YouTube Blog

YouTube Creator Playbook: Use analytics to build an audience

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is part of an ongoing series sharing tips from the YouTube Creator Playbook, a resource of best practices and tips you can start using on your Channel and videos right away.

There’s tons of data and information available about your Channel, videos and audience in YouTube Analytics, but the power of this information rests in how you use it. Here are tips for how to monitor the overall performance of your Channel and how to assess your videos based on the what the data is telling you.

Find the Story Behind the Data

Learn what each metric means and how the different metrics correlate to one another to find the 'why' and 'how' of trends you're seeing. Don't just kick your feet up when you see a nice spike in views - dig deeper to learn more. Find what video is causing the increase or look at traffic sources to see where the new views are coming from.
Hear FreddieW discusses how he uses tracking and measuring to assess the impact of all the strategies he tries on his Channel:

Peaks, Most, Biggest

Use Analytics to investigate the ‘peaks,’ the ‘most,’ and the ‘highest’ of each metric. What videos are driving the most subscribers and why? What week did your Channel get the most views and what traffic source makes up the biggest portion of your views? Answers to these can help you plan your future videos based on where you’re seeing the most success.
Gunnarolla uses Analytics to find out where his views come from for his Channel:

Videos Driving Subscribers

Now you can not only track your daily subscriber gains and losses, but you can see what specific videos are driving your subscriptions. Find out which call-to-action are helping you get the most people to subscribe to your Channel.

Use Your Archive

YouTube Analytics is a great way to keep an eye on how your archive is performing, beyond just new uploads. The 'Top 10' and video level metrics allow you to see which videos from your archive are still performing well or maybe even spiking in viewership. Use this information to prioritize what videos to optimize with annotations, new thumbnails or playlists.

To learn more about using YouTube Analytics to help your Channel succeed and many other tips, check out the YouTube Creator Playbook.

Ryan Nugent, audience development strategist, recently watched “Echoes...”

This week's Trends: lights, wind, guitars

2012-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Each weekday, we at YouTube Trends take a look at the most interesting videos and cultural phenomena on YouTube as they develop. We want take a moment to highlight some of what we've come across this week:

We took in some dazzling videos of the Northern Lights captured on camera.
We collected video from Egypt's one-year anniversary of its revolution.
We examined how a certain very popular trend of 2012 has gone local.
We checked in on the ever-growing popularity of dubstep.
We were blown away by crazy footage of a California wind storm.
And we met an 8-year-old girl who might just be one of the best elementary school metal guitarist that we've seen:

Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends

Kevin Allocca, YouTube Trends Manager, recently watched "Ignition."

A Billion Annoying Oranges Later....

2012-01-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

Today, we’re excited to welcome long-time YouTube Partner Annoying Orange to the blog to celebrate an impressive milestone - one billion views on his channel. Now, for a fresh perspective:

Hey! Hey Youtubers! HEEEEEEY! Thanks for letting me borrow your blog! I promise not to chop it! HAHAHAHA!

Wow. You know I've never actually written a blog before. Or read one. I usually just stick to emoticons. Oh! Oh! Here's one of me going NYAH, NYAH, NYAH, NYAH:

(:^)

And this is me smiling with waffle fries in my mouth:

(:#)

And this is pear with a mustache:

(:{)

No, he doesn't actually have a mustache. It's just peach fuzz! HAHA!

And that one:

(:O)

That one means, "Thanks to all our fans for tubing in… ONE BILLION TIMES!" I've been using that one a LOT lately!

Oh! Oh! One more! One more!

Do you know what this means:

!!!!

Hey! Hey! Do you give up yet!? You give up!? How 'bout now?! Now?! OH! OH! NOW!?

Okay, I'll tell you! It means "Holy smokes, the Annoying Orange is celebrating his BILLIONTH VIEW with an EPIC new video up now! You saw the action, now see the REVENGE! Wall-to-wall jokes, all your favorite guest stars, and lots and lots of FIRE!!! Don't miss it!"

See, with an emoticon like that, what else do you really have to say? You know, besides (:^)

See you then!

A to the O!

Annoying Orange, Guest to the YouTube Blog, recently watched, “Annoying Orange Comedy Roast!.”

Bringing the creativity of the Sundance Film Festival to YouTube

2012-01-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

The annual independent film extravaganza known as the Sundance Film Festival is underway in Park City, Utah. For film lovers who couldn’t make it this year to meet to-be-discovered filmmakers and rub shoulders with celebrities, we're bringing Sundance to you here on YouTube.

Last year, we showcased past and present short films in the YouTube Screening Room. This year, we’ve teamed up with Sundance Film Institute to premiere a collection of films that are available for the first time for digital stream.

Films include Obselidia (Independent Spirit Award Winner), Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade (2007 Sundance Film Festival documentary on the arcade gamer competitions in the ‘80s), New York Times Critic’s Pick Lord Byron and 1994 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award Winner What Happened Was.

To mark the last weekend of the festival, we’ll premiere Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie tomorrow at the same time the shock humor duo showcase their world premiere at the 2012 festival. This star-studded comedy features Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and is already picking up buzz in Park City.

For the best of Sundance and thousands of other titles, get more into movies at YouTube.com/Movies.

Mildred Padilla, Movies Merchandising Manager, recently watched “Brick.”

YouTube Release Notes: Updates to Browse page, Video Editor and Video Manager

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week we’re kicking off our recurring Release Notes post for 2012, highlighting some of the most recent updates to YouTube. Our scrappy engineers have been hard at work to make your experience even better, and here’s what’s new.

New look for Browse
Today we're giving the Browse page a fresh look-and-feel, to help you find even more great Channels on YouTube. Alongside the top lists like Most Viewed Today, you can now discover and subscribe to more YouTube Channels on browse pages, which will then regularly update on your homepage. You can also discover more content under categories including Entertainment, People & Blogs, Science & Technology and more. You’ll find it all on YouTube.com/browse.

Video Editor with new features
We first announced the YouTube Video Editor back in June of 2010 and since then we’ve added dozens of features that we hope you’ve enjoyed. With the recent YouTube homepage update we felt it was time to give the Video Editor a visual overhaul, as well as adding a cool new timeline, easier clip trimming and a moving playhead. Head over to YouTube.com/editor to see the changes. Here’s a shot of what it looks like:

Video Manager with oldies and new goodies
We’ve listened to your feedback from the Video Manager update in December, and have a bunch of new features and improvements. Along with a visual update, the Video Manager includes search history, and an improved display of scheduled uploads and claimed videos. You also wanted us to add back in the likes and dislikes statistics as well as sorting videos by popularity, so those features have returned. This will be rolling out over the next few days, and here’s a screenshot of what it looks like:

David Wang, product specialist, recently watched “Somebody That I Used to Know - Walk off the Earth (Gotye - Cover),” Alan deLespinasse, software engineer, recently watched “Extreme Sheep LED Art [HQ],” and Jung Kim, User Experience Designer, recently watched “[M/V] ITAEWON FREEDOM (with J.Y. Park).”

Music Tuesday: Nada Surf, Sundance and more

2012-01-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

This week on YouTube Music we’ve premiered Ryan Adam’s new video, enjoyed an exclusive playlist of Tiesto’s favorite tracks, and had, in the words of one YouTube commenter, our “brains tickled” by Matthew Dear’s In The Middle. Check back each day to discover more great music, including...

Nada Surf: live and playlisting!
Nada Surf are celebrating 20 years of work together, from the days of Popular, to the innovative covers, and even an early example of crowdsourcing music videos through a YouTube competition in 2008. They’ll be blowing the candles on their cake, and playing their new album live from the Bowery Ballroom this evening at 7pm PT. To get you in the mood, the guys have selected some of their favorite music videos, including tunes from The Wrens, Softback and Sea Wolf. Check out their playlist, then head over to the Nada Surf Channel to watch the show!

Sundance 2012
Robert Redford’s Sundance Festival has long been a major force in the world of independent cinema, and with the expansion of its music program has truly become the place to be in January. For our Sundance 2012 playlist, we combined videos from some of the artists performing live, with some of our favorite songs featured in the films on show. Strap on your snow boots and enjoy tracks from Public Enemy, Flying Lotus, The Charlatans and more.

Elizabeth Harper - Class Actress
Finally, earlier this month we featured Azari & iii’s video for “Reckless (With Your Love)”, which throws back to old school 90s house music. Tweaking sounds from the past has been a recurring theme with emerging talent and our pick for this week is Class Actress - “Bienvenue” - you’re sure to experience that 80’s feeling!

Tim Partridge, YouTube music manager, recently watched "Girls - 'Honey Bunny' Official Video."

Are you the next online beauty guru?

2012-01-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

L’Oreal Paris is kicking off a search across the U.S. to find the next beauty guru on YouTube. One aspiring expert will win a spotlight on the Destination Beauty YouTube Channel and have their beauty tutorial video shown among 10 of YouTube’s most popular tutorial stars. This lucky beauty aficionado will also enjoy a trip for two to New York City for some pampering at L’Oréal USA and a year’s supply of L’Oréal Paris cosmetic, hair care, hair color and skincare products to support their “how-to” video efforts.

If you think you have what it takes, sharpen your (eyeliner!) pencils and make sure your video is a cut above the rest. To get motivated, YouTube partner and beauty expert Kandee Johnson shares what you need to know about the contest.

How to enter and contest rules
To enter, submit a tutorial video here that shares your “how-to” tips and tricks behind your favorite red carpet-inspired hair and makeup look. You can submit as many videos as you’d like, so explore a variety of trends and styles. Video submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges measuring on the quality of instruction, production and end result, and full rules for the contest are here.

Good luck and can’t wait to see all of your glamorous videos!

Jamie Berkowitz, lifestyle program manager, recently watched "Make up look for the Office -Tuesday."

NBC Sports and YouTube bring the Super Bowl XLVI ads to you with YouTube Ad Blitz

2012-01-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl XLVI will be one of the biggest moments of the year for advertisers, commanding the attention of millions of Americans tuned in to watch the game. After the big plays on the field, you can join in on the action online with YouTube Ad Blitz — where you decide the best commercial of the game.

As the premier online gallery of Super Bowl commercials, YouTube Ad Blitz puts all the commercials in your hands, letting you view and vote on the top ads of the Super Bowl, whether you’re on a computer, mobile phone or tablet. This year, NBC Sports is the official partner for YouTube Ad Blitz, adding online promotion to its Super Bowl coverage.

Troy Ewanchyna, Vice President, Business Development & Digital Strategies, NBC Sports Group, noted, “YouTube’s Ad Blitz is the perfect platform for us to extend our online promotion for our coverage of Super Bowl XLVI. The post-game Ad Blitz and the next-day Google+ Hangout allow us to extend our coverage and continue to serve viewers even when the game has concluded.”

The Ad Blitz gallery will be hosted on NBCSports.com and the YouTube Ad Blitz Channel, where you can watch your favorite commercials after they’ve aired on NBC. Voting begins after the final whistle and will continue until Midnight ET on February 13. We’ll also host a Google+ Hangout after the game where you can chat face-to-face with an NBC celebrity. Stay tuned to our blog for details.

Let the ad game begin!

Suzie Reider, head of industry development, global video team, Google, recently watched “6 tips for an awesome football party - Super Bowl XLVI.”

Holy Nyans! 60 hours per minute and 4 billion views a day on YouTube

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Since the dawn of YouTube, we’ve been sharing the hours of video you upload every minute. In 2007 we started at six hours, then in 2010 we were at 24 hours, then 35, then 48, and now...60 hours of video every minute, an increase of more than 30 percent in the last eight months. In other words, you’re uploading one hour of video to YouTube every second. Tick, tock, tick, tock — that’s 4 hours right there!

In the past we’ve made charts and infographics to describe the kind of mind-boggling engagement you’re driving, and this time we let our dataheads run wild. They came back to us with onehourpersecond.com — an interactive collection of what happens in a YouTube second. Here’s a sample:

For all the hours of video you’re uploading—you’re watching more as well; we’ve now exceeded four billion video views globally every day. That’s up 25 percent in the last eight months and the equivalent of more than half the world’s population watching a video every day, the same number as there are US $1 bills in circulation, the same as number of years since there was water on Mars...it’s a big number, and you’re making it bigger every day.

With more original Channels rolling out this year, a new homepage to help you find and follow Channels you love, and new tools for creators always on the horizon, we’re excited to see how many times you’ll grow these numbers this year!

The YouTube Team recently watched “The Joy of Books.”

Your Interview with President Obama

2012-01-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

If you could hang out with President Obama, what would you ask him? Would your question be about jobs or unemployment? The threat of nuclear weapons? Immigration reform? Whatever your question is, submit it on YouTube for the opportunity to ask the President directly in a special interview over a Google+ Hangout from the White House.

On Monday, January 30, a few days after delivering his State of the Union address to the nation, President Obama will answer a selection of top-voted questions you’ve submitted in a live-streamed interview. Starting today through January 28, you can visit the White House YouTube channel to submit your video and text questions and vote on your favorites. Your YouTube questions will drive the interview, and several participants with top-voted questions will be selected to join the President in the Google+ Hangout to take part in the conversation live.

So take out your camera, check your hair and go to youtube.com/whitehouse to submit your question now. Need ideas? Visit youtube.com/whitehouse on Tuesday night to watch the President’s State of the Union address live. The address will be followed by the Republican response on Speaker Boehner’s YouTube channel.

Video questions are preferred (though we also accept text) and should be about 20 seconds long. In the video description, be sure to tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you’re from.

Your Interview with President Obama will be streamed live at 5:30 p.m. ET on January 30 on youtube.com/whitehouse. You have until midnight ET on January 28 to submit your question and make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you.

Ramya Raghavan, YouTube News and Politics Manager, recently watched, “How to Buy a Car, Using Game Theory”

A Look Back as We Move Forward: YouTube Product Launches in 2011

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

We checked the calendar, and it looks like we’re just in time for the last acceptable moment for a 2011 re-cap post. From the zany to the educational, our engineering and product teams launched tons of features to make YouTube an even better place for both viewers and creators. Let’s look back at some of these:

We launched features to improve the viewing experience for the 800 million of you who visit YouTube each month, like:

A New Homepage and Design: Launched in December to help you to get more into the great content you love, with a customizable YouTube Channels line-up and feed of the latest activity and videos from your subscriptions.
YouTube Original Channels: Original Channels from well-known personalities from the TV, film, news, sports and other fields, to up-and-coming media companies, to some of YouTube’s existing partners. Full line-up here.
YouTube Politics: As we’re now in an election year in the United States, this Channel is your one-stop-shop to follow the latest political stories, connect with the candidates and keep your finger on the political pulse of the nation.
YouTube Rentals: From new releases to all-time classics, thousands of full-length films from major Hollywood studios are available to rent in the US, UK, Canada and Japan at youtube.com/movies.
YouTube Slam: Born on TestTube, this video discovery experiment was cooked up with folks from Google Research. Each week a new crop of videos battles head-to-head in Comedy, Cute, Music, Bizarre and Dance Slams, where your votes determine who wins the Slam and gets featured on the leaderboard.

Every minute, 48 hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube, so we’re always working to help you make your videos the best they can be:

YouTube Editor: The Editor team was busy in 2011, launching image stabilization for smoother videos, the Edit Video button for one-click video editing and enhancements, and including Creative Commons licenses building a library of millions of CC tagged videos.

YouTube Analytics: We love data, so we added even more features to help you examine and grow your audience through more detailed reporting.

More opportunities to make money from videos: We're also helping more uploaders make money from their videos. You might have noticed a button saying "Make money on your videos" last time you logged in to your YouTube account, which you might see if your account is in good standing and you’ve been adhering to our Community Guidelines. If you opt in, ads might run on your videos and you could start earning revenue. We've made this feature available to many account holders in the U.S. already, and over the coming months we'll be making it available to more people around the world.

YouTube.com/Create: No camera? No problem. With partners like Magisto, Vlix, GoAnimate and others, you can still create animated and personal videos to upload directly to YouTube.

With new features coming out every week, these examples are just a few of the launches in 2011. So, we also want to hear from you. What was your favorite YouTube product launch of 2011? Let us know by leaving a comment on the +YouTube page.

John Harding, Engineering Director, Recently Watched “Teahupoo from the Phantom HD Camera.”

Get in the DJ booth with Tiësto

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ever been among the thousands of screaming fans rocking out to Tiësto and wanted to see what life is like from the other side of the DJ booth? Check out “In the Booth,” a new series on YouTube that documents the world-traveling, beat-making life of Tiësto, aka Tijs Michiel Verwest. The first episode is available today:

If you add the Channel to your homepage guide you’ll regularly get exclusive commentary and personal insight into Tiësto’s life and work, venues around the world, festival life on and off-stage, and more clubbing than you could ever fit into just one night.

New episodes kickoff today on Tiësto’s YouTube Channel, with more coming every week. And remember you can get into even more great electronic and other music on YouTube Music, with new tunes every Tuesday.

Adam Relis, Content Partnerships manager, recently watched “Mission: Impossible - Theme (Tiësto Remix).”

Make the most of the NFL Playoffs with Ad Blitz Pre-Game

2012-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

If you want to get even more excitement from the NFL Playoffs, check out YouTube's new Ad Blitz Pre-Game program, sharing news coverage, party tips and videos from YouTube partners and sponsor Dodge Durango. The Pre-Game program is the warm-up for our annual Super Bowl Ad Blitz advertising extravaganza, which kicks off February 5.

On Ad Blitz Pre-Game we’ve got fan-friendly recipes from food partners like FoodWishes and AverageBetty. You’ll also find football news, opinions and predictions from partners like ProFootBallWeekly, and JRSportBrief, as well as early predictions for the big game. To get started, check out this PB&J-flavored chicken wings recipe for a lip-smacking twist on a tailgating favorite:

If you’re looking for a place to call home over the NFL Playoffs, stop by Ad Blitz Pre-Game and enjoy the YouTube Channels getting you ready for kickoff!

Mark Day, program manager, recently watched "The Topic: NFL Playoff Predictions, Week Two."

A global search for the world's best storytellers

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of working at YouTube is helping connect creative voices from around the globe with the audiences they deserve. So, we've teamed up with Ridley Scott and Scott Free London, the Venice Film Festival, and Emirates to create Your Film Festival, a global competition that will provide one deserving entrant with a half million US dollars to work on their next great story. Here’s an overview:

Starting February 2, you can submit your short, story-driven videos (15 minutes or less) on Youtube.com/yourfilmfestival. Entry is free and open to people 18 years of age and above, and all genres and formats are welcome: live action short, animation, documentary, web-series episode, TV pilot — you name it. Your video must be story-driven, and cannot have been publicly shown or distributed prior to January 1, 2010. Full rules are available on the Your Film Festival Channel.

From there, the Scott Free team will select 50 semi-finalists from across the globe by June 2012. YouTube users will then vote for their favorites to select 10 finalists, whose videos will then be screened at the 2012 Venice Film Festival. A jury led by Ridley Scott will crown one grand prize winner, who will receive a $500,000 production grant to work with Scott’s team to create a new story for the world to see.

For more information, check out the Your Film Festival Channel, and get your entries in before March 31 at midnight ET.

We can't wait to see what you've got.

Nate Weinstein, entertainment marketing manager, recently watched “Panic Attack."

YouTube for nonprofits, reloaded with new tutorials and features

2012-01-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

Nonprofits are an important part of the YouTube community, and their videos have educated and inspired audiences since the early days of the site. We launched the YouTube Nonprofit Program in 2007 to help organizations take their work to the next level, and since then, more than 16,000 nonprofits have joined the program. There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations with millions of views on YouTube, and dozens with more than ten million views, like Greenpeace, Khan Academy and UNICEF.

We’ve made a couple of updates to the program that we hope will help nonprofits use video in new and compelling ways.

The Playbook Guide: YouTube for Good. This is a how-to resource specifically targeted at nonprofit organizations, with sections on how to create content, raise funds, connect with other community members and more.
Improved features. As part of our new Channels design, we’ve made the donate button on nonprofit channels even more prominent, making it easier than ever to support the causes you care about.

If you’re a YouTube Nonprofit Program with other ideas about how we can make the program better, tell us your suggestions in the comments below! If you’re a nonprofit in the U.S., U.K., Canada or Australia and not yet a member, visit www.youtube.com/nonprofits to learn more and apply.

Valerie Streit, YouTube Next Lab, recently watched “Martin Luther King Jr. on NBC’s Meet the Press in 1965.”

Play On! YouTube Channels get more into action sports

2012-01-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

From trick shots and game clips to commentary and live events, sports has always been one of the most popular categories on YouTube. We want to bring you even more sports Channels to get into, so we’re kicking off a new lineup of action sports Channels that bring great original content to you:

Alli Sports: Whether you want tips from your favorite athlete on how to pull off their signature trick, a behind the curtain look into the lives of the biggest and fastest rising stars in the sports, or news and highlights from the industries most insightful analysts, The Alli Show, Step by Step, Inside AlliSports, AWSM on Alli and Frends Crew, are just a few of the shows on Alli Sports that will keep you up to speed on the latest and greatest moves and news in the industry.
Network A: Network A features some of the most amazing performances and personalities in the history of action sports. Want to see the best tricks and segments from some of the best athletes and filmmakers from around the world? You've come to the right place. In the coming weeks, new shows, new Channels, and an unprecedented level of access to action sports pros will be added. Stay tuned!
Red Bull: The Red Bull Channel is bringing 13 new original episodic series that will chronicle the competition and daily lives of the world’s best action sports athletes including urban mountain biker and YouTube celebrity, Danny MacAskill, skateboarding pro Ryan Sheckler, action sports phenom Travis Pastrana and big wave surfer Jamie O’Brien. You’ll also be able to find new episodes of other popular series starting with the first episode of Livin’ Louie Vito that explores the life of professional snowboarder Louie Vito.
RIDE: Brought to you by Tony Hawk, RIDE is a 24-hour Channel devoted to the skateboarding lifestyle that will feature Hawk, Skatepark of Tampa, Jamie Thomas and Lance Krall among others. On “Tony Hawk’s Dissent,” subscribers will have behind-the-scenes access as Tony hangs out with different celebrities. Viewers can also get into the game with shows like “Shredit Cards,” where skaters upload their own skate videos and earn shopping passes based on the degree of difficulty and “One in a Million,” where amateur skateboarders will compete to become sponsored.

Because it’s YouTube, you can program a lineup of your favorite action sports Channels — that way you won’t miss a trick, highlight or interview. Just subscribe to the Channels you like, and get the latest episodes delivered right to your YouTube homepage. Tell us what Channels you’ll be dropping into your YouTube guide in the comments below!

Tim Katz, Strategic Partner Development Manager, recently watched “Surfer Almost Swallowed by Whale.”

The opportunity for video on the web

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

In order to fully appreciate how exciting today and tomorrow are for our viewers, one needs to look back to the 1980s when we went from four broadcast channels to hundreds of Channels through cable and satellite TV, expanding the choices available and, as a result, viewership. Today, the web may be to cable TV what cable was to broadcast TV — a way to excite and engage viewers even more.

At CES 2012, I talked about how the web is creating exciting opportunities for all of us in online video, and how YouTube is proving that producers, curators, advertisers and viewers can all thrive in this rapidly growing ecosystem. While you’re collectively watching 3 billion hours of video a month already, we’re just scratching the surface of the amazing possibilities for countless new Channels, aiming to map the interests of all people in this world. Look forward to the world where you will have channels for all of your interests, small or big.

I was also joined by a few friends, who are key influencers in the world of online video, to talk about the changing video landscape, including MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan, CSI and BlackBox TV Channel creator Anthony Zuiker, T-Mobile CMO Peter DeLuca, Machinima CEO Allen DeBevoise, GroupM CEO Rob Norman and Lucas Watson, YouTube VP, global video solutions. Here’s the video:

We also shared a sneak peek at some of the new Channels coming to YouTube this year:

It’s a great time for video on the web, and we hope you’re as excited as we are for what’s ahead. Come and play with us.

Robert Kyncl, global head of content, recently watched “Coca-Cola ‘Open Happiness’.”

Music Tuesday: Power to the People, YouTube Slam and more

2012-01-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

From the streets of Jerusalem to the bedrooms of America, this week on Music Tuesday we’re celebrating some of the musicians who are beginning their careers, making their names and finding an audience on YouTube.

YouTube stars rock Jerusalem
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of John Lennon’s “Power of the People,” last year a group of musicians on YouTube came together on the ancient streets of Jerusalem to create a new version of the song. Having performed together at an event earlier that day, Maria Aragon, 2CELLOS, Cobus and Marina Maximillian Blumin rendezvoused at the Iraqi Market and before long a large crowd had gathered to join the party. We’re excited to debut the final video today. Enjoy!

Five people, one guitar
This week’s standout music video success was undoubtedly Walk of the Earth’s five-people-play-one-guitar cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” With 25 million views and counting, it’s also provided a boost for the original song.

YouTube Slam
Do you think you could spot the next Bieber or Adele? YouTube Slam lets you compare and vote on the best bedroom balladeers, and each week crowns a new star. Check out a playlist of the current Top 10 below, and then head over to YouTube Slam to have your say on next week’s competition.

Tim Partridge, YouTube Music Manager, recently watched “Stereo Express - Shadooroack (Official Video Clip).”

Sixty YouTube Space Lab Finalists Announced: Vote Now For Your Favorites

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago we set 14-18 year olds the bold challenge to design a science experiment that could be performed by NASA aboard the International Space Station, something that has traditionally been the preserve of qualified astronauts and scientists. Coming up with a suitable idea required huge imagination, passion and scientific curiosity, which is why we were thrilled with your response—we received a total of 2,000 video submissions from students in more than 80 countries!

Expert scientists helped us check and rank all of the entries, and today we are very proud to announce the sixty finalists. All of their submissions can now be viewed on the YouTube.com/SpaceLab Channel, and from January 17–24, you can vote for the ones you want to win. We need your help selecting the six regional winners, and ultimately the two global winners that will have their experiments performed 250 miles above Earth and live streamed on YouTube. Start voting today.

Remember, the channel is also a launchpad to some of the best space and science videos on YouTube. We’ve already received more than 39 million combined video views worldwide and we’re adding new videos and playlists regularly, like this new playlist about the mysteries of the Red Planet. Subscribe to the channel to keep up to date with all the latest content.

Didn’t make it to the final round? Check out the newly launched Google Science Fair 2012 for another chance to enter an amazing global science competition.

Posted by Zahaan Bharmal, YouTube Space Lab lead, recently watched “Living in Space: 225,000 Miles Above Earth.”

Beckham kicks it at Google

2012-01-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Cross posted from the Official Google Blog

International soccer phenom +David Beckham is taking off his boots and heading to Google for an exclusive live interview. Have a question you’ve been dying to personally ask Becks? Post it on Google+ with hashtag #GoogleBeckham, and maybe he’ll answer it live!

Watch the interview on Thursday, January 19 at 9am PT on youtube.com/atgoogletalks. And as an added bonus, hangout with him directly afterward on his Google+ profile at 10:30am PT. Add him to your circles now for all the latest updates.

Don’t worry if you can’t make the live interview or Google+ hangout—we’ll post them to YouTube shortly after.

So, what are you waiting for? Punt us your best questions on Google.com/+!

Andrew Schulte, Google Product Marketing Manager, recently watched, "All the FreeKicks from David Beckham."

Get Ready for a Grand Slam with Live Tennis on YouTube

2012-01-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

The Australian Open Series is in full swing, and tennis fans around the world can catch loads of the action this year on YouTube. Tennis Australia is making the series more accessible than ever before by offering full-length match replays, as well as loads of training footage and player interviews.

This week we’ve got live streaming from the Australian Open Qualifying Tournament, and today you can also catch the live Australian Open draw featuring tennis legend John McEnroe.

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There will be a slew of of on-demand footage from the full Australian Open Series, including the Brisbane International , Sydney International, Hobart International and the Adelaide World Tennis Challenge. This will include match highlights, player press conferences, and perhaps — a few shirtless training sessions.

And if you are feeling nostalgic, you can recap all the Open action from the past decade through the Archive Playlist on the Australian Open YouTube channel.

Last year saw some fun moments like a dead spot in Hisense Arena and John McEnroe with his pants down, so stay tuned to see what this year will bring!

Richard North, YouTube Partner Manager, recently watched "Shaark!"

Music Tuesday: The Little Willies, David Bowie and more!

2012-01-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Last year was a stellar year for music here on YouTube, with live streams of Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals, and a barnstorming year-end with Brit-rockers Kasabian live from London on New Years Eve. We also handed our homepage over to a host of musicians, resulting in enlightening curations from the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Morning Jacket and tUnE-yArDs’s Merill Garbus. And if that’s not enough, we even let down the drawbridge to the YouTube castle, and welcomed in a fine selection of performers to take part in our YouTube Presents series. Check out Florence Welch, Common, and Panic! At the Disco at our YouTube HQ!

With even more to come in 2012, you can stay up-to-date with the latest on our music homepage.

Now, onwards!

The Little Willies’ country hall of fame
Norah Jones’s output has always crossed genres, from jazz to soul to pop. Since 2006 she has also explored a passionate interest in country music, with her side project The Little Willies. Six years after their first release, Norah and Co are back with For The Good Times, putting a twist on 12 country standards, including a standout rendition of Dolly Parton’s Jolene. To celebrate the release, the band spent some time at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to select some of their favorite country YouTube videos.

David Bowie at 65
Few careers can compare to Bowie’s, both in terms of individual success and influence on pop culture as a whole. And while it’s hard to believe Ziggy Stardust hit 65 this week, even the briefest rummage through the YouTube vaults reveals dozens of gems from down the years, such as the music video for Ashes to Ashes, or this 1973 BBC performance of Jean Genie. To celebrate Mr Bowie’s big day, we’ve put together a playlist of some of his many collaborations with other artists, including Annie Lennox, Arcade Fire and even Bing Crosby.

Le Plus Beaux
Finally, Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains are not only producing some of the finest French language indiepop we’ve heard since Les Sans Culottes, they’ve also released one of our favorite music videos of the (short) year so far. Check it out:

Tim Partridge, YouTube Music Manager recently watched "Oh Girl."

Opportunity for music publishers and songwriters - January 16 deadline

2012-01-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

YouTube has become a thriving music ecosystem of emerging and established artists, where original music and creative covers can reach an audience of millions. We want to continue to recognize songwriters for their artistic contribution to this community. To this end, last year YouTube announced a new opportunity for thousands of music publishers - and the millions of songwriters they represent - to make money from the use of their music in YouTube videos uploaded by fans. This was a result of an agreement with two leading U.S. representatives of music publishers: the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and its subsidiary the Harry Fox Agency (HFA).

Through this agreement, music publishers (both HFA and non-HFA members) and songwriters have the opportunity to license the musical compositions they represent for use by the YouTube community. Our Content ID system, with input from our partners, allows us to identify these works among the hundreds of millions of videos on YouTube, whether the compositions appear in an original sound recording, or in a cover version uploaded by a fan. When a publisher allows YouTube to run ads alongside videos that incorporate its compositions, the publisher, and its songwriters, will be able to share in the revenue that the YouTube community’s creativity yields.

Music publishers should review and sign-up for this opportunity by January 16, 2011. Information can be found at www.youtubelicenseoffer.com, and music publishers can opt-in through this website using the claim and control numbers provided in the materials sent last summer. Additional information is available by calling: 1 (888) 430-7225.

By opting-in this week, music publishers will be creating a new and future revenue partnership, empowering both their fans’ creativity and their own musical endeavors. Join us.

David King, Group Product Manager, recently watched “Grinding the Crack.”

Help January’s “On The Rise” nominees reach the homepage!

2012-01-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! The new year brings with it a new batch of talented YouTube partners for the January edition of our monthly On The Rise program.

For those new to the series, here’s how it works: we identify four YouTube Partners who are steadily growing but haven’t yet hit the 100,000 subscriber mark. You watch their videos, then vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog. The channel with the most votes at the end of the week will be featured on the YouTube homepage and videos page. In past months, winners like evmoneyTV and ThePortraitArt have seen growth in their audience and video engagement thanks to your support.

This month we’re featuring four promising partners whose content is geared toward getting you moving - whether that means action sport stunts, gardening, fitness, or travel. You have until January 16th at 5pm PT to vote for your favorite channel, and the one with the most votes at the end of the week will secure the homepage feature on January 30th.

AlliSports
If you’re into action sports, you’ve probably heard of Alli: they promote various sports and tours for skateboarding, BMX, motocross, and snowboarding. Their channel features professional interviews as well as stunt tips and analysis.

growingyourgreens
Ever considered - or attempted - growing your produce in your own backyard? Don’t let inexperience or an urban environment discourage you! John’s channel is full of tips for how to grow your own food at home.

yogatoday
Based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, yogatoday produces instructional yoga videos set in pristine mountain locations. Whether or not you’ve tried yoga before, these informative video classes foster relaxation and a healthy lifestyle.

CaliforniaTravelTips
California native Veronica Hill has made a career of promoting her home state, publishing reviews for restaurants, vacation spots, and more, all over the state. Her YouTube channel features videos of various locations, attractions, and travel tips to help locals and tourists alike navigate all California has to offer.

If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners.

Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “never a dull moment on the nyc subway.”

Where you’ll find Google and YouTube at CES 2012

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-08:00

Cross posted from the Official Google Blog.

Every year in the tech world, thousands of us pack a bag with all of our gadgets and head to Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It’s a tech lover’s paradise where you can check out new technologies and talk about the trends of the future with visionary members of the industry. If you’ll be joining us, here are a few places and dates where you can find Google and YouTube.

We’ll kick things off at 3:00pm PT on Tuesday, January 10 with chairman Eric Schmidt speaking at CNET Presents - The Next Big Thing in CE, in Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) North Hall N255-257. On the following day, January 11, we have a bunch of events across topics:

Google’s senior policy counsel Rick Whitt will participate in the Innovation Policy Summit Session: Spectrum for Wireless Broadband: Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together in LVCC North Hall N264 at 10:15am PT.
On the education front, Angela Lin, manager of YouTube EDU, will present on “High Tech U”—digital tools and services that are changing the traditional ivory tower—at 3:00pm PT in LVCC North Hall N256.
End the day at 5:00pm PT with CNET's Women In Tech panel, featuring Marissa Mayer, VP of product management, in LVCC South Hall, Upper Level Lobby - CNET Stage.

On Thursday, January 12 at 10:00am PT, YouTube will be keynoting the Entertainment Matters program in the Las Vegas Hilton Theatre. Robert Kyncl, VP of global content, will share his thoughts on the evolution of the entertainment industry, and he’ll later be joined by partners and friends for a panel discussion.

Don’t forget to check out Google TV around CES this year. Recently announced new partners LG, Marvell, MediaTek join Samsung, Sony and Vizio having new devices to play with at their booths. You can also find YouTube demos on TVs and devices around the LVCC show floor at LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba and other booths.

For first-timers, here’s a video overview of the show from the Official CES Channel:

Stay tuned for updates on our +YouTube page and on Twitter—pack your smartphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, televisions, E-readers and of course, your battery chargers, and see you in Las Vegas!

Matt McLernon, Communications Manager, recently watched “Fishing under ice.”