YouTube Blog-New Zealand

We appreciate your interest

rss@youtube.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Thanks to everyone who has been a loyal reader of this blog over the past few years. After some consideration, we recognize that we're just not generating enough posts here to warrant your time, so we won't be posting here any longer. We encourage you to visit our global blog for a timely dose of news, trends and best practices from the world of online video. (To get to the global blog, choose "worldwide" from the country pulldown menu on the YouTube homepage, and head over to www.youtube.com/blog.)

Best,
Mia Quagliarello
Community Manager
The YouTube Team

New Channels Coming Soon

rss@youtube.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:00 -0700

UPDATE (6/27): We've heard all your comments about the channel re-design these last few days. One reminder we'd like to throw out there is that we're still in development, and now is your chance to give feedback on things you'd like to see in the new version of channels. We're listening. You've already helped -- and will continue to help -- us shape and grow this product by commenting in this blog, in our beta blog and on our announcement video.

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A few months ago, we launched our YouTube channels redesign in beta (first via a secret opt-in URL that many of you discovered, then as a visible opt-in link). Hundreds of thousands of you are now using the new version, have contributed a lot of useful feedback, and have helped make the new channels beta stronger and faster. Here are a few cool examples of great new channel designs: IceflowStudios, Vlogbrothers, nalts, LisaNova, sxephil, ThadewGrum, The White House, and University of Phoenix.

We're now ready to start rolling out the new channels design to more users. Starting today, all new accounts will automatically have the new version of channels. Here's a video introducing the new channels, the benefits, and how you can get started:

Finally, we'd like to give you advance warning that all existing channels will change over to the new design on July 15. (Partners, watch for separate communications about your changeover date).

Want to try it out or start getting ready before July 15? Just click on the "Upgrade my channel!" link on your Channel Design page (and note that you can switch back anytime until July 15). Keep in mind that new channels are still in beta for now, so there may be a few elements missing here and there. If you have questions, please visit our Help Centre. Also we've been sharing our progress and gathering feedback from users on a dedicated channels beta blog. Join in if you're interested in learning more and want more frequent updates on our beta progress -- and let us know if there's anything that you'd like to see added to the new version of channels, too.

Thanks!
Brian Glick
Product Manager
The YouTube Team

The Secrets to Michael Buckley's Success

rss@youtube.com — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:00:00 -0700

A few weeks ago we asked you to submit and vote for your most pressing questions for YouTube star Michael Buckley. Over 100 of you participated enthusiastically by asking 84 questions and voting 1,623 times. And while we would have loved it if Michael could have answered every question, he did manage to answer your top 10 queries, along with a few more that he hand-selected.

Buckley covers topics ranging from how to make money on YouTube to revealing his secrets for getting your videos noticed. It's an informative yet entertaining inside look into making it on YouTube; we hope you like it as much as we did. Thanks, Michael!

Thanks,
Curtis Lee
Product Marketing Manager
The YouTube Team

Malaysian YouTube Musician Gets Signed and Tours

rss@youtube.com — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:15:00 -0700

For today's Music Tuesday, we spotlight the debut recording of singer-songwriter Zee Avi, who, the day before her 22nd birthday, posted a melancholy holiday song on YouTube that she intended to be her last video posting in December 2007.

By the time she checked her email she had almost 3,000 messages, including a slew of label offers. One email came from from Ian Monotone, who had been shown the YouTube clip by Raconteurs' drummer Patrick Keeler, prompting a signing to his label. Avi is now managed by the same team who works with the White Stripes, M.I.A., The Shins and Vampire Weekend, among others. Earlier this year she was flown from her hometown in Malaysia to a recording studio in Los Angeles.

In honor of this talented YouTube's musician's success, today we present an exclusive acoustic mini-concert of songs from Avi's debut CD; the video for her single "Bitter Heart"; and an early song that wasn't titled in 2007 but has since made its way to her new release. We've also got a video blog from Zee Avi herself explaining how uploading her original music to YouTube has landed her a tour of the U.S. after only playing local gigs in Kuala Lumpur.

Have questions for Zee? She has answered a few of them already on her YouTube channel here, including "Are you a lefty?" and her less-than-tech-savvy response.

Cheers,
Michele Flannery
YouTube Music

Michael Buckley to Answer Your Questions!

rss@youtube.com — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Have you ever wondered how to build an audience on YouTube and then turn that following into a powerful business? Well, Michael Buckley, writer, producer and star of entertainment news show "What the Buck?," has done just that. (Read all about him in the New York Times.)

Now he's offered to share the secrets of his success with you.

To ask Buckley a question, or to vote on questions submitted so far, click on this link. You'll have until Monday, May 18, 10am PT, to have your say. Then, in a couple of weeks, we'll post a video to this blog with his answers to the most popular questions. We hope you'll take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from one of YouTube's foremost user-experts.

Thanks,
Curtis Lee
Product Marketing Manager
The YouTube Team