YouTube Blog-Australia

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

2012-01-24T13:14:00.001+11:00

This is a cross-post from the Official YouTube blog.

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.”

A global search for the world's best storytellers

2012-01-19T19:50:00.002+11:00

Cross-posted from the Official YouTube Blog

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."

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

2012-01-18T09:06:00.000+11:00

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 17-24 January, 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 400 kilometers above Earth and live streamed on YouTube. Start voting today.

Among the finalists for the Asia-Pacific region were three teams of Australian students: Wyatt McCoach and Forrest Gerner and Thomas Gambuti, Francesca Mcgrath, and Ruby Wright in the 14-16 year-old category as well as Luke Ditria and Johnny Udall in the 17-18 year-old category.

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

Get Ready for a Grand Slam with Live Tennis on YouTube

2012-01-13T09:04:00.001+11:00

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 both live action and 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.

Coming up there will be heaps 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 Australia/New Zealand Content Partnerships Manager, recently watched "Shaark!"

Get More Into: Top 50 Music Videos of 2011

2011-12-22T11:26:00.000+11:00

From kitty-cam to kids with nerf guns to Thom York's peculiar dance moves, we bring you 50 of the greatest, weirdest and most innovative music videos of 2011.

Hand-picked by the YouTube Australia music team who have been diligently scouring the depths of the internet, this list is a celebration of all things wonderful and weird in the world of music.

2011 was a year of power females. Who could forget Beyonce's ground-breaking 'Countdown' or Lana Del Rey’s washed out glamour throwback video for ‘Video Games’.

This year we’ve seen a crop of new talent and innovation with Alexander’s breakout video for ‘A Million Years’, featuring makeup landscapes - or ‘manscapes’ - being a notable mention. The Beastie Boys brought us the the Spike Jonze-directed epic masterpiece 'Make Some Noise' featuring more celebrities than the Betty Ford clinic.

A special shout out to the Aussies who made the cut - Children Collide's 'Loveless', directed by award-winning Australian filmmaker David Michôd (Animal Kingdom). It features a one-take shot of their lead singer getting a haircut. Bluejuice's granny-kissing antics, Strange Talk's interactive prize giveaways and last but not least, Gotye’s body-paint experiments also get a mention.

So sit back and raise a glass to the year that was 2011 in music! Watch the full playlist here.

Posted by Sophie Hirst and Cat Conroy, YouTube Team, just watched Bing Crosby & David Bowie - Little Drummer Boy

Opening up a world of educational content with YouTube for Schools

2011-12-12T17:12:00.001+11:00

Cross-posted from the Official YouTube Blog

When I was in school during the 90s, watching videos in the classroom was a highlight of any week. The teacher would roll in a television on a cart, pop in a VHS tape, and then we’d enjoy whatever scratchy science video my teacher had checked out from the school video library that week. Sight, sound and motion have always had the power to engage students and complement classroom instruction by bringing educational topics to life.

We’ve been hearing from teachers that they want to use the vast array of educational videos on YouTube in their classrooms, but are concerned that students will be distracted by the latest music video or cute cat, or a video that wasn’t appropriate for students. While schools that restrict access to YouTube may solve this distraction concern, they also limit access to hundreds of thousands of educational videos on YouTube that could help bring photosynthesis to life, or show what life was like in ancient Greece.

To address this issue, we’ve developed YouTube for Schools, a network setting that school administrators can turn on to grant access only to the educational content from YouTube EDU. Teachers can choose from the hundreds of thousands of videos on YouTube EDU created by more than 600 partners like the Smithsonian, TED, Steve Spangler Science, and Numberphile.

We know how busy teachers are, and that searching through thousands of videos sounds like a daunting visit to the world’s largest library, so we’ve also worked with teachers to put together more than 300 playlists broken out by subject -- Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts -- and by grade level. Teachers can find them listed out at youtube.com/teachers. Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without your input -- teachers, what videos do you use in your classroom? Suggest your own education playlist here.

YouTube for Schools is just the latest initiative in our ongoing attempts to make YouTube a truly valuable educational resource, and to inspire learners around the world with programs like YouTube Space Lab. So how do you get started? To join YouTube for Schools or learn more about the program, head on over to www.youtube.com/schools.

Brian Truong, Product Manager, recently watched “The Challenges of Getting to Mars: Transporting a Mars Rover.”

Get more into what you love on YouTube with our new look

2011-12-02T11:58:00.001+11:00

Cross-posted from the Official YouTube Blog.

From your favorite sports highlights and dance competitions to make-up tutorials, science experiments and great movies, there’s a ton of great stuff on YouTube — over three billion views worth per day by last count. More and more, behind every great video is a great Channel, and with our announcement last month that more of them are coming to YouTube, we want to make it easier for you to find and keep tabs of what you want to watch.

So, today we're introducing a new homepage, Channel design and a fresh coat of digital paint. Here are three ways these updates will improve your life on YouTube:

1. A new homepage
The YouTube homepage is your gateway to a vast entertainment universe. To help you get more into YouTube, we’re making it easier to find and follow great Channels when you arrive. On the left side of the homepage you can create your own, personal, customizable YouTube Channel line-up. Sign-in, or create a YouTube account. Then you can browse recommended Channels; customize your homepage’s feed; even link your YouTube account to Google+ and Facebook to see what your friends are sharing. The new homepage feed we launched earlier this year is now front and center on the homepage. You can switch between feeds by clicking on different Channels on the left.

For step by step instructions on using the new YouTube homepage, you can go to our help center.

2. Simpler, customizable Channels
Given the homepage’s new focus on helping you find and organize your favorite Channels, we would be remiss if we didn’t update the look and feel of the Channels themselves. Today we're launching an improved Channel design focused on what matters most: helping users find great videos. As different uploaders have different goals, we've created new Channel templates to meet your needs whether you produce one video a week or have thousands of videos for a fan to browse. Some partners have even uploaded videos talking about the features, or giving tips on how they’re taking advantage of the new design. To learn how to opt-in to and test this new Channel design, check out our help center.

3. A new overall design
To bring the new homepage and Channels designs together we’ve also applied a fresh coat of digital paint across the whole site. In July, we unveiled an experimental design called Cosmic Panda. We’ve used your feedback to improve our overall design, and today, we’re presenting a cleaner and simpler YouTube, with a consistent gray background, bigger video thumbnails and a more streamlined watch page.

Ready to get started? Your new YouTube is already shipped and waiting for you at YouTube.com, and like every new toy, we included an instruction manual (and video) to help.

Our recent Channels expansion, our grants and educational programs, and this new design are all focused on helping you discover a broader range of entertainment on YouTube. We’re always innovating and testing new stuff out to make the experience the best it can be for you. We rely on your feedback to figure out when we've gotten it right and when it needs further tweaks. So let us know what you think.

The YouTube team

Calling all budding scientists: Deadline extended to enter YouTube Space Lab

2011-11-29T12:22:00.002+11:00

This is a cross-post from the Official YouTube Blog.

Last month we challenged you to come up with an idea for an experiment that an astronaut can carry out in space, for the chance to watch NASA astronauts conduct it aboard the International Space Station live on YouTube next year. We know the many registered teams out there are busy preparing their experiments for YouTube Space Lab, so we’re extending the deadline by a week to December 14, 2011 to help get your entry just right.

Here’s YouTube Space Lab Judge, Professor Stephen Hawking, to inspire you to join if you haven’t registered already:

Be sure to read the How to Enter guide on our YouTube channel to learn what you need to do to submit your entry. You can also read about the amazing prizes for the regional and global winners, ranging from ZERO-G flights to an authentic astronaut training experience in Russia.

And if you just want to watch cool space videos? We're regularly adding playlists on the channel from What is space?, to Early Pioneers, and the US vs USSR. There's more to come so make sure you subscribe to the channel to keep up with the latest.

Be sure to read the updated official rules and blast off to YouTube Space Lab today!

Zahaan Bharmal, YouTube Space Lab lead, recently watched "Mars Science Laboratory Lifts Off for Red Planet."

Get More Into: Music

2011-11-22T08:35:00.001+11:00

From huge audiences watching Coldplay live from a bullring in Madrid to two young Nicky Minaj fans, music lovers from all over the world have come to YouTube to dig into the latest musical hits and trends. Here at Google Australia we’ve always got a tune spinning and are constantly looking for breaking new artists to fill our latest playlist.

Today we’re inviting you to embark on a musical journey with some of your favourite acts — from down under and abroad — that will take us on a guided tour of the hot hits, big surprises, inspirational performances and everything in between. We’re Getting More Into Music. And you can too.

Starting today, we’ll be featuring playlists created by music fans — for music fans. Want to hear how DJ Pogo hears sounds in film? What videos Florence + The Machine watch before each gig? We’ve asked these musicians — and several more — to dig into whatever they’re into and share it on YouTube.

With over 48 hours of video uploaded every minute, we’re hoping these playlists make it easy to find out what music fans on YouTube are into, and help you get a little more into your own music passion.

And it’s a big week to get more into Aussie music, too. We’ll be featuring three full length shows from the vaults of The Aria awards and have even created an easy way for you to save your own playlists of top Australian acts. We’ll be profiling a few of your favourite Aria Nominated acts too at youtube.com/music and youtube.com/getmoreintoau, so watch this space!

Posted by Ernesto Soriano III, YouTube Team, just watched Davyd (A.I. Mashup)

Poetic Justice: Impress The Band, Join Them Downunder on 1st Jan, 2012

2011-11-16T17:41:00.001+11:00

This is a cross-post from the YouTube UK Blog.

Dance superstars Justice have laid down a challenge to YouTube: produce a mind-blowing video cover of one the tracks from "Audio, Video, Disco" and win the opportunity to treat yourself and a friend to a similarly mind-blowing New Year's Day at the band's January 1, 2012, concert in Sydney, Australia.

Given that the French duo have a reputation for producing innovative, quirky videos, it's time to get creative: think"D.A.N.C.E" or the epic "Civilisation" (although, naturally, your production can be on a smaller scale). The creators of the top nine entries as decided by Gaspard and Xavier will join them in an exclusive Google+ Hangout at theJustice +Page to review the entries, at which point the winner will be announced.

Submissions should be made at the Justice YouTube channel and don't forget to share your efforts using Google+ and boost your profile by interacting with the band's +page, as comments will be linked directly back to their home on YouTube and will doubtless boost your chances. The competition closes at 3pm, Paris time, on December 10, so get filming if you want to start 2012 with a bang… and more than a few beats.

Posted by Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched "Audio, Video, Disco".

Four Aussies join the 32 next YouTube stars of cooking and fitness training

2011-11-10T06:28:00.000+11:00

Thinking of searching YouTube for some good Christmas recipes? Want some videos to help you achieve that New Year’s fitness resolution? You’re in good company. Searches on YouTube for cooking recipes spike around the end of every year, and searches for fitness exercises spike just around the start of the new year.

We also happen to have partners who are doing amazing things with food and fitness. So to supercharge their careers, we created the YouTube Next Chef and the YouTube Next Trainer programs. We’d like to introduce you to the first class of partners who’ll be attending a 12-week course via Google+ Hangouts and receiving a $15,000 equipment and promotional package, all to help them share their passion for food or fitness on YouTube with you.

Representing Australia, we have three chefs — master BBQ of AussieGriller, the simple yet elegant cuisine of cookingwithkarma, and the big flavors of OnePotChefShow — as well as one trainer, FitnessFAQs, who focuses his exercise on body-weight. They are among the 32 partners from 6 countries around the world who will be participating.

YouTube Next Chef
The partners of the YouTube Next Chef class include self-taught chefs, cookbook authors, former restaurant owners and more. Their culinary styles range from making a full meal with just one pot to vegan desserts to gourmet on a budget, and represent five countries around the world. These partners will be taught by the finest folks in culinary arts, including editors from CHOW.com, YouTube Partners like Rob Nixon, and industry experts like Lee Allison.

YouTube Next Trainer
If fitness is your goal, our YouTube Next Trainers are here to help. This international group can teach you exercises using city landscapes, fitness routines made for athletes, safe parkour training exercises, pilates made simple and more. Expect to see these partners get top tier training from our featured mentors Billy Blanks, YouTube Partners like DeStorm, and industry experts like Julie DelaBarre.

Stay tuned for weekly videos starting Nov 15 for YouTube Next Chef and Nov 23 for YouTube Next Trainer.

Posted by Austin Lau, YouTube Creator Programs, recently watched “The Coolest Extreme Skiing Dudes.”

Are you the next big chef or trainer on YouTube?

2011-10-19T09:35:00.002+11:00

This is a cross-post from the Official YouTube blog.

Since launching the first YouTube NextUp, we’ve been working to supercharge the careers of partners from around the world, and now we’re expanding the program even further. Today we’re kicking off two new YouTube Next Creator Programs to highlight the stars of tomorrow on YouTube today: YouTube Next Chef and YouTube Next Trainer.

Each program will have sixteen participants who take part in a three month virtual class held on Google+ Hangouts. Our chefs and trainers will each receive an equipment kit worth more than $5,000, mentoring from industry leaders, filming and editing lessons and more than $10,000 worth of promotion on YouTube. Here’s more info on each and an introduction from our hosts.

YouTube Next Chef
Crafty in the kitchen? Love sharing your family’s recipes with the world? With YouTube Next Chef, you could be selected to learn filmmaking tailored to cooking videos. Shea Hess of Hungry in Brooklyn will be your host.

YouTube Next Trainer
Personal health comes in many forms, and we’re interested in your unique approach. From yoga to 100-yard sprints, this program will help you develop filmmaking talents specifically for fitness videos. Sarah Dussalt of SarahsFabChannel will be your host.

How to apply
Starting today through October 25, partners from Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States can apply at youtube.com/NextChef and youtube.com/NextTrainer, which also includes all rules and details.

We’ll be back on November 9 to introduce you to the selected chefs and trainers, as we keep working on ways to help YouTube Partners turn their passion into their career.

Posted by Austin Lau, YouTube Creator Programs, recently watched, “How To Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds.”

A big week for Australian music

2011-10-17T11:25:00.001+11:00

Don’t be fooled into thinking one little Nicky Minaj fan has stolen all the limelight this week. Here at YouTube we love Australian music and we’re excited to bring you the biggest news and best new music from around the country this week.

Indie music fans were in hipster heaven on Monday with Australia’s favourite street party, Laneway Festival, announcing their killer 2012 lineup. To get you familiar with the all the headlining acts including Feist, SBTRKT, The Horrors, M83, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Girls, Active Child and many more, the Laneway folks have put together a playlist of their latest singles. Check it out, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and look out for further updates and ticketing information.

While we’re on the subject of announcements, ARIA unveiled their ARIA Award Nominations for 2011 this week. To coincide with the announcement, they’ve also launched their official YouTube channel where you’ll be see playlists for the nominated artists in each category, special guest cameos, behind-the-scenes footage and of course, all the action leading up to the big night.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary for the ARIA Awards and to celebrate, they’ve put together a video of their all-time favourite ARIA moments.

25 years of ARIA magic

And to end the week on a high note, Triple j Unearthed gave us their picks of the best new bands they’re tipping for 2012. You heard it here first.

Posted by Sophie Hirst, YouTube Music, recently watched George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Official Trailer)

Coming to a universe near you: YouTube Space Lab

2011-10-11T10:45:00.003+11:00

This is a cross-post from the Official Google blog.

Can plants survive beyond Earth? Can proteins observed in space reveal the mysteries of life? Science experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) could unlock the answers and now we're giving you a chance to ask the questions. Today, we’re launching YouTube Space Lab with Lenovo, in cooperation with Space Adventures, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Space Lab is a new galactic channel on YouTube that will lift off from your laptop, taking you to interesting and awesome videos from around the world... and beyond.

Interested students are invited to come up with an idea for a science experiment that can be conducted in space and upload a video explaining it to YouTube by December 7, 2011. The YouTube community and a panel of distinguished scientists, astronauts and expert judges, including Professor Stephen Hawking, will pick the best ones. If your video is selected, it will be performed aboard the ISS and live streamed on YouTube to the world in 2012.

We'll also throw in some out-of-this-world prizes for the winners: like ZERO-G flights, Lenovo IdeaPad laptops and your choice of either a trip to Tanegashima Island, Japan, to watch your experiment blast off in a rocket bound for the ISS, or—once you’re 18—a one-of-a-kind astronaut training experience in Star City, Russia, the training center for Russian cosmonauts. For more information on how to enter, including eligibility requirements and experiment guidelines, check out the competition page on the channel or the official rules.

All future astronauts and space enthusiasts can find inspiration in the space related content on YouTube.com/SpaceLab. Space Lab is just one of many educational channels available under YouTube.com/EDU. Educators can also visit YouTube.com/Teachers to learn how to better incorporate video into the classroom. We're developing a YouTube for Schools pilot aimed at making YouTube accessible in more schools. If you want to be notified when it's ready, sign up here.

Blast off now and be part of a global experiment where your teacher is an astronaut and your classroom, space!

Zahaan Bharmal, YouTube Space Lab lead, recently watched Android in Space - Nexus S on Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Additional Creator Tools from YouTube

2011-09-22T11:36:00.002+10:00

This is a cross-post from the Official YouTube Blog.

As part of our ongoing goal to foster the creation of great video content, we are announcing the release of three new features we hope will empower you to become even more imaginative with your video production.

1. Convert your 2D videos into 3D with a single click. (beta!)
Creating 3D videos was pretty tough before. You had to set up two cameras, combine the footage from each, and use special software to make the effect look just right. Today we're launching 2D to 3D conversion. Once you've uploaded your 2D videos to YouTube, you can convert them to 3D with the click of a button. Converted videos will be viewable by everyone in 3D. You'll still get best results with a 3D camera, but it's a great new way to let people enjoy your finest moments. You'll find this feature by selecting "Edit Info", then "3D Video" on a video you've uploaded. (Note, you'll still need glasses to watch on most devices.)

2. All verified users in good standing can now upload long-form videos.
YouTubers are some of the most innovative, entertaining and inspirational people in the world, and their creativity often needs more than the current upload limit of 15 minutes. Today, we’re improving upon our previous launch by enabling long uploads for users with a clean track record who complete an account verification and continue to follow the copyright rules set forth in our Community Guidelines. Check out some of the original full-length videos that can now shine on YouTube, such as student-film: “Spirit’s Revenge.”

To help you get those longer videos online, we also recently launched resumable uploads, which ensures that you won’t lose any of the minutes you’ve uploaded if your internet fails or your computer dies during the upload process. You can resume uploading right where you left off once you’re back online. (Note: Advanced uploader is no longer required to upload large files.)

3. Shoot, edit and share your videos easily with vlix and Magisto, now on youtube.com/create.
We’re adding two additional video creation platforms for you to make your videos even better: Vlix and Magisto. Vlix lets you spice up your videos by adding cool effects and text to the video intro and closing. Magisto takes your unedited video and automatically edits it into short, fun clips.

With so many tools at your fingertips, what are you waiting for? Get Ready...Set...Create!

Posted by Shenaz Zack Mistry, Product Manager, recently watched "Home."

New! Edit your videos with YouTube

2011-09-15T09:59:00.001+10:00

Cross-posted from the global YouTube blog

Until now, when you uploaded to YouTube, your video was hosted and shared, but couldn’t really be changed. If you wanted to trim off the end, swap out the soundtrack, or add an effect, you had to edit your video using a separate program and upload again.

Starting today, you can edit your uploaded videos right on YouTube and maintain the same video IDs. This means you keep your view count and comments, and all existing links to your video will continue to work. No re-uploading necessary!

Here’s how it works: just click Edit video on the video’s page or on your My Videos page:

You can stabilize your hand-held footage, rotate a video, and boost the contrast and colors. Try “I’m Feeling Lucky” for 1-click color correction:

Or if you’re looking for a more dramatic change, try one of our effects (developed in collaboration with our friends at Picnik):

Click Save to begin processing the edits to your video. And if you don’t like the new version, fear not: you can revert to the original and save again. You can also save your edits into a new video and try out multiple versions. Note that popular videos with over 1,000 views and videos with third-party content can only be saved as new videos once edited (learn more).

Here’s a quick video showing what you can do:

We’ll be rolling this out to all users globally over the course of the day. We know you want your videos to look their best, and we’re excited to see what you come up with using YouTube video editing!

Posted by John Gregg, Software Engineer, recently watched “Shenandoah”.

Life in a Day: Now in theatres

2011-09-05T10:08:00.001+10:00

On July 24, 2010, thousands of people around the world uploaded videos of their day to YouTube to take part in Life in a Day, a historic cinematic experiment to create a documentary film about a single day on earth. From over 80,000 submissions, including 1,500 from Australia, executive producer Ridley Scott and Oscar winning director Kevin Macdonald have crafted a 90-minute feature film that paints a surprising, moving and entertaining portrait of the world today.

The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was simultaneously live streamed on YouTube. The film arrived down under at the Sydney Film Festival and subsequently at the Melbourne Film festival, and we’re proud to announce that Life in a Day is now playing in select Chauvel Cinemas.

Happy watching!

Posted by Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Australia, recently watched Kevin McDonald & Joe Walker discuss Life in a Day

Get your boat shoes, because America’s Cup is live streaming on YouTube

2011-08-19T10:46:00.002+10:00

This is a cross-post from the YouTube blog.

Through its 160 years of competition, the America's Cup has helped develop the sport of Cup racing and even brought attention to taking better care of our oceans.

Now, you'll have an opportunity to experience the sport in a whole new way as this year's America's Cup World Series is being live streamed on YouTube at the America's Cup channel. With on board cameras and microphones in HD quality, you can see and hear the crews live as they attempt difficult maneuvers and battle for nautical supremacy.

If you miss any of the live action, you can also see recorded footage of the day’s action on the America’s Cup YouTube channel.

We invite you to get on board and see sailing in a way you've never seen it before, on the wide open seas of YouTube.

Seth Frank, YouTube Strategic Partner Development Manager, recently watched “Flying on the Water"

Your personalised guide to music on YouTube

2011-08-19T09:41:00.003+10:00

YouTube has videos across the entire spectrum of music, from current pop hits to classic tracks to obscure but wonderful sounds (double rainbow, anyone?).

But how can you stay in touch with what’s hot on YouTube right now? To help, we’re re-launching our YouTube music page with new features to help guide you, and some help from a few guest curators to start.

On YouTube.com/Music you can now find:

recommended videos and artists based on the music videos you’re watching
local concert listings in your area paired with artist videos
the YouTube Top 100 - your invaluable source to the most popular music based on what the community is viewing

Finally, you may have noticed the electric guitar adorning the YouTube logo. It’s there today to celebrate the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Guide to Rock, who have the first hand-picked playlist on the new music page.

Over the next five days some of your favorite music stars will be sharing their personal favorites, including Australia’s very own Gotye, whose new album is already hitting the top of the charts. You’ll also hear Lady Gaga’s Guide to Pop, and Eminem’s Guide to Hiphop.

Look out for a new music-based YouTube logo each day, and clicking on it will bring you straight to the music page.

Happy listening.

Posted by Sophie Hirst, YouTube Music recently watched “An Introduction to the YouTube music page.”

Sailing ships with the Sydney Opera House

2011-08-18T08:45:00.004+10:00

This is a cross-post from the YouTube blog.

YouTube and the Sydney Opera House developed a relationship during the YouTube Symphony Orchestra from our shared love of music, and we continue to look at ways to bring new music experiences to you. Victoria Doidge, Director Marketing and Communications at the Sydney Opera House, is our guest blogger today to discuss their recent project.

Last year we set out to create a piece of content that would celebrate Sydney Opera House’s place in the global cultural community—one of the busiest performing arts centre in the world with 8.2 million visitors a year. Even from the inception of The House, master architect Jorn Utzon was committed to pushing boundaries, and as an example they had to invent a new crane to build his model.

So to create something in The House’s name, we sought to democratise the artists and the spirit of The House to as broad an audience as possible. This notion of accessibility and democratising the content, like our partnership with Google on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011, was critical to how we would measure success and why we chose to release the clip on YouTube.

We started with a song, Nick Cave’s The Ship Song, considered by many to be one of Australia’s truly great ballads. When we approached artists to volunteer to perform, we found hundreds who were excited to join: Neil Finn, Paul Kelly, Angus and Julia Stone, Martha Wainwright and Daniel Johns, to name a few. To bring it all together, we had these artists perform and accompanied by a full orchestra and opera choir.

For the final result director Paul Goldman created a voyeuristic journey through the venues, rehearsal rooms and back stages of the House. Paul has a unique skill for capturing the personal nuances of the many artists in this clip, and Elliot Wheeler complemented the video with a powerful soundtrack.

We’ve heard positive feedback from Australians at home and all over the world, telling us that it’s brought out pride and even tears. We’re thankful to be able to share this with you, and think our beloved Utzon would be pleased.

Victoria Doidge, Director Marketing and Communications at the Sydney Opera House, recently watched “The Ship Song Project - Making Of.”

My experience at Vidcon

2011-08-17T10:27:00.001+10:00

This is a guest post by YouTube Partner “TwistedTim01” who recently attended Vidcon 2011 in Los Angeles.

After seeing my favourite Youtubers attend Vidcon last year, I thought “Attending Vidcon would be a dream. I will make this happen.” I was able to fully fund the trip from Tasmania to Los Angeles as a two week trip after months of saving. Earlier in the year I also noticed Alen from ChampChong write on Twitter that he planned on attending, so I organised to travel with him.

While staying in Hollywood for a week, Alen and I met with brilliant content creators such as Daneboe of Annoying Orange, Bobjenz, Kevin Brueck, Greg Benson, Funnyz, KeepTHEheat, and DavidUngerMusic, with whom I organised a collaborative music video cover / parody.

When I got to Vidcon, I found it extremely informative. It was super entertaining to watch all of the amazingly talented creators perform, talk, and interact. I was also lucky enough to perform a few songs on stage and do a live music show for Vokle.com, where I could interact with viewers watching the Vidcon stream.

Here’s a summary of some things I learned from Vidcon:

1. Networking among the YouTube community is key
YouTube is both a media site and a social network, so of course networking plays a large role. It’s the best feeling to work together to create great content, share tips with one another, and make friends with people who love doing what you do. There’s always a way to contact other creators to network, collaborate, and get opinions about your work — just stay persistent. Nothing happens overnight.

2. Trying to get exposure? Stop trying so hard!
The more popular YouTubers are people with a hobby and lots of talent — just like a football player, musician, or skateboarder! If you have talent and you’re working hard on your videos, eventually people will catch on and follow your work.

3. Have fun
If you’re having fun while creating content, then who cares if you’re not getting the views you want? Just open up, have fun, and show your personality. It’s what people like.

Vidcon was amazing, I made so many new friends, and learned a lot of great lessons. If you have any other questions upon my trip, feel free to comment them below or post them as a comment on my channel. I’ll do my best to get back to you!

Posted by Tim Whybrow, who recently watched Gym Class Heroes

Watch Splendour In The Grass live on YouTube this Sunday

2011-07-28T09:36:00.000+10:00

Earlier this year, it was Laneway Festival and then Coachella. Now, thanks to Virgin Mobile, Splendour In The Grass will be coming to you on YouTube, live from sunny Woodford, Queensland.

If you missed out on getting tickets to Splendour this year, never fear! Put on your gumboots and get out your festival gear, because you can watch live performances on YouTube from Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs, Elbow, The Vines, The Vaccines and Cloud Control and interviews from a number of other acts.

Be sure to check out all the live action from 4:30pm until Midnight AEST this Sunday, July 31st at youtube.com/virginmobileaus. On the go? Don’t worry, we’ll be live streaming to mobile as well, so take Splendour with you wherever you are!

Tell your friends - this one is going to be awesome!

Richard North, YouTube Australia, recently watched Hometown Tama.

YouTube Sessions: The Living End

2011-07-19T13:10:00.001+10:00

Remember jamming out to this tune? Well get set to rock out again with Aussie music legends The Living End as they perform LIVE from their new album “The Ending is Just The Beginning Repeating.” The electric stage show will be streamed across the world on YouTube Sessions tonight at 8:00pm AEST.

The band will also be answering questions from fans across the world that have been submitted via Google Moderator. Now’s your chance to send in your question and see what Chris, Scott & Andy have to say!

During tonight’s gig, the self-proclaimed purveyors of punk rock will perform tracks off their new album, with a couple of classics thrown in, too.

So let the band know what you want to know and submit your question. And be sure to tune in to the live show tonight!

Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Australia, just watched The Ending is Just The Beginning - Behind The Scenes

Living Life in a Day and a summer in Australia at the Sydney Film Festival

2011-06-15T09:21:00.004+10:00

This is a cross-post from the Official YouTube blog

Update 7th July: We've changed the video in the post as "We Were Here" goes into festival consideration.

This weekend at the Sydney Film Festival, we in the Australia office saw a single day on earth, a legendary summer to be remembered and the vision of thousands of YouTubers from all over the world on center stage. Along with the Australian premiere of “Life in a Day,” the world was introduced to “We Were Here,” a feature film made by YouTubers about summer in Australia.

From January - April 2011, YouTubers down under submitted their videos to create an archive of events and experiences from a summer not-to-be-forgotten. Everything from sunsets at the beach, bats in the night, to extraordinary events in Queensland were uploaded to form a new visualisation of the Australian summer map. These stories were pulled together by up and coming Australian director Amy Gebhardt, mentored by Dr. George Miller of “Happy Feet”, “Mad Max” and “Babe.”

To celebrate the world premiere of “We Were Here,” we’ll be featuring the film on YouTube for a short time before making its way around the film festival circuit. Have a look at this collective vision of the Australian summer, as told by director Amy Gebhardt:

Together, these two films are milestones in the evolution of radically inclusive film-making that is taking shape all over the world.

Ernesto Soriano III, Product Marketing Manager, YouTube Australia recently watched “1000 words for summer.”

Mapping the Aussie Summer: We Were Here brings YouTube to the Sydney Film Festival

2011-06-09T14:22:00.003+10:00

What does an Australian summer really look like? We asked you to submit your answers and from Brissie to Broome and everywhere in between, YouTubers responded with hundreds of videos, creating a map of Australia through an archive of events, experiences and people. Over the past two months, director Amy Gebhardt worked with Dr. George Miller to create a film made from your YouTube videos to put together a unique vision of the Australian summer, as told by you.

This Saturday, the film We Were Here premieres at the Sydney Film Festival at 8:35pm EST, and will be available on YouTube at the same time! You can have a sneak preview of the trailer right here:

Can’t get enough YouTube on the big screen? We Were Here also premieres alongside Life in a Day, the first full-length user-generated documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Life in a Day was crafted into a feature film by Ridley Scott and Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald, and chronicles a single day on earth. The world premiere was live streamed right here on YouTube, but it’s also coming to theatres soon.

Have a look at the Life in a Day trailer which has only recently gone live:

Together, these two works represent a new generation of truly radically inclusive filmmaking, pulled together through the help of YouTubers from all over Australia, and all over the world! Come back to youtube.com/mapmysummer to watch We Were Here, which will be available online for a limited time. And be sure to subscribe to youtube.com/lifeinaday for updates on the Australian theatrical release.

Posted by Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Team, just watched Summertime Rolls