TVOD, PVOD, SVOD, and AVOD for Independent Film
TVOD, PVOD, SVOD, and AVOD describe how viewers access video. They do not tell you whether a film will be accepted, promoted, discovered, or profitable.
The core definitions
| Model | Viewer experience | Filmmaker revenue basis |
|---|---|---|
| TVOD | Pay for a rental or purchase | Individual transactions after fees and deductions |
| PVOD | Pay a premium price during an early or special window | Premium individual transactions |
| SVOD | Pay a recurring subscription for a catalog | License, allocation, or revenue share under the service agreement |
| AVOD | Watch with advertising | Advertising allocation or revenue share |
| FVOD | Watch free without a required transaction | No direct viewing payment; may serve reach or another goal |
“PVOD” is a release strategy inside transactional VOD, not simply a synonym for charging for a film. The premium price usually relates to timing, exclusivity, or access relative to another window.
Choose from the film's situation
TVOD can fit a completed film with viewers willing to pay once. SVOD can fit a licensing opportunity or a filmmaker operating a meaningful catalog with recurring value. AVOD and free viewing can maximize access when scale, mission, sponsorship, or later monetization matters more than an individual sale.
Once TVOD is the chosen model, the independent film pricing guide helps turn rights, costs, and audience evidence into an offer.
PVOD requires a credible reason to pay the premium now. Scarcity alone is not enough if the audience does not understand the event, timing, or value.
Separate model from route to market
The same model can appear in different routes. A distributor may license a film to an SVOD service. An aggregator may deliver it to a TVOD store. A filmmaker may run TVOD on a direct storefront. The access model does not describe who markets the film or controls customer data.
Compare:
- rights and exclusivity;
- territories and languages;
- price control;
- term and removal rights;
- reporting and payment schedule;
- customer relationship;
- platform and delivery costs;
- actual promotion commitments.
Calculate the direct TVOD case
For a direct sale, contribution per transaction is the collected price minus platform fees, payment processing, taxes, refunds, and partner shares. Multiply only by qualified buyers you have a reason to expect, not total followers.
TribuShare supports direct rental and purchase offers. It does not currently operate an ad-supported service, a subscription catalog, or a special PVOD product. A filmmaker can use a direct sale within a wider release strategy, provided the rights and other windows allow it.
Do not make one window permanent by accident
Before launch, record the start and end of each exclusive period, price change, territory restriction, and license. Check whether a direct window conflicts with festival premieres, broadcaster commitments, distributor rights, or later platform delivery.
The correct model is the one that matches the audience, rights, timing, catalog, and operational capacity of this film. The acronym alone is not a strategy.
