YouTube Creator Blog [UK]: November 2014

Want your URL to match your channel?

Monday, November 24, 2014

When Tati joined YouTube, her username was GlamLifeGuru, which made her channel’s URL youtube.com/GlamLifeGuru. But as her channel grew, her fans embraced “Tati” as her brand. So her channel web address – which is often the quickest way for her fans to watch more of her content – didn’t match her channel name and branding.

To make sure that creators like Tati and all of you have a consistent place for new and existing fans to find you, we’re introducing an easier way to pick custom URLs that match your channel names and branding.

From this week, if you’re a creator with at least 500 subscribers, you may receive emails and in-product notifications if your updated custom URL is ready to claim. You’ll see several options waiting for you that are based on your channel’s description, Google identity and associated websites. If you want to select your URL, all you have to do is follow these instructions. Once selected, the new URL will automatically direct fans to your channel.

Not yet reached 500 subscribers? Try these tips to help your channel grow. And don’t worry – in the meantime your current URL will continue to connect people to your YouTube channel.

Laura Rapin, Product Specialist, recently watched Lemonade - Alex Boye

When musicians come together...

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Incredible talent share their music on YouTube every single day. We want to help them do what they love most. This is why we work hard to make sure that musicians and music fans have the best experience on YouTube, and why we built YouTube Spaces in LA, London, Tokyo and New York.

But we want to do even more. We want to bring talented people from all over Europe even closer together to share their music, brainstorm and together make something unique.

So, we’re inviting musicians from across Europe* to the YouTube Space London for a two day musical get-together, to chat with industry experts on how to develop as musicians, drink lots of tea and possibly do a collaboration or two.

If music is your thing, you have more than 50,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel and you live in Europe*, apply now for a spot in this workshop.

Deadline to apply is November 28. The workshop will take place in the YouTube Space London on December 2nd and 3rd. Unfortunately space is limited so we cannot guarantee a place for all -- but we hope to see many of you there.

posted by Anna Gradil, YouTube Spaces team

* Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

What YouTube’s new music features mean for artists

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

As artists, creators, composers, remixers and directors, you’ve been at the forefront of making YouTube the ultimate home for music. After nine years of unforgettable music moments you’ve created -- Kutiman, Beliebers, “Gangnam Style” and countless others -- we’re more committed than ever to making the music experience on YouTube better for you and your fans. That’s why today we’re launching new music features that will help your fans discover and enjoy more of your music and rolling out the beta of our new subscription service, YouTube Music Key.

Starting today, all music fans will see a new home just for music on their YouTube app for Android, iOS and on YouTube.com. The music homepage will make it easier for fans to find their favorite music videos (including yours!) and discover new ones through personalized recommendations, trending playlists and playlists to perfectly fit their mood. What’s more, starting in the USA, UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Finland and Ireland, we’re launching the beta of our new music subscription service, YouTube Music Key, which gives subscribers access to ad-free music, background play and offline viewing. For artists, we believe the easier it is for fans to find and enjoy your music on YouTube -- anytime, anywhere -- the more opportunity you’ll have to build your fan bases and make money from your music.

If you’re wondering if your music is included in the YouTube Music Key beta, you should talk with your record label or distributor. If you're an artist sharing your music directly through YouTube and you’re interested in being a part of the subscription service, you can let us know with this form. We’re excited about this new music experience on YouTube, and we’re continuing to bring on more artists in the coming months.

With all these new features, all our best practices still apply for growing your audience on YouTube. So keep creating great music, curating awesome playlists and mixtapes, and continue to share your music with the world. Because if we’ve learned anything over the past nine years, it’s that your creativity is limitless.

The YouTube Music team recently watched “Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - YouTube Mix.”

Become a master at production

Thursday, November 6, 2014

We know you work hard on your awesome YouTube videos—and it’s our job to get you the resources you need to make them even better. Now you can become a creative master of production with exclusive tips from a professional director of photography in just four free workshops. Join your fellow creators and tune in to a live series on the YouTube Creator Academy channel from 6am-8pm GMT where we’ll cover these topics:

11/13: Technical camera and sound—camera basics and sound recording principles
11/20: Lighting fundamentals—an introduction to lighting sets and subjects
11/27: Cinematography—a more advanced side of shooting beautiful looking films
12/4: Shoestring production—how to create studio quality films on a tight budget

If you attend all of the sessions, you'll not only be a production expert in no time, but you’ll also receive a shiny letter of completion.

Anna Gradil recently watched Wheel of Impressions with Kevin Spacey

Creator Blog

Want your URL to match your channel?

When musicians come together...

What YouTube’s new music features mean for artists

Become a master at production

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