Video Recognition Software: Build or Buy?

Understanding the potential benefits of ACR for video platforms, the key question remains: should you build or buy the solution?

Building video recognition software in-house may seem appealing since it offers full control over the result and its compatibility with your business. However, the potential costs, risks, and time involved make in-house development less attractive than purchasing a solution from a company with an expertise.

If you’re considering creating your own solution, it’s crucial to take all the possible downsides into account.

It is a rocket science

Developing an ACR solution is literally rocket science. It’s a complex and time-consuming process that requires a team of experienced developers and years of R&D. The developers need to have a deep understanding of algorithms, video content matching, video fingerprinting, and load management. 

The work doesn’t end with the development and launch of the software. Testing, maintenance, documentation, and implementation are all critical aspects of the process. ACR is a separate product that requires its own attention and resources. Imagine the process as a marathon, not a quick sprint. 

YouTube is an example of a company with its own content recognition solution, Content ID. The software has been in development since 2007 and costs more than $100 million. With that impressive estimate, it’s not a surprise how rare in-house ACR tools are.

The battle for resources

The in-house development of a new product can often lead to a diversion of attention away from your core business, resulting in a slower delivery of new features and less value for your target audience. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of developing a new product, but you should remember that the core product is what drives your business. 

ACR software may seem like a core product, but it’s important to recognize that it’s only a tool. The true value of ACR software lies in its ability to drive business impact with more creators, rightsholders, and advertisers. 

Purchasing a ready-to-use ACR solution allows you to keep the focus on your main product while increasing your growth as a business. 

Reference database as ACR foundation

If you want to build an Automatic Content Recognition solution, you’ll need a reference database. This database consists of different content types:

• Copyrighted (movies, tv shows, sports, standups, concerts, etc.)
• Criminal (CSAM, TVEC, NCII)
• Adult

The more content you have in your database, the more potential match results you can get for users’ uploads.

Creating a reference database is no small feat. This is another challenging task that adds to the workload of your in-house team.

The good news is that a ready-to-use ACR solution comes with reference databases that have been collected over the years. The solution has already done the heavy lifting of creating and expanding a database, which means you can start verifying your user-generated content without having to worry about the reference collection.

An alternative to building in-house

Developing a content recognition solution from scratch can be a daunting and expensive undertaking. If you don’t have a spare decade and hundreds of millions of dollars lying around, you’re probably better off considering a ready-to-use solution for your video business. 

When selecting an ACR solution, there are several factors to consider:

• Cost
• Scalability 
• Accuracy
• Compatibility with your platform
• Reference database

At WebKyte, we understand the importance of these factors. That’s why we’ve developed a ready-to-use ACR solution that hits all the checkboxes. 

Our product has one of the largest reference databases in the industry, and a proven track record of fast, scalable, and flawless video matching. That’s not all as our product is also customizable for every platform out there. Powered by WebKyte, our current customers gain a better understanding of what’s available on their platform.