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kanopy.com
It can be hard to keep up with all the streaming services out there. It seems like every other week there's a new premium streaming service being released. Every film studio and TV network is trying to get a piece of the premium streaming pie. I can see why they'd want in, it is one of the most lucrative industries of recent memory. It's bringing in billions of dollars every year.
This is certainly a good thing. With so many options available to us when it comes to entertainment, there is never a bad time to be a movie or television lover. In fact, it could be said that there has never been a better time to be invested in these genres. One thing is for sure - we have never had so many great choices available to us when it comes to watching movies and TV, as well as the number of high-quality original movies and television series that are available.
The competition among streaming services for customers' entertainment dollars has resulted in the quality of movies and TV shows being raised significantly in the last 10 or so years. Every streaming service (of course) wants to put out better exclusive, original content than the next one, so to take your money. If there is one thing that capitalism has been good for, it is that this competition has resulted in some of the best movies and TV shows of all time.
Many people are concerned about the overabundance of high-quality streaming sites. For example, it can be hard to figure out which one will be the best site for you. Plus, it can be expensive to pay subscription fees to several different premium streaming sites at once.
First of all, Kanopy has a library of documentaries and independent films that you can access for free. Additionally, Kanopy also has a section for classic movies that you can watch for free if you have an Amazon Prime account. And finally, there is the curated selection of movies on Kanopy that are sure to appeal to just about anyone. So if you are looking for a great way to get your free movie fix, then I recommend checking out Kanopy!
For one, it is a streaming site that looks, functions, and feels like a premium streaming site. The design, look, and interface of Kanopy is top-notch. It looks amazing, it functions flawlessly, and it has an excellent selection of movies to choose from. These are somewhat rare features of any streaming site, let alone a free movie streaming site.
Kanopy is different than other streaming services because it emphasizes education and thought-provoking content. It's like the anti-Netflix, where the focus is on providing viewers with only critically acclaimed and award-winning films and documentaries. Kanopy's whole thing is quality and meaningfulness.
This may be why, speaking to their unique business model, Kanopy is only available through 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 broaden your mind and supplement your coursework (or lifelong learning).
There is no other streaming site that comes close to matching the quality and selection of Kanopy. I'm so excited to share it with you because even though it might not be for everyone, those of you who can use it or are interested in it will absolutely fall in love with it!
History
Kanopy was founded by Australian entrepreneur Olivia Humphrey in 2008. The company's original goal was to provide educational tools for colleges and universities, but since its headquarters moved to San Francisco, California in 2014, it has become a general streaming service with an extensive library of films and television shows.
Humphrey stayed on as CEO of Kanopy for a much longer time 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, its history, and its aspirations.
In October of 2019, Humphrey announced her retirement from Kanopy. She was replaced by Kevin Sayar. Kanopy remains one of the most widely used and beloved educational streaming resources today. I wish more people could take advantage of its great collection of critically acclaimed movies, documentaries, and foreign films.
Design
Kanopy's sleek design is neat, minimalistic, and user friendly. 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.
The browsable categories on Kanopy are slimmer than usual, making the site easier to navigate. The top of the page features a clean and minimal look, with only a search bar and dropdown menu.
As far as the actual media player component of Kanopy is concerned, the site designers seem 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
As I just touched upon, Kanopy has a few social features. These features include comments, sharing films, adding them to playlists, and creating exportable clips. All of these features add up to make Kanopy the ideal educational media tool. If I were a teacher, for example, and assigned my students homework to watch a movie and leave a comment, that would be an excellent way to use Kanopy.
I might find it useful to export just a 5-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 would allow me to cite the film in my paper instantly.
Kanopy specializes in films that can be thought-provoking, informative, and literary. These films often win awards, are critically acclaimed classics, and are from different countries around the world. If you love learning or teaching, Kanopy is the perfect free movie streaming site for you!
Mobile and Desktop Experience
Not only does Kanopy offer one of the best free movie streaming mobile apps, but it also has a great desktop user experience. The app is clean, smooth, user-friendly, and sleek - just like 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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