• by kyle , Daisy Whitney , September 22, 2006

The Internet has made it possible for anyone to distribute video these days, but whether the creators see any resulting revenue is another story. A new wave of technology companies are serving as online video matchmakers, connecting creators with dollars.

Revver, for example, offers software that lets video creators track their videos across the Internet. Revver sells ads and splits ad revenue with the creator. For example, Revver powered "The Extreme Diet Coke and Mentos Experiments," a three-minute viral video that became an online sensation over the summer and earned the creators about $30,000 in ad dollars. Eefoof.com and Blip.tv fish in the same waters, and also share revenue.

Other models include Lulu TV, which launched a service this summer that invites individuals to pay a monthly fee to upload videos. The money goes into a "kitty," and at the end of the month, 80 percent of the money gets divvied up and distributed to the creators whose videos had the most views.

Then there are players such as Internet TV firm Brightcove. The company plans to introduce its own ad network to connect online programmers with brand advertisers. And Maven Networks has an online video publishing system that matches content providers with online ad networks.