Web Video

Subcategories:

Web Videos are live-action video works originally released or primarily available on the World Wide Web, as opposed to "traditional" broadcast methods like Television or Film. Web video is most often delivered via a web browser or mobile application, either with continuous playback (also known as "streaming") or downloaded to a computer or device for later viewing. The same technology is used to create and deliver other work types online.

The most popular web video site in the world is, of course, YouTube, but the nature of the medium means that anyone with a domain name, a server, and a connection with enough bandwidth can offer video for streaming or for download. As with all other new media, web video was first adopted by the porn industry, giving rise to the meme The Internet Is for Porn.

This index isn't for every kind of web video since that becomes an unnavigable mess. This is for web video works— shorts, films, and channels for such works— using original live-action footage arranged in a narrative. If it doesn't meet this criteria, it belongs in another index.

For live-action series released online, sometimes called "web series", see Web Video Series and its subcategories.

Namespace and index notes

As far as TV Tropes' Namespaces and Media Categories go, please note that to fall under WebVideo/, the work must have first been posted or be available primarily on the internet.

For big-budget series exclusive to streaming services such as Netflix, or television programs rebroadcast via video services or network websites, use the Series/ namespace or the appropriate animation namespace instead.
For other animated videos released online, use the WebAnimation/ namespace and index.
For narrative videos created with video game assets, use the Machinima/ namespace and index.
For Let's Play videos and channels, use that namespace and index.
For video game streaming on Twitch and other services, use other indexes; they are not narrative works.
Fan Films belong in Web Video if they're released online and use original live-action footage and scripts; animated fan films are Fan Animation and/or Web Animation.
Fan works that reuse existing footage (such as Fan Vid, Gag Dub, Gag Sub, or The Abridged Series) do not belong on this index since they do not use original footage. Fan works with original live-action footage do.
For videos that comment on or discuss other works, they may belong in the Web Video namespace, yet fit in another index. Analysis Channel and Video Review Show are for videos that review or analyze other works, such as television, movies, and video games.
Pages about YouTube channels should focus on the videos themselves. YouTubers and other Web Video Creators are not works, and their pages belong in the Creator/ namespace and indexes. Creators include actors, writers, directors, producers, commentators, reviewers, groups of creators, etc. Use the Web Video namespace and index for pages troping the works, not the people.