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kanopy.com
Recently, it has been easy to feel overwhelmed by streaming services. It can be hard to keep up with the new releases. It seems as if every other week, there is a new premium streaming service being released. Every film studio and TV network is just now trying to get a piece of the premium streaming pie. I can't say I blame them either - it is one of the most lucrative industries of recent memory, bringing in billions of dollars every year.
This is, of course, a good thing. It can never really do any harm to have an overabundance of options when it comes to our entertainment. In fact, it could be said that there has never been a better time to be a movie or television lover. One thing is for sure? We have never had so many options available to us, neither when it comes to the myriad different ways in which we can watch movies and TV, or the number of high-quality original movies and television series that we have available to us.
The level of quality in movies and TV shows released in the last ten years has significantly increased due to the competition between streaming services. Every service wants to produce exclusive, original content that will draw customers from the other services. This competition has led to some of the best movies and TV shows ever made.
Even though an overabundance of high-quality streaming sites is undeniably a good thing, it can have some downsides. For instance, trying to figure out which ones will be the best streaming sites for you can be a daunting task. Not to mention the fact that it can be way too expensive trying to juggle several premium streaming sites? subscription fees at one time (time to start sharing those passwords!).
First, Kanopy offers a library of movies that can be accessed and watched without any ads. Additionally, the site has a great selection of movies, both new and old, which makes it the perfect place to watch a movie when you have some free time. Finally, Kanopy is also great for users who want to discover new movies. Because it streams movies for free and does not require any login information, anyone can use Kanopy to watch their favorite films.
For example, Kanopy is a streaming site that has a sleek design, looks like a premium streaming site, and interfaces smoothly. It has an excellent selection of movies to choose from, and these are somewhat rare features of any streaming site.
The main thing that sets Kanopy apart from other sites like it is its focus on education and thought-provoking content, as well as its business model. It could be considered something like the anti-Netflix, which instead of simply trying to churn out as much content with the most widespread pop appeal possible (a la Netflix), Kanopy's mission is to provide its viewers with only critically acclaimed and award-winning films and documentaries. Kanopy's whole thing is quality and meaningfulness.
This probably is why, speaking to their unique business model, Kanopy is only available via your public library or university. Kanopy may be a free movie streaming site for you, but it is far from free in actuality. If your college or library offers Kanopy, they pay for the licensing fees of each title made available. In some cases, titles are made available on a pay per view basis. Nevertheless, Kanopy can be a great way to access films - whether you are a student or a teacher - that can help to expand your mind and supplement your coursework (or lifelong learning).
I am beyond thrilled to share Kanopy with you because it is unlike any other free movie streaming site. Even though it may not be for everyone, those of you who can use it/would be interested in it will 100% fall in love with it!
History
Kanopy was founded in 2008 by Australian entrepreneur Olivia Humphrey in Scarborough, England. It functioned originally only as an educational tool for colleges and universities, but Kanopy has since expanded to include films for all audiences. Kanopy's headquarters are in San Francisco, California.
Humphrey stayed on as CEO of Kanopy for quite some time, much longer than founders typically stay around when they have founded a company as successful and profitable as Kanopy turned out to be. So unique was Humphrey's contributions to Kanopy, as well as the worlds of streaming and education tools, that the International Documentary Organisation published a comprehensive interview with her that traces Kanopy's history, and its aspirations.
In October of 2019, Humphrey resigned from her position as CEO of Kanopy. She was succeeded by Kevin Sayar. And to this day, Kanopy remains one of the most widely used and beloved educational streaming resources. I wish that more people could take advantage of Kanopy's great collection of critically acclaimed movies, documentaries, and foreign films.
Design
In terms of streaming sites, I would say that Kanopy is not particularly unique or different. It has borrowed the standard streaming site layout, offering a bunch of different genres and categories for browsing (each with its own side-scrolling capabilities). However, I would argue that perhaps Kanopy has perfected this familiar Netflix layout.
How have they managed to do this? By slimming down the sections in browsable categories, they were able to fit more sections onto the page without the end result looking too cluttered or cramped. At the top of the page, this clean and minimal look is continued, offering only a search bar and dropdown menu (making for a quick and convenient way to browse all of the genres available on Kanopy).
As far as the actual media player component of Kanopy is concerned, the site designers seemed to have turned more to YouTube for inspiration than Netflix. To the right of the video, you will find a list of related or recommended videos. Below the video is a ?people who watched this also watched ?? list, and further down below that, you will find a comments section. Although I am typically not a huge fan of this sort of layout, I do think that it works well for an educational streaming site such as this one (I like the browsability that it enables).
Content and Features
Kanopy has a few social features, such as comments. Additionally, you can share films, add them to playlists, and create exportable clips. All of these features add up to make Kanopy the ideal educational media tool. If I were a teacher, for example, I might assign my students homework to watch a movie and then leave a comment.
I might also find it useful to export just a five-minute clip from a movie to add to a lesson (without having to share the entire film). Kanopy also allows you to automatically generate transcripts of films or scenes. Additionally, Kanopy's citation tool will automatically cite the film in your paper.
Kanopy specializes in providing thought-provoking, informative, and literary films for its users. With a selection that includes award-winning documentaries, critically acclaimed classic movies, and fascinating foreign films, Kanopy is perfect for anyone who loves to learn or teach. If you're looking for a free movie streaming site with a wide variety of content, Kanopy is the perfect option for you.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
Not only does Kanopy offer a top-notch desktop user experience, but its free mobile app is also one of the best that I have ever seen. The app is every bit as clean, smooth, user-friendly, and sleek as the browser site. Forget to watch your assigned movie for class? No problem, skim through the important parts on your phone while you walk to class! Kanopy is available on both iOS and Android devices.
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