YouTube Welcome Guide - Be Successful on YouTube

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

We are always looking for ways to help you create great quality content and take your channel to the next level. With this in mind we created a series of videos called the YouTube Welcome Guide that can guide you through the fundamentals of setting up a successful channel.

Want to know how to set up your YouTube account?
Ever wondered how can you grow your audience with YouTube Tools and Social Media?
Interested in getting started with YouTube Analytics?
Have you found yourself wondering about YouTube Policies?
Wanna know more about complying with Copyright?

The YouTube Welcome Guide has all the answers for you! Simply watch these 6 short videos and be on top of everything. We want you to be an active and engaging member of our growing community. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a successful creator.

Vasiliki Kanistra, YouTube Partner Communication Specialist, recently watched: “You in Greece (English)”

The Improved YouTube is Here

Friday, December 7, 2012

We are excited to announce an improved YouTube, one you helped us build! The new site design will help you build a bigger, more connected audience by improving new channel discovery, simplifying subscriptions, and keeping your fans plugged in and aware of your new videos no matter where they are. Click here to learn more.

So, what does this improved YouTube mean for you as a creator?

Here are the key changes:

The subscription Guide is now everywhere, and it showcases your channel activity to your fans
All the video information and engagement are consolidated below the video player, helping your video take center stage on the viewing page

We are making it easier to subscribe with enhanced channel recommendations.

Check out this one-pager for more information.

Your feedback matters

We know change isn’t easy, so we don’t take it lightly. Our experiments show that the new design drives subscriptions and keeps fans better connected to their favorite content. We’ll be hosting a Google+ Hangout
on Air as well as a Reddit IAmA to answer any questions you may have. Stay tuned for more information.

Let’s keep building the future of video together.

Alandha Scott, Content Creator Communications Lead, recently watched "Written By A Kid - the tale of a paper, panty-clad horse in ‘La Munkya”

YouTube Creator Playbook and Creator Hub: fresher, bolder and live on the web

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The new YouTube Creator Playbook, your definitive resource for building an audience on YouTube, is now live, both on the web and available for download. Check it out and bookmark youtube.com/playbook.

Since we released the second edition of the Creator Playbook in February 2012, much has changed in the world of YouTube. This new version provides fresh tips and strategies to help creators grow their audiences. It includes brand new sections to address YouTube’s recent focus on watchtime, such as how to captivate your audience and how to create the best channel experience for your viewers. The latest edition also highlights new tools like paid promotion, Hangouts on Air and InVideo programming to help you reach the widest audience possible.

And what’s YouTube without video? On the Creator Playbook site, we’re featuring great new video examples from inspiring creators who are finding creative ways to use YouTube. So go ahead and check it out - share it with other creators. And most of all, let us know what you think so that we can continue to make this the best resource for you!

We’ve also completely rebuilt, refreshed and revamped the YouTube Creator Hub, which is chock full of resources and tools to help you build larger audiences, improve your skills and make more money. On the new Creator Hub, you’ll be able to:
· Stay up to date on the latest feature announcements with our new bi-weekly Product Bulletin
· Learn from other creators via video tutorials
· Find new opportunities to join programmes for emerging channels

We’ll continue to keep both the Creator Playbook and Creator Hubs updated, so keep them bookmarked, and remember to follow us on Google+.

Lauren Vilders, Audience Development Coordinator, recently watched “You need to toughen up a bit”

Coming soon: Link your channel with a Google+ page (and keep your channel name)

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Over the past several months we’ve been giving YouTube users the ability to change how they appear on YouTube, by using their Google+ profile on their YouTube channel. Well-known creators such as Michael Buckley, Philip DeFranco, Kina Grannis and Felipe Neto have chosen to use their Google name as their identity on YouTube, by linking their Google+ profile with their Channel. This has helped them access engagement and social features like Hangouts on Air.

You may have seen a prompt like the one below inviting you to use your Google identity on YouTube. If you haven’t, you can opt in right now using your account settings.

Or you can keep your channel name!

While using a full name from a Google+ profile might work well for a creator who wants to build their brand as an individual, this simply doesn’t work if you don’t want a full name on your channel. If you run a channel with a name like BlueXephos or VlogBrothers, you should create a Google+ page (as opposed to a profile) with that name.

In the coming weeks we’ll launch the option to link your channel with a Google+ page, which will allow you to use your channel name (even with spaces in it!) as your Google identity. And yes, the advanced Google+ page management features that enable up to 50 people manage a single Google+ page, or a single person to manage up to 50 Google+ pages, will also work for channels that are linked with Google+ pages.

We’ve been beta testing this option with some channels such as Google Analytics and YouTube Creators, and we’re planning to make this feature available to all creators in the coming weeks.

Why should creators use a Google identity?

If you unify your YouTube identity with Google+, it will be easier for your audience to find and connect with you on YouTube, Google and across the web, and it will help you build your brand across all of Google’s products. We’re also continually developing new engagement features like Hangouts on Air that take advantage of the best that both YouTube and Google+ have to offer.

David Boyle, recently watched MEERKATS 3D

The Channelisation of YouTube: how you can build a cohesive channel experience

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

This blog post is part of an ongoing series that shares tips from theYouTube Creator Playbook. The Playbook is YouTube’s official resource of best practices for audience development.

You’ve heard about the channel-isation of YouTube. Success is no longer just about getting a one-off viral hit. Now, more than ever, to be successful on YouTube, you need to think about how to create a cohesive channel experience for your audience. You have to take on the role of channel programmer. This means really investing time into your channel, and building your subscriber base. Why? The numbers speak for themselves: subscribers watch nearly twice as long as non-subscribers. In other words, your subscribers are your fan base.

Here’s a few things you can do to develop your channel:

1. Promote your channel! Remember, your audience doesn’t know about your channel and all the great content that’s there unless you let them know! So, go ahead and message this out to your audience: invite your viewers to have a look at your channel through a call to action in the video’s introduction, or a branded end-card. Also, if you haven’t spent time with the new Invideo programming feature, go and have a look. This new, easy to use feature is a great way to reinforce channel branding across all videos in your library and drive your audience to all your other content.

Another easy way to promote your channel is through your videos’ metadata description. In addition to context around the specific, individual video, add a brief snippet about your channel and provide links to the channel page, as well as programmed playlists.

2. Make playlists a key piece of your channel strategy. Playlists create a programmed, extended viewing experience for your audience, and they’re also a great way to increase watch-time.

Use playlists to programme your channel - separate shows into different playlists, or group content around similar themes or tent-pole events. You can use the ‘start and end time’ feature to set in and out points for all the videos you curate into playlists. And, if you want to go the extra mile, consider creating and optimising hosted playlists. Hosted playlists have intros and/or interstitial content to provide context in between videos. Once you have your playlists all ready to go, publish full playlists to your subscribers through the channel post feature.

3. Programme the channel feed. Think of your channel’s activity feed as the your main line of communication with your subscribers. Make sure your feed is active so that your audience keeps coming back for more. When you add a video to a playlist, like or comment on a video, it appears in the feed for your subscribers to see. So, mix up your own uploads with curated content, and be a tastemaker for your audience.

All of the content you upload and promote through the activity feeds collectively tells your audience a story about your channel and what it stands for. Make it count - tell a strong, interesting one!

Those are just a few quick tips to help you start thinking about your channel strategy. As we roll out new features, we’ll be sure to let you know how you can use them to make the most out of your channel.

Lauren Vilders, Audience Development Coordinator, recently watched “Shaun Sperling Bar Mitzvah Dance - Madonna, Vogue - 3/14/92”

Meet ItsRaphaBlueBerry, November’s YouTube Partner Success Story!

Monday, November 26, 2012

We have loads of partners across Europe that are taking advantage of the YouTube Partner Program, and becoming highly successful on YouTube. We've asked some of these partners to share their experience on YouTube and within the program, and shed light on how to best utilize the platform. This month featured partner is ItsRaphaBlueBerry, please read on for his story and best practices!

Introduction:

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name, your channel name? Where are you from, your fanbase?

My name is Rafael, I live in London, England but I was born in a Portuguese family. My YouTube channel is ItsRaphaBlueBerry, I make cooking videos and comedic vlogs. The majority of my viewers are from the US and UK.

History:
Please tell us how it all started. How and when did you start creating videos? When did you decide to be active on YouTube and become a partner? What was your first video on YouTube?

I started uploading videos on my channel in 2010 using a low quality webcam and a really basic editing program. I was very inspired by other YouTubers and their success stories and I really enjoyed video making.

My first uploads didn't have many views but I was having fun so I just kept doing it regularly. Eventually people started watching and I finally felt like I had an audience - that's when I applied for the Partnership Program.

Channel:
Please explain your channel. What's the story behind your channel? How did you come up with your channel concept?

When I first started uploading on my channel I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I uploaded many vlogs just sharing my life and opinions with my viewers and eventually I started receiving suggestions and video requests about specific topics. My first viewers definitely helped me shape and build my channel. Two years have passed and I couldn't be more pleased with my cooking tutorials and my random comedic vlogs.

YouTube Partnership:
Please share your experience of being a YouTube partner. How has being a YouTube partner helped/changed your business and personal life? Were there any surprises? What are your plans for the future of your channel and YouTube partnership?

Becoming a YouTube partner had an enormous impact on my business and personal life. It helped realise that I could be part of the entertainment industry and build my own audience using this amazing platform. I used to be a dental school student but I've decided to follow my real passion and explore the world of media and communication. I'm excited to see what the future holds.

Success:
How do you define success? How did you become successful on YouTube? What were your goals for your channel, and how did you achieve them? What would you recommend to newbie partners to be successful on YouTube?

I think I felt successful on YouTube when I realised I had an audience, a group of loyal viewers who look forward for my next creations. It's great knowing that there's someone who enjoys watching your videos. I would recommend everyone to use all the tools properly and have fun while making their videos. Don't over think how many views you get, just keep doing it and surprise your subscribers with new content regularly.

Creative inspiration:
Please tell us what inspires you. Do you have a particular creative aesthetic? Are there other YouTube channels you watch, creators you admire?

I usually get inspired when I get in touch with my viewers. Reading e-mails, comments and seeing their reactions to my uploads makes me want to create more often and surprise them with new content. I always carry a notepad with me and when I have an idea for a video, I write it down. There are many creators I admire such as FoodWishes, LauraVitalesKitchen or JoeyGraceffa.

Key Takeaways:
Anything you want the YouTube audience to know about you, your channel, or being a YouTube Partner?

I genuinely have fun making my videos, that's why I started in first place. If you're interested in baking or you just want to watch one of my comedic vlogs feel free to visit my channel. My videos are happy and colourful and I hope you have a good time watching them.

ItsRaphaBlueBerry, YouTube Partner, recently watched “A Song for Music (Original)”

YouTube Space London opens its doors to Non-Profits

Friday, November 23, 2012

A few months ago, YouTube Space London opened its doors to creators. Since then, tons of creators have come to the space to learn from industry experts, share ideas with each other and create amazing videos.

We are now welcoming non-profit organizations as well. If your non-profit is part of the YouTube Charities program in the UK, you're welcome to use the YouTube Space with all its equipment and professional facilities, whether it’s the recording studio, the sound stage, or our editing equipment.

Whether you are looking for the equipment to edit your video report or you want to give an update on the status of a particular campaign to your supporters, the YouTube Space could be the place for you. To book a spot, please fill in this form in advance. If you are not yet part of the YouTube Charities program, you can review the requirements and apply here.

We look forward to welcoming you to the YouTube Space London soon!

Anna Gradil, YouTube Partner Manager, recently watched Video Revolution 2.0 (YouTube Statistics 2012)

Giving you more control and convenience for publishing videos

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Many of you have told us you want more control and convenience when publishing videos to your YouTube channel. You want features that will save you time and give you more flexibility as you build an audience on your channel. Starting today all creators around the world will have three new publishing features: public videos that don’t notify subscribers, adding custom thumbnails while the video uploads, and a new tags editor.

Public videos that don’t notify subscribers

Have you ever wanted to upload a “behind the scenes” video to your channel and don’t want this video to take up valuable real estate in subscribers’ feeds? Or uploaded a long video but also wanted to publish short clips? Maybe you want to publish a quick video without interrupting your publishing schedule?

We’ve heard many creators want to upload public videos that don’t notify their subscribers in their homepage feed, via email (for opted in subscribers), and in youtube.com/my_subscriptions. Your default will remain that your subscribers are notified about your public uploads, but now you can choose to uncheck this option to “Notify subscribers” in the Advanced Settings section during the upload process. If you use our batch upload features in CMS, we also have an equivalent XML tag available. Public videos that you choose not to notify subscribers about will still be discoverable through search, suggested videos, and on your channel.

Upload a custom thumbnail right after the upload begins

In April, we launched one of the most requested features by creators, the ability to set the custom thumbnail directly in the upload interface, while the video is uploading. We received a lot of positive feedback about this change, but many of you pointed out that this would be even more convenient if you could upload the custom thumbnail earlier during the upload process, rather than towards the end. Beginning today, you can pick your preferred thumbnail right away, shortly after the video upload starts.

New tags editor

We now have a simpler interface to input and manage your tags. Just type in the text for each tag, and either add a comma or hit enter. This will store the text as a distinct tag. Once the tag has been entered, the text will be surrounded by a blue box which indicates that the word or phrase you entered has been entered as a tag.

Keep the feedback coming

We’re constantly working to make the upload process more efficient and effective for creators. Your feedback is always helpful and appreciated, so let us know at +YouTube Creators how we can continue to improve our publishing tools.

Johannes Leitner, Balazs Dezso, and Duane Barlow, YouTube Upload engineers, recently watched “自転車に乗る二足歩行ロボット・お使い編”

Lights, Camera, YouTube! Learn to Capture Your Passion with NitsanPictures, November’s Partner on the Rise!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Since YouTube announced we we were giving more creators the opportunity to become partners, we have seen a flurry of creativity from our new partners. We’ve asked some of you to share your experiences of using our platform, and the resources you use to grow your audience, increase views and take your channel to new heights.

This month we are looking at Nitsan Simantov, a 23 year old Israeli living near London and working full time as a filmmaker and photographer. Nitsan’s channel, NitsanPictures, is about his professional video work as well as tutorials for creative photography and video production.

“I use my channel to communicate the things I'm passionate about.I get a lot of my inspiration from all the creative people on YouTube”

Shortly after filming his first video, a review of a Fancier brand tripod, Nitsan found that he loved talking to the camera. The positive reaction he got for his video from the filmmaking community on YouTube gave him the push to continue making more and more videos.

His channel is based upon videos of the things Nitsan finds most interesting. It is almost entirely made up of filmmaking and photography reviews, DIY builds, tutorials, and of course his rather impressive filmmaking portfolio!

Nitsan gets a lot of support from companies around the world that send him products for review, which, he says, is really helpful for someone working on a small budget. “Of course I never receive money for my product reviews. That would just make the video an advert rather than an honest review”, he adds.

The filmmaking community on YouTube lies at the core of Nitsan’s support and inspiration. Nitsan says he is truly inspired by all the creative people on YouTube, Polcan99, Dombowerphoto, DigitalRev and Philipbloom to name but a few. He also enjoys other types of content on YouTube and highly recommends a daily dose of comedy from the likes of Toby Turner.

Nitsan looks forward to continue building up his viewership in the future. He makes sure he optimises each of his videos, and plans to regularly upload great quality videos for his growing audience, which is already taking his channel to new heights.

To become a YouTube Partner now, visit: www.youtube.com/partners, and get ready to take your channel to the next step! For more information on optimising, visit: www.youtube.com/creators

The YouTube Team

CreatorXCreator

Monday, November 12, 2012

A few months ago we launched a new program called CreatorXCreator (CXC) to encourage collaboration across YouTube and drive subscribers.

CXC is an 8 week collaboration during which 9 YouTube Partners cross-promote their content and create videos together. There is a program mentor leading the project and the creators meet via Google Hangouts to share their ideas and plan their collaboration.

CXC was rolled out for the first time in Germany this past July. LeFloid was the mentor leading the program for 8 Mentees (list available below). Here's one of their collaboration videos including 8 different YouTubers: “Unknown Mercenary: Geschichten eines tödlichen Freaks”

The second German edition of CreatorXCreator started in November with 2 separate programs. SceneTakeTV and SpaceFrogsEnt are the Mentors leading these projects (they were Mentees of the previous program). You can view updates about their CXC work on their channels.

We would like to expand our collaboration programmes in other countries in Europe. If you are a YouTube Partner based in Europe and would like to participate in this program, please fill out this form.

8 Mentees list:

doktorallwissend maximnoise douniaslimani darkvikt0ry moviemaniacsde infitnesstv spacefrogsent scenetaketv

Joe McDermottroe, EMEA YouTube Next Creator Programmes Specialist, recently watched “Episode one - Photography, Lightroom and Photoshop tips by Serge Ramelli weekly podcast”

NextUp Europe: meet the next generation of YouTube stars

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Over the last couple of months some of Europe’s most exciting creative talents have sent us their entries for NextUp, a contest that aims to unearth some of the YouTube stars of tomorrow.

We’ve been busy watching all the entries and we’ve selected a list of 25 winners from across the continent. Each winning creator will receive an all-expenses-paid to trip to London, where they’ll attend a week of hands-on training and mentorship in our brand new creator space. In addition, winners will get a €4,000 video equipment package and €3,000 in cash to help boost the quality of their content.

We’re delighted that we received so many high-quality entries that highlight the passion and talent of the YouTube community. Check out some of the above entries and click ‘Subscribe’ to get regular updates from their channels.

Kinzie Kramer, YouTube Partner Marketing

Keep your audience engaged with InVideo Programming

Friday, October 26, 2012

Programming tools like annotations help you drive longer watch times. Today, you have another tool in your arsenal. Looking to promote your latest video? Trying the new feature called InVideo Programming.

InVideo Programming allows you to feature a video across your entire video library. In addition to featuring videos, you can also promote your channel branding. If you change your branding in the future, you can replace it with a single update. The best part is, your InVideo Programming travels with your videos wherever Video Annotations are available.

If you are a creator in good standing, you can get started with InVideo Programming by accessing the tool in your Channel Settings. Go ahead and try the following types of InVideo Programming:

1. Launch a new show/series: Launching a new series? Use “Feature a video” to showcase a new video to drive some initial traction.

Example: Here you can see how Noisey used InVideo Programming to feature a new video across their entire library.

2. Showcase an old video: Have an older video that you want to promote? Go ahead and feature one of your favorite videos from your channel to drive some new viewership to that older video.

3. Reinforce channel branding: Make sure your viewers are aware of your channel branding. Use “Feature your channel” to promote your logo across your library and make it easier for viewers to visit your channel page and subscribe.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll launch reporting, to give you the ability to track the performance of your InVideo Programming, and we'll make UI enhancements to help you give your
viewers more context behind your promotion.

Michael Rucker, YouTube Product Manager, recently watched "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn - Part 1".

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