Distrify (Defunct)

Overview

Distrify was an Edinburgh-based direct-to-audience film distribution platform founded on November 1, 2010 by Peter Gerard. The company (registered as Distrify Limited, company number SC387995) provided independent filmmakers with embeddable video players that allowed them to sell and rent films directly from their own websites and social media pages. Distrify was one of the first platforms to enable direct-to-audience distribution where filmmakers retained the customer relationship, audience data, and email addresses rather than surrendering them to a third-party platform.

The company is no longer operating. Peter Gerard left Distrify in May 2014 to join Vimeo as Director of Audience Development and Content Operations. Distrify Limited went into administration in December 2014, moved to creditors' voluntary liquidation in December 2015, and was formally dissolved on March 7, 2017. A successor entity, Distrify Media Limited (SC491140), was incorporated in November 2014 but also entered liquidation and was dissolved in April 2023.

This entry is maintained for historical reference, as Distrify's model and approach influenced subsequent direct-to-audience distribution platforms.

How Distrify Worked

Distrify's core technology was an embeddable video player that filmmakers could place on any web page. Audiences could click a "watch now" or "rent now" button and transact directly with the filmmaker without being redirected to a third-party platform. The filmmaker retained the customer relationship, including the audience member's email address, viewing history, and purchasing data.

This model differed from traditional aggregator distribution (where a filmmaker places a film on Amazon or Apple TV and receives a revenue share but the platform owns the customer relationship) and from transactional VOD platforms (where the platform controls pricing, discovery, and data). Distrify positioned itself as infrastructure for the filmmaker rather than as a destination platform for the audience.

At its peak, Distrify had 250,000 registered users and thousands of films available globally. Hundreds of distributors, filmmakers, and affiliates earned revenue through the service. The platform charged transaction fees rather than taking a revenue share in the traditional distributor sense.

Partnerships and Industry Relationships

Distrify secured content promotion partnerships with major publishers including The Guardian and Metro US, offering revenue-sharing opportunities that competed with CPM advertising media. The company negotiated contracts with the British Film Institute (BFI), Icon, Sigma Films, Curzon Artificial Eye, Kino Lorber, Drafthouse Films, Wolfe Video, Omniverse, Filmhouse, and IDFA.

Two of Scotland's independent cinema venues, the Glasgow Film Theater (GFT) and Edinburgh's Filmhouse, partnered with Distrify to create a curated streaming service, supported by a 90,000 GBP fund. Edinburgh-based boutique distributor CineFile also partnered with Distrify to make its content more accessible online.

Gerard was interviewed in Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen International, The Wall Street Journal, and The Observer. He spoke at film festivals from Cannes to Sundance and at technology conferences including the Edinburgh Turing Festival.

Why Distrify Failed

Distrify ceased operations in 2014 for several converging reasons:

1. Market competition: Vimeo On Demand launched in 2013 with a similar direct-to-audience model, backed by IAC/Barry Diller's resources. Vimeo offered filmmakers a 90/10 revenue split and a larger existing audience of 170 million monthly viewers, making it difficult for a small UK startup to compete.

1. Platform consolidation: The streaming market consolidated rapidly between 2014 and 2017. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and later Apple TV+ absorbed the audience for independent film streaming, reducing demand for self-distribution tools.

1. Audience discovery problem: Distrify's model required filmmakers to drive their own traffic. Filmmakers with existing audiences (social media followers, mailing lists) could convert a percentage into paying customers, but filmmakers without established audiences struggled to generate sales through embeddable players alone.

1. Founder departure: Peter Gerard's move to Vimeo in May 2014 removed the company's primary driver. The company entered administration seven months later.

Legacy and Relevance

Distrify's direct-to-audience model influenced subsequent platforms. Vimeo On Demand, VHX (acquired by Vimeo in 2016), and later Patreon and Gumroad adopted variations of the embeddable player and direct-creator-to-audience transaction model that Distrify pioneered for film.

The core insight from Distrify's model remains relevant: filmmakers with established audiences can generate higher-margin revenue by selling directly rather than through platform aggregators. The challenge that Distrify could not solve (audience discovery) remains the primary barrier for direct-to-audience distribution today.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Distrify is no longer operating. Filmmakers seeking direct-to-audience distribution tools in 2026 should consider:

• Vimeo On Demand: The closest successor to Distrify's model, offering embeddable players and direct sales with a 90/10 revenue split
• Filmhub: An aggregator that places films on streaming platforms (not direct-to-audience, but low-friction)
• Quiver Digital: Another aggregator option for platform distribution
• Gumroad / Patreon: General-purpose creator platforms that can be used for direct film sales

For filmmakers with established audiences, the direct-to-audience model that Distrify pioneered remains viable. The key requirement is an existing audience base (typically 10,000+ engaged followers) that can be converted into direct paying customers at a rate that justifies the infrastructure and marketing investment.

See Also

For how direct-to-audience distribution compares to platform aggregation and traditional distribution, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue. For aggregator platforms that filmmakers can use today, see Filmhub and Quiver Digital in this directory. To model the revenue from a direct-to-audience release strategy, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator.