Platforms

Distribution is the way a media product is shared, spread out or released so that an audience can actually get to it. A finished product that nobody receives has not really been distributed, so the route you choose affects who can access it and how quickly they receive it.

Online distribution

Online distribution sends the product over the internet. It covers the World Wide Web, meaning pages viewed in a browser, and other internet services such as streaming, which delivers audio and video as it plays. Nothing physical changes hands: the audience streams or downloads the file onto a device they already own, so the product can be with them in seconds.

Online distribution is used for:

• video, music and podcasts, such as a youth theatre group making a filmed version of its pantomime available to download from its website
• image sharing and social media, such as a school art department hosting a gallery of students' ceramic work on the school website
• digital publishing, such as news and reviews: a school science department puts its revision newsletter on the school website as a PDF

Physical distribution

Physical distribution puts the product onto a tangible item the audience can hold, such as paper, a disc or a memory stick. That item is printed or copied, packaged and then handed over, posted or sold, so the audience must have the item in front of them before they can use the product.

For example, a model railway club prints a track-plan booklet to sell at its open day, while a downloadable copy sits on the members' webpage for people who have moved away. One product, two routes: the club reaches visitors who want a printed keepsake at the event and former members who want it straight away.

A streaming service uses the internet to deliver audio and video that plays as it arrives, rather than handing the audience a file to keep. The programme or track is only part of what reaches them.

Is it web distribution?

Streaming counts as web distribution only when the audience gets it through a browser. Someone who opens the service's site on a laptop or tablet is using the web. The same service reached by tapping an installed icon on a phone or a smart TV is distribution through an app instead. An app and a website are separate routes, so say which one the audience actually uses.

For example, an online observatory called Starline streams live telescope views. Watching it in a browser window on a laptop is web distribution; opening the Starline app on a phone is not.

What else gets distributed

Alongside the main programme, a service also distributes supporting content:

• Title images – thumbnails that catch your eye and show what each episode or track looks like.
• Text descriptions – short summaries and episode notes that help you choose something and understand it once it starts.
• Interface graphics – buttons, menus and icons you use to search, play and pause.
• Subtitles – on-screen text of the speech, which helps in a noisy room and for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

These assets are part of the distribution, not decoration: the audience relies on them to pick what to watch or listen to and to follow it afterwards.

So a streaming service distributes the programme or track together with the supporting content that surrounds it.

Online distribution means releasing a product over the internet, through a website, an app or a streaming service, rather than on a physical item. It has real strengths, but also limits worth weighing against physical media.

Why providers choose online distribution

The audience gets instant access: a new episode of a school-run podcast plays the moment it is published, with no delivery wait. There are no geographical limits, so a small animation studio in Leeds can reach viewers in Brazil or Japan. Providers have lower costs because nothing is manufactured, packaged or shipped: no cases, no printing, no courier. The audience needs no physical storage space for shelves of discs. Online distribution can also be greener, cutting down on discarded plastic and on the emissions created by making and delivering discs.

Providers can collect analytics: which trailer was watched to the end, where viewers paused or left, and how often they returned. That helps them improve what they make. Providers can also scale up to a very large audience without making extra physical copies.

What can go wrong

A stable internet connection is needed and is not available everywhere, such as on a train through the countryside. High-quality streaming uses a lot of bandwidth, which is a problem on a limited mobile data plan. Access usually depends on a subscription or account, and the provider can remove a title or shut the service down, so you may lose access and do not own the copy as you would a disc. Geoblocking blocks some content in certain regions because of licensing agreements. Unauthorised copying and sharing are simpler with digital files than with physical copies.

Playback may stall while it loads (buffering), and outages can interrupt access. And having several services can leave consumers overwhelmed by too much choice and too many monthly fees.

A platform is a combination of computer hardware and an operating system. The hardware is the physical device, and the operating system is the software that runs and manages it. Because platforms run different operating systems, the software available differs between them, so a product built for one platform may not run on another.

Platforms come in two groups. The physical platforms are computers, interactive television, kiosks and mobile devices; online platforms include apps, websites and other multimedia services. Whatever the group, a platform delivers the product to the audience by running it and presenting it.

Media are the items that carry the product, and a single item is a medium. Paper, a disc and a memory stick are media. A smartphone is a platform because it runs the product, while an SD card is media because it stores and carries it. A website is an online platform, but a printed booklet is paper-based media.

Keeping the two apart

Platform and media must not be confused. When naming a platform, give the device or system that runs and presents the product; when naming media, give the tangible item that holds it. A garden centre, for example, could show a plant-care guide on a tablet: the tablet is the platform, and a printed care card is media.

Platforms and media compared

A computer is a physical platform for distributing a media product. It includes desktop machines, which stay in one place, and laptops, which fold shut and can be carried.

Computers are flexible because you can install a wide range of software and apps on them. A user could install an animation tool, open a browser, run a game or view an interactive product. That means one computer can present many different media products, and the audience is not limited to a single built-in service.

Computers usually have a web browser. This lets the audience use websites, such as watching a video on a web page or browsing a web-based gallery. For distribution, that is useful: a product placed online can be opened on a computer without a separate app being installed.

Portability

The main limitation is portability. A desktop is not portable at all, and a laptop is portable but much less easy to carry in a pocket than a phone or tablet. So a computer suits an audience sitting at a desk or on a sofa with a laptop, but it is awkward for someone who needs the product while travelling.

Controls

Computers are usually controlled with a mouse, keyboard or touchscreen. This is precise for typing, selecting small details and design work. However, it is less convenient than a television remote control when the audience is sitting back to watch. For example, a school could put a virtual art exhibition on its website; computers can open it and show detailed artwork, but a visitor on a bus would need a more portable platform.

Mobile devices are portable computers such as smartphones and tablets. You carry them with you, and they run feature-rich operating systems that support many apps, a web browser and multimedia playback.

That makes them useful for reaching an audience on the move. For example, a city library could release a short animation about its reading challenge through a phone app and a mobile web page, so visitors can watch it on a bus or while waiting in a queue. An app is installed on the device, while a mobile web page is opened in the device's browser. A tablet is small enough to pass around, which suits a family watching together or a group on a journey.

Design limits

Mobile devices have small screens, so content must be designed for a small display. Use readable text sizes, simple layouts and large, easy-to-tap buttons. A product built for a wide desktop screen may need a mobile version with fewer columns and shorter lines.

Streaming over mobile data can also be expensive, particularly high-quality video, because it uses up a data allowance. A lower-bandwidth option, such as a smaller video or an audio version, helps the audience use the product without worrying about cost. On Wi-Fi the same video usually costs nothing extra, so the expense depends on how the audience connects.

When you choose mobile devices as the platform for a product, they give reach and convenience, but the product must be adapted to the small screen and to data limits.

An interactive television, often called a smart TV, is a television that receives broadcast digital television and also connects to the internet to use streaming services. It is interactive because you choose what to watch and when, rather than only watching what is being broadcast. It can also show apps, your own photos and music on the screen and speakers.

Its strengths come from where it sits: in the living room. A remote control lets you choose a programme from the sofa without a keyboard or mouse, which suits family viewing. The large screen makes high-definition films and television more enjoyable, and it is comfortable for several people to watch together. Television makers test the hardware and software so that streaming services and apps play reliably, which gives the audience a smooth experience rather than a stuttering one.

The main weakness is the limited range of apps and services. A smart TV offers fewer apps and services than a computer or mobile device, so a product that depends on a niche app may not be available on it. A service can also be missing if the television's software is older or the maker has not added it.

Choose a smart TV when the audience wants comfortable, large-screen streaming in a shared room, but check that the required service is supported. For example, a tennis club wants to show match highlights at a social evening. The clubhouse smart TV gives a big picture and a simple remote control, but the club must first check that the highlights are on a service the television can open.

A kiosk is a computer built into a stand, often in a public place. It has a touch screen and limited functionality: it usually delivers images, animation and sounds, not a full desktop where users can install or open anything they like.

Types of kiosk

• Self-service checkouts let customers pay for their own items without a cashier.
• Information kiosks show maps, photos and text, such as a zoo screen giving enclosure locations and feeding times.
• Internet kiosks let the public open websites, such as a leisure centre screen for opening a swimming club's website.
• Advertisement displays loop animations and short video, such as trailers in a cinema foyer.
• Service kiosks let people complete a task themselves, such as requesting a replacement bin at a town hall.
• Ordering kiosks let customers choose items, such as a bakery screen for ordering a birthday cake.

Why kiosks suit public places

A kiosk can be locked to a single service, so the public cannot close it, load other services or delete the app. A zoo can leave its map running all day, and it should still work properly the next morning.

A kiosk can be updated digitally and automatically. New images and text can be sent to every unit at once, so staff do not visit each machine and the venue saves the cost of printing and reprinting paper guides.

Drawbacks

Being locked down is also a limitation. A visitor cannot use a zoo-map kiosk to check train times, and adding an extra service may not be possible. The hardware can fail too: an older kiosk with a slow processor and a low-resolution screen may not run a new high-definition animation, and a unit without a card reader cannot take payments.

Paper-based media are the printed group of physical media; the other two groups are removable flash memory and discs. Paper carries images, illustrations, photos and text, so it suits a product the audience reads, keeps or displays rather than plays.

What counts as paper-based media

The media are the items themselves: printed publications such as magazines, newspapers and books, plus flyers, maps and posters, including billboard posters. Name the item — a leaflet, a trail map, a poster — because the medium is the physical thing that carries the product, not the event it advertises.

For example, a city farm prints a folded trail map for visitors and a printed activity booklet for school groups. Both are paper-based media; neither needs a screen.

Why print costs what it does

Full-colour printing costs more than mono printing, which uses a single ink, because full colour lays down four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). Each ink means more plates, more passes through the press and more setting up, so a full-colour poster costs more per copy than a black-only price list.

Distribution adds a second cost. Printed items are run off, packed, then moved physically through the supply chain. For example, a print shop runs off 500 programmes for a school show; some are boxed and couriered to the school office, and the rest are posted to relatives who live too far away to come. Delivering the same item online avoids that journey, which is why paper is much more expensive to distribute.

What paper does better

• It can reach every household by post or a door drop, with nothing to sign up for.
• It needs no account, device, electricity or batteries, so a reader can use it anywhere.
• It shows up well in bright sunlight, unlike a phone screen.
• It cannot be corrupted or fail like a device, though it can of course be torn or soaked.

An optical disc is a physical medium that carries a media product such as music or a film, and it plays in a matching player. The CD, DVD and Blu-ray are the main types. All three are 12 cm across, so their capacity, not their physical size, is the best clue to what each one suits.

A CD holds about 650 to 700 MB. That is enough for roughly 74 to 80 minutes of uncompressed audio, about the length of a music album, so a band can fit its whole album on one disc. Uncompressed audio takes a lot of space because none of the sound data is thrown away to shrink the file.

A DVD stores standard-definition video. A single-layer DVD holds about 4.7 GB and a dual-layer disc about 8.5 GB, so a longer film or extra features have more room. A double-sided, dual-layer DVD holds about 17 GB by using both faces and two layers, but the disc may need turning over part-way through and has no room for printed graphics, because both sides carry data.

A Blu-ray disc holds around 25 GB on one layer and up to 50 GB on two. High-definition video needs much more data for every second of picture than standard definition does, so the larger capacity lets one disc carry a full HD film at high quality.

Suppose a community garden group films a standard-definition guide to its allotments and the footage comes to 6 GB. A single-layer DVD holds 4.7 GB, so it is too small; a dual-layer DVD holds 8.5 GB and fits. A Blu-ray would fit too, but the group's laptop and the village hall both play DVDs, so the DVD is the sensible choice.

Removable flash memory is portable storage that you can take out of one device and plug into another. The main forms are memory sticks (USB flash drives), SD cards and the smaller mini or micro-SD cards. It is physical media: the card or stick is the item that carries the files, so it is not a platform.

These cards and sticks are sold in many capacities, with 1 TB or more available. That is enough to carry a large collection of photos, audio or video. They are often used to store and share media files, such as photos taken on a camera, a portfolio of artwork to take to an interview or a video clip for a presentation. You copy files onto the card using a computer, then move it to another device or hand it to someone else.

Sharing without an internet connection

Removable flash memory is especially important when files have to be shared where there is no internet connection. For example, a geography field trip group could fill an SD card with photos and short videos on a camcorder, then take the card to a laptop back at school to review and edit them. No upload, download or account is needed. It also helps you give files to someone who is offline: you can pass them the stick or card directly.

Practical points

Its main practical advantage is that it is small and portable, and it does not need an internet connection to transfer files. A memory stick can fit in a pocket, and a micro-SD card is very small. The card or stick still needs a compatible slot or reader in the device, and it can be lost or damaged, so keep a backup. Even so, it is a simple physical way to move large media files between devices.

Physical media are tangible items that carry a media product, such as a CD, DVD, memory stick or printed pack. They are a distribution option alongside online delivery, and they have strengths and weaknesses you can weigh up.

Advantages of physical media

Tangible ownership means the audience has something they can hold. That makes physical media good for building and displaying a collection, such as a set of illustrated recipe cards or a shelf of album CDs. A disc or printed pack also makes a ready-made gift, because it can be wrapped and given without needing an account or a download code.

No internet connection is needed. A printed revision booklet can be read on a coach with no Wi-Fi, and an audio CD of a school concert will play on a kitchen stereo that has never been connected to the internet. The copy is also owned outright: buying a DVD means you can keep watching it even if a subscription service later drops that film or changes its licensing deal.

Disadvantages of physical media

Physical media take up storage space. Boxes of CDs, DVD cases and printed packs need shelves, cupboards or a bag, which matters when space is limited.

They cost more to produce and move. Manufacturing, packaging and shipping add expense: discs must be pressed, cases and sleeves printed, and stock transported to shops or customers. There is an environmental impact too, from plastic cases and wrap creating waste to the carbon emissions of delivery vans and lorries.

Stock can run out. A popular title may be out of stock, so the audience waits for a delivery or makes a trip to a shop. Finally, physical items can be damaged: a memory stick dropped in a puddle may lose a media project completely, and a printed pack left in a damp cupboard can warp until it cannot be read.

Choosing a platform or a medium is a decision about how a product reaches its audience. It depends on the audience, where and how the product will be used, portability, screen size, internet availability, cost, capacity and the quality needed. A product for people on the move needs a portable platform; high-definition video needs a medium with room to hold it.

Choosing the medium

Capacity and quality drive the choice: a CD holds about 700 MB, enough for an album, while high-definition video needs the space of a Blu-ray. DVDs and Blu-rays are the same physical size; the difference is how much they hold and the video quality they can carry.

How the platform shapes the file format

The device and its operating system must be able to open and play the file, so the platform's characteristics decide the format. Storage matters: a phone with little space free cannot hold a long, high-quality video. Screen size and resolution matter: a large television can show fine detail that a small phone screen cannot, so it needs the sharper version. The internet connection matters too: a slow or capped connection needs a smaller file that will not stall or swallow a data allowance.

A bike-repair charity films short how-to videos. Most of its viewers use older phones on limited data, so it exports smaller, lower-resolution files that play smoothly; for volunteers with no internet it puts the full-quality files on a memory stick.

Checking compatibility

Compatibility is checked before distribution by trying the finished file on the target platform to be sure it opens and plays. A file in a format the platform cannot open will never reach the audience, however good it is, so platform, medium and format must fit together.