Plugin lets viewers search video clips for relevant content

ClipMine annotates online videos and provides viewers with a text-based outline so they can skip straight to the parts that interest them.

For the fast-paced digital consumers who tend to skip the intro of an article or ctrl+f relevant keywords,ClipMine is a new plugin which enable them to do the same with video content. The platform — created by the startup of the same name — can be overlaid onto players such as YouTube, and allow viewers to see a text-based outline of a certain video, and skip straight to the section that interest them. Users can also search for mentions of a given topic and jump to quotes about it.

The platform will eventually be powered by crowdsourced annotations created by users — it currently relies on notes written by the startup’s editorial team, with the help of an algorithm. The content appear to the left of the video, and splits into chapters which can be accessed individually. ClipMine also provides video publishers with actionable analytics, to help them better understand their user engagement in terms of content rather than timestamps.

ClipMine is not the only company helping viewers access the highlights of online videos — we recently wrote about an algorithm-powered app which automatically selects the best bits of each clip for users to watch and share. Both tools aim to help publishers expand their audience and increase engagement rates, while simultaneously enhance the viewer’s experience.

Could crowdsource annotations be used on images or GIFs too?