#SpecialDelivery: Google Spotlight Stories come to YouTube with interactive 360-degree storytelling

11:29:00 PM Add Comment
Editor’s note: This year, we’ve expanded the lens of what you can see on YouTube, transporting you to new places to see new things. We brought virtual reality (VR) features to YouTube’s Android app so that you can feel as though you are right there and 360-degree video support so creators can share new perspectives with their fans. Now we’re widening the lens even further by bringing you a new interactive video format, Google Spotlight Stories. For select Android devices now. More soon.

A humble caretaker is surprised when a mysterious stranger causes mischief on the roof. He investigates, but can’t seem to catch even a glimpse of the troublemaker. And so the chase goes... room to room… up and down… The stranger remains just out of sight, leaving behind only a trail of gifts…

Meanwhile, you’re following the action at your own pace, from whatever angle you please—behind you, to your left, to your right, or in front of you. All on your mobile phone.

Today we’re bringing Google Spotlight Stories to YouTube with “Special Delivery,” an original short film made by Academy Award-winning animation studio Aardman Animations (Wallace and Gromit fans, take note), viewable on the YouTube app on many Android devices.
“Special Delivery” is the latest of several Spotlight Stories to come out of Google ATAP (our Advanced Technology and Projects group). With Google Spotlight Stories, your phone becomes a window to a story happening all around you. The sensors on your phone allow the story to be interactive, so when you move your phone to various scenes, you unlock mini-stories within the story.

We didn’t want anyone to miss Aardman’s “Pink Panther”-style holiday caper! So we also made a YouTube 360 version for other Android devices, iOS devices, and the web. You can find both versions of “Special Delivery” on the Spotlight Stories YouTube channel, and you can also watch with Google Cardboard. Next year, we’ll bring Google Spotlight Stories to more Android devices and the YouTube iOS app.

You’ll want to watch “Special Delivery” a few times to find all the surprises within the story. In the full interactive experience, you’ll encounter 10 subplots, three potential ways to view the ending, and 60+ moments where you can decide to follow the story in different ways. Each viewing is unique. We don’t want to spoil the ending, so that’s all we’ll say for now…

Posted by Kurt Wilms, Senior Product Manager, YouTube VR, recently watched “Special Delivery,” and Rachid El Guerrab, Technical Project Lead, Spotlight Stories, Google ATAP, recently watched “Time Couch.”

YouTube and NBC News present Democratic primary debate in South Carolina

9:30:00 AM Add Comment
From presidential candidates launching their campaigns, to YouTube creators discussing issues that matter to their communities, to light-hearted moments along the campaign trail, you’ve already been following the 2016 U.S. election from multiple angles on YouTube.

Now you can watch the candidates debate on YouTube, too.

Next month, we’ll join together with NBC News to present the final DNC sanctioned Democratic presidential debate before the first caucus and primary votes are cast—with the action live streamed on YouTube. The NBC News-YouTube Democratic Candidates Debate, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and moderated by Lester Holt, will take place on Sunday, January 17, 2016, in Charleston, S.C., airing on NBC from 9-11 p.m. ET and streamed live on the NBC News YouTube channel.

With so many YouTube fans following this election closely, of course there will be an opportunity for you to get involved. Along with Google Trends data, the debate will feature questions from the YouTube community. Look out for more information on how you can engage in the coming weeks.

Since 2005 you’ve made YouTube a home for global politics, and today you watch more than 5 million hours of news on YouTube every day. Over the course of 2016, you’ll be able to find all of the major election moments unfold on YouTube—tune in to the NBC News YouTube channel January 17 to kick off the election year.

Brandon Feldman, YouTube News, recently watched “Party Systems: Crash Course Government and Politics” and Steve Grove, Google News Lab, recently watched “Barack Obama Singing Hotline Bling by Drake.”

Watch Jay Leno, Veritasium, a-ha, Jason Derulo and more LIVE from the Nobel Peace Prize Concert!

12:00:00 AM Add Comment
What do talk show host Jay Leno, YouTube star Derek Muller, Norwegian band a-ha, and singer Jason Derulo have in common? They are all part of the star-studded slate of hosts and performers at this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Concert. And for the first time this year, you don’t have to be in Oslo to have front row seats to the event! The above acts and more, including , KYGO, AURORA, and Emel Mathlouhti, will be live streamed directly to the Nobel Peace Prize Concert YouTube channel, so you can watch from wherever you are and on any Internet-connected device.

Exclusive to the live stream, YouTube star Derek Muller of Veritasium will host a backstage pre-show to give you a unique look at what goes on behind-the-scenes.

 

In its 22nd year, the Nobel Peace Prize Concert celebrates the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize award and this year is held in honor of the National Dialogue Quartet from Tunisia for their contribution to building a democracy in their homeland.

Be sure to tune in starting at 1:30 p.m. EST (19:30 CET) today, December 11, to watch the live stream at www.YouTube.com/NobelPeaceConcert and follow online at #NobelPeacePrizeConcert

Zayna Aston, YouTube Communications for Europe, Middle East and Africa, recently watched "YouTube Rewind: Now Watch Me 2015."

Celebrating what you created, watched and shared in 2015 with #YouTubeRewind and YouTube’s new Trending tab

10:00:00 AM Add Comment
In 2015, you introduced the world to the latest dance crazes, opened up discussions about diversity and inclusion, and lip-synced in cars and onstage in front of millions. The trends you participated in and the creativity you shared defined the year on YouTube in a bigger way than ever before.

It's time to celebrate. More than 150 YouTube creators from all over the world got together to relive not just the best moments of 2015, but also some of the most memorable viral clips from YouTube history (hey, it’s still our 10th birthday year for a few more days yet …). The result: the 2015 installment of our annual Rewind video, featuring everything from YouTube dance prodigies, some of your favorite TV personalities, an epic plastic ball fight, and even a remix from Avicii.

 

And there’s more. Celebrate some of your favorite moments on YouTube through our official top trending videos of 2015, based on the amount of time people spent watching, sharing, commenting, liking, and more. Topped by one of the year's biggest dance trends, these videos were watched for over 25 million hours and were created by powerhouse channels with over 40 million subscribers between them.

For the first time, not just one, but four television moments made the top Trending Videos list. Three are late night TV videos of widely popular YouTube trends: the lip sync battle, the in-car singalongs, and the reading of mean tweets. You all love late night TV on YouTube—the time people spent catching up on late-night clips like Corden, Fallon and Kimmel nearly doubled in the last year alone!

  1. Silento- Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) #WatchMeDanceOn by Tianne King
  2. Clash of Clans: Revenge (Official Super Bowl TV Commercial) by Clash of Clans
  3. Crazy Plastic Ball PRANK!! by RomanAtwood
  4. Love Has No Labels | Diversity & Inclusion | Ad Council by Ad Council
  5. Lip Sync Battle with Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
  6. Justin Bieber Carpool Karaoke by The Late Late Show with James Corden
  7. 6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon - 4K - The Slow Mo Guys by The Slow Mo Guys
  8. Golden boy Calum Scott hits the right note | Audition Week 1 | Britain's Got Talent 2015 by Britain's Got Talent
  9. Dover Police DashCam Confessional (Shake it Off) by Dover Police
  10. Mean Tweets - President Obama Edition by Jimmy Kimmel Live

When it comes to music, 2015 saw some of our fastest-rising videos of all time. Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" reached over 1 billion views in just 6 months and Adele reached the year's top 10 in just a few weeks. The top 10 music videos collectively have more than 66 million subscribers, and people spent over 37,000 years playing them in 2015.

  1. Wiz Khalifa - See You Again ft. Charlie Puth [Official Video] Furious 7 Soundtrack
  2. Maroon 5 - Sugar
  3. Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do (Official Video)
  4. Major Lazer & DJ Snake - Lean On (feat. MØ) (Official Music Video)
  5. Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
  6. David Guetta - Hey Mama (Official Video) ft Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack
  7. Sia - Elastic Heart feat. Shia LaBeouf & Maddie Ziegler (Official Video)
  8. Fifth Harmony - Worth It ft. Kid Ink
  9. Adele - Hello
  10. Silentó - Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) (Official)

...and check out even more top music videos.

And if you love staying on top of the most-anticipated new trailers, hottest music videos, and viral clips from YouTube creators, today we unveil the new YouTube Trending tab. This new tab in your YouTube app delivers the top trending videos directly to your Android, iOS, and desktop device. It's the best way to catch the videos, creators, and trends that people watch, share, and talk about each and every day. See 'em as they take off and before they appear in YouTube Rewind 2016. And for more Rewind fun, check out the YouTube Rewind channel!

Kevin Allocca, Head of Culture & Trends, and the YouTube Rewind team, recently watched “YouTube Rewind: Now Watch Me 2015 | #YouTubeRewind.

And the top ads of 2015 on YouTube are...

6:00:00 AM Add Comment
Each year, we look at the top trending videos on YouTube -- the ones viewers chose to watch, share, and watch again. And every year, we see that brands are continuing to raise the bar to make great ads on YouTube -- ads that viewers are choosing to watch, share, and watch again.

Today we’re releasing our YouTube Ads Leaderboard for 2015, highlighting the top 10 most popular ads of the year determined by factors including watch time, organic video views, engagement and audience retention. From crushing stereotypes to sharing heartfelt messages, these videos represent the most popular ads watched by YouTube viewers around the world.

While their messages may be unique, one unifying theme of these top trending ads is that they all went mobile. Collectively we watched these top ads more than 470 million times this year, and nearly two-thirds of these views took place on mobile. For the first time ever, more people watched the top 10 ads of the year on mobile devices than on desktop devices.

So without further ado, here are the top trending ads on YouTube in 2015:

  1. Clash of Clans: Revenge (Official Super Bowl TV Commercial)
  2. Hyundai : A Message to Space
  3. Love Has No Labels | Diversity & Inclusion | Ad Council
  4. Boom Beach: Speech (Official TV Commercial)
  5. adidas: Unfollow feat. Leo Messi
  6. Always #LikeAGirl - Unstoppable
  7. Durex - #Connect - Official
  8. Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge - Official Introduction
  9. "Slap her": children's reactions
  10. Budweiser USA: #BestBuds | 2015 Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial “Lost Dog”

For more on the top ads lists for the year, visit Think with Google.

Meredith Argeris, YouTube Marketing, recently watched "Imagine the Possibilities | Barbie."

Climate change affects the things we love. #OursToLose

8:00:00 AM Add Comment
From seasons to octopuses and chocolate, environmental issues stand to impact the things we love. What if we could help change the way people discuss climate change, so that the issue and its consequences could become more relevant and tangible to people around the world?

Leading up to COP21, a conference which will bring leaders from around the world together to develop a global climate agreement, we’re encouraging the YouTube community to join the discussion by uploading their own videos that share their concerns about how environmental issues may impact the things they love. The conversation on YouTube will live through a simple hashtag: #OursToLose.

 

With the help of YouTube creators from around the world, including Casey Neistat (U.S.), Finn Harries (U.K.), Golden Moustache (France), Jamie Curry (New Zealand) and Flavia Calina (Brazil), we’re also encouraging people to show further support by signing the Avaaz petition, a campaign aimed at delivering clean energy worldwide by 2050.

Whether you’re questioning how global warming can impact your day-to-day life, curious about new sources of energy, or concerned about the melting Arctic, we hope that you share your ideas through #OursToLose videos to help make the climate conversation more accessible to people around the world.

The YouTube community can empower tremendous collaboration, advocacy, and creativity. Through #OursToLose, we hope to continue helping people to broadcast their message, empower their communities, and even catalyze a global movement to further action on climate change.



Marc Hertz, Programming Coordinator, recently watched “Misconceptions about Climate Change” and Aaron Taylor, Associate Product Marketing Manager, recently watched "What's Possible: The UN Climate Summit Film."

A YouTube built just for music

9:03:00 AM Add Comment
Usher discovers Bieber. Psy breaks a billion. Macklemore goes from the garage to the Grammys. Pentatonix top the charts. Over the past ten years, music on YouTube has been magic. We’ve seen established artists reach new heights and new artists explode on the scene. We’ve seen our fans shake, get happy and let it go. And together, they’ve made YouTube the absolute best place in the world to discover new music.

Today, any artist can upload a video to YouTube and get discovered by over 1 billion people around the globe. That global exposure has allowed YouTube and Google to pay out over $3 billion to the record industry to date. But it’s also provided an incredible source of promotion for artists, helping fuel ticket sales, move merchandise, and boost album and song downloads. Just this month, Adele’s “Hello” became the fastest rising video of the year on YouTube, while also breaking the record for first week download sales.

But we want to do even more to support artists and all the fans who turn to YouTube to discover music, so we’re making the experience even better with a brand new YouTube Music app. With YouTube Music, you’ll get a completely new type of experience, designed to make discovering music on YouTube easier than ever.


No matter where you start in the app, the music will never stop. Every song you play or artist you choose will take you on an endless journey through YouTube’s music catalog. A simple tap and you’re on your way, enjoying your favorite music and discovering new artists effortlessly. The home tab will recommend tracks just for you and create personalized stations based on your tastes.

The app also gives you complete access to one of the richest music catalogs on earth. You’ll be able to quickly find music videos, tracks, artists and albums, but you’ll also see all the remixes, covers, lyric videos and concert footage that YouTube has to offer.

And you can also amplify your experience with a YouTube Red membership. With YouTube Red, you’ll get to experience all that the Music app has to offer without ads. You’ll also have the ability to listen to music offline and seamlessly switch between video or audio-only (so you can decide whether you actually watch Silentó whip and nae nae). And also be able to hear any video play, even when you’re in another app or have your screen turned off.

You can download YouTube Music starting today in the U.S. on the Google Play store or the App Store and as a special treat, get the amplified experience for free for 14 days. We can’t wait for you to download YouTube Music and see where the music takes you!

T. Jay Fowler, Director, Product Management, recently watched “Low - Try to Sleep

YouTube presses play on virtual reality

9:00:00 AM Add Comment
If we’ve learned anything in the past 10+ years at YouTube it’s that capturing and sharing videos is a great way to bring people there with you—whether “there” is an Icelandic glacier, a special performance by violinist Tim Fain, or just a friend’s birthday party.

Virtual reality (VR) makes the experience of being there even more awesome and immersive, so today we’re bringing two new VR features to YouTube’s Android app. All you need is your current phone, and a Google Cardboard viewer.

First, YouTube now supports VR video—a brand new kind of video that makes you feel like you’re actually there. Using the same tricks that we humans use to see the world, VR video gives you a sense of depth as you look around in every direction. Near things look near, far things look far. So if you were excited about 360° videos, this is pretty freakin’ cool.

To give it a try just find a VR video on YouTube—like the Hunger Games Experience or TOMS Shoes Giving Trip—tap the new Cardboard icon, drop your phone into your Cardboard viewer, and you’re off! If you’re a creator, you can also check out technologies like Jump to capture and share your own VR videos.
Our second bit of news is for the universe of existing YouTube content. And that’s the fact that you can now watch any video using Google Cardboard, and experience a kind of virtual movie theater. Just select the new “Cardboard” option from the watch page menu, drop your phone into your viewer, and you’re done. You’ll now have the largest VR content library right at your fingertips.
Both of today’s updates make it easier to be there. In some cases, really there there. So download the new YouTube app from Google Play, and get going.

Kurt Wilms, Senior Product Manager, YouTube VR recently watched “Waves of Grace”, Sanjeev Verma, YouTube Product Manager, recently watched “LA Phil: The Orchestra VR Video Experience” and Husain Bengali, Product Manager, Jump recently watched “Apollo 11 moon landing.

Rewriting the code for girls in CS

1:00:00 PM Add Comment
When it comes to computer science, millions of girls are being left out of the conversation. Despite earning the majority of bachelor's degrees in the U.S., women earn fewer than 20 percent of computer science degrees, with serious implications for our economy and for women at large.

The problem of getting girls more interested in tech has many sources, but according to Google’s own research, one of them is optics. Girls don’t see positive role models of other girls and women in popular culture. In a study of popular films in 11 countries, fewer than 20 percent of computer science or tech roles were held by women.

As someone who runs a company at the intersection of technology and media, I want to help change the perceptions of women and technology we see today. So, as part of our Made with Code and media perception initiatives, I’m excited that we’re supporting award-winning documentary filmmaker Lesley Chilcott—of “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Waiting for Superman” fame—on her next film, “CODEGIRL.”

“CODEGIRL” follows the story of 5,000 girls from 60 countries as they compete in a global entrepreneurship and coding competition by Technovation. The girls have three months to develop an app that attempts to solve a problem in their local community. In the film, they size up their competition, interact with teachers and local mentors, learn to code, and pitch their ideas all in hopes of winning $10,000 in funding and support.

Starting today and until November 5, Lesley’s film will be available for free on YouTube, before its theatrical debut in the next few weeks. You can watch the film below and use the hashtag #rallyforcodegirl to show your support.


Our goal is to inspire as many students as possible during this special five-day free viewing period before it hits theaters. With your help, we’ll be able to inspire more girls around the world to pursue their passions in tech.

Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, recently watched "American Kids Try Candy from Around the World - Episode 4."

YouTube Red is here

11:48:00 AM Add Comment
For ten years, you’ve made YouTube an incredible place---a global community of over 1 billion people that gives anyone the power to create something that everyone can watch. The good news is, that isn’t changing. The free, ad-supported YouTube isn’t going anywhere.

And we've got some more good news. Starting today, YouTube Red goes live in the U.S., giving you a new way to watch YouTube, while still supporting your favorite creators.

With a YouTube Red membership, you’ll experience YouTube without video ads, be able to save videos to watch offline, and play videos in the background on your mobile device, all for $9.99 a month. And just like with our advertising revenue, the majority of revenue we get from YouTube Red memberships will go to our creator community.

Your Red membership works anywhere you sign into YouTube, whether it’s across mobile devices, desktop, connected TVs, or on our recently launched Gaming app or our upcoming Music app. And as a special bonus, YouTube Red comes with Google Play Music, so subscribe to one and automatically get access to the other. Starting early next year, YouTube Red will get even better with access to new, original series and movies from some of your favorite creators.

And just to give you a feel for an uninterrupted YouTube experience, anyone in the U.S. can sign up for a free 30-day trial. You can learn more at youtube.com/red.

Soon, you’ll be watching what you want, when you want, on any device you want, uninterrupted.

Matt Leske, Senior Product Manager, recently watched “Bali Road Trip in 4K! - #onedayoffline.”

Introducing YouTube Red Original Series and Movies from your favorite stars

10:29:00 AM Add Comment
Last year, we announced an initiative to invest in the creativity of our top YouTube stars. We wanted to give them an opportunity to realize some of their long-held creative ambitions by developing new content for YouTube. Today, we’re announcing some of the original series and movies we’ll be debuting with YouTube Red.

YouTube Red is the experience fans have been asking for. For just $9.99 a month, you’ll be able to enjoy videos across all of YouTube without ads, save videos to watch offline on your phone or tablet and play videos in the background.

But we’re not stopping there. Starting next year, YouTube Red members will get access to new, original series and movies from some of YouTube’s biggest creators. We’re excited to announce some of them today, with more to come:


  • Scare PewDiePie: In this reality-adventure series from the creator and executive producers of The Walking Dead at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios, experience thrills, chills and laughter as PewDiePie encounters terrifying situations inspired by his favorite video games.
  • Sing It!: From Fine Brothers Entertainment and Mandeville Films comes SING IT!, a scripted comedy that lovingly satirizes the reality singing competitions that have become a centerpiece of pop culture.
  • Lazer Team: In this feature-length action-comedy from Rooster Teeth and Fullscreen Films, four small-town losers stumble upon an alien ship carrying a mysterious cargo, leading to a battle to save Earth from an all-powerful enemy.
  • A Trip to Unicorn Island: From the team at Astronauts Wanted, this feature-length movie gives fans an extraordinary look inside the life and journey of Lilly Singh as she embarks on a challenging 26-city global tour where she has to remember to practice what she preaches: happiness is the only thing worth fighting for.
  • Untitled Joey Graceffa project: In this all-new reality adventure series, Joey Graceffa brings together an ensemble of top YouTubers for a murder mystery they'll never forget. They'll form alliances to survive, but little do they know that most won't make it out alive.
  • 360 Project from MatPat of Game Theory: YouTube educator and pop culture expert MatPat from The Game Theorists invites the audience to come along for the ride in an innovative new series and 360 VR experience. In each episode Matt explores the real-life science behind popular video games by throwing gamers into the high-stakes scenarios they play through every day, from water jetpacks to haunted pizzerias.
  • Single by 30: In this romantic drama series from Wong Fu Productions and New Form Digital, two high school best friends make a promise to get married if they’re still single at 30. A decade later, with 30 quickly approaching, their attempt at upholding their vow unfolds in unexpected ways. Starring Harry Shum, Jr. and Kina Grannis.
  • Untitled CollegeHumor project: Written by and starring the cast of CollegeHumor, along with special guests, this new anthology series will take a dark and comedic look at the absurdity of Internet culture.
  • Fight of the Living Dead: In an unprecedented social experiment reality show from Alpine Labs, Fight of the Living Dead takes popular YouTube talent and traps them in a frighteningly realistic zombie apocalypse. They must use their instincts and gaming skills to survive as they battle the elements for the ultimate prize of survival.
  • I Am Tobuscus: From the mind of Toby Turner, this scripted comedy explores the world of a self-involved YouTube creator pursuing bigger stardom. The show features original music, and satirizes the hilarious details of being an eccentric, new-age celebrity.


We’re excited to bring these original series and movies to YouTube Red members and give you even more for your membership beginning next year. Viewers in the U.S. can try YouTube Red for free with a one month trial starting on October 28.

Susanne Daniels, VP, Global Head of Original Programming, recently watched "If Google Was A Guy (Part 4)."

Meet YouTube Red, the ultimate YouTube experience

10:29:00 AM Add Comment
For years, YouTube’s fans have been telling us they want more—more choice when watching their favorite content, more ways to support their favorite creators and, above all, the option to watch their favorite videos uninterrupted.

On October 28, we’re giving fans exactly what they want. Introducing YouTube Red -- a new membership designed to provide you with the ultimate YouTube experience.

YouTube Red lets you enjoy videos across all of YouTube without ads, while also letting you save videos to watch offline on your phone or tablet and play videos in the background, all for $9.99 a month. Your membership extends across devices and anywhere you sign into YouTube, including our recently launched Gaming app and a brand new YouTube Music app we’re announcing today that will be available soon.

YouTube Music is designed to make discovering, watching and listening to music easier than ever. Any song or artist you choose on YouTube Music will start you on a personal journey through one of the richest music catalogs; just sign in, tap a track you love, and see where your music takes you. And as a special bonus - YouTube Red works with Google Play Music, so subscribe to one and automatically get access to the other.

And starting early next year, YouTube Red will get even better with member-only access to new, original shows and movies from some of YouTube’s biggest creators. You can read all about Originals coming to YouTube Red here.

We’re working to bring YouTube Red and our YouTube Music, Gaming and Kids apps to more countries soon. And don’t worry! The free, ad-supported version of YouTube we all know and love isn’t going anywhere. You’ll still be able to enjoy YouTube, along with the YouTube Kids, Gaming and Music apps free of charge. But with YouTube Red, you’ll be able to support the people who make your favorite videos while watching what you want, when you want, on any device you want, uninterrupted.

Viewers in the U.S. can try YouTube Red for free with a one month trial on October 28 and YouTube Music will be coming soon.

 

Matt Leske, Senior Product Manager, recently watched "The Juice Challenge."

Gamers and streamers - a winner is you!

9:00:00 AM Add Comment
It’s you who makes YouTube the most watched platform for gamers—far and away. Every month gamers watch more than 144 billion minutes of gaming videos and live streams on YouTube. To put it into perspective, that’s like watching Let’s Plays for more than 270,000 years straight 24 hours a day—or beating Final Fantasy VII 1,900,000 times a day!

Today’s updates to YouTube Gaming are the next step in our quest to create the best place for gamers to come together to watch gaming videos, build communities, and live stream. We’ve listened to your feedback since September and have been working on some of the most requested new features and improvements.

Mobile Capture: Empowering streams of every shape and size
Every day, games are played while waiting for the bus, riding the subway, or lounging on the couch—but what about live streaming your mobile gameplay? You heard it from us at the Tokyo Game Show and now it’s here to stay. You can now record and live stream mobile gameplay on-the-go directly from Android devices using Mobile Capture on YouTube Gaming. You don’t need any additional hardware or software—just tap Go Live (or your avatar on a phone) in the YouTube Gaming app, turn on your selfie cam and record your commentary with your phone’s microphone.



Narrate and react to your gameplay using the phone’s microphone and a selfie-cam overlay. Entertain and interact with your audience via live chat. Go live and capture all Android games today! 

Sponsorships: Making it easy to back your favorite gamers
Support the live streams and videos you love with Fan Funding and Sponsorships, now in beta to a small group of creators. For a monthly payment, sponsors receive extra perks including a live chat badge chosen by the creator and access to exclusive chat sessions. We’ll continuously expand the list of beta channels, so keep your eyes peeled!



Other new and improved features
Here are some of the other requested changes we’ve made to date. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming!

  • More easily see when there are live streams for games in your collection
  • Easier video bookmarking with Watch Later
  • Improved performance and a redesigned watch page on gaming.youtube.com
  • Better search navigation on iOS by remembering your previous searches
  • Import existing subscriptions anytime from YouTube via Settings

Go live today with the newly updated YouTube Gaming app available on Google Play and the App Store, for U.S. and U.K.

Barbara Macdonald, Product Manager, recently live streamed "Bad Piggies."

YouTube goes (even more) global!

6:00:00 AM Add Comment
If you’re watching a YouTube video today, chances are you’re not in the United States. More than 80 percent of YouTube’s billions of views each day come from fans in countries outside the U.S., and the videos and creators they’re watching are just as global.

We want to make sure the videos you see when you fire up YouTube are relevant to you, wherever you’re watching. That’s why we’re launching even more local country versions of YouTube, connecting fans with creators in their home countries and giving those creators a way to earn money from their popularity. With the addition of the Adriatics, Baltics, Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Belarus, YouTube now has local versions in 85 countries.

For fans in these countries, this means easily discovering local creators and content. In Kazakhstan, you’ll find local talent such as DynastyofCat, a hugely popular DIY and vlogging channel, or even local broadcasters like TheSevenChannel, right there on the homepage. In Belarus, you can find 17-year-old vlogger DimaErmuzevich who regularly reaches more than 400K fans; and the Serbian music channel Grand Production, which has grown a following throughout the Balkans and beyond with their folk music.

Local versions of YouTube are good news for creators, too. It opens up the opportunity for creators to become a partner, earn money from their channels, and gain access to tools and resources that can help them make the most of YouTube. Creators can access online lessons via the YouTube Creator Academy to get started and learn best practices, and the Creator Community gives creators a place to meet each other, find collaborations, and more. We hope that this will allow more creators to bring more of their ideas and talents to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

So whether you’re viewing us from youtube.by, youtube.kz, or youtube.bg, you’ve now got your own YouTube that not only connects you with a community of a billion people, but helps you see the creativity going on right in your backyard.

Marenco Kemp, Head of EMEA Online Partnerships, recently watched "Top10Memes: Top 10 Facts - Lego."

Introducing Awesome Stuff Week: product reviews you’ll love from creators you trust

6:00:00 AM Add Comment
We know how much time you spend surfing the web for the perfect look or the latest products whether that be Stephen Curry’s newest sneaker, fringe skirts for fall, or the newest hoverboard prototype.

But people aren’t just limiting their research to websites; they’re also watching videos on YouTube. Sixty-four percent of shoppers say that YouTube influences their purchase decisions.1 In fact, we’ve seen more than 40 percent growth year-over-year in viewership of product videos such as sneaker pickups, first impressions, and product reviews.2

To help you discover more of the latest and greatest products, we’re partnering with your favorite YouTube personalities to bring you Awesome Stuff Week: a series of week-long celebrations highlighting popular, trendy, undiscovered-but-cool products on YouTube. During each Awesome Stuff Week, creators such as GiGiGorgeous, iJustine, Jim Chapman, and UnboxTherapy, will share their views and reviews on products ranging from fashion to gadgets to holiday gifts.



We’re also making it easy for you to buy the products you want in the exact moment you want them. Scroll through the comments on any product video and you’re sure to find "where can I get those shoes or that skirt or that self-balancing scooter?" Why shouldn’t every product video be shoppable? Products featured during Awesome Stuff Week will be.

Like those brown Hudson boots from Jim Chapman in the below video? Now you can simply click on a product image on the right-hand side of the video, and be taken to that retailer’s website. It’s as easy as that.

Awesome Stuff Week - H By Hudson.gif

YouTube creator, Jim Chapman, shares his take on H by Hudson boots. Watch the video on YouTube.

This week - dedicated to fashion - is the first of several Awesome Stuff Weeks that we’ll be rolling out. New videos will appear daily from Monday through Friday, and each will feature a new theme related to fashion such as Must-have-Monday or Hundred-Dollar-Wednesday. In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce an Awesome Stuff Week featuring gadgets as well as holiday gifts to help you check off items on your shopping list.

To discover the latest shoppable videos, subscribe to the Awesome Stuff Week YouTube channel and stay tuned for more!

Vikram Tank, Product Marketing Manager, Art, Copy & Code, recently watched "What Do You Mean / Epic Segway Dance Cover @justinbieber."

1Source: When the Path to Purchase Becomes the-Path-to-Purpose, June 2014.
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/the-path-to-purpose.html

2Source: View count growth, Google Data, April 2015 vs. April 2014, U.S., classification was based on public data such as headlines, tags, etc., and may not account for every type of review video available on YouTube.
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/i-want-to-buy-moments.html

More for your family in the YouTube Kids app

10:30:00 AM Add Comment
It’s been a busy few months for YouTube Kids. In February, we released our app, designed especially for kids, to bring to life the best family-friendly content on YouTube. Since then, families have downloaded YouTube Kids more than 8 million times, consistently ranked YouTube Kids in the top 5 kids apps in the App Store, given an overall 4+ rating on Google Play and watched Stampy Cat explore the world of Minecraft more than 54 million times.

Not bad for a seven-month old.

When we announced the app, we said YouTube Kids was our first step in reimagining YouTube for families. And we’re always looking for ways to make it even better. So today we’re sharing some new ways we're helping parents and kids enjoy the family content they love:

Discover new videos and watch in new ways
  • Watch YouTube Kids on the big screen: Want to enjoy your favorite videos as a family? Now you can, using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smartTV.
  • Explore new videos with guest-curated playlists: Have a budding scientist or eager explorer on your hands? Find out what videos educators, celebs and other parents recommend with guest-created playlists. Playlists from National Geographic Kids, Kid President, and a girl power-themed playlist from Academy Award®-winning actor Geena Davis are already live—and more are coming soon from YouTube creators including Vsauce and Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.
  • Enjoy new shows: New videos are produced and uploaded to YouTube Kids every day—including exciting original shows and series from HooplaKidz, TuTiTu, SciShow Kids, DreamWorksTV and more.



Features just for parents
  • Learn how the app works: We also want to make it easier to get started using the app. When parents open YouTube Kids, we’ll explain upfront how our systems choose and recommend content and how to flag videos. We’ll also prompt you to make a choice about how broadly you want your child to explore—turn search on to access millions of family-friendly videos, or turn search off to restrict your child’s experience to a more limited set. Either way, parents decide the right experience for their family from the get-go. This will roll out on the app in the coming weeks.
  • Customize your passcode: We’ve also heard some parents prefer a personal passcode, rather than a spelled-out code, so we’ve added this option to access parental controls.



We always try to make the videos available in the app family-friendly, but no system is perfect. So if you ever find a video you’re concerned about, please flag it. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone.

In fact, many of these updates are a result of the great feedback you’ve given us. As you explore YouTube’s library, from "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to learning about the solar system, we’re growing with you. And we’re always excited to hear how we can better help your family explore, learn and sing along.

Posted by Shimrit Ben-Yair, mother of two and YouTube Kids Director of Product Management, who recently enjoyed learning about volcanoes on SciShow Kids and relaxing with Cosmic Kids Yoga’s Calming Playlist with her kids.

YouTube Space Paris: a new home for French creators

12:30:00 AM Add Comment
Paris. The city is synonymous with culture, cuisine, art and architecture. The creative passion of Paris has also given rise to one of the world’s most vibrant YouTube communities. French creators of all kinds are building global followings on YouTube, such as Cyprien, whose comedy shorts have been viewed nearly 1 billion times, and e-penser, who regularly entertains half a million fans with educational videos on subjects such as general relativity and time travel. And the audience loves what they are doing— viewers are watching 60 percent more YouTube than last year.

Given all the creativity coming out of the French capital, it was a no-brainer to open a YouTube Space in the heart of Paris—a cutting-edge production facility located at Google Paris Headquarters.

 

This is the seventh YouTube Space we have opened in cultural centers around the world. Joining Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Tokyo, New York and Sao Paolo, the Paris Space will provide emerging and established YouTube creators with a physical space to do everything from take a class on YouTube best practices, meet with fellow artists, or just use the studio’s latest audio, visual and editing equipment to create great videos. All for free.

YT_logo_space_PARIS.jpg

YouTube Space Paris (1).jpg


Internationally, creators have used the YouTube Spaces to unleash the limits of their imagination: whether that’s filming live streaming music acts, collaborating with celebrities, creating a viral public service announcement, or even learning how to teleport on a specially created superhero set. And in Europe, more than 25,000 creators of all kinds, from emerging comedians to established TV stations, have visited London and Berlin Spaces to produce over 1,500 original videos. These videos have been viewed over 225 million times and watched by their fans for a cumulative 16 million hours. We’re excited to see what creators in Paris will do next!

Find more creator resources at youtube.com/creators and learn more about the YouTube Spaces at youtube.com/space.

David Ripert, Head of YouTube Space EMEA, recently watched "[360 Music Video] This Summer - Roomie (Maroon 5 Cover)" - partly shot in the Spaces.

Party with Disclosure and James Corden at 9 p.m. PT

9:00:00 AM Add Comment
Up to anything special tonight? No? Well, how about bringing a multi-talented producer and two of Britain’s fastest-rising DJs home for a live performance?

Tonight, the dynamic DJ duo Disclosure will unite forces with powerhouse producer James Corden for the next American Express Unstaged concert on YouTube. That's right—the actor, writer and television host you know from his work on hit comedy shows "Gavin and Stacey" and the "The Late Late Show" (which hit 1 million subscribers on YouTube last week) will tonight put his own theatrical twist on the show.

In the last twelve months alone, British brothers Disclosure have garnered more than 222 million views on YouTube since last September, and have just released their new album, "Caracal," which features Lorde, Miguel, The Weeknd, Gregory Porter, and Sam Smith. Taking place at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena just days after the release of "Caracal," this will be the first time that fans all over the world can hear new tracks performed live.

As a quick warm-up, check out Corden interviewing the band and create your own digital “Disclosure Face” in the Unstaged app. Be sure to leave time to prep your glow sticks, though, as the live stream will start at 9 p.m. PT at youtube.com/americanexpress, youtube.com/user/DisclosureVEVO, amexunstaged.com, or the Unstaged app.

Nicola Young, Music Programs Manager, recently watched "Slaves - Burning Our Morals Away.

Watch the Global Citizen Festival—live on YouTube on September 26 from 12:45 p.m. PT

9:30:00 AM Add Comment
No matter where you are this Saturday, you can have a front row seat at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival to catch performances by Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay, live on YouTube, un-leashed by T-Mobile.

Tune in at youtube.com/globalcitizen/live to join YouTube creators MatthewSantoro, and Mitch Moffit and Greg Brown from AsapSCIENCE, who’ll bring you the latest from the event and take you backstage for all the behind-the-scenes action. They’ll be joined by Global Citizen hosts Stephen Colbert, Salma Hayek Pinault, Deborra-Lee Furness, Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde.


Join the movement and support the goals to fight inequality, protect our planet, and end extreme poverty. It all begins at 12:45 p.m. PT on September 26 on the Global Citizen YouTube channel

Lindsay Dahms, Brand Marketing Manager, recently watched “Ed Sheeran - Photograph.”

Let’s play

10:00:00 AM Add Comment
It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.

As promised, and after some excellent road-testing by thousands of dedicated gaming fans (thanks, folks!), YouTube Gaming is now available. Blending gaming videos and live streams, YouTube Gaming brings you closer to the games, gamers, and culture that matter to you.



Here’s what you need to know:
  • YouTube Gaming is your go-to destination for anything and everything gaming because it automatically pulls in all gaming-related videos and live streams from YouTube.
  • Viewers get personalized gaming recommendations based on the games and channels they collect. With over 25,000 game pages and even more gaming channels, it’s never been easier to connect with your gaming community.
  • We’ve also made it easier to create a live stream — check out the beta version of our new way to go live at youtube.com/stream today.



Find the English-language website (gaming.youtube.com) in any country where YouTube is available, or download the phone and tablet app from Google Play and the App Store, rolling out over the next few hours in the U.S. and U.K. Other countries will be coming soon.

Together, we all make gaming better. Our peers make us better gamers, and games are made better by the communities that surround them. Thanks for your feedback as we brought you YouTube Gaming, and keep it coming. This is just the beginning.

Frank Petterson, Engineering Manager, recently played League of Legends.

P.S. For those of you who are going to be at PAX Prime in Seattle this weekend, check out our booth and stage show. If you can’t be there in person, we’ll be streaming our show (hosted by GameSpot, IGN, and Rooster Teeth) at gaming.youtube.com.

Keeping the conversation going

9:00:00 AM Add Comment
YouTube is built by one of the most engaged communities on the web, and you tell us when you want changes. Today, you heard from Google+ about upcoming changes based on user feedback. We wanted to give you an early look at what this will mean with respect to comments on YouTube, and to your overall YouTube experience.

The headline: we think you’ll like it.

Comments
Comments are super important to the relationship between creators and fans on YouTube. You love MyLifeAsEva and Kingsley. You thought that latest video from Tyler was his funniest yet. You want to tell Epic Rap Battles who their next match-up should feature. And these creators want to hear from fans like you, just as much as you want to communicate with them.

All of these conversations should be simpler and easier to have on YouTube, and we’ve been working on that.

  • First off, we’ve improved the ranking system that reduces the visibility of junk comments. It’s working—the rate of dislikes on comments has dropped by more than 35 percent across YouTube.
  • With today’s announcement from Google+, you’ll see more changes. The comments you make on YouTube will now appear only on YouTube, not also on Google+. And vice-versa. This starts rolling out today.
  • Creators told us they liked the moderation options on their channels, like reviewing comments before they’re posted, blocking certain words, or auto-approving comments from certain fans. All this stays.

Your YouTube channel
This one’s further off. In the coming weeks, YouTube will no longer require a Google+ profile when you want to upload, comment, or create a channel. If you’re happy with everything as it is now, then just keep on keepin’ on. If you want to remove your Google+ profile, you’ll be able to do this in the coming months, but do not do it now or you’ll delete your YouTube channel (no bueno). Please visit our Help Center for further details.

We’ve heard you. Keep talking to us.

The YouTube team

Say hello to the redesigned YouTube mobile app

5:17:00 PM Add Comment
If you watched a YouTube video recently, chances are you did it on your phone or tablet. That’s because today, more than half the views on YouTube happen using mobile devices. So to bring you an even better mobile experience, we’re updating the official YouTube apps – making it easier than ever to find videos you love and create them, too.

The update – available now on Android, mobile web, and soon on iOS – introduces three new tabs:

  • Home: Easily explore and discover videos you'll love with recommendations based on your watch history as well as playlists personalized just for you.
  • Subscriptions: Find the latest videos from your favorite channels and creators on the new Subscriptions tab. And to help make sure you never miss an upload, you can now tap the bell icon on the channels you love to get a notification as soon as a new video is posted.
  • Account: Check out your playlists, watch history, and the videos you’ve uploaded all in one spot.



You can also now watch full-screen vertical videos with just a single tap for the very first time.

But YouTube isn’t just about enjoying videos; it’s a place to express yourself and show the world what you love. With the redesigned app you can take your creativity to new levels using a new set of video creation tools. You’ve got an amazing camera in your phone or tablet, and now you can trim your footage, tint the image with filters, add music, and upload – all inside the app.



These are just a few of the features we’ve been working on, and you’ll see many more later this year. 

Matt Darby, Product Manager, and Omri Amarilio, Product Manager, recently watched "One of those days 2 - Candide Thovex."

#ProudToLove and proud to celebrate marriage equality

7:49:00 AM Add Comment
Over the last 10 years, everyone from moms to presidents have uploaded videos in support of LGBT awareness, to stand up against bullying and discrimination, and to say together, as a community, that marriage equality matters.

That’s why we are so excited by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today guaranteeing same-sex couples nationwide the right to marry. In recognition of Pride Month, and of this historic decision, we want to celebrate the many individuals and communities that have helped inspire change:


YouTube has given creators like Tyler Oakley and Jazz Jennings, to entertainers like Ellen DeGeneres and Todrick Hall, a platform to entertain and inspire, while raising LGBT awareness in society as a whole. Thanks to creators and fans alike, YouTube has become a home to coming out videos and transitioning videos, a place where people can share advice, find a community, or encourage activism. Together, these videos help us see our common humanity in the faces and voices of those we might otherwise perceive as different.

So today, we say “thank you” to all of those who were brave enough to show us that it really can, and does, get better—and how much better it still can get.

The YouTube Team

Eyewitness video on YouTube: your window to the world

6:00:00 AM Add Comment
In the last ten years, we’ve witnessed many of the biggest and most important news stories unfold on YouTube. From the Green Revolution, Arab Spring and protests in Ferguson, to the Charlie Hebdo attacks and earthquake in Nepal, user-generated video has provided a unique and visceral perspective on what’s happening in the world around us. It’s almost impossible to turn on the news during a breaking event without seeing raw video uploaded by a YouTube user somewhere across the globe. 

Today, more than 5 million hours of news video is watched on YouTube every day, and the role of the eyewitness has never had a more vital place in the newsgathering process. We live in a world where anyone can bear witness to what is happening around them and share it with a global audience, and YouTube has become a primary home for this powerful, first-person documentary footage.

That is why we’re excited to announce three new initiatives to support the discovery and verification of eyewitness news video on YouTube:

  • The YouTube Newswire: In partnership with Storyful, a social news agency we’ve worked with since protests broke out in Tahrir Square in 2011, we’re rolling out the YouTube Newswire, a curated feed of the most newsworthy eyewitness videos of the day, which have been verified by Storyful’s team of editors and are embeddable from the original sources. With the Newswire, we hope to provide journalists with an invaluable resource to discover news video around major events, and to highlight eyewitness video that offers new perspectives on important news stories. The Newswire will feature global and regional feeds that surface the most relevant videos in different parts of the world. Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the daily newsletter to get the latest videos delivered directly to your inbox.
  • The First Draft Coalition: You could say that user-generated news video is today’s “first draft” of capturing an event that took place. But when it comes to incorporating this content into the reporting of a news event, verification is a critical step for any newsroom -- and not every journalist knows where to start. So we’re bringing together a group of thought leaders and pioneers in social media journalism to create educational resources on how to verify eyewitness media, and how to consider the ethics of using it in news reporting. This new group, called The First Draft Coalition, will consist of experts from Eyewitness Media Hub, Storyful, Bellingcat, First Look Media's Reported.ly, Meedan, Emergent, SAM Desk, and Verification Junkie. The Coalition will develop and program a new site for verification and ethics training, tools, research, and, most importantly, case studies around the biggest news stories of the moment. The site will launch this fall, but in the meantime, check out the Coalition’s Medium collection, chock full of how-to posts and examples of UGC verification, which we’ll update every week. You can also follow First Draft on Twitter.
  • The WITNESS Media Lab: Over the past decade, YouTube has provided a platform for people to share eyewitness video of human rights atrocities around the world. In partnership with WITNESS, we are supporting the WITNESS Media Lab, a new approach to tackling pressing human rights issues through the analysis of citizen video. The WITNESS Media Lab - in collaboration with innovators in the technology, advocacy and journalism fields - will produce a series of in-depth projects that focus on human rights struggles as seen from the perspective of those who live, witness, and experience them. The first project from the WITNESS Media Lab will explore the impact of bystander video in bringing about justice in police brutality cases in the United States. Check out the new site and follow the WITNESS Media Lab on Twitter for more updates.


We’re proud of the role that YouTube and its creators have and continue to play in the ever-changing, ever-expanding news and information ecosystem, and we hope that these new projects will empower more journalists to use powerful eyewitness video easily and responsibly.

Posted by Olivia Ma, Head of Strategy and Operations, News Lab at Google

A YouTube built for gamers

12:00:00 PM Add Comment
As a kid, I spent hours on the living room couch playing video games with friends, taking turns trying to beat Ganon in "Ocarina of Time" and trading Pokémon until I had all 151. Soon controller passing and Game Boy link cables gave way to network multiplayer and PC LAN parties. Eventually, my living room became a virtual one, with a network of gamers sharing experiences and discoveries. 

Today, the gaming world is much more diverse than the one I grew up with, and the community has created new formats that have made gaming more collaborative and interactive. On YouTube, gaming has spawned entirely new genres of videos, from let’s plays, walkthroughs, and speedruns to cooking and music videos. Now, it’s our turn to return the favor with something built just for gamers.

This summer, we'll launch YouTube Gaming, a brand new app and website to keep you connected to the games, players, and culture that matter to you, with videos, live streams, and the biggest community of gamers on the web—all in one place.



YouTube Gaming is built to be all about your favorite games and gamers, with more videos than anywhere else. From "Asteroids" to "Zelda," more than 25,000 games will each have their own page, a single place for all the best videos and live streams about that title. You’ll also find channels from a wide array of game publishers and YouTube creators.

Keeping up with these games and channels is now super easy, too. Add a game to your collection for quick access whenever you want to check up on the latest videos. Subscribe to a channel, and you'll get a notification as soon as they start a live stream. Uncover new favorites with recommendations based on the games and channels you love. And when you want something specific, you can search with confidence, knowing that typing “call” will show you “Call of Duty” and not “Call Me Maybe.” 



Live streams bring the gaming community closer together, so we’ve put them front-and-center on the YouTube Gaming homepage. And in the coming weeks, we’ll launch an improved live experience that makes it simpler to broadcast your gameplay to YouTube. On top of existing features like high frame rate streaming at 60fps, DVR, and automatically converting your stream into a YouTube video, we’re redesigning our system so that you no longer need to schedule a live event ahead of time. We’re also creating single link you can share for all your streams.

YouTube Gaming will be available this summer, starting in the U.S. and U.K. We’re building this just for gamers—so we want to hear from you about how we can make it the best way to connect with your community. If you’re at E3 next week, come by our booth for an early look at everything we’ve been working on. If not, tune in live from home at youtube.com/e3, head over to gaming.youtube.com and follow us @YouTubeGaming and you’ll be the first to know when YouTube Gaming is ready for you to play with.

Alan Joyce, Product Manager, recently played "Final Fantasy XIV"

Get your game on with YouTube during E3

8:00:00 AM Add Comment
We’re now only two weeks away from the start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, and you can get a front-row seat to the action with YouTube! We're inviting your favorite YouTube creators to show us what's cool and coming up next in the world of gaming, so you can experience every jaw-dropping demo and announcement LIVE.

We are building out a dedicated E3 YouTube hub where you will be able to follow all the live streams and trailers from the event, starting on Sunday, June 14, with the Nintendo World Championships, followed by the Bethesda press conference and the unveiling of the latest installment in the "Doom" series.

On Monday, June 15, at 9 a.m. PT, the wall-to-wall coverage will continue with a 12-hour live stream marathon, hosted by Geoff Keighley, brought to you by the movie “Self/less” - in theaters July 10. Geoff and YouTube gaming creators will bring you live coverage of press conferences from publishers like Xbox, Sony, EA and Ubisoft.


The program will include live “Let’s plays” of new titles, plus celebrity interviews along with other video game stars from the YouTube family. You'll also get live coverage from IGN and GameSpot, just like last year.

The play-by-play coverage will continue with hundreds of hours of live and on-demand content throughout the week directly from YouTube’s booth at E3, hosted by RoosterTeeth, along with our legendary Trailer Battle, Nintendo’s Digital Event and Treehouse Live, as well as other exclusive gaming content.

From live reactions and gaming demos, to trivia showdowns and “Meet the Makers” sessions with industry experts, the E3 YouTube hub will offer you the easiest place to explore the best of E3. Stay tuned starting on June 14.

Ryan Wyatt, global head of gaming content, recently watched "E3 Live on YouTube 2015 announcement video."

YouTube A to Z #HappyBirthdayYouTube

9:55:00 AM Add Comment
Every adventure starts somewhere, and YouTube’s began on Saturday, April 23, 2005, when "Me at the Zoo" became the first video uploaded to a new site no one had ever heard of. Captured at California's San Diego Zoo, the clip is a 19-second description of what exactly makes elephants so cool. Its brief runtime and casual setup suggest little of the online video craziness that would follow over the subsequent decade.

“Me at the Zoo” proved to be a simple distillation of the premise of a new platform, where anyone could just turn on a camera and broadcast themselves with ease. Who could have predicted that, in that same environment, new genres, new forms of expression, and new paths to stardom would evolve? That engaging and unique personalities borne of this place could be more influential than Hollywood's biggest names? Or that more than a billion people from all corners of the globe would come together in that space to experience what the world creates, broadcasts, and shares?

Yeah. We were surprised, too.

For our 10th birthday this month, we've gone from A to Z celebrating the adorable, empowering, awesome, weird and wonderful moments that represent the many sides of YouTube. But, of course, if we're really going to capture 10 years of YouTube, we're going to need to do it in … a video:



Thanks for a wild and inspiring 10 years. Now, you've got 300 hours of video to capture and share in the next minute. So get back to it!

**Bonus Points: How well do you know YouTube, A to Z? Play the YouTube trivia game to find out at YouTube.com/10

YT-10-infograph2705b.jpg

Celebrating 10 Years of YouTube

12:15:00 AM Add Comment
Cross-posted from the YouTube Trends Blog

On April 23, 2005, history was made. An 18-second clip about how cool elephants are was shot at the San Diego Zoo and uploaded to a then-private video sharing site called YouTube.

That May, YouTube launched in beta before becoming available to the wider public six months later. Ten years have now passed, and that site has grown to become not just the biggest video platform on the web—a community of more than one billion people, where hundreds of millions of hours of video are watched and billions of views are generated every day —but one of the largest and most diverse collections of self-expression in history.

YouTube is a portrait of our global culture, seen through the lenses and perspectives of people around the world. It is a portrait built by a creative community of bold and fearless individuals. Built by comedians, gamers, activists, artists, performers, teachers, and pranksters. Built with cats and rainbows and blenders and ninjas and unicorns. It was built on the silly. It was built on the profound. It was built by you.

And 10 years in, you continue to redefine how the world experiences music, entertainment, and news. How the world laughs and how the world learns. How we shape political events and how we connect over the things we love.

You’ve helped turn creators into the biggest names in entertainment. You’ve given people opportunities to share their voice and talent no matter where they are from or what their age or point of view. You built a world where little ideas can bring about amazing things and where amazing things can bring little delights to each of us.

So in honor of our 10th birthday, we’re celebrating you, our YouTube community. Every day over the next 26 days, we’ll take a look back at some of the most memorable moments, from the silly to the profound, that you’ve shared on YouTube in the last 10 years. It’s YouTube from A to Z. Literally.

You can follow our celebration throughout the month of May on our YouTube Trends blog.