them will be forced to make them easier to use.