Mindbites | A New Instructional Video Site Which Charges Despite The Free Alternatives

Mindbites, a new instructional video marketplace, officially launched at the end of last week, after securing about $1 million in investment funding.

We’ve seen plenty of instructional video sites start up over the past year or two, with Howcast, Expert Village and 5Min probably the best known.

Mindbites differs from all of these in one way though, in that it charges for the video lessons, with costs ranging between $1.69 and $1.99.

Good For Content Makers

The instructors who make the videos maintain ownership of their lessons, and receive $1 every time someone purchases the full video.

That’s a great deal for content makers, but with the free alternatives I’ve already mentioned, is it actually worth it for the ordinary Web user?

Nice Design But Ultimately Pointless?

The site is nicely designed, with a simple layout and good search option. Once you find the video of your choice, you can watch a short preview clip before deciding whether to purchase.

I really don’t understand why anyone would do though, as most, if not all, the subjects covered are available elsewhere and at no cost.

[Mindbites]