WebProNews

Tag: YouTube

  • YouTube Co-Founder Teases MixBit, a New Collaborative Video Site

    YouTube Co-Founder Teases MixBit, a New Collaborative Video Site

    Last month, we told you that YouTube co-founder and former CEO Chad Hurley was cooking up a new video site.

    Today, Hurley dropped the first piece of the puzzle in a tweet first spotted by The Verge. The site is called MixBit, and it proclaims that “the future of video is launching soon.”

    “YouTube is shutting down. Instead of sitting around, we thought you’d want a new site to not only watch cat videos, but create them…together!” says the site’s landing page. Here, they are referencing today’s YouTube April Fools joke. The prank has Google announcing a shut down of YouTube, so that they can finally select a winner. Yep, that’s all YouTube ever was – one giant contest.

    That little blip also teases the collaborative focus of MixBit. We don’t know a lot about how the new video site will work, but we do have a general outline thanks to Hurley’s remarks back in March.

    He said that MixBit would be ““primarily video-based,” with “flexibility for people to work together and create content.”

    Hurley also said that he wasn’t looking to kill YouTube and that “there’s always going to be a place for YouTube.” MixBit will just focus on being a “platform better suited for collaboration.”

  • YouTube Shutdown Prank: All This Time It’s Just Been One Big Contest

    Who knew that all this time YouTube has just been one giant contest to showcase the best video on the Internet?

    For April Fools’, YouTube announced that contest submissions will be selected at midnight (Eastern), and all YouTube videos will be deleted, except for the winner, which will be prominently featured.

    “When we started out in 2005, we focused on rapidly increasing user engagement. We wanted an inventive way to draw people in and catalyze their creativity. The result? A contest for the best video on our site,” says competition director Tim Liston. “Nearly eight years later, with 72 hours of video being uploaded every minute, we finally have enough content to close the competition. We’ve started the process to select a winner and as of tomorrow at midnight, we will be closing the site to submissions.”

    Watch this video (which features some familiar faces, and you’ll get a sense of what YouTube has really been all about.

    This is only one of many of Google’s April Fools’ jokes this year. The tech giant has become known for putting out a slew of new “products” on April 1st each year. Last year’s YouTube contribution was the ability to order all of YouTube on DVD, Betamax, or Laser Disc.

  • Country Band ‘Ambushes’ Google Street View Car

    Country music group Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys have a new video for their song “Could Be Me,” which looks like they hijacked Google’s Street View imagery by appearing in a set of photos.

    Oh, and the video is actually called, “Redneck Country Band Ambushes Google Street View Car!”

    On the YouTube page for the video, it says, “To protect our friends at Google who bent the rules to make this video possible (and their jobs), we can’t disclose when and where this was filmed.”

    The video was submitted to reddit, and as the top comment on reddit points out, “It’s not really Google Street; it’s just some clever guys. The first tip off is that no one’s face is blurred out.”

    “It is from Rob Bliss a guy from my old home town who designs viral events,” notes another redditor. ” “He has done alot of this in grand rapids MI.”

    Indeed, Rob Bliss Creative’s site and Facebook Page are promoted on the video page.

    Either way, well done.

    [via reddit]

  • GDC 2013: Live Streaming API Coming To Games Courtesy Of YouTube

    Gamers love watching other people play games. It’s the only way to explain of popularity of Let’s Plays and live streams on YouTube, Twitch.tv and other sites. The only problem is that those who do live streams must have video capture equipment or software thus preventing a number of players from broadcasting their exploits.

    At GDC 2013, YouTube announced its intentions to change all that with a new API that allows game developers to integrate YouTube live streaming into their games. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 proved the API’s popularity last year when the game allowed players to live-stream matches without the use of any third-party program.

    YouTube isn’t reserving live-streaming capabilities just for the hardcore crowd eiher. The API will be available to iOS and Android developers soon so mobile gamers can start sharing their screen with the world in real time.

    An interesting aspect of the new API is that YouTube may be helping content creators monetize their streams. There are tools in the API that would allow live-streamers to drop ads in the middle of their stream. It’s unknown if the live streamer would actually be able to make money off of their content though. Some publishers have rules in regards to monetization of in-game video so those rules may be left up to them.

    These APIs come at a time when YouTube faces stiff competition from other established, and more gamer centric, live streaming services like Twitch.tv. Twitch still requires extra software or hardware to stream, however, so YouTube’s APIs may just help bring more streamers and viewers to its side.

    [h/t: The Verge]

  • YouTube Now Serves a Billion+ Unique Users a Month

    YouTube has just announced a huge milestone, one that shows just how powerful the world of online video really is.

    The Google property and most popular video site on the internet has just hit a billion unique users every month.

    “In the last eight years you’ve come to YouTube to watch, share and fall in love with videos from all over the world. Tens of thousands of partners have created channels that have found and built businesses for passionate, engaged audiences,” says YouTube.

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

    The only other comparable network would be Facebook, which has over a billion monthly active users.

    When you think about a billion uniques in a month, the number itself is simply staggering. In just one month, about 10 Super Bowl-sized audiences watch at least one video on YouTube. If YouTube’s monthly unique audience were a country, it was be the third biggest country in the world (behind China and India).

    Almost half of all people on the internet watches a video on YouTube each month.

    Considering that there are about 6.9 billion people on Earth, 1 billion would represent about 14.5% of the entire world.

    And the mind-blowing comparisons could go on and on. The point is simply this: YouTube is hands down one of the most ubiquitous presences in our lives.

    In other YouTube-related billion view milestones, last December, viral smash “Gangnam Style” became the first video to ever break the 1 billion view milestone.

    [Image via jm3, Flickr]

  • YouTube Data Integrated Into Google Trends

    Google announced today that it has now integrated YouTube search trends into Google Trends.

    “Google Trends enables you to take popular search queries and explore traffic patterns over time and geography,” says YouTube’s Kevin Allocca in a blog post. “Now we’ve added YouTube search data going back to 2008, making it another great tool to look at video trends. Visit Google Trends and enter any search you’d like and then, on the left, choose ‘limit to’ for YouTube. You can slice by region or category as well.”

    “Search query interest can often provide a more detailed picture into the life of a trend or topic. For example: for those of you wondering whether the ‘Harlem Shake’ is over… it’s not,” he adds. “You can also see interesting seasonal patterns. For example, cooking searches for ‘turkey’ in the US see dramatic spikes every November as people scramble to remember exactly how to prep that big meal before the relatives arrive.”

    Google also made a brief announcement about the integration in a Google+ post.

    YouTube has offered a look at its trends for years, but it makes sense to have the data integrated right with Google’s own trends. Google has often referred to YouTube as the second largest search engine, after all.

  • Reddit’s First Original Web Series Involves Explaining Complex Topics to Five-Year-Olds

    Reddit’s First Original Web Series Involves Explaining Complex Topics to Five-Year-Olds

    Reddit, known for its uncanny ability to drudge up content from the depths of the internet and make it trend, is trying its hand at a little bit of original programming in the way of a new series based on a popular subreddit.

    The series, Explain Like I’m Five, is based upon the subreddit of the same name which sees users posts questions on complex topics in the hopes that an expert will be able to explain it to them in the simplest terms.

    The series, which is funded by YouTube, may not signal Reddit’s head-first plunge into the world of original programming, but it does show that Reddit’s top brass knows that there is marketability in user-generated content, with a little bit of branding.

    “For us, it’s more about encouraging the Reddit community and bigger community of producers, filmmakers and animators out there to create content, video, web series, shows…based on Reddit content,” Reddit’s Erik Martin told The Hollywood Reporter.

    The ELIF series stars Michael Kayne and Langan Kingsley and is produced by former College Humor content director Jared Neumark.

    Reddit has posted three videos to their YouTube channel, and they are all funny and charming. The three videos explore the topics of “The Volatility of the Stock Market,” “The Crisis in Syria,” and “Existentialism and Friedrich Nietzsche.”

  • Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera Launch a New YouTube Channel

    At the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas this weekend, Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, and a host of other comedians officially launched a new YouTube channel named “Jash.” The channel will feature comedy videos.

    In addition to Silverman and Cera, comedians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! fame will be contributing to Jash’s programming. Comedian/musician Reggie Watts is also part of the Jash creative team.

    Though Google has fronted the money for Jash, the comedians were quick to point out that they have been given complete creative control over the channel’s content.

    So far the Jash YouTube channel only has one video (seen below), which introduces all of the content creators behind Jash. Each of the Jash participants also has their own YouTube channel with introductory videos. The next Jash channel video is scheduled to appear on April 8.

    If the video first is anything to go by, the brand of comedy seen on the channel will be a bit bizarre. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has seen Tim and Eric or The Sarah Silverman Program, though.

  • YouTube Co-Founder Cooking Up New Video Site

    YouTube, the leader in online video, is not without its fair share of serious competition coming from the likes of Vimeo, Hulu, and more. Now, it appears that its latest rival may come from someone who was once very close to the service.

    In fact, the challenge may come from one of its co-founders. Speaking over the weekend at a Q&A session with Digg’s Kevin Rose, YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley tipped that he was working on a new sort of video site – one more focused on creators and collaboration.

    “I wish [SXSW] was a month later because I could unveil the new product,” said Hurley in a recent interview. He said that the new service will be “primarily video-based…and gives flexibility for people to work together and create content.”

    Hurley made sure to say that he wasn’t looking to kill YouTube and that “there’s always going to be a place for YouTube.” His new site will simply focus on being a “platform better suited for collaboration.”

    Hurley is the co-founder and former CEO of YouTube. IN 2006, he and Steve Chen sold YouTube to Google for $1.65 billion. He stepped down as CEO in 2010.

    [AdWeek]

  • For Science! Watch This Guy Tongue-Shock Himself with both AC & DC

    Ever wondered whether AC or DC hurts more? Thankfully, this guy decided to do the legwork so you don’t have to. Unless you really want to – but I can’t condone that. Ok, fine. Go lick a battery you masochist. That’s all I can suggest.

    [Mehdi Sadaghdar]

  • Sesame Street Is First Non-Profit to Hit 1 Billion Views on YouTube

    YouTube has just announced that Sesame Street is the first non-profit to hit 1 billion views on their YouTube channel.

    In honor of this milestone the Count has made a video, well, counting the views. Check it out:

  • YouTube Music Streaming Service On The Way [REPORT]

    YouTube Music Streaming Service On The Way [REPORT]

    According to a report from Fortune that cites multiple sources inside both Google and the record industry, YouTube is set to launch its own subscription music service later this year in tandem with the Google Play subscription service that we’ve been hearing about.

    The service would allow anyone to listen to music for free, but would include a subscription element that would unlock bonus features and of course, get rid of the ads that would be needed to support the free version.

    Recent reports suggested that Google was in fact working on a subscription music service that would take on Spotify, Pandora, and others. A Bloomberg report cited multiple sources who said that negotiations were already underway with major record labels to launch a streaming service in the third quarter.

    Apparently, the YouTube effort will see some overlap with the Google-branded effort.

    YouTube had this somewhat revealing comment on the report:

    While we don’t comment on rumor or speculation, there are some content creators that think they would benefit from a subscription revenue stream in addition to ads, so we’re looking at that.

    Basically, we’re not going to confirm that, but a bunch of people think it would be a good idea.

  • Daft Punk’s SNL Tease, Looped for 10 Hours

    Daft Punk’s SNL Tease, Looped for 10 Hours

    If you caught SNL last weekend (or have been on the internet, at all, in the past couple of days), you probably heard the short but intoxicating 15 or so seconds of music that Daft Punk teased during a commercial break.

    Well, some genius has looped that little tease for 10 hours.

    We know that Daft Punk’s new album is slated to launch in May on Columbia Records. For now, enjoy 10 hours of the same (amazing) four bars of music. Because, really, what’s better?

  • Type ‘Do the Harlem Shake’ into YouTube. Just Do It.

    Easter egg time!

    Go to YouTube and search “Do the Harlem Shake” and wait for the drop.

    As popular as the Harlem Shake has been on YouTube in the last few weeks, I can’t say that I’m shocked that the team would give it a shoutout.

    Google, of course, is known for its many wacky and wonderful easter eggs

    Ok, now you can go back to trying to forget about this whole thing.

    [via reddit]

  • Court: Google Can’t Be Forced To Filter Every Uploaded Video

    Back in 2006, a video was uploaded to YouTube featuring a group of school kids bullying an autistic child. Three Google executives – David Drummond, Peter Fleischer and George Reyes – were convicted in 2010 by a judge in Milan on grounds of “failure to comply with the Italian privacy code,” though Google said it removed the video after being notified, and worked with Italian authorities to help ID he person responsible for uploading it.

    “In essence this ruling means that employees of hosting platforms like Google Video are criminally responsible for content that users upload,” wrote Matt Sucherman, Google VP and Deputy General Counsel – Europe, Middle East and Africa at the time. “We will appeal this astonishing decision because the Google employees on trial had nothing to do with the video in question.”

    Fast forward to this past December when the decision was overturned, and the execs were acquitted. Details of the ruling have now been made public, as Reuters reports, saying that the court ruled “Internet platforms like Google cannot be forced to filter every video uploaded by users without endangering freedom of thought and their own functionality.”

    Had the decision gone the other way, it could have had huge ramifications for the web, social media and user-generated sites. How many executives want to risk going to prison because of something a total stranger uploaded to their site? How many executives of such services would already be in danger of facing such action?

    So, yeah, we’ll chalk this one up as a win for the Internet.

  • YouTube For iOS Gets “Send To TV” Feature

    YouTube For iOS Gets “Send To TV” Feature

    YouTube just pushed an update to its iOS app adding the “send to TV” feature, which lets users pair their mobile phones with connected TVs.

    The feature was launched on Android in November, and at CES, the company announced it would be coming to more devices.

    YouTube announced the iOS update on Google+ this afternoon:

    YouTube

    YouTube48 minutes ago

    Have an iPhone or iPad and a Google TV? You can now play and control videos from your YouTube app for iOS on your TV, like a remote control for YouTube. Anyone on the same WiFi can join in to control the video or add videos to a playlist (Harlem Shake marathon anyone?). This automatic pairing feature is also available on the YouTube app for Android, and it’s coming to more TVs this year from LG, Sony, Panasonic and others. Check out youtube.com/yt/sendtotv to see how it works.

    72    3 Powered by socialditto

    The “send to TV” feature is now available for iOS and Android, and on select connected TVs. The PS3 and Xbox have manual paring options. The feature is also coming to devices from Bang & Olufsen, LG, Panasonic and Sony, as well as Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, Vizio, Western Digital and others later this year. YouTube is currently available on over 400 million devices. Over 25% of video viewing on YouTube comes from mobile devices.

  • Google Posts Multiscreen Brand Building Webinar

    Google has released video from a recent webinar about brand building in a multiscreen world. The video is about a half hour long, and discusses ways to build brand awareness and influence consideration for your brand using YouTube, the Google Display Network, and the Google Mobile Network.

  • Chris Hardwick: YouTube Comments Are The ‘Taint Of Humanity’

    Chris Hardwick, who some may know from hosting MTV’s Singled Out or appearing in Rob Zombie’s House Of 1,000 Corpses, but is better known these days as the Nerdist guy, appeared on Conan O’Brien (which also featured Google Ass). He had this to say about YouTube comments:

  • Billboard’s Hot 100 Now Takes Into Account YouTube Views

    Billboard’s Hot 100 Now Takes Into Account YouTube Views

    The Billboard Hot 100 chart, a longstanding signifier of what’s popular in pop music, has received a retooling for the modern age.

    Starting now, YouTube views are now an official metric in determining what songs hit the Hot 100 chart.

    “Billboard is now incorporating all official videos on YouTube captured by Nielsen’s streaming measurement, including Vevo on YouTube, and user-generated clips that utilize authorized audio into the Hot 100 and the Hot 100 formula-based genre charts – Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, R&B Songs, Rap Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Dance/Electronic Songs – to further reflect the divergent platforms for music consumption in today’s world,” says Billboard.

    That means that what you’re seeing on the Hot 100 chart is now based on digital sales, physical sales, radio play, internet streaming, and now YouTube views.

    The consequences of this decision are immediately apparent, as the Billboard Hot 100 chart’s number one song is now Baauer’s “Harlem Shake.” The new trove of YouTube streaming data drove “Harlem Shake” to the #1 spot on the list in its debut week.

    Billboard notes that the new YouTube data had an impact on other songs like “Gangnam Style” jumping from # 48 to #26 and Rihanna’s “Stay” making the leap from #57 to #3.

    “This announcement marks a big step in accurately reflecting how music lovers are finding their new favorite songs. we hope this news will excite our users, who have helped us discover some of the biggest stars and songs of the past seven years,” says YouTube.

  • PBS Releases A Tear-Jerking Tribute To Matthew And Mary Crawley

    Still sad about the way the latest Downton Abbey ended? This will do absolutely nothing to cheer you up, but at least you can honor the love that Matthew and Mary Crawley have shared as if they are actually your own loved ones.

    Now, to cheer you up, here’s comedian Patton Oswalt’s livetweeting of the episode.

  • Now You Can Watch The Walking Dead Midseason Premiere For Free On YouTube Too

    AMC announced last week that the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead was free to watch online at AMC’s website for a limited time. Then, the network announced the availability of the episode on Android, iPhone, iPad and Kindle Fire.

    Today, AMC uploaded the entire episode to YouTube, which you are now free to watch. Presumably, the video will remain watchable for the same duration as AMC’s own video (which is until March 10th).

    The episode set a series record for viewers the night it originally aired.

    AMC is only offering this particular episode for free, but the one that follows this one is now available to stream online elsewhere for a price.

    More The Walking Dead fun here.