News from the Hiway.
Press coverage, announcements and our own writing on self-distribution, direct-to-fan streaming and the business of selling content direct.
Hiway newsletter October 2026: five platforms, one library
Two world firsts are live on Hiway: the Distribution Marketplace and the VOD Platform Builder. Apply to five streaming platforms without uploading your film again.
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BRDGE launches in Japan to turn film fans into partners with filmmakers
BRDGE, Jeffrey Rowe’s curated film discovery network, has launched in Japan on Hiway. Its first 100 Builders earn 25% on the film rentals they refer.
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The Drive-In opens on the Hiway
As reported in Variety.com, RecDek is launching The Drive-In on Hiway at the London Film Festival. Filmmakers set their price, keep their IP and see who watches.
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Moving from Vimeo to Hiway: every question answered before you start
The practical questions that come up once you start the move: permissions, tax, rental windows, how migration actually works, and what Hiway does that Vimeo On Demand never offered.
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Vimeo On Demand is shutting down. Here's what filmmakers, coaches and course creators should do next.
A twenty-year-old marketplace closes on 20 November 2026. The alternative Vimeo is pointing sellers to isn't built for most of them. Here's what actually comes next.
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Scotflix Launched on 12 September. The Content Never Moved. That Changes Everything.
Scotflix is the next Hiway-powered streaming platform built on the principle that the media stays with the person who made it. No ingestion. No CDN. No storage cost.
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Raindance × Hiway. Discover. Be Discovered. Build Your Castle.
Raindance Releasing is now live, and you can stream your film globally on the platform from just £12 a month.
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Hiway · August 2026 · Monthly Update
Hiway is now fully self-service. Scotflix launches 12 September. Raindance Releasing is open to every filmmaker. Bully Lifestyle TV went live on its own domain. Here is August on the Hiway.
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Raindance Releasing. The new home for independent film. Time to release your content.
A permanent home for Raindance films after the festival: keep your rights, reach a global audience and get paid every time someone watches.
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CreativeHQ Clinic with Hiway's Zach Rothwell
The affiliate model that built ecommerce into a trillion-dollar powerhouse has never touched film. That's about to change.
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Marketing meets distribution: introducing Hiway × SceneScreens
The two functions independent filmmakers need most have been sold separately for too long. From today, they're sold together.
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The Hiway Interview. A tale of two Davids
Executive producer David E. Valdez releases Ugly Little Monkeys, A True American Story, direct-to-fan on Hiway. The story of Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson, the first youth mariachi in the US, featuring Linda Ronstadt and Edward James Olmos.
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Scotland gets its own streaming platform. And it's built to keep the money at home.
Scotflix, a new Scottish streaming platform, launches September 2026 at the Scottish Screenwriters Festival. Powered by Hiway. Creators keep the IP, the audience and the money.
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Why Raindance is the must-attend event in the indie film calendar.
The 2026 Raindance Film Festival runs 18 to 28 June in London. The UK's largest independent film festival, BAFTA and BIFA qualifying, and the must-attend event in the indie film calendar. Hiway is proud to be the technology partner.
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The Era of Direct-to-Fan Is Here. And It's Working.
Four films. Six weeks. All made by directors who built their audiences online first. Audience-first filmmaking just put up box office numbers the industry has spent ten years calling theoretical.
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Hiway · June 2026 · Monthly Update
Raindance Releasing launched with 20 founding films. Scotflix announced. Two platforms built in weeks, not years, both with zero streaming costs and full filmmaker control of their IP, audience data and revenue. Here is June on the Hiway.
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Cannes 2026. A world first.
Eleven days on the Croisette. One platform debut. One streaming partnership that did not exist in our industry before this month.
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Raindance Releasing launches on Hiway: the first streaming service with effectively zero streaming costs
The UK's largest independent film festival becomes the first major festival to run its own OTT platform on Hiway infrastructure. And the filmmakers are the real winners.
Read postThe Cannes Market Has A Data Problem
The Cannes film market runs on gut instinct and broken links. How distribution technology is changing what information buyers and filmmakers have at the point of acquisition. (
Read postDistrotech: The Real Bill Behind the Play Button
CDN costs, transcode farms, metadata delivery, payment reconciliation across a dozen portals. The hidden cost of every streaming deal, and the infrastructure that ends it.
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Cannes 2026: Free Screener Rooms + up to £500,000 Match Funding
Free Screener Rooms for production companies attending Cannes 2026, plus up to £500,000 in match funding for your next project, in partnership with High Fliers Films.
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A Cannes Gift for You! Your Screener Isn't Working. So We Built A New One. Ready for you, for Cannes.
The film screener is broken. WeTransfer links, expired passwords, no tracking. Here's what a professional screener looks like in 2026 and why it matters.
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Hiway Is Live: Direct-to-Fan Distribution Now Open for Everyone
Hiway is now open to all creators, filmmakers, and rights holders. Upload once, distribute to fans worldwide, and keep your audience data. No middlemen.
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Hiway x Mind Over Media: Decentralised Distribution Meets Decentralised Relationship Management
Two infrastructure layers. One connected system. Full control for the creator.
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AI Is Changing How Audiences Discover Content. Your Audience Isn’t Waiting at Your Shopfront.
Content discovery has changed. Your audience is scattered across the internet, in communities you haven't joined yet. The question isn't how to bring them to you. It's how to reach them where they already are.
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Your Fans Are Already Out There. Now You Can Find Them.
Content syndication on Hiway lets creators distribute to partners with automated payments, shared analytics, and full IP control. Find your audience where they already live.
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Hiway & Your Single Source of Content: The Feature Built for Your Feature Film
Upload once, distribute everywhere with Hiway's Smart Links. Manage territories, monetisation, and audience data from a single source of truth.
Read postSaaS Isn't Dead. The Interface Is.
AI is killing software interfaces, not software. The real question isn't whether SaaS survives, it's who controls the data layer when the interface disappears.
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Film Industry Trends to Watch in 2026
AI in production, sustainability requirements, bundled streaming, theatrical recovery, festival evolution, and direct-to-fan models reshape 2026 film distribution.
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Distribution Infrastructure vs Film Festival Platforms: What’s the Difference?
Discover the difference between film festival platforms and distribution infrastructure, and why festivals in 2026 need more than hybrid screening software.
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Top 5 Self-Distribution Platforms for Content Creators in 2026 (And How to Choose the Right One)
Discover the top 5 self-distribution platforms for content creators in 2026. Compare features, pricing, and benefits to choose the best platform for your growth.
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Top 10 Film Festivals of Germany Every Filmmaker Should Know
An in-depth comparison of Germany’s leading film festivals, exploring audiences, industry outcomes, and long-term value for filmmakers.
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Proving Authenticity in the Age of AI: How Hiway's Blockchain-Backed Single Source of Truth Stops Deepfakes and Content Fraud
Hiway is building a blockchain-backed provenance system that creates an unforgeable chain of authenticity, separating real creators from AI imposters.
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More Control, Less Friction: Hiway's Biggest Video Platform Update Yet | 2026 Feature Release
Discover Hiway's latest video CMS updates: smart clipping, flexible monetisation, API access, and professional collaboration tools. Scale your content distribution effortlessly in 2026.
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Single Source of Truth: How Blockchain Stops Film Piracy and Version Chaos | Hiway
Eliminate film piracy, version chaos, and revenue loss with blockchain's single source of truth. Immutable ownership, automated royalties, and anti-piracy protection for filmmakers.
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AI Is Transforming the Media Industry. Content Owners Still Hold the Power.
Discover how AI is transforming media distribution whilst content owners retain control. Learn why direct-to-fan models are reshaping the industry.
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How to Make Your Content Gated or Paywalled (Without Killing Momentum)
Learn how to gate and monetise your video content without killing growth. Discover what to charge for, pricing models, and how to maintain momentum.
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Should Creators Gate Their Content? When Free Distribution Isn't Enough
Discover when gating content makes sense for video creators. Learn which work to monetise, common pitfalls to avoid, and how to build sustainable income.
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Why Independent Film Is Entering the Self-Distribution Era
Independent film is shifting toward self-distribution as a core strategy, not a last resort. Discover why owning audience, data, and revenue is now essential for financing and survival.
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Complete Guide to Hybrid Film Festivals
Launch hybrid film festivals to boost attendance 200% like Manchester's event and achieve Sundance's 2.7x growth via simultaneous in-person screenings and secure online streaming.
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Digital Monetisation for Modern Film Festivals
Struggling to fund your film festival amid falling physical attendance? This article reveals what digital monetisation truly means for modern festivals and shares proven strategies to unlock new income streams like streaming and VoD.
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What Are the Best Online Film Festivals in the UK?
Struggling to pinpoint the best online film festivals for your 2026 submissions amid thousands of options? This article reveals the top 5 UK-based online festivals.
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How Streaming Platforms Are Reshaping the Future of Film Festivals
Learn how streaming platforms are reshaping film festivals, expanding access through virtual events and changing how films are discovered and distributed.
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Who Really Owns Your Film Online?
Content Ownership, Platform Power. Why Creators Are Rethinking Everything. Understand how Content Ownership, Content Rights, Media IP Rights and User Generated Content (UGC) rights shape control of your film online.
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Why More Independent Filmmakers Are Turning to Self Distribution
Learn how independent filmmakers and small studios can take control of their films with self film distribution, build audiences, and monetise directly.
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How to Protect Your Digital Content | Ownership and Control Guide
Learn how to protect your digital content online using content ownership tools, creator control, anti-theft systems and secure content distribution.
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The Rise of Direct-to-Fan Distribution: Why Creators Are Taking Control with Hiway
The distribution landscape is changing fast. Platforms are fading and creators are taking control. This blog looks at direct-to-fan models and how filmmakers, festivals and rights holders can use Hiway to own their content and audience.
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How to Make Money From Your Videos: Streaming and Monetisation Guide for Creators
Learn how to make money from streaming using direct distribution, video monetisation and selling videos online to grow creator revenue.
Read postHas AFM Lost Touch With Independent Film?
Has the American Film Market lost touch with indie filmmakers? This candid breakdown explores overpriced badges, inflated egos, and the widening gap between AFM’s traditions and the realities of indie film in 2025.
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Hiway Closed Beta: What We Built, What We Learned, What’s Next
Over the past few months, we quietly launched Hiway in Closed Beta to a group of early filmmakers, distributors, and rights holders. Here’s what we learned.
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Hiway BETA: Live, Streaming, and Growing
Our first users are up and running: filmmakers, rights holders, and distributors using Hiway to share and monetise their content, on their own terms.
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Want to Stream and Monetise Your Content? Hiway Was Built for You.
If you’re a filmmaker, creator or rights holder looking for a better way to distribute your work, sell it directly, and keep control - you’ve just found it.
Read postGated Video Content: How Hiway Helps Creators Sell Videos and Films Online
By combining secure distribution with flexible monetisation, Hiway enables creators to share gated video content without sacrificing ownership, transparency, or access to audience data.
Read postOne Platform for Publishing, Distribution, and Revenue
Hiway is an all-in-one platform for video publishing, distribution and monetisation, built for creators, rights holders and professional media workflows.
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The New Home for Indie Film: Store, Share, Publish, Get Paid
Independent production companies don’t need another complicated platform. You need one system that puts everything in one place - and back in your control.
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Finally, Content You Can Control – Why Hiway Exists
If you’ve ever lost track of who has your content, where it’s being shared, or how the money flows back, you’re not alone.
Read postVideo Infrastructure for Content Owners
Hiway is the infrastructure layer for the direct-to-fan economy. We provide content owners with one system to manage, distribute and monetise video, while retaining full control over audiences, data and revenue.
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