9 Ways To Send Video Messages

Voicemails, emails, and texts are out when you can't talk to someone right away and need to leave a message. Welcome to the future, guys. We have video messages now. (Okay, maybe emails and texts have their place, but voicemails don't. Voicemails suck. Don't use voicemails.)

So here's what's up. Today, I'm going to tell you just how exactly you can create video messages without much effort on your part. I'm also going to do it for free. Because this is the Internet, and even if I wasn't doing it for free, you would probably find a way to get access to the article for free.

Below are five super-cool way for you to send video messages to your friends, family, and mortal enemies. Let's do it, y'all.

Skype & Oovoo

So here's what's up. Skype and Oovoo aren't just for video conferencing. In fact, you can leave video messages for people, too. It's pretty cool stuff. Whether you are on your mobile or your PC, it's pretty easy to send a video message. However, for Skype you can only send unlimited video messages if you have a premium account - bummer. Oovoo allows PC users to send 1-minute messages for free, but premium users can send messages up to five minutes.

All versions of Skype have an easily-visible video message button if the person you are trying to contact isn't online. Videos can be recorded up to three minutes, and this is rather beneficial for those of you needing to leave lengthy bits of information. It's also cross-platform unlike Oovoo, which lets Mac users only receive video messages rather than send them.

Vine, Snapchat, & Instagram

As a rather private person, I can't stand the new trend of 15-second videos popping up everywhere. No one cares about what you had for dinner. They also probably don't care to see you lick your lips while looking at it in a rather perverted manner. However, I believe that Vine, Snapchat, and Instagram do have their place when it comes to video messaging.

If you want to leave silly, goofy messages for your friends that are meant to be seen publicly, then I'd say have at it with Vine, Snapchat and Instagram. Oh, and for Vine and Instagram, don't forget to tag the person you are sending the message to. Also, remember that Snapchat is (relatively) disposable, so your message may not be clear enough to the person receiving it.

I wouldn't recommend any of these for "important" messages (not sure why you would even think of using them for that reason, anyway). However, bear in mind the time lengths for each. Vine is six seconds, Snapchat is ten seconds, and Instagram is fifteen seconds - pick your poison.

Your Phone

Look, I know it's obvious, but not everyone thinks about it... You can record video messages on your smartphone and send them out to people. In fact, I have a friend who does it all the time. Granted, the videos are rather short and all, but it's probably no big deal for whatever you're trying to send.

Texting seems to be faster between phones, so there's really no practical use for it. However, I can think of a few situations where it could be somewhat useful. Just know that - for whatever reason you may have - it's an option for you. It's ideal for media messages, but you could also send them via email, too.

Vlogging (It Can Be Personal)

Going right along with Vine, Snapchat, and Instagram, vlogging is actually another way for individuals to send out video messages. It's actually rather simple to do, and most social media already offers easy ways to do it. YouTube lets you record straight from your webcam, and so does Facebook (which is a more closed-circle way of vlogging). Alternatively, you could use Keek to get your message out from your smartphone, but it only comes in the form of the 30-second clips.

While mainly a public form of communication, vlogging can allow you to send out mass messages to your peers. Furthermore, there's no heavy limit on the recording time (save for Keek). This might be good for those of you who are traveling or are catching up with a few people from a long distance away.

For Reference

To sum things up, I've provided a list for reference that shows what you can use to send your video messages. It's always been right in front of you, but as with anything, we sometimes forget.