YouTube Blog

Meet your On The Rise nominees for June

2013-06-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

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. Your interest has helped us find four partners who are getting closer to that milestone. They’re already driving a lot of watch time for YouTube, and you can help them grow their channels and audiences even more. It’s June, which means school is out, but our nominees this month could each teach you something new: learn how to coat your car in plastic, how to make an original greeting card, what happens when you add water to a super-absorbent polymer, or when to use “a lot” versus “allot” (versus “lots”).

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 ManjulasKitchen and hauntedsunshinegirl 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 June 11, 5 p.m. PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see which channel will be featured on June 28.

DipYourCarcom
If you’ve ever considered modifying your car’s paint job, powder-coating it, or changing the look of your hubcaps, you might be interested in DipYourCarcom. The channel features all manner of how-to videos, including how to apply Plasti Dip to your car, wheels or grille.

starofmay
Need a card for an upcoming birthday or special occasion? Learn how to make your own with one of Kristina’s card-making tutorials. She studied graphic design and has even designed some stamps for crafting companies in the past, so she definitely knows what she’s doing.

IncredibleScience
Jason’s channel is full of fun and educational videos of science experiments, toys and projects. Watch him demonstrate a variety of scientific concepts like photovoltaics and polyacrylate water absorption, to name a few.

EnglishTeacherEmma
Emma is TESOL-certified and has been an ESL teacher for several years. On YouTube, she uploads videos that teach students (and even life-long English speakers) about everything from basic grammar to the intricate idiosyncrasies of the English language.

If you’re interested in participating or have suggestions for partners you think should be featured, we encourage you to visit our On The Rise homepage. You can check out all of our past featured partners on the Featured Partners tab, or nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the program on the Nominate tab. 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 YouTube watch time, have fewer than 100,000 subscribers, and produce engaging content on a regular basis.

Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles, por Diogo Mello (1 ano e 11 meses).”

Congratulations to hauntedsunshinegirl, our May On The Rise featured partner

2013-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sunshine of hauntedsunshinegirl, our featured “On The Rise” partner for May 2013. You can find Sunshine’s channel and videos in the spotlight across YouTube today, including on our new On The Rise homepage.

Sunshine began documenting paranormal activity several years ago, when she and her mother moved into a “haunted” house. Sunshine’s channel has evolved from simply exposing the spooky apparitions who haunt her home: she’s even recorded a real-life paranormal investigation into the situation. Sunshine also produced a feature film to illustrate her own exploration to find and understand “Black Eyed Kids.” This channel follows more of a storyline than many YouTube channels, so be prepared to get caught up in the mysterious activity at Sunshine’s house.

Here are a few words directly from Sunshine:

Huge thanks to everyone who voted for me for On the Rise! I am so honored and excited to be a part of this amazing group of YouTubers that have been featured in the past. YouTube is such a huge part of my life and I love that more viewers will get to see the videos I work so hard to make! If you are not familiar with my channel, it might be slightly different than what you are used to. I have hundreds of mostly creepy, often hilarious videos about the paranormal world. But that’s not all ... I even have some zombie videos!

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series, we encourage you to check out our new On The Rise homepage. You can check out all of our past featured partners on the Featured Partners tab, or nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the program on the Nominate tab. 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 YouTube watch time, 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 “まるです５。-I am Maru 5.-”

YouTube Comedy Week’s very important personalities

2013-05-24T20:00:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you combine world-famous comedians with the world’s biggest video-sharing site? OK, you guessed it: YouTube Comedy Week. But Comedy Week is about a lot more than simply bringing together comedy’s best and brightest for an online celebration of funny.

This week we also connected with YouTube’s biggest comedy fans. We decided to shine our spotlight on seven "Super Fans": Zach, Christine, Mavis, Lo, Jesse, Mike and Jack (the 14-year-old "Britain’s Got Talent" comedian whose first YouTube video got more than 3 million views).

To thank these loyal YouTubers for being so awesome, we brought them to L.A. to be part of the Big Live Comedy Show on Sunday, May 19. We gave them a special VIP experience that included a glamorous walk down the Red Carpet, a backstage tour, and tickets to the Big Live Comedy Show and the after party.

The Super Seven dropped everything and flew in from all over the country (and world) to attend: the U.K., New Jersey, South and North Carolina, and Washington state. They came together for their love of YouTube comedy, and they were not disappointed. The day was full of smiles, vines, tweets and videos as they met their favorite comedians, including (but not limited to!) Smosh, Hannibal Buress, Reggie Watts, JASH, Tim and Eric, Skrillex and "Workaholics." At the end of the night, they tore up the dance floor with countless Comedy Week performers.

Wish you could’ve been there too? Don’t get us wrong, we love ALL our comedy fans, and we’re still looking for more YouTubers to show us just how much they love laughing … from the comfort of their own home. Want to be involved with Comedy Week? Here’s how:

Create a Top 10 list of your favorite YouTube Comedy Week videos and tweet it out to us @YouTube #ComedyWeek.
Show us your best spit take, and post the video to #SpitTake. We’ll highlight the funniest and most creative renditions.

There’s a world of amazing comedy out there, and it’s all coming together for one side-splitting week. Be sure to keep laughing--and keep us laughing.

Marion Dickson Waelchli, YouTube Global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Lead, recently watched "DJ Play My Song (Now Leave Me Alone)" by The Gregory Brothers, ft. PSY.

The Social Star Awards live on YouTube

2013-05-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Social media has dramatically changed the way we get to interact with our favorite musicians, actors, artists and athletes, so it makes sense that any awards ceremony celebrating social media also needs to flip the standard red carpet affair on its head. Tonight’s first-ever Social Star Awards in Singapore is attempting such a feat—running an awards program for a full 24 hours via social media. Forget a few dozen statues going out to some lucky winners. How about a whopping 288 awards, one awarded every five minutes, recognizing everything from top actors and athletes to favorite songs and sports teams. And all that ends with a splash: a live two-hour show full of musical performances and celebrity drop-ins.

For those who can’t be there live to watch at Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel, YouTube is partnering with Starcount to exclusively live stream the whole show on www.youtube.com/starcount. The broadcast will kick off on May 23 at 9 p.m. Singapore Time (6 a.m. PST) with a red carpet awards ceremony where Aerosmith, Cee Lo Green, Carly Rae Jepsen and PSY come on stage to play their hit tunes. From there, you can expect appearances and award presentations from some of YouTube’s most famous faces, including Ryan Higa, HIKAKIN, PewDiePie, and Natalie Tran.

With so many awards being handed out, you may be asking, what does it take for me to win a Social Star Award? Check out this video to see some of YouTube’s top talent like Epic Meal Time and DeStorm give a one-of-kind training on how to become a social star.

Whether you’re tuning in for the whole show or just dropping by to check out your personal favorites on stage, we look forward to seeing you soon over at www.youtube.com/starcount.

Benjamin Grubbs, Asia Pacific Head of Partner Marketing, YouTube, recently watched David Choi & HIKAKIN’s "You Were My Friend (Original) Unplugged."

Here’s to eight great years

2013-05-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

When YouTube’s site first launched in May 2005, we never could have imagined the endless ways in which you would inspire, inform and entertain us every day.

Today, more than 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s more than four days of video uploaded each minute! Every month, more than 1 billion people come to YouTube to access news, answer questions and have a little fun. That’s almost one out of every two people on the Internet.

Millions of partners are creating content for YouTube and more than 1,000 companies worldwide have mandated a one-hour mid-day break to watch nothing but funny YouTube videos. Well, we made that last stat up, but that would be cool (the other stats are true).

Over the years, you’ve continued to surprise and delight us. And the past year was no exception. Who would have guessed that a tux-rocking K-pop star would shatter records left and right or that Sesame Street would go global with 1 billion views? That’s one of our favorite things about our global audience: you’re as unpredictable as you are creative and irreverent. Keeping that in mind (and in theme with our first-ever Comedy Week), we have a video to share celebrating funny moments in YouTube history:

And so, this Monday, on our eighth birthday, we’d like to thank you for making YouTube the special place that it is. For showing us how video can create connections, transcend borders and make a difference. For clicking these links even if you aren’t sure what they’ll be, but you trust us. In short, thanks for making us better in big ways and small ones, too. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

The YouTube Team, recently watched “Super Pastry Cake - Epic Meal Time.”

YouTube Comedy Week kicks off with “The Big Live Comedy Show”... and Arnold!

2013-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Lonely Island guys, and a cat called Lil Bub all walk into a bar. Know what happens next?

OK, neither do we. Luckily, we’ve enlisted more than 150 of the biggest names in comedy to join us for the first-ever YouTube Comedy Week. From May 19-25, YouTube will bring comedy creators and fans together for a series of live shows, new episodes from popular channels, curated lists from a range of stars and more.

Some YouTubers collaborated on videos that give you a sneak peek of what’s in store for YouTube Comedy Week, brought to you by the Governator himself. Someone also known as the most muscular man in the world, the man who kills bad guys and predators, and most importantly, a comedy connoisseur.

And there’s more where that came from. On Sunday, May 19, at 6 p.m. PT, we’ll kick things off with “The Big Live Comedy Show,” a global live stream in which featured comedians will do a mix of stand-up, sketches and musical performances. During the live event, and throughout the rest of Comedy Week, you’ll see videos from stars including Rainn Wilson, Ryan Higa, Smosh, The Lonely Island, Vince Vaughn, The Fine Bros, The Gregory Brothers, The Onion, CollegeHumor, Daily Grace, Epic Meal Time, Epic Rap Battles of History, Tobuscus, Sarah Silverman and Michael Cera of JASH and many more.

So check out the YouTube Comedy Week channel to watch tons of stuff that will make you laugh. This better be funny.

The YouTube Comedy Week Team recently watched “Between Two Ferns / Spring Break Anthem.”

New ways to support great content on YouTube

2013-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

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 1 billion people around the world cannot do without.

Today, there are more than 1 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, 5 p.m. 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.”

Follow the audience...

2013-05-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

It has been an exciting year of growth for YouTube and its partners.

We recently announced that YouTube hit an incredible milestone of 1 billion unique monthly visitors, connecting 15 percent of the planet to the videos they love. And those global fan communities are watching more than 6 billion hours of video each month on YouTube; almost an hour a month for every person on Earth and 50 percent more this year than last.

In addition, media companies like Time Warner, The Chernin Group, Bertelsman, Discovery Communications and Comcast have all made significant investments in companies that create, aggregate or service content for YouTube in the last 12 months. And tonight at our Brandcast event for advertisers in New York, another major media company continued that momentum. DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that his company acquired AwesomenessTV, one of the most subscribed-to, teen-focused networks on YouTube. This acquisition gives DreamWorks an opportunity to align itself with Brian Robbins’ powerful, next-generation, online video powerhouse. By partnering with more than 55,000 YouTube channels that collectively represent more than 14 million subscribers and almost 800 million video views, Brian successfully created a YouTube network comprised of one of the most valuable consumer groups--Generation C. This audience is defined by its desire to be constantly connected, and at the center of creating and curating content for social communities.

DreamWorks Animation’s major announcement underscores a shift in consumer behavior, and now, Nielsen has further amplified this point by concluding that YouTube reaches more U.S. adults ages 18-34 than any cable network. And history--from the transition to radio, then TV, from network to cable--tells us that advertisers always follow the audience. In line with that trend, we also unveiled this evening that the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment (AFE)--a group of nearly 40 national advertisers, whose combined ad spend represents 37 percent of all U.S. television advertising dollars--will buy media across 32 channels of family-friendly content on YouTube.

Much like our content creators, we find that brands on YouTube--like T-Mobile, Samsung, Dove and Pepsi--all share a common objective: to cultivate a direct relationship with their consumers--one built on engagement and authenticity. These companies know that on YouTube, it isn’t just about rallying behind one show; it is about reaching the passionate fan communities of Gen C, an audience that influences more than $500 billion in annual consumer spending. As a result, we’re seeing a myriad of brands increasing their media spend, building channels, and discovering first-hand that the interactions they have with their fans on YouTube drive engagement.

Content creators have long recognized the power of YouTube’s platform to connect with an audience. Advertisers are increasingly doing the same. Together we’ll continue to build YouTube as a global destination for the next generation of entertainment.

Robert Kyncl, Vice President, Global Head of Content Partnerships for YouTube recently watched "Brent and Johnson - Equality Street."
To learn more about how brands can reach key audiences on YouTube, please visit our AdWords Agency Blog.

Congress, now live on YouTube

2013-04-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Video plays a powerful role in bringing us closer together, especially when it connects people in real time. By transcending borders, empowering citizens, and increasing transparency, it’s one of the many ways technology allows democracy to thrive. Starting this week, all members of the U.S. Congress will have the opportunity to access enhanced features on their YouTube channels, including the ability to live stream video.

Live video is already allowing elected officials and their constituents to reach one another in innovative ways. Thousands tuned in to YouTube to watch the president’s State of the Union address and the corresponding Republican response this February. Engagement is growing across many types of platforms--Google+ Hangouts, for example, have sparked face-to-face conversations on topics ranging from gun control to the national economy, and have allowed people on the other side of the world to share their stories at Congressional hearings.

If you’re a member of Congress and would like to know more, check out these Dear Colleague letters issued by the House and Senate. Whether it’s to share a look into your daily work, broadcast speeches and meetings, or showcase events in your state or district, we can’t wait to see how you connect with your constituents.

Robert Kyncl, Vice President, Global Head of Content Partnerships for YouTube recently watched "Dove Real Beauty Sketches" & Susan Molinari, Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations recently watched “If there's one thing you do today, get a business online.”

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 Spotlight channel today.

Manjula has posted cooking videos on YouTube for more than 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."

Vampire Weekend + Steve Buscemi = One awesome YouTube live streamed concert this Sunday

2013-04-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever spent a Sunday night enjoying "Boardwalk Empire" or rocking out to (and properly using the) "Oxford Comma," you’re in for a treat this weekend.

On Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, Vampire Weekend will perform a concert directed by none other than award-winning actor, director and producer Steve Buscemi to close out this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. And the best news of all is that you won’t need tickets to the Roseland Ballroom to take in the show. You can experience the entire event from the comfort of your couch via YouTube.

This concert, which is a lead-up to the release of Vampire Weekend’s next album, marks the 12th installment of “American Express Unstaged,” a concert series in partnership with YouTube and VEVO that brings together musical artists and film directors to create innovative performances.

The show’s sure to be full of great songs and surprises, including an opportunity for fans at home to unlock an exclusive BACKSTAGED performance, so mark your calendar and be sure to tune in. Here’s some trivia you may not even know: just last month, vocalist and bassist Chris Baio learned he’s actually related to Buscemi (thank you, genealogy websites).

Check out Vampire Weekend’s channel to see new, exclusive videos from this zany collaboration. We can’t wait to see what happens live.

Nicola Young, Marketing Programs Manager, recently watched "How to Destroy Angels - Ice Age - Live From Coachella, April 12, 2013."

YouTube wins case against Viacom (again)

2013-04-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today is an important day for the Internet. For the second time, a federal court correctly rejected Viacom’s lawsuit against YouTube. This is a win not just for YouTube, but for the billions of people worldwide who depend on the web to freely exchange ideas and information.

In enacting the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Congress effectively balanced the public interest in free expression with the rights of copyright holders. The court today reaffirmed an established judicial consensus that the DMCA protects web platforms like YouTube that work with rightsholders and take appropriate steps to remove user-generated content that rightsholders notify them is infringing.

The growing YouTube community includes not only a billion individual users, but tens of thousands of partners who earn revenue from the platform -- from independent musicians and creators to some of the world’s biggest record labels, movie studios, and news organizations. Today’s decision recognizes YouTube as a thriving and vibrant forum for all these users, creators and consumers alike. Today is an important day for the Internet.

Kent Walker, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Google

And the winners are ...

2013-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since its inception, organizations and individuals looking to change the world have used YouTube to rally an audience around a cause. Working at YouTube, we love seeing inspiring videos shared around the world everyday. “Good” videos have in turn inspired us to build tools to make it easier to run a campaign on YouTube and turn video views into action. We’ve made a 30-page “Playbook for Good” full of best practices to help you make the most inspiring and impactful cause videos possible and the videos just keep getting better and better.

That is why, for the fourth year in a row, we joined with See3 Communications to run the annual DoGooder Video Awards to recognize the year’s best nonprofit and cause videos. This year there were four different categories. And, for the first time, we accepted videos from creators looking to change the world one view at a time, not just nonprofit organizations.

The finalists chosen in the first round were all excellent examples of how far "cause video" has come since we first launched the YouTube Nonprofit Program in 2007. Nonprofits (and other DoGooders) are becoming increasingly savvy with online video; they're making funny, creative, episodic, and interactive cause-related content. They’re turning video views into awareness, petition signatures, donations, volunteer hours, and more. The four winners were chosen from more than a dozen finalists by public voting. Here they are:

Best Nonprofit Video Award: Follow the Frog

The Rainforest Alliance’s “Follow the Frog” is a humorous tale of a well-intentioned epic misadventure, showing that sustainability-minded consumer choices can be more effective for change than vigilante conservation.

Change Agent Award: 350km message for women with ovarian cancer

After losing his mother to cancer, Raf Bauer set out on a 350-kilometer walk across Scotland to raise awareness and funds for Target Ovarian Cancer.

Funny for Good: No Joke. Choice Matters. Everywhere.

Pathfinder International’s “No Joke. Choice Matters. Everywhere.” comically portrays the difficulties many women face when trying to access reproductive health care. While presented in a comical light, the video outlines actions to help women for whom a lack of access to health care is no joke.

ImpactX Award: END7: How to Shock a Celebrity

The Sabin Vaccine Institute’s “How to Shock a Celebrity” successfully brought attention to seven Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and helped generate funds to end these diseases by 2020. The campaign used video to, first, grab attention and then present a solution that donors could easily fund. The video translated into donations that averaged 20 cents per view. At more than 220,000 views, that’s quite a few vaccines, considering it only takes 50 cents to provide one person with treatment and protection against all seven NTDs for up to one year.

You can check out all of the 2013 finalists here.

Jessica Mason, YouTube for Good, recently watched African Men. Hollywood Stereotypes. [mamahope.org]

Heyyyy, sexy music fans: PSY to perform new single live on YouTube this Saturday

2013-04-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

After putting Seoul’s Gangnam district on the map and single-handedly reviving the powder blue tux, PSY’s got big plans this weekend and you’re invited to get involved.

Less than four months after he shattered records by hitting the 1 billion mark, the artist who made K-Pop global is back to perform his second single, “Gentleman” live for the first time ever. Where? On YouTube, of course.

This Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Korean Standard Time (2:30 a.m. PST), PSY will kick off a live streamed concert from the Seoul World Cup Stadium and share his new single with the world. You can check out the action at www.youtube.com/officialpsy, where the concert will be rebroadcast for 24 hours after the live event.

In the meantime, check out this message from our favorite sunglass-rocking pop star himself and make sure to mark your calendars for this Saturday.

Sun Lee, Product Marketing Manager, APAC YouTube recently watched "TEENS REACT TO GANGNAM STYLE," and Ali Rivera, West Coast Head Artist Label Relations, recently watched “BABY TWINS DANCING TO GANGNAM STYLE.”

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, 5 p.m. 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!”

Coachella 2013 - Live on YouTube

2013-04-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Every April, tens of thousands of the world’s most avid music fans flock to Southern California to kick off music festival season at Coachella. This year, you don’t even need a ticket to be a part of the show.

For the third year in a row, you can catch the entire first weekend live from Indio on Coachella's official YouTube channel. Starting this Friday at 3:30 p.m. PT, YouTube's three-channel feed, which is presented by T-Mobile, will live stream performances from five stages (including, for the first time, the Sahara Tent). You'll be able to catch artists' interviews with and live shows from more than 60 bands, including the xx, Passion Pit, Vampire Weekend and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

So whether you can't stand the desert heat or are just suffering from massive FOMO, be sure to check out the entire Coachella schedule here on YouTube.

Chelsea Maughan, Communications Manager, recently watched "The Postal Service 'Nothing Better.'"

YouTube Contest Submissions Closing Tomorrow at Midnight

2013-03-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

To our incredible YouTube community,

When we started out in 2005, we focused on rapidly increasing user engagement. We wanted an inventive way to draw people in and catalyze their creativity. The result? A contest for the best video on our site.

Nearly eight years later, with 72 hours of video being uploaded every minute, we finally have enough content to close the competition. We’ve started the process to select a winner and as of tomorrow at midnight, we will be closing the site to submissions.

Watch the video below to hear from our leadership, the minds behind some of our most famous entries, and the panel of judges who will select our nominees, and ultimately, the winner for "Best Video."

And be sure to tune in for Day 1 of our live ceremony from 9 a.m. PT, April 1, when we will begin announcing the “Best Video” nominees. This announcement will resume for 12 hours every day for the next two years.

Thank you for sharing your creativity, irreverence, ideas and knowledge with us and with viewers around the world.

Tim Liston, Competition Director, recently watched “Charlie bit my finger- again!”

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.”

YouTube Hits a Billion Monthly Users

2013-03-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

In the last eight years you’ve come to YouTube to watch, share and fall in love with videos from all over the world. Tens of thousands of partners have created channels that have found and built businesses for passionate, engaged audiences. Advertisers have taken notice: all of the Ad Age Top 100 brands are now running campaigns on YouTube. And today, we’re announcing a new milestone: YouTube now has more than a billion unique users every single month.

What does a billion people tuning into YouTube look like?

Nearly one out of every two people on the Internet visits YouTube.
Our monthly viewership is the equivalent of roughly ten Super Bowl audiences.
If YouTube were a country, we’d be the third largest in the world after China and India.
PSY and Madonna would have to repeat their Madison Square Garden performance in front of a packed house 200,000 more times. That’s a lot of Gangnam Style!

From the aspiring filmmaker in his basement and the next great pop musician, to the fans all around the world who tune in, subscribe and share their favorite videos with the planet, thank you for making YouTube what it is today. You have truly created something special.

The YouTube Team

P.S.: To learn more about what’s powering this growth, check out our blog post about Gen C and mobile devices.

Simon Cowell and Ricky Gervais on YouTube

2013-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Whether you prefer your humor extra dry or love watching the next big talents rise to stardom, two of the biggest names in entertainment are bringing their star power to YouTube.

The You Generation

Simon Cowell, the mastermind (and trademark take-no-prisoners judge) behind hit shows like “The X-Factor” and “American Idol,” is launching a global talent contest. Through 26 different talent competitions over the year, The You Generation will uncover YouTube’s rising stars, whatever their skills.

The Ricky Gervais YouTube Channel

Whether you’re a devout fan of David Brent or can’t get enough of Michael Scott, “The Office,” otherwise known as Ricky Gervais’ brainchild, has permeated pop culture on both sides of the pond. In case you’re wondering where this classic character’s been over the past decade, David’s back--this time, on YouTube, alongside brand new personalities, sketches and comedy creations via his existing YouTube channel.

To make sure you don’t miss a laugh or an introduction to the next generation of stars, click the “Subscribe” button when visiting each channel.

Ben McOwen Wilson, Content Partnerships Director, recently watched “What Can You Do?” and “Equality Street.”

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, 5 p.m. 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.”

Zero Makes Counting a Billion Times More Fun

2013-03-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, we invite special guests to share their thoughts on the YouTube Blog. Today, Sesame Street became the first nonprofit to reach 1 billion channel views on YouTube. In honor of that achievement, we bring you a guest post from the Count Von Count about the number zero.

Greetings, it is I, the Count Von Count from Sesame Street. It is a pleasure to be blogging to you today because when I blog I get to count the words. That is 31, 31 wonderful words in my blog post, ah-ha-ha.

Today I want to pay tribute to one of my favorite numbers. What number is it? I am glad you asked. Today I pay tribute to the number zero. A surprising number, I know. For when you have zero there is nothing to count. So why do I, a person who loves to count, love the number zero?

Well, for one thing, zero comes in very handy when there is nothing around to count. For you can count zero of that thing. Like right now, as I look around the castle, I count zero elephants, zero airplanes, and zero Justin Bieber CDs. Wonderful.

But that is not the only reason to love zero. For you see zero can make a little number much bigger. How? Like so—say you have a little number 1, a very nice number indeed. But, when you take that one and put a zero next to it, all of a sudden you have 10, 10 wonderful things to count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – ten little fingers on your hands. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – ten little toes on your feet. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – ten little hot dogs in the meat drawer of my refrigerator. Oh! I love counting to ten.

But that is not all that zero can do. Take that 10 and put another zero on the end, and suddenly you have 100. 100 is a glorious number to count. I can count 100 seats in a movie theater; I count 100 golf balls at the golf course. I count 100 senators in the U.S. Senate. I love counting to 100!

Now what if you take that 100 and place another glorious zero beside it? Then all of a sudden you have 1,000. 1,000 is an extraordinary number to count. You can count 1,000 seashells on the seashore, 1,000 paperclips in Bert’s paperclip collection, 1,000 hairs growing out of your uncle’s ear. I love counting to 1,000!

Let’s not stop there! Let’s add three zeros to that 1,000 and all of a sudden we have 1,000,000 things to count. Have you ever counted to 1 million? I did. When I worked for the census bureau in Rhode Island. You should try it one time, or every four years, your choice.

Now take that 1,000,000 and add three more wonderful zeroes and what do you get? I’ll tell you: you get a number so big, so great, and so huge! When you have nine zeroes after a 1 you get the number 1,000,000,000. Yes 1 billion things to count! And it is all thanks to that lovely number zero. Thank you, zero, you make counting a billion times more fun. By the way, that is 510 words, 512, 513, 514 … 515 words in my YouTube blog post! Ah-ha-ha!

Count Von Count recently watched "Sesame Street: Pinball #12 New"

The 2013 DoGooder Video Awards Open for Nominations

2013-03-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Awards season is upon us. And for the fourth year, YouTube is teaming up with See3 Communications to present the DoGooder Video Awards, a celebration of the best nonprofit videos of the year. If you’re a nonprofit who made a video in 2012, you’re eligible and encouraged to submit your video.

But wait, there’s more! For the first time ever, we’re opening up the awards for submissions from individuals who are making videos to change their communities or the world. So if you’re a YouTube creator trying to save the whales one video at a time, or if you made a video on behalf of your favorite nonprofit this year, visit YouTube.com/DoGooder to nominate your video.

There are four separate categories in this year’s DoGooder Awards: the ImpactX Award for videos that drove clear real-world impact; Best Nonprofit Video; Funny for Good, recognizing effective use of comedy; and the Change Agent Award, for individuals who’ve gotten involved and produced their own cause-focused video.

We’ll award prizes like $3,500 grants, free admission to the Nonprofit Technology Conference, and special promotion on YouTube.

The deadline to enter is March 22, 2013. Official rules are available here.

Jessica Mason, YouTube for Good, recently watched “YouTubers Support Matt Damon's Strike!”

Support Free Expression: Vote for the Netizen of the Year

2013-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

One in three Internet users suffers from restricted access to the web due to government censorship, filtering or online surveillance, according to the free expression advocacy group Reporters Without Borders. Around the world, bloggers and cyber-dissidents are jailed for expressing their views. Reporters Without Borders makes sure their struggles are not forgotten.

We believe in a free and open Internet where everyone can express their opinions and learn from others. For this reason, for the past several years we’ve partnered with Reporters Without Borders to organize their annual Netizen of the Year Award, which honors an Internet user, blogger or cyber-dissident who has made a notable contribution in defense of online freedom of expression.

This year for the first time, Reporters Without Borders is asking you to help decide who will win the award. Nine “netizens”—from Bulgaria, Egypt, Honduras, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mali, Russia, Senegal and Vietnam—have been nominated for consideration. Watch the videos showing their stories and then vote at youtube.com/netizen2013.

We hope you’ll be as inspired as we have been by these brave people. The winner, based on votes from people like you around the world, will be announced on March 7. He or she will be invited to the award ceremony taking place at Google’s Paris office on March 12—the World Day Against Cyber Censorship.

Posted by Florian Maganza, Policy Analyst, Paris