YouTube Creator Blog

Check out and apply to the exciting new Labs at YouTube Space LA!

2013-05-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

Laugh and the world laughs with you …..on YouTube! This month YouTube Space LA is all about comedy with the first of our month-long themed Creator Labs designed to bring in rising channels interested in increasing their production value and collaborating with similar channels.

After extensive production training, our 21 amazing Comedy Lab channel participants are now actively creating new videos here, especially during our weekly collab days where they can take advantage of additional resources and play with special equipment like our steadicam and slow motion camera.

We welcome actionfiguretherapy, channelpktown, LaughAndPeeAlittle, Sam Macaroni, Schlabobble, BaratsAndBereta, helpmefindparents, steamroomstories, suburbanhomeboy, WhoisUTV, mitchmagee, Goldentusk, GREGandLOU, HSTSketchComedy, oldepayphone, 5secondfilms, Comediva, Cracked, LivePrudeGirls, and sweetteafilms. Check out their channels or if you are on the go, checkout the speed-dial playlist!

Up next, our Beauty Lab participants will be announced soon, and if you want to apply for our awesome Geek Lab, June 17- July 20th, please sign up HERE.

Jennifer Vaden Barth, YTSLA Operations Coordinator, is getting ready for a KOA summer!

Connect your Channel with a Google+ Page

2013-05-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Throughout the coming weeks, YouTube creators will begin to see the option to connect their channel with a Google+ page. Connecting with Google+ will unlock great new features for your channel, so we want you to understand all of your options. When you connect a channel with Google+, the channel will have a shared name and avatar with Google+, so making the right choice is important. A couple quick notes before starting:

If you already have a corresponding Google+ page that you’d like to connect with your channel, make sure you’ve added your channel’s Google account as a manager of that page.
If you don’t already have a Google+ page that you’d like to connect with, that’s fine. The linking process will allow you to easily create a new one.

Below is a screen for an example channel (Superman87), and here’s what the options mean:

Superman: This option will connect your channel with an existing Google+ page that your channel’s Google account manages.
Superman87: This option will create a new Google+ page for your channel with the existing channel name.
Choose a better name: This option will create a new Google+ page for your channel with any name that you specify. If you want, you can change your name entirely, or you can make subtle adjustments to your channel username, such as adding a space or other punctuation (e.g., Superman 87).
Clark Kent: This will connect your channel with the Google+ profile on your channel’s Google account. We generally advise partners to link their channel with a Google+ page, so if you’re considering using a profile instead, please view these guidelines.

To start the process right now, go to your advanced account settings in YouTube and click Connect with a Google+ Page. If you have any questions, take a look at our help resources, or join our discussion G+ Community about YouTube and Google+ Integration.

John Fisher, YouTube Software Engineer, recently watched WikiWars - Evan v. Sarah in GREGORY GRUDGE MATCH!

Meet the Fifteen Next Vloggers of 2013!

2013-05-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

A hearty and heartfelt congratulations to the top fifteen channels selected for the YouTube Next Vlogger 2013 - may they all live, vlog and prosper!

Last month, we asked you not only “Do you vlog?” but also, “Do you have inspiring personal stories of triumph, big or small, to share with the world through your channel?” Whether it was dealing with a tough situation at school, struggling to gain acceptance from your peers (or from yourself), moving to a new country, or overcoming a fear of rollercoasters, you took the opportunity through your YouTube channel to motivate your audience to laugh, to smile and to take life by the horns.

And respond, you did! From the vast number of applications, we are pleased to announce the fifteen winners, who will all receive a Google+ Hangout workshop series from industry experts and YouTube staff about best practices in developing long-lasting channels on YouTube, $4,000 worth of production equipment, and a unique opportunity to collaborate with other creators across the globe.

You inspired us with your tales of triumph and your feats of fearlessness: we loved getting to see the story behind your channel and to understand what makes you tick. We hope you enjoy getting to know these Next Vloggers as much as we have here at YouTube.

Check out our newest Next Vloggers below, and make sure you subscribe to stay up-to-date with their channels.

3sixty5days

TheOliWhiteTV

Matthew Yeager recently watched JASH’s Brazzavile Teen-Ager.

Join the Creator Academy to Maximize Your Channel

2013-05-20T12:01:00.003-07:00

Want to learn about YouTube straight from the experts? Whether you’re just starting out or you want to take your channel to the next level, the YouTube Creator Academy can help you get there!

The Maximize Your Channel course will dive into the different parts of the new YouTube One Channel, explain how each can help you attract more subscribers and viewers, and give you the opportunity to freshen up your own channel while you learn. The course is free and open to a global audience.

The two week course starts on June 3 and with just a few hours over two weeks, you will learn how to:

Rack up your subscribers. Find out how to draw new viewers to your channel and get them to subscribe.
Make channel a daily destination for viewers. Curate and organize content so viewers will find what they’re looking for and keep coming back for more.
Have your channel look good everywhere. Every channel is unique. You’ll learn how to make your brand pop across every type of screen: TVs, laptops, tablets, mobile, gaming consoles.

Check it out! Reserve your spot in the course today. Registration is ongoing until the course closes on June 16 at 8 pm EDT.

Maximize Your Channel

June 3 PDT - June 16, 2013 PDT

The YouTube Creator Academy Crew have been jamming to “What is a MOOC?”

YouTube One Channel launching across all channels next month

2013-05-16T15:27:00.001-07:00

We’ve been excited to see more than 100 million channels around the world opt in to the new YouTube One Channel during the open beta. We have integrated a lot of your feedback, including improving the What to Watch Next module and making it easier for you to create sections from playlists.

Channels that have already made the switch are experiencing several benefits. Their branding shines through in more places because Channel Art is visible on iOS apps, Android apps and TV. For the channels that have opted in, we’ve seen 20% more page views on their channels because clicks from the YouTube guide go directly to their channel pages instead of to their activity feeds.

Now that YouTube One Channel is ready for prime time, we’ll be launching across all channels on June 5th. If you have not opted in by then, your channel will be automatically and permanently moved to the new design. If you’re ready to make the move today, you can opt in here.

Before the deadline, we’ll make sure to share several reminders so that you won’t be caught off-guard. We’ve also put together tips and tricks from the Creator Playbook to set up your channel in the new design. It only takes a few minutes to migrate, so start upgrading today!

Allison Bransfield, Product Specialist, recently subscribed to Vice.

WE’LL DO IT LIVE: YouTube live streaming expanding to more channels

2013-05-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Live streaming can bring great experiences to your viewers, create deeper engagement with your fans and build a hyper-engaged audience for your channel. Over the last year, many YouTube creators have used our live streaming to make their channels a destination for Emmy-winning sports events, amazing music, immersive gaming, engaging talk shows and so much more.

To help even more of you create these great experiences for your viewers, starting today we are expanding access to live streaming. All channels in good standing with over a thousand subscribers are now eligible to apply for live streaming. To see if you’re eligible, check your Account Features page for an “Enable” button to sign up for Live and click it if you're interested. In the following weeks you'll be able to live stream to the world from your channel.

YouTube Live allows you to offer your audience a great viewing experience, with great streaming quality and instant scalability and reliability. Here are some key features:

You get real-time transcoding in the cloud, so you only need to send us your highest quality stream and we make it instantly available in all resolutions and device formats
You can show multiple camera angles, add closed captions, and insert ads and slates
Viewers can watch the live stream from any device, get the best quality constantly adjusting to their Internet connection, and can skip back and forth in the live stream

More information on the live streaming is available in our Help Center, and you can also check out the YouTube Live Streaming API for everything you need to create your own live experience with YouTube. We'll also continue to expand availability to more channels and add more features to YouTube Live over time.

Satyajeet Salgar, Product Manager, can’t stop watching “Doodle for Saul Bass’ 93rd birthday”

The journey to the Social Star Awards begins now

2013-05-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

This year, YouTube is partnering with Starcount to livestream the first-ever Social Star Awards, a 24-hour show that celebrates the most popular in social media with live performances and award presentations, recognizing everything from top actors and athletes to favorite songs and sports teams. The event kicks off on May 23 with a red carpet awards ceremony in Singapore, and fans around the world can tune in to watch the action live at www.youtube.com/starcount.

The journey to the Social Star Awards begins now. What does it take to become a rising YouTube star? Check out this teaser here and sign up to www.youtube.com/starcount to find out how some of our own partners, including Harley Morenstein of Epic Meal Time, Ryan Higa, Jenna Marbles, Shane Dawson, Freddie W and MysteryGuitarMan are training up for this year’s first ever Social Star Awards.

Stay tuned for more to come!

New ways to support great content on YouTube

2013-05-09T12:09:00.001-07:00

We’ve been building a YouTube partner program since 2007 that enables content creators to earn revenue for their creativity. We’ve watched them build amazing channels that have made YouTube into a news, education and entertainment destination one billion people around the world cannot do without.

Today, there are more than one million channels generating revenue on YouTube, and one of the most frequent requests we hear from these creators behind them is for more flexibility in monetizing and distributing content. We’ve been working on that and wanted to fill you in on what to expect.

Starting today, we’re launching a pilot program for a small group of partners that will offer paid channels on YouTube with subscription fees starting at $0.99 per month. Every channel has a 14-day free trial, and many offer discounted yearly rates. For example, Sesame Street will be offering full episodes on their paid channel when it launches. And UFC fans can see classic fights, like a full version of their first event from UFC’s new channel. You might run into more of these channels across YouTube, or look here for a list of pilot channels. Once you subscribe from a computer, you’ll be able to watch paid channels on your computer, phone, tablet and TV, and soon you’ll be able to subscribe to them from more devices.

This is just the beginning. We’ll be rolling paid channels out more broadly in the coming weeks as a self-service feature for qualifying partners. And as new channels appear, we'll be making sure you can discover them, just as we've been helping you find and subscribe to all the channels you love across YouTube. Just as the partner program empowered creators to take their channels to the next level, we look forward to seeing how this great community of creators moves ahead with a new way to reach the fan communities that made their channels a hit. You’ll be hearing more from us, and them, as we get creator and user feedback and build out this exciting offering.

If you’re a YouTube creator interested in building your own paid channel, let us know here.

The YouTube Team

Meet your May “On The Rise” nominees!

2013-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

In our monthly On The Rise program, we identify four partners whose channels drive significant YouTube watch time but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 subscriber mark. Thanks to your help, we’re sharing four partners who each drive a lot of watch time on YouTube but still have a ways to go before they hit that milestone. This May, our nominees have had their viewers glued to the screen with videos about paranormal activity, the balance of baking and exercise, reptile behavior, and all kinds of creative crafting.

And they could use your help! You can help these nominees jumpstart their audience development and channel growth. Review their videos below, vote for your favorite here, and one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured across YouTube later this month. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner we’ll feature.

In past months, featured On The Rise partners like ManjulasKitchen and PsychoSoprano have gained many subscribers and seen their careers take off, in large part due to your support. This month’s poll will be open until May 15, 5pm PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see which channel will be featured on May 28.

hauntedsunshinegirl
Sunshine has been documenting paranormal activity at her house for several years, sharing her haunted videos on YouTube. If you’re into mysteries, ghosts, or demons, this is the channel for you.

CupcakesandCardio
You’ll find some cardio tips and hiking trip videos along with baking and cupcake decorating tutorials on Jenn’s channel. She also hosts a Backpack Baking series where she bakes sweet treats in the great outdoors with her backpacking oven.

ojatro
“The hunt is on” over at Heiko Kiera’s YouTube channel, which features all kinds of reptiles. A wildlife videographer both by trade and by passion, Heiko creates videos he hopes will dispel rumors and misunderstanding about fascinating animals like snakes, alligators, and crocodiles.

mommycraftsalot
Linda is a mom of four who has a knack for crafting. You’ll find tutorials on making hair bows for different occasions, jewelry, and other creative projects from everyday items. Her kids even make a guest appearance in a few of her videos!

If you’re interested in participating or have suggestions for partners you think should be featured, you can nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. You can also check out some of our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the YouTube Creators channel.

Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Maker vs Marker.”

Improvements to YouTube Uploading

2013-05-05T23:08:00.001-07:00

We've heard your feedback about uploading videos being a bit of a drag, so today we're announcing two improvements to make it easier.

Upload Notification Emails

Tired of refreshing the upload page to see if your video is finally done and ready to be watched and shared? Starting this week, we will send you an email to notify you that your video is done uploading and processing. You can then forward that email to friends or family for easy sharing.

Prefer not to receive these emails? You can opt out by visiting your email settings.

More Control Over Publishing and Sharing

Ever had a public video publish to YouTube before you’ve finished filling in its information? You’ll soon be able to decide when your video gets published, giving you as much time as you need to input the title, description, custom message to send to your subscribers, etc.

Until you tell us to publish your video, we'll treat it as private so it’ll be visible only to you. We’ll start rolling out this change next week, so hang tight if you don't see this change just yet-- and don’t forget to press Publish!

As always, if you want to share your feedback about these new features you can post in the YouTube Help forum or use the Send Feedback link at the bottom of any YouTube page.

Balazs Dezso, YouTube engineer, recently watched "Follow me on Twitter."

ManjulasKitchen is our April On The Rise partner!

2013-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to chef Manjula, our featured “On The Rise” partner this month. Her YouTube channel, ManjulasKitchen, is in the spotlight on the YouTube home channel today.

Manjula has posted cooking videos on YouTube for over six years, but her history with the kitchen dates back to her childhood in North India, where she assisted her mother with cooking for their family. From a young age, Manjula learned the importance of fresh ingredients and simple spices. She carried this knowledge and experience with her to the United States many years later, and continued to hone her craft. Her loyal following on YouTube includes beginners and experienced chefs who are also interested in producing authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine. Check out Manjula’s channel to learn for yourself how to make chai masala tea, sweet almond brittle, or classic Indian vegetable curry. You’ll appreciate the clear video walkthrough as well as the written instructions you’ll find for each recipe, and we’re betting the end result will delight you as well!

Manjula has a few words to share:

I would first like to acknowledge and thank my subscribers and everyone who voted for me. I truly enjoy creating these recipes and sharing with you. I take a lot of pride in my work through Manjula's Kitchen. I often spend a lot of time perfecting each recipe. I have to admit that the right recipe and the right combination of ingredients is not always the easiest to come up with! Despite this, I must say I truly enjoy this process. You, the viewers, have given me so much love and encouragement over the years. Your feedback and enthusiasm for Manjula's Kitchen is invaluable. It has really given me the motivation and desire to continue coming up with creative and new recipes to share with you. Youtube has given me a wonderful platform to promote my passion and love for cooking.

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series, and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the YouTube Creators channel.

You can participate and help us surface YouTube talent by nominating a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who drive more watch time and produce engaging content on a regular basis. See you next month!

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Lie Witness News - Coachella 2013.”

Coming soon: More videos in the homepage feed

2013-04-19T10:16:00.001-07:00

We know that the YouTube homepage, or the “sub box,” as it’s lovingly called by long-time YouTubers, is a very important part of the site for creators. It’s where all your die-hard fans come to catch your latest uploads and we’re working hard to improve the experience for all of your viewers.

Starting next week, you’ll see an update to the homepage for signed-in viewers that puts more videos above the fold. Rather than one video per channel, your fans will now get to see more of your uploads on a single row of the homepage.

In addition, we’ve also added some variety to how updates from channels are displayed. For example, if someone has been watching a few episodes from a series, there’s a good chance they’ll see an update on their homepage that encourages them to watch the next episodes:

Also, to help someone find the next best thing to watch, we’re looking for patterns in how viewers use YouTube. We know that a lot of fans come back to watch every single video from their favorite channels, regardless of whether those videos were uploaded yesterday or last year. For those most loyal fans, we want to make sure that their favorite channels are always up top so they never miss a beat. And for those fans that watch mainly from their subscriptions, we’ll move their other recommendations further down so they can always see their favorite channels first.

This update is another in a series of improvements you’ll see over the coming months to make the home page smarter. We’ll keep you updated along the way, and we hope you enjoy these new improvements as well.

Norberto Guimaraes recently subscribed to bigthink.

Use a Google+ Page Identity on YouTube (Beta)

2013-04-10T13:34:00.001-07:00

If you're a YouTube creator interested in linking your channel with a Google+ page, we'd like to invite you to a beta test that allows you to do so. Once you've linked, you'll be able to:

1. Add multiple managers to your channel, as well as manage multiple channels with a single login.

2. Choose any name for your channel and page (including renaming an existing channel, if you want).

3. Unlock new features such as improved video sharing, live broadcasts via Hangouts, and a YouTube tab on your Google+ page.

To get started:

1. Your channel’s Google account must first have a Google+ profile on the account to start this process. If you don’t have a profile on your channel’s account, go to plus.google.com and create a profile with your name (not your channel’s name).

2. If you have an existing Google+ page to which you’d like to link your channel, add your channel’s Google account as a manager of the corresponding page (instructions). If you don’t have an existing page, you can create a new one in the linking process.

3. On YouTube, go to your advanced account settings, and click "Connect with a Google+ page (beta)." From there you'll see a number of options:

- Link with a new Google+ page

- Link with an existing Google+ page that your channel’s google account owns or manages

- Link with a Google+ profile instead of a page

4. Select a linking option, follow the instructions, and you're done!

A couple things to note:

- Certain mobile apps and third party tools may require a bit more effort to work with YouTube channels linked to Google+ pages. Just make sure you're using the most recent YouTube app on Android and iOS. And if necessary, setup login credentials for these apps.

- You only get 14 days to unlink the two services before the link becomes permanent.

- Linking your channel to a Google+ page is still a beta test, so we'd love to hear your feedback. See this article for help opting in to the beta.

In fact, we've created a Google+ community for beta testers, and we'd love for you to join and let us know what you think!

Dan Quach, YouTube Software Engineer, recently watched Skype Scavenger Hunt March Madness Edition

Introducing your April “On The Rise” nominees

2013-04-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

In our monthly On The Rise program, we identify four partners whose channels are seeing significant growth but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 subscriber mark. Thanks to your help, we’re excited to share four partners who are just shy of that milestone this month. The nominees this April are each invested in a specific craft that helps them stand out on YouTube: friendship bracelets, guitars, skateboards, and cooking.

Here’s where you come in - you actually have the chance to help push these partners even further on YouTube. Review their videos below, vote for your favorite here, and one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured across YouTube later this month. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner we’ll feature.

In past months, featured On The Rise partners like psychosoprano and devinanderica have gained many subscribers and seen their careers take off, in large part due to your support. This month’s poll will be open until April 17 5pm PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see which channel will be featured on April 30.

beyondbracelets
Lisa has been making friendship bracelets for the past 15 years and has now expanded into string crafts. Her channel hosts tutorials on making a variety of bracelets out of different materials and is organized by level so you can learn regardless of your experience.

premierguitar
Premier Guitar’s print magazine launched in 2007, and their multimedia content has always been sourced by musicians, for musicians. Guitar enthusiasts at any level of experience will find entertaining and educational videos on this channel, and can continue their relentless pursuit of tone.

sprocker7
Aaron has been skateboarding for almost 20 years himself and shares that passion by teaching others how to skateboard and sharing skateboarding culture and news. His channel is filled with videos that can help beginners as well as awe even the most experienced skaters.

manjulaskitchen
Manjula has been sharing her passion for vegetarian Indian cooking on YouTube since 2006. She includes written recipes with the videos to help beginner cooks, and invites more advanced cooks to add their own twist on her dishes.

If you’re interested in participating or have suggestions for partners you think should be featured, you can nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. You can also check out some of our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the Partner Support channel.

Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “MAKEUP PET PEEVES!”

Tailored Strategies Just for You

2013-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Creator Playbook is a great resource to learn about best practices on YouTube, but wouldn’t you like to get your hands on a Playbook with tailored tips and strategies specific to the type of content you create? After all, each one of you creates something completely unique. As a music creator, maybe you’re wondering how to successfully release an album or song on YouTube. Or, if you’re a sports creator, maybe you’re stumped on how to program your content during the off-season. Don’t worry - we’ve got you covered.

Today, we’re announcing the creation of Playbook Guides - a new set of resources designed for the unique needs of different content creators. Playbook Guides are now available in the following categories: Sports, Music, Education, Media Companies, and Nonprofits.

Don’t forget to use these resources alongside the Creator Playbook, which is still the one-stop shop for site-wide best practices.

Lauren Vilders, Audience Development, recently watched “Hip Hop Shopping Spree | CDZA Opus No. 21.“

PsychoSoprano is your March featured partner on the rise!

2013-03-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Colleen Ballinger of PsychoSoprano, our featured “On The Rise” partner this March. You can find her videos featured on our YouTube channel today, along with Google+, Facebook, and Twitter.

Hailing from southern California, Colleen has spent several years growing her YouTube audience and is a successful comedienne. She guarantees that you’ll enjoy a lot of laughs on PsychoSoprano, where she uploads vlogs, skits, character sketches, and “a lot of awkwardness” across two weekly shows. You can tune in for random fun videos every Friday; or, if you have a question for Colleen, you can submit it and check out her Tuesday show, ‘Colleen’s Corner,’ where she takes the time to interact and talk with her audience. In addition to PsychoSoprano, Colleen runs the mirandasings08 channel where she hosts her music content - she’s a professional singer who tours and teaches as well.

Here are a few words from Colleen:

Thank you so much for all of your votes... I am so excited to have been chosen! I try my hardest to keep my subscribers entertained with comedic skits, crazy characters, fun vlogs, singing, and a lot of awkwardness twice a week. I love building relationships with my viewers and want them to feel like my friends and not just my audience so no topics are off limits. You never know what you're gonna find on my channel, but I guarantee you'll smile a lot. :) Thanks again for voting for me! It means more than you know!

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series, and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the YouTube Creators channel.

You can participate and help us surface YouTube talent by nominating a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who produce engaging content on a regular basis. See you next month!

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Solving three cubes while juggling them.”

We’re simplifying earnings reporting for all partners

2013-03-26T10:39:00.002-07:00

One of the most exciting things about YouTube is all the partners building businesses around doing what they love. We now have thousands of partners who are making video creation a full-time endeavor. And, we’re listening to feedback and working to improve the process of earning money on YouTube.

So, in an effort to ensure we deliver our partners the most accurate and consistent financial performance data for their videos, we are making some changes in how YouTube interacts with AdSense. Starting April 1, 2013, AdSense will no longer calculate and report AdSense for Content Host earnings for YouTube partners. Instead, AdSense earnings from YouTube videos will only be calculated by YouTube and displayed in YouTube Analytics.

What does this mean for you as a YouTube partner?

First, expect no change in how you are paid. The payments tab in AdSense will show your monthly YouTube payments as one total amount as you will continue to be paid via AdSense. Rather, this change means that if you want to view your YouTube financial performance, you should go to YouTube Analytics where you can continue to find a comprehensive view of all your sources of earnings for your YouTube videos. YouTube Analytics has improved the timeliness of earnings reporting to within 24 hours after the end of the day, Pacific Time. You can still view page views and clicks and also manage ad blocking in the AdSense interface for your YouTube videos. If you use other AdSense products, their calculation and reports will be unchanged in the AdSense reporting interface.

Have you ever wondered what the difference between AdSense earnings and YouTube earnings was? As a bit of background, many YouTube partners have ad earnings from two sources: auction-sold ads (AdSense earnings) and reserve-sold ads (YouTube earnings). YouTube serves the optimal ads when a viewer watches the video. Previously, AdSense calculated and reported the auction-sold AdSense earnings. YouTube calculated reserve-sold and miscellaneous earnings and reported both AdSense and YouTube earnings. Now, having only the YouTube system calculate all your earnings will simplify and streamline your video reporting.

We take accurate financial calculation and reporting very seriously, and believe this change will reduce reporting confusion and prepare all our partners for new ways to grow their earnings.

Andy Stack, YouTube Product Manager, recently LHFAO while watching “Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: Test Drive”

YouTube Next Vlogger 2013

2013-03-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Vlogging. Anyone with a camera, the initiative and a YouTube account can be a vlogger. But do you have what it takes to be a YouTube Next Vlogger? Today we’re launching an all-new competition to find the next round of vloggers: and this time, we’re looking for vloggers who have personal stories of triumph to share with the world.

Have you ever had to overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle? Was there a goal you reached through hard-work and perseverance? Have you incorporated these inspiring tales of accomplishment into your channel? Starting today through April 18, 2013, applications will be open for 16 inspired and inspiring vloggers to tell us about their struggles and victories - whether they’re big or small, we want you to inspire us!

This iteration of YouTube Next Vlogger will provide the 16 winning entrants the opportunity to collaborate on videos with other similarly passionate vloggers. They’ll also take part in three months of intimate educational workshops held on Google+ Hangouts. And to top it off, each vlogger will receive $4,000 worth of video equipment and mentoring from industry experts and content creators on YouTube.

By nature, vloggers are sharers; giving us glimpses into their lives and experiences through the YouTube window. We can’t wait to see the stories you have to share with us.

Posted by Matthew Yeager, YouTube Next Lab Production Coordinator, recently watched Next Vlogger 1.0 alum AmazingPhil.

Convert viewers into subscribers with your Channel Trailer

2013-03-18T10:46:00.003-07:00

If you’ve upgraded to the new YouTube One Channel, you’ve probably noticed that you can feature a trailer to convert viewers into subscribers. When you enable the Browse Tab in channel settings, only non-subscribers will see this trailer.

A compelling channel trailer is the most engaging way of introducing your channel, and encouraging your viewers to subscribe, so they’ll make you part of their YouTube habit.

Some creators have already started featuring amazingly effective Channel Trailers. Here are a few examples: MysteryGuitarMan, Indy Mogul and Veritasium Science

Imagine this trailer as an ad for your channel. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re making your Channel Trailer:

Have a clear call to action to subscribe (scripted and annotated in the video, and in the video description as well)

Entertain the viewer - when in doubt “show” what your channel is about, don’t “tell”

Indicate the type of videos you upload and when you upload them

Think about the video’s context; it will be seen on the channel, potentially after a viewer has already seen at least one of your videos

There’s no perfect length, but shorter is better

For a full rundown of strategies to build your audience with the new YouTube One Channel, visit the revised YouTube Playbook. Now go create something great!

Andres Palmiter, Audience Development Strategist, recently subscribed to /AgentXPQ and /xperpetualmotion

Meet your March 2013 “On The Rise” nominees!

2013-03-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

In our monthly On The Rise program, we identify four partners whose channels are seeing significant growth but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 subscriber mark. Your suggestions helped us identify four dedicated partners who are well over halfway to that milestone, and you get the opportunity to help them grow even further! This March, our On The Rise nominees have established themselves and built loyal fan bases who support their music, video effects, comedy, vlogs, and group sketches!

Here’s where you come in - you actually have the chance to help push these partners even further on YouTube. Review their videos below, vote for your favorite here, and one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured across YouTube later this month. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner we’ll feature.

In past months, featured On The Rise partners like devinanderica and MyCupcakeAddiction have gained many subscribers and seen their careers take off, in large part due to your support. This month’s poll will be open until March 19, 5pm PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see which channel will be featured on March 27.

thefumusic
Jacob and Josh Fu have been playing together since birth, and as adults have taken their music to YouTube. In their videos, the brothers combine musical talent (including covers and “furiginals”) with a passion for creativity and special effects.

psychosoprano
Colleen is the woman behind the YouTube character, Miranda Sings. Her psychosoprano channel features a combination of vlogs and comedy sketches made with her friends and family. She has also performed in a couple theatres around the world, but you can check out some of her work on her channel!

Trickniks
Nikki Limo is an actress and comedienne by profession, and you might catch her stand-up if you go to a Los Angeles comedy club. On YouTube, Nikki creates comic vlogs, collaborations, and answers her fans’ questions in her Q&As.

petergilroy
Peter formed a sketch comedy group with his friends Tyler, Jacob, Scott, Kurt, Brock, Josh, Roger and Alex and have named themselves “The Bath Boys.” The channel hosts everything from short films to music videos so go take a look!

If you’re interested in participating or have suggestions for partners you think should be featured, you can nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. You can also check out some of our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the Partner Support channel.

Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “MinuteEarth: The Story of Our Planet.”

YouTube One Channel, now available for everyone

2013-03-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

We’re happy to announce that YouTube One Channel is open for everyone.

You may have noticed that some YouTube channels have a new look. We’ve been running a limited beta test, and after collecting and implementing lots of feedback from creators, we’re ready for all channels on YouTube to upgrade to the new design.

The main focus of this update is to make your new channel look great on browsers across all screens and devices. It will also help you convert more visitors into subscribers with a slot for a channel trailer, and you can customize how you organize your videos and playlists so it fits your programming strategy.

Try these three activities to get the most out of your new channel:

Create a trailer, which will play for any visitor who isn’t yet subscribed to your channel. This is your chance to hook them and win a new fan. Treat this trailer as if it were an ad. Keep it short and engaging and have a compelling call to action at the end.
Create and upload a big, beautiful piece of Channel Art. This will act as your channel’s visual identity. And unlike the branding on the old channels, it will look good across all screens and devices, no matter how big or small.
Organize your channel’s videos and playlists so they work best for your audience and programming. With the new channel home and customizable sections, you’re in control of what subscribers see when they click on your channel from the guide.

Check out www.youtube.com/onechannel and click the button at the bottom to get started. We’ll migrate your channel to the new design, and walk you through it. For a limited time, you’ll be able to switch back to the previous design if you like. For more tips and strategies for how to optimize your YouTube One Channel, check out Channel Optimization in the YouTube Creator Playbook.

Jeb Havens, Product Manager, recently subscribed to SORTED Food.

DevinandErica are your February featured rising partner!

2013-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Devin and Erica, whose YouTube channel DevinandErica is our featured “On The Rise” partner this February. These loving parents have documented their family’s development, creativity, and silliness on YouTube for over three years, and today they’re featured in the spotlight on the YouTube home channel, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter.

This channel was born when Erica was pregnant with the couple’s eldest daughter, whom they affectionately refer to as ‘Baby Bug.’ Their ‘reality show’ on YouTube has grown to include a variety of content ranging from vlogs to homemade skits to original songs, and this fun-loving family has developed a dedicated following. In fact, support from their viewers helped them with the expense of a second IVF cycle, and Devin, Erica, and Bug welcomed baby ‘DudeL’ about six months ago. After more than three years and 300 videos on YouTube, Devin and Erica have amassed a library of heartwarming moments - get to know their family with channels classics like the ABCs ‘Baby Jam' and Devin’s baby proposal, and then check out some of the other fun videos in the playlist linked below.

Here are a few words directly from Devin:

We would like to thank our subscribers first and foremost. Without you, we would not have come so far within this community. For that our utmost appreciation will now and always play the biggest role. Our subscribers have helped us grow as a YouTube Partner, as well as a family by helping give us a son just by watching and following our crazy family. For those who have not seen us before, our channel is packed full of family fun! We do vlogs, skits, and original songs about our crazy life and family in Charlotte, NC. We like to have fun and would love to have you with us! Thank you for watching and we look forward to you joining our journey.

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series, and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the YouTube Creators channel.

You can participate and help us surface YouTube talent by nominating a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who have fewer than 100,000 subscribers and produce engaging content on a regular basis. See you next month!

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Evolution Of Mom Dancing (w/ Jimmy Fallon & Michelle Obama).”

A friendly reminder and monetization advice

2013-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

We’re always working to bring to you the latest tips and updates so you can make the most of your YouTube experience. One of the benefits of being a YouTube partner is your ability to monetize your uploaded content, and we have a few best practices and guidelines to help you understand the monetization process. Read on to review some of the commonly-asked questions and our suggestions for how you can maximize your YouTube earnings!

Keep in mind these monetization basics:

Create an AdSense account. You can enable video monetization and display ads without associating an AdSense account with YouTube, but in order to be paid you’ll need to create - and associate - an AdSense account.
Enable relevant ad formats. Set your monetization ad defaults, and allow all ad types that are relevant for your videos.
Look at the monetization symbol next to your video.

Videos with a grey “$” button are not yet monetized.
Videos with a green “$” button have been enabled for monetization
Videos with an orange “!” symbol next to them indicate that YouTube might need more information to approve your video for monetization. In that case, check your Video Manager and your e-mail.

Make sure you own commercial use rights before you monetize.

Whenever possible, take the opportunity to be creative - create your own unique audio and visuals!
If you want to monetize a video that contains audio or visuals you didn’t personally create, you’ll need the content creator to provide express written permission for commercial use. If you have written permission to use third-party material, be sure to mention/include it when you publish a video or when asked to provide information for monetization.
Check the licenses for any audio you include, and where possible, use royalty-free music that's licensed for commercial use.
Remember that fair use is a tricky subject. Don't assume you can monetize third-party content because you’ve claimed it as fair use.

Going forward, don’t forget to:

Keep your AdSense account in good standing. Encouraging viewers to click on your ads, or clicking on them yourself, is strictly prohibited. Learn more here.
Do your homework to understand whether you actually own commercial use rights. Purchasing a song, game, or program may not mean you own the rights to monetize, and there could be consequences for claiming content you don't own.
Create family-friendly content that advertisers want to sponsor. Keep in mind some advertisers have a family audience and may not want their ads appearing next to content containing profanity, offensive, or derogatory language/images.
Review our policies. Make sure you’re familiar with our spam policies and avoid spamming your viewers.
Follow our audience development best practices outlined in the Creator Playbook to build your fan base and increase views and watch time. Using misleading tags, thumbnails, and metadata may give your fans a negative viewing experience, reduce your watch time, and could affect your monetization status.

Thanks again for helping make the YouTube partner community so vibrant. We hope you find these tips useful, and if you have any additional questions, don’t forget about the resources YouTube makes available: monetization tips and audience development best practices abound in the YouTube Help Center, the Playbook, the Partner Forum, the Creator Hub, the YouTube Creators channel and here on the YouTube Creator Blog.

Vasiliki Kanistra & Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Kittens On The Beat.”

Get your YouTube video captions professionally translated into 36 languages

2013-02-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

Back in September, we launched a feature that made it easier to make your YouTube video accessible in more than 300 languages and help grow your audience globally, by translating the video’s captions yourself or inviting friends or people you know to help translate. Now you can connect directly with translation vendors and pay to get your captions translated quickly and professionally.

When you request a translation for your captions in YouTube, we’ll display a list of vendors along with their estimated pricing and delivery date so you can easily compare. We’ve initially collaborated with two companies, Gengo and Translated.net, to make their services available to you and to streamline the ordering process.

Just click “Start order” next to the vendor you’d like to use. This will then create an order and direct you to the vendor’s website to complete payment. When the translator completes the translation, they’ll send the translated caption directly back to YouTube. Once you approve, the translated caption will now be available for all your viewers!

Need to add a caption track to your video?
Before you can translate your video, you’ll first need a caption track for your video. One of the easiest and quickest way to create a caption track is to create or upload a transcript of your video. YouTube will then automatically sync your transcript with the video and create the time codes to generate the caption track. For more info, watch this video or take a look at this helpful guide.

Don’t know which languages to translate your video into?
If your video has already been published, let YouTube Analytics help. YouTube Analytics can show you the top geographies viewing your video, so you can choose the languages spoken in these countries. Learn more about YouTube Analytics here.

Posted by Jeff Chin, Product Manager, who recently watched the “H+” digital series which has been captioned and subtitled into Spanish.

Konnichiwa, YouTube Space Tokyo

2013-02-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

As you know, we opened two special collaboration and production facilities called YouTube Spaces last year in London and Los Angeles, built for the exclusive use of YouTube partners. Today we open the third — YouTube Space Tokyo — which also happens to be the first one in Asia. Located in the heart of Tokyo within the Roppongi Hills complex, this multi-purpose place will host established and emerging creators from our Partner Program to work together to cultivate big ideas and ambitious ways to tell their stories.

Creators from Japan — or ones who make the voyage over to Tokyo — will have access to a variety of resources, including a production stage, a recording studio, a control room, a green screen room, collaboration spaces, make-up room, cameras, lights, mics and grip equipment available for checkout, and more. Like with the other spaces, production access is on an application basis, open to YouTube creators who qualify.

Watch this video for an inside look at the Space:

Find more creator resources at youtube.com/creators and learn more about the YouTube Spaces in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and London at youtube.com/space.

Dorian Stone, Manager of Production and Programming, YouTube Space Tokyo, recently watched “Stalking Vampire 第１話”