Open Media

What Open Media does

Open Media Foundation is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that operates two principal lines of activity. First, Open.Media is a SaaS platform built on Drupal CMS and YouTube APIs that enables state and local governments to livestream public meetings, archive video with automated multi-language transcriptions, index agenda items with cue points, and embed content on existing government websites. Second, the Foundation runs a nonprofit creative-services division offering video production, branding, website design, and digital strategy, alongside a fiscal sponsorship program that lends its tax-exempt status to aligned projects, and sub-brands including Denver Open Media community radio and the Open Media Career Engine.

The business model blends tiered government SaaS subscriptions (free for governments under 5,000 constituents, $3,000 for mid-size, $6,000 for large, $10,000 for state), fees from fiscal sponsorship and creative services, and tax-deductible donations augmented by employer matching programs (Google, American Express, EnCana). Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve signup (90-day free trial) with direct government sales and a community-led referral network; marketing relies on content, email, social, the community radio station, and partner referrals. Customers span municipalities, counties, and state legislatures across at least eight U.S. states, with the Colorado State Legislature (Colorado Channel) as a flagship account. Partnerships with YouTube (core streaming infrastructure) and Zoom (virtual meeting integration) are foundational, while Colorado Broadcasters Association, Internet Archive, Open States, and SIPA extend reach and archiving capabilities.

Name

Open Media

Legal name

Open Media Foundation

Website

https://open.media

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Media Foundation is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates Open.Media, a YouTube-powered SaaS for state and local governments to livestream, transcribe, and archive public meetings, alongside nonprofit creative services, a fiscal sponsorship program, and a community radio station.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Video Transparency Software

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Public Media Fundraising & Membership (Pledge Drives, Major Gifts) (MPABADAJ), Public Broadcasting Grants & Government Funding Administration (MPABADAM)

Keywords

• Government video streaming
• Meeting livestream software
• Civic engagement platform
• Nonprofit creative services
• Video transparency SaaS

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government SaaS Subscriptions: Tiered subscription pricing for government video transparency software. Pricing based on constituent population size: free for governments under 5,000, $3,000 for medium governments (5,000-50,000), $6,000 for large governments (50,000+), and $10,000 for state governments.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship: Provides tax-exempt 501(c)3 status and administrative support to fledgling projects in exchange for program fees, allowing projects to use Open Media's nonprofit status for fundraising.
3. Nonprofit Creative Services: Marketing and communications services including video production, branding, website design, and digital strategy for nonprofit organizations. Includes matching grants for qualifying nonprofits.
4. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations. Employer matching gifts program with companies like EnCana Oil & Gas, American Express, and Google.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Open Media Foundation sells Open.Media, a SaaS platform that lets state and local governments livestream, archive, transcribe, and make searchable public meeting videos through YouTube API integration. The nonprofit also delivers fee-based creative services (video production, branding, web design, marketing strategy) and a fiscal sponsorship program to nonprofits, governments, and media organizations.

Product overview

Open Media Foundation operates two primary offerings: (1) Open.Media, a government video transparency SaaS platform enabling municipalities to livestream, archive, and make searchable government meetings with automated transcriptions via YouTube integration; and (2) a broader nonprofit services division providing marketing, video production, branding, website development, and fiscal sponsorship to nonprofits and mission-driven organizations. The nonprofit also operates Denver Open Media (DOM), a community radio station, and administers matching grants exceeding $1,000,000 since 2004. The organization positions itself as an open-source, nonprofit alternative to commercial platforms like Granicus, Accela, and Swagit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Open.Media SaaS: Government video transparency software-as-a-service platform for uploading, timestamping, archiving meeting videos with automated transcriptions.
• Denver Open Media (DOM)
• Open Media Career Engine (OMCE)

Products and services

• Open.Media Government Video Transparency SaaS
• Nonprofit Creative Services
• Fiscal Sponsorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Cuts costs in half while doubling web traffic
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• YouTubecoreTechnology or IntegrationYouTube is the foundation of Open.Media's streaming infrastructure. The platform is built around YouTube's APIs, enabling free HD streaming, automated transcriptions, and live event creation. This partnership allows Open.Media to offer enterprise-grade video transparency at minimal cost.
• ZoomcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Zoom Pro accounts for virtual meeting streaming. During COVID, Open.Media partnered with Zoom to offer free Zoom Pro accounts capable of streaming live to YouTube, integrated with Open.Media SaaS for government virtual meetings.
• Colorado Broadcasters AssociationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Census 2020 PSA distribution. Amplified $90,000 investment to over $1.25 million in media value, reaching 120+ million impressions across Colorado radio and television stations.
• Public News ServiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Census 2020 outreach to hard-to-count communities in Colorado, helping amplify messaging to underserved populations.
• Delta AnalyticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShown in Open.Media's partner logos section, indicating collaboration on data or analytics capabilities.
• FFWD (Forward)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner shown in Open.Media's partner logos section.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Accela: Named competitor selling broadly to state and local governments across permitting, licensing, and civic engagement. Overlaps with Open.Media in serving transparency/engagement use cases but from a much wider gov-tech platform footprint.
• CivicPlus: Larger government technology vendor whose suite includes civic engagement, meeting/board management, and content modules that overlap with Open.Media's offering, but as part of a broader portfolio of municipal software rather than a video-first product.

Direct peers

• Granicus: Named directly as Open Media's primary for-profit competitor. Granicus is a leading government experience platform that provides government meeting video streaming, agenda management, and civic engagement software to municipalities and counties—a near-exact functional substitute for Open.Media.
• Swagit: Named in Open.Media's own positioning as a competing for-profit vendor for government video streaming, agenda indexing, and on-demand meeting playback. Competes head-to-head for the same municipal RFPs.

Others

• TechSoup: Nonprofit that distributes donated and discounted technology to other nonprofits—mirrors Open Media Foundation's mission of making media/tech accessible to mission-driven organizations and competes for the same donor and grant ecosystem attention.
• Rev.com: Major transcription and captioning service used by many organizations (including YouTube alternatives). Overlaps with Open.Media's automated transcription feature for customers needing higher accuracy or specialized captioning beyond YouTube's free tier.
• Alliance for Community Media: National nonprofit supporting community media centers and public-access TV channels—same operating category as Open Media Foundation's Denver Open Media community radio station and nonprofit media training programs.
• Municode: Provider of municipal code publishing and government transparency documents, often co-sold alongside meeting video products like Open.Media. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but commonly procured together by the same municipal clerks.

Emerging players

• Polco: Civic engagement and community survey platform for local governments; competes for the same civic-transparency and citizen-engagement budget lines that Open.Media addresses through streaming and transcriptions.
• OpenGov: Government transparency and civic engagement software company serving municipalities and state agencies with budgeting, procurement, and engagement tools—partial overlap with Open.Media in the government transparency category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OMFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OpenMediaFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Open Media