Official Blog
Release Notes: 4/30/09
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Hello! Yesterday we had another release -- v38, if you're counting -- but if you've been reading this blog, you'll know that lots has happened between
the last Release Notes post
and today. We launched our
RealTime beta
,
a new look for the homepage
,
a destination for TV and movie content
, and
CaptionEditor in TestTube
. We try to be nimble and push out new features or fixes as often as they're ready. Let us know what you think of these latest updates:
*
New Options for Uploaders:
In our continued effort to give you ultimate control over how your videos are presented, uploaders can now tweak the appearance of their video when played on YouTube or in an embedded player. Just insert any of the hint tags below into the tags field of your video and voila!
yt:crop=16:9 (zooms in on the 16:9 area, removes windowboxing)
yt:stretch=16:9 (fixes anamorphic content by scaling to 16:9)
yt:stretch=4:3 (fixes 720x480 content that is the wrong aspect ratio by scaling to 4:3)
yt:quality=high (default to a high quality stream, depending on availability)
*
HD Browsing Goes Global:
Add Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and U.K. to the list of countries where you can browse the
most popular HD videos
in the region.
*
AudioSwap Adds Recommendations:
If your video contained an audio track that was not authorized for use on YouTube, the Recommended Tracks feature in
AudioSwap
will help you quickly find fully licensed songs to replace your original audio track. Recommendations are based on a combination of popularity and, for audio-matched videos, similarity to the original track. The three tracks being used most often are "Bodies" by Drowning Pool, "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence, and "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven.
*
Subscription Tab in More Places:
We added a new "Subscriptions" tab to the top of the page a few weeks ago for anyone with an account who sets his or her country preference to "Worldwide." Starting today, the Subscriptions tab is available on any of our English-language sites, and we'll add it for other languages soon, too. Why is this important? Simple -- we hope to build stronger connections between video creators and their audiences by making subscriptions more prominent on YouTube. Please let us know if this change has positively impacted your viewership.
*
Subscription Suggestions:
Building on our new subscriptions tab, users without any subscriptions who visit the
subscription center
will now see some channel suggestions (a random set of popular channels) to help them get started using this key YouTube feature. If you already have some subscriptions, you can see the suggestions, too -- just click on "About Subscription Center" in the upper-right corner of the
subscriptions center
.
*
Username Alternatives:
YouTube is a big place these days and many channel names are taken. But starting today, if your desired username is already in use when you sign up for an account, we'll offer some alternates, hopefully reducing the head-scratching that can come from trying to figure out a handle that you like
and
is available. Right now this is in test mode, but we expect it to go 100% soon.
*
A Tooltip to Help With Precise Seeking:
If someone tells you to check out their video at two minutes, now it's easy to find that precise point. As you drag the thumb (what we call the little circle) back and forth, a shiny new tooltip will tell you exactly where you are in the video.
Always,
The YouTube Team
Your Chance to Contribute Ideas to the Energy Bill
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Time was, Congress wrote legislation inside the bubble of Washington, DC, and tried their best to get back to their home states and districts to get citizen feedback. Now, your Senators and Congressmen can solicit your feedback instantly online -- which is just what Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) is doing this week in his "Senator of the Week" feature on the
YouTube Senate hub.
Head over to the Senate Hub and let
Senator Dorgan
know your ideas for the Energy Bill. As his video explains, the energy issue is critical to the long-term sustainability of the U.S. economy and to national security. Dorgan is committed to hearing your ideas and getting back to you, so submit your thoughts now and vote on the others that are there.
Yours,
Steve Grove
YouTube News & Politics
Leaders Respond to Swine Flu Pandemic on YouTube
Thursday, April 30, 2009
In these early days of the swine flu outbreak, governments and global leaders are responding to the pandemic on YouTube - using video to reach citizens with information and instruction about the spreading virus. On our homepage today we're featuring some of the videos that have been making their way around YouTube, as citizens share clips with each other on how to handle the threat of the flu virus in their communities.
The Center for Disease Control's
YouTube channel
, which we featured a few days ago, has come out with a
new video
from Dr. Joe Bresee - this one outlines how to recognize the symptoms of swine flu. The
Mexican Government
is working hard to educate citizens as well, with PSAs like
this one
that help citizens understand how to prevent the spreading of the virus. In the U.K., Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been joining the
international conversation
, as has Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, who delivered
this statement
on the United Nations'
YouTube channel,
outlining the UN's work to fight the flu.
Stay tuned to these channels (and more) as governments and citizens keep each other informed with the latest information on the swine flu pandemic. You might also want to take a look at Google.org's
experimental flu trends tool
for Mexico, which is tracking the development of the flu based on search queries within Mexico.
Yours,
Olivia Ma
YouTube News & Politics
Insight Data: Any Way You Want It, That's the Way You Need It
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
We launched
YouTube Insight
a year ago to help you better understand your viewers and how they engage with your videos. Along the way, we've introduced features like
Demographics
,
Hot Spots
and
Community
to give you sophisticated ways of analyzing viewer data. Whether you want to know how old your audience is, how many times your most viewed video was rated last week, or which minute of your clip is most engaging, YouTube Insight can give you the answer. As we add functionality, we're careful to preserve YouTube Insight's clean and easy-to-use look and feel.
Throughout this process, we've realized that there are limitless ways viewing data can tell fascinating stories about your audience. As you continue to post videos, we will continue to make viewing data transparent and accessible for you.
Today, we have added a link that allows you to export your Insight data into CSV files. CSV files are open format files that organize data so it can be moved and analyzed using common spreadsheet software such as
Google Docs
and
Microsoft Excel
. Now you can view and manipulate your data any way you like.
Looking for ideas? Try comparing the view count for different videos side by side, mapping out where your viewers are coming from over time, or comparing discovery sources by country. As always, tell us about the interesting fun facts you learn in the comments below!
Cheers,
Tracy Chan and Kenny Stoltz
Product Managers
The YouTube Team
Live Stream on YouTube: The President's First 100 Days News Conference
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The first three months of the Obama Administration have brought the new American President unprecedented challenges. Back in November, when he was elected, everyone knew the economy and the Middle East would be critical issues for Obama to attack early on. But like every president before him, he's had to deal with the unexpected as well: who could have predicted pirates off the Somali Coast or swine flu?
As citizens and pundits from all political perspectives analyze the President's first 100 days in office today, Obama himself will address the nation tonight on the 100-day anniversary of his inauguration -- and we're going to carry a live stream of the conference from the
White House YouTube channel
. Be sure to tune in at 8pm EDT to watch it live.
We're also featuring commentary and analysis from top news organizations on our homepage today.
Hear Karl Rove
grade the President on Fox News. Get
a re-cap
from Al-Jazeera on what Obama has accomplished in his opening act. Watch the Washington Post
talk with Americans
in DC about their early impressions of the new President.
You can join in the conversation by making a video: How is the Obama Administration doing, and what advice would you give the President moving forward? Upload your thoughts to YouTube and add them as a video response to this
Citizentube video
, and we'll feature some of them on our News page tomorrow.
Finally, don't forget to come to
youtube.com/whitehouse
at 8pm EDT to watch President Obama address the nation.
Yours,
Steve Grove
YouTube News & Politics
The Tribeca Film Festival in the YouTube Screening Room
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The
2009 Tribeca Film Festival
is in full swing in sunny New York City, showcasing some of the year's best independent films. With its reputation for high quality programming and cutting edge panels, the Festival has quickly emerged as a must-stop for serious film buffs.
Can't make it to the Big Apple? No worries -- you can catch 4 short films from the Festival's critically acclaimed 2009 Official Selection in the
YouTube Screening Room
. From a bitter man's 50th birthday party to a teenage boy's priestly penitence, these shorts epitomize the great, off-the-beaten-path stories for which Tribeca is known.
For more festival coverage, red carpet premieres and behind-the-scenes footage, check out the
Tribeca Film Festival YouTube channel
.
Enjoy,
Nate Weinstein
YouTube Film
Slam Dunk: Last Chance to Submit!
Friday, April 24, 2009
If you or someone you know has formidable dunking skills, the window of opportunity to be named "Best Dunker on YouTube" is closing quickly — the last chance to submit a dunk video to the
YouTube Slam Dunk contest
ends at midnight this Sunday, April 26.
We've seen some incredible submissions which you can view in the Gallery on the
Slam Dunk channel
. The judges for the contest — Chris Bosh, Jalen Rose and Team Flight Brothers — will select the top 20 dunkers to move on to the final round (May 6 - 24), when the YouTube community will vote on the winner.
Everything you need to know in order to submit is in this video:
Now get out there and show the world what you can do.
Best,
Andrew Bangs
YouTube Sports
100 Invites to RealTime for Blog Readers
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Today is the beta launch of YouTube RealTime, a new way of discovering what your friends are doing on YouTube. Through this persistent toolbar, which appears in the lower right corner of the page, you'll be able to see which of your YouTube friends are currently online and what they're watching; a history of their recent activities on the site; and real-time notifications when they perform activities like commenting, favoriting, and uploading.
Wanna try it? The first 100 people to say "Yes! Sign me up" in the comments below will get an exclusive invite to test it out. Please keep in mind that you will need to have friends on YouTube for this to work -- the more you have, the richer the experience, so be sure you accept friend invites and actively manage the list. Participants can enter feedback on RealTime in the
forums
or in comments below.
Regards,
Ryan Junee
Product Manager
The YouTube Team
Six Easy Ways to Live Green
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Today is Earth Day, and we want to help you take care of our great planet. It's not hard at all if you know
where to start
. Here are six things you can do now to make a difference:
1) Get a houseplant
This might seem small, but adding a little bit of greenery to your home can help remove harmful particles from the air.
2) Be vigilant of the faucet
We use far more water than we really need. Taking shorter showers, planting drought-tolerant plants, and only running the washing machine when it’s full are just a few ways to conserve this precious resource.
3) Call your energy company
Find out if they have a green energy plan or ask for an audit to see where you may be able to save energy.
4) Shop local
Buying produce from neighboring farms can help reduce your carbon footprint.
5) Change your commute
Try biking to work once a week instead of driving. It's better for the environment and better for you, too.
6) Turn trash into treasure
Before you throwing something away, stop: You might be able to turn it into something useful for your home.
Our
Live Green
channel has lots more videos with fun projects and ideas to help you to do more to green your lifestyle.
Happy Earth Day,
Sadia Harper
YouTube HowTo & Style
Watch Shows and Movies on YouTube
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Today we're excited to announce a
new destination for television shows
and
an improved destination for movies
on YouTube, where partners like Crackle, CBS, MGM, Lionsgate, Starz and many others have made thousands of television episodes and hundreds of movies available for you to watch, comment on, favorite and share. This addition is one of many efforts underway to ensure that we're offering you all the different kinds of video you want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to music videos and full-length films and TV shows.
To help you navigate through all this great content, we're introducing two new tabs to the YouTube masthead: the "Shows" tab allows you to browse shows by genre, network, title and popularity, while the "Subscriptions" tab will grant logged-in users one-click access to fresh content from their favorite creators.
Another change you'll notice today is the
wider roll-out of in-stream ads
, which we've been testing since October, to support our shows and movies content -- not unlike what you might see when viewing this type of content on TV.
While shows and movies are currently limited to users in the U.S., we look forward to expanding to other regions as soon as possible, and we're pleased to inform you that the "Subscriptions" tab will be available worldwide in the next few weeks.
We hope you enjoy watching shows and movies on YouTube. There's still work to be done and we look forward to iterating with you, whether that's rolling out new engagement features, expanding our content offering or improving your viewing experience. And, as with everything we do, we'll track your usage and feedback to preserve your fundamental YouTube experience while we take these steps to enhance it.
Yours,
Shiva Rajaraman, Product Manager, and Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Manager
The YouTube Team
The Summit of the Americas: Ask Secretary Clinton a Question
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Starting this Friday, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be participating in the Summit of the Americas - a meeting of diplomats and world leaders from the Western Hemisphere. At the Summit, leaders address key topics at the top of everyone's agenda: human prosperity, energy security, environmental sustainability, and poverty reduction. This year's Summit is in Trinidad and Tobago - and the State Department is letting you get involved by holding an online townhall in which Secretary Clinton (a YouTube veteran) will answer your questions.
One of YouTube's top DIY partners,
Howcast
, has worked with State to build an online platform for the event,
here
. On that platform, you can submit your question (in several languages) via this widget:
You can learn more about the Summit on the State Department's
YouTube channel
Yours,
Steve Grove
YouTube News and Politics
The Biggest Display of Democracy in the World
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Starting today, India begins general election proceedings for the 15th Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. The elections will occur over the course of one month, with final results announced on May 16th.
The Election Commission of India
expects 714 million people to cast their votes this year, and in anticipation, it has uploaded a number of videos in both English and Hindi about proper election administration to its YouTube channel. For example,
this video
trains election officials on how to be a good presiding officer.
If you're looking for tales from the campaign trail,
NDTV
has been covering the Indian election season closely on YouTube for the past few months, highlighting trends like the youth vote:
And if you're still hungry for information, please visit the
Google India Elections Centre
for the most comprehensive information about Members of Parliament, this year's candidates, development across parliamentary constituencies, and much more.
Happy voting,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube News & Politics
YouTube Symphony Orchestra: From Idea to Reality
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Today represents the final culmination of an idea many months in the making: a first-class global orchestra brought together by YouTube. This week, over 90 musicians from around the world -- including a
Spanish guitarist
, a
Dutch harpist
and a
Lithuanian birbyne player
-- have gathered in New York City in preparation for tonight's historic YouTube Symphony Orchestra performance at Carnegie Hall. And today on YouTube's home page, we are proud to present the world premiere of Tan Dun's composition "Internet Symphony, Eroica," as selected and mashed up from nearly 3,000 video submissions from around the globe.
Maestro -- the mash up, please!
Along with the "Eroica" premiere, we're also posting exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the preparation leading up to tonight's performance. Learn more about the
YouTube Symphony Orchestra
by watching candid vlogs, early rehearsals with conductor and creative director
Michael Tilson Thomas
, and meet-and-greets between the musicians lucky enough to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Many thanks to our "Vlog Squad" team of classical musicians (
Caeli Smith
,
Jeremy Denk
, and
Eiko Sudoh
), and to
Harmony Films
, who are currently putting together a full-length documentary on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra.
And for those of you who can't make it to New York in time for the big show, don't fret. We'll be posting the full performance from Carnegie Hall on YouTube tomorrow at
www.youtube.com/symphony
.
Symphonically Yours,
Michele Flannery
YouTube Music
New Nonprofit Partners Weigh in on Dating Violence, Teach You How to Get Your Bike on A Bus
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Here's what's been going on in the world of YouTube Nonprofits since
we last spoke
:
*
Do Something
released
this video
to raise awareness about the fact that 1 in 3 teens are abused in a relationship, after a
New York Times
article about Rihanna and Chris Brown's domestic violence incident quoted teens saying that dating violence wasn't a major issue. The video has received over 500,000 views and according to DoSomething's Chief Technology Officer, the organization has gotten close to 250,000 requests for dating abuse awareness bracelets.
* The
Iowa Bicycle Coalition
aims to educate citizens about the importance of bike safety and includes a number of helpful how-to videos like
how to load your bike onto a bus
and
how to choose the right type of bike for you
.
*
Architecture for Humanity
, citing the World Bank statistic that educating all children worldwide will require the construction of 10 million new classrooms by 2015,
is inviting
teachers, students, architects and designers to work together to design the classroom of the future. The ideal design will provide smart, safe and sustainable learning spaces for children.
*
Special Olympics International
has just launched a new "End the R-Word" campaign to end the use of the word "retard." This
campaign video
features various teens talking about how the word is offensive and needs to go.
Enjoy,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube Nonprofits & Activism
Adopt a Feature: Round #3: Thecomputernerd01 Is King!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
We're back with the final update for this edition of Adopt a Feature.
Last time we spoke
, we promised a home page takeover of some of the best videos submitted so far. On April 2, we did just that, and it generated enough awareness to spur on a few more fantastic entries, including incorporatedfx's
QuickCapture song
, amcclinton's thorough and enthusiastic
dive into Insight
, and a
country pulldown gem
from cowtipper11.
In sum, the 32 clips about the six features (you can see them all
here
) notched 818,698 views, 4,579 comments and 6,603 ratings -- that's a lot of people you helped to enlighten, people who might not have otherwise known that there is
a whole library of audio tracks
for your videos or that you can see what's popular in, say, Japan.
We crown
thecomputernerd01
the king of all this: his
zany explanation
of how the country/language pulldown menus work was responsible for more than a quarter of all Adopt a Feature views. For that, he gets a (non-)lousy T-shirt (as does everyone who was featured), immortality in this blog and hopefully lots more subscribers.
So with that, we'll wrap up this edition of the program. Let us know in the comments below what you thought, and we'll be back in two months with a set of new features for you to cast into the warm glow of your video camera.
Thanks for adopting,
Hunter Walk
Director, Product Management
The YouTube Team
YouTube Helps You Live Green
Monday, April 13, 2009
In anticipation of Earth Day on April 22, we’re teaming up with Sun Chips to launch a channel devoted to all things green:
Live Green
is your one-stop-shop for videos from partners committed to helping you live a more eco-friendly life. For example, you’ll find:
• Architect
Michelle Kaufmann
innovating on items you might normally throw away:
•
Discovery Networks
exploring sustainable urban agriculture:
•
Grist TV
answering your environmental questions:
And that’s just a sampling of Live Green’s inspirational powers. Visit
the channel
every day to get your daily dose of eco ideas -- each one could make a difference.
Be back on Earth Day,
Sadia Harper
Community Manager
YouTube Howto & Style
New Partner Roundup: Smithsonian, Encyclopedia Britannica, and More
Friday, April 10, 2009
Not sure where to start today? Here are some highlights of recently joined or converted partners:
*
smithsonianchannel
tells America's stories. There's lots of video on Wanda Jackson, the first lady of rock 'n' roll, and riveting insight into
turmoil among the Monkees.
*
Encyclopedia Britannica
leaps into the world of video: their YouTube channel contains vibrant footage of the internal workings of the human body, like this
pounding heart
(commenter BinkieMcFartnuggets is not far off when he says it looks like a chicken breast beating its head on the wall), cheese making, astronomy, and more.
*
LibraryOfCongress
has gems from vast archives, including
the earliest Edison films
. (More on government channels in a future blog post.)
*
BlahGirls
features sassy animated teens dishing on the week's celebrity gossip. From producer Ashton Kutcher.
*
TotalBeautyTV
specializes in helping you approximate celebrities' looks, from
Gwen Stefani's signature makeup
to
Reese Witherspoon's clean and classic hairstyle
.
*
FixMyRecipe
comes to the rescue when you and your kitchen are just not getting along. Chef Billy Parisi helps "fix" recipes on a daily basis. Send your recipe to chef@fixmyrecipe.com to see if it will become a "Featured Fix of the Day."
*
paintinganddrawing
offers instruction in watercolors, acrylics, oils, and pastels -- there are four new 24-minute instructional art programs uploaded every week.
Ciao,
Mia Quagliarello
Sr. Community Manager
The YouTube Team
Announcing VEVO, a Partnership with Universal Music Group
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Today we are joining forces with Universal Music Group (UMG) to announce the launch of VEVO, a music and video entertainment hub that will feature UMG’s premium video content. This service will blend UMG's broad catalog of artists and content production capabilities with our video technology and user community -- in other words, we'll provide the technology infrastructure that will power VEVO and host UMG’s extensive library of professionally-created music videos on the new site. This content will be exclusively available through VEVO.com and a new VEVO channel on YouTube through a special VEVO branded embedded player. It launches later this year.
We're hopeful that this partnership will set a positive example of how the digital and music industries can work together. Moreover, VEVO gives users a deeper, more immersive music experience. As part of the agreement, we've renewed and extended our deal with UMG to allow users to continue creating and watching videos containing UMG sound recordings and Universal Music Publishing Group’s compositions in various territories around the world. You'll even be able to buy favorite tracks on the spot with our
Click-to-Buy
feature.
Best,
Chris Maxcy
Partnerships Director
The YouTube Team
Universal Music Group and YouTube to launch revolutionary premium music and video service
Thursday, April 9, 2009
NEW YORK, NY and SAN BRUNO, CA, April 9, 2009
Doug Morris, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company and Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer of Google Inc., today announced that UMG and YouTube, a Google subsidiary, are working together to launch VEVO, a music and video entertainment service that will feature UMG’s premium video content.
In addition to VEVO, YouTube has renewed and extended its successful partnership with UMG that allows users to continue creating and watching user-generated videos containing UMG sound recordings and Universal Music Publishing Group’s compositions on YouTube through various territories around the world. The two companies will also share advertising revenue on YouTube and VEVO.
Launching later this year, VEVO will be a premium online music video hub built for consumers, advertisers and content owners that will blend UMG's broad catalog of top artists and content with YouTube’s leading edge video technology and user community. YouTube will provide the technology infrastructure that will power VEVO and host UMG’s extensive library of professionally-created music videos on the new site. On YouTube, this content will be exclusively available through VEVO.com and a new VEVO channel through a special VEVO branded embedded player.
“VEVO will bring the most compelling premium music video content and services to the world's single largest online video audience,” stated Mr. Morris. “We believe that at launch, VEVO will already have more traffic than any other music video site in the United States and in the world. And this traffic represents the most sought after demographic for advertisers, especially as advertising dollars continue their shift from old media to new. VEVO will be uniquely positioned to monetize this opportunity and a host of others as we grow it to become “the” destination for premium music video content online. For music lovers who want the best in music videos, the VEVO experience will be second to none. At the same time, VEVO will expand the premium video marketplace, generate new revenue streams for content creators, and provide brand advertisers an unprecedented opportunity to get in front of a highly engaged audience. We couldn’t be more excited about the huge potential we see in the VEVO service.”
“Technology has allowed fans to discover music in endless ways while creating new business opportunities for artists and labels alike,” said Mr. Schmidt. “At Google, we are committed to promoting greater innovation and choice and are thrilled to be working with UMG in what will surely be an exciting new service for consumers, advertisers, content creators and the music industry at large.”
At launch, people will be able to access UMG’s entire catalog of premium music video content, including professionally-created and full-length videos on VEVO, as well as artist-generated content and user-generated content hosted on YouTube. VEVO will also serve as a syndication platform, expanding the reach of the VEVO brand. This innovative platform is aimed at providing consumers the very best in digital music content while further extending UMG's lead in the direct-to-consumer market.
Presently, UMG's YouTube video channel has more than 3.5 billion views, making the UMG channel the most watched on YouTube.
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's leading global music publishing operation.
Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.
Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.
About YouTube
YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, CA and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
Click-to-Buy Expands to 8 New Countries
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Whether you come to YouTube to watch a specific video, discover related content, or engage and interact with people and videos from all around the world, our goal is to put you in control of your online video experience. This means making it easier for you to find what you're looking for (like dedicated channels for
music
or
HD
videos) and offering you new and innovative ways to engage with that content.
One way we already offer you this kind of deeper experience on YouTube involves music videos on the site: Click-to-Buy, our eCommerce platform, helps you find products (like songs and DVDs) related to the videos that you're watching.
A recent study
found that after watching a music video on YouTube, 50% of adult users in the U.K. then go on to purchase music from that artist. And we've seen these results for ourselves -- three of the four major music labels are Click-to-Buy partners and are already selling millions of songs a year from these links on YouTube.
We're excited to announce that today we're rolling out Click-to-Buy links on music videos in 8 additional countries: Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and Sweden. Now Click-to-Buy partners can offer music downloads to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
We enjoy working with our music partners to provide them with these kinds of opportunities, and we look forward to further expanding the program in the coming months.
Best,
Thai Tran
Product Manager
The YouTube Team
Fred Hits 1m Subscribers
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Congratulations to YouTube's most hyperactive star, the helium-voiced Fred Figglehorn, on the occasion of his
Fred channel
recording its millionth subscriber, the first YouTube channel to do so. What's even more amazing is that all this was accomplished in under one year.
A few Fred facts for the uninitiated (if there is such a thing): Fred is the creation of Lucas Cruikshank, a 15-year-old Nebraskan who was first spotted making videos with his cousins on the
JKLproduction channel
. His Fred channel is the fastest growing in YouTube history, featuring such smash-hit episodes as
Fred Goes Swimming
(23m+ views),
Fred Loses His Meds
(17m+ views), and
Fred Goes to the Dentist
(13m+ views).
Fred's high-pitched episodes chronicle the misadventures of a pseudo six-year-old, as he over-reacts to friends, family and schoolmates, events in his life, and the object of his non-reciprocated affection, Judy. Cruikshank releases his videos in traditional TV style, in 10-episode seasons that have become the schoolyard equivalent of must-see TV. His millionth subscriber joined the cult of Fred early in season three.
So congratulations Lucas/Fred on achieving this notable milestone in the history of online video. We're very impressed. Sadly, we can't promise that Judy will ever share our enthusiasm.
Best,
Mark Day
YouTube Comedy
A Finish Line That Must Be Crossed
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Today on the homepage, we're featuring a hot Oscar-nominated film set in the slums of India. No, not
that one
-- this film tells a real story. In honor of World Health Day, we're highlighting
The Final Inch
,
an inspiring short documentary about a group of dedicated workers who are going door-to-door to give polio vaccines to children in the poorest areas of India:
Since polio no longer exists in the developed world, many assume that the crippling disease has been eradicated. Sadly, this isn't true.
Polio is still a reality in the world’s poorest countries.
Created by our friends at
Google.org
and
Vermillion Films
, this captivating 38-minute film brings to light the
global challenge of polio eradication and tells the story of those who are on the front lines helping the most vulnerable -- children under five living in some of the world's most destitute regions.
We hope that the film will raise awareness about the existence of polio and encourage you to support the public health workers who are working so hard to bring an end to the disease. You can click
here
to learn more about polio eradication efforts
or to contribute to the cause.
Yours,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube Nonprofits & Activism
YouTube Rep of the Week Asks: "Where Should The Money Go?"
Thursday, April 2, 2009
As Congress considers this year's budget and the many areas that require funding -- health care, education, defense, the stimulus -- they're going to have some tough choices to make due to the economic crisis. That's why this week's
Representative of the Week
. , Congressman
Tim Ryan
(D-OH), wants your input as to what Congress's budget priorities should be:
You can visit the
YouTube House Hub
now to offer your budget suggestions to Congressman Ryan. In addition, our
Senator of the Week
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) has a video up on the
Senate Hub
, asking for your ideas on how to improve national service in the United States:
Last week, the Senate passed the Serve America Act, which calls for the most significant expansion of our national service programs in 16 years. Do you think national service should be a major priority for the country? Will it help our economy grow stronger? Make your voice heard now at
www.youtube.com/senatehub
.
Yours,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube News & Politics
We Won a Peabody! (No Joke)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
We must admit, given all the trickery going on today we didn't quite believe it when we heard it, but it's true: YouTube has won a Peabody Award.
The Peabody Awards
recognize outstanding achievements in electronic media, including radio, television and cable.
Naturally, we are extremely honored to receive this prestigious accolade. But it goes without saying that this honor truly belongs to you, the YouTube community and everyone who contributes their hard work and creativity to the site every day.
Best,
The YouTube Team
Welcome To Your New Watch Page
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
With things like
Release Notes
, we're focusing on sharing our philosophy behind changes on YouTube to give you a better understanding of why we make certain product decisions. We review the emails, blog post comments and Tweets you send our way, and want to thank all of you who wrote in to share your opinions. Today, we are beginning to roll out the new watch page. The update will begin with videos on the home page -- go to
www.youtube.com
, click on any video featured, and you'll get dizzy with excitement.
We think you'll find that the new watch page makes it even easier for you to view content while doing the
Exorcist Walk
or
a headstand
.
It also gives you even more control over picture quality -- our internal tests have shown that modern computer monitors offer better picture quality when flipped upside-down. Below are some of the features we're most excited about.
Real-Time Topsy-Turvyness
The biggest part of the new watch page is the real-time disorientation you'll get when you've clicked on a video from the home page. The new watch page lets you know what's happening right now in your world -- and it feels kinda funny. The page also makes it simpler for you to view content in the southern hemisphere (or, if you live in the southern hemisphere, then you should head north for the optimum viewing experience).
The Escape Route
One of the important things to remember about the page is that you might get a neck ache. That's why there's an improved
Escape Route
. It makes it easy to say, "Whoa, I prefer the old-fashioned layout!" So anytime your neck starts to hurt, you will know there's an out.
Discovering Fun
The final piece of the new watch page is the
Laughs
we get in confusing you on April Fool's Day.
Affectionately yours,
The YouTube Team
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