What is YouTube?
Visit YouTube on the web at http://youtube.com/
YouTube – The Best Way to Create, Share, and Explore Video Content on the Web
Sure, there may be other video-sharing sites available on the internet such as DailyMotion and Vimeo. However, it was YouTube that paved the way for the increased consumption of video-based content on the web.
The platform started out as a way for people to upload and share their videos with family and friends, but has now turned into a very useful tool that is being used by big-name brands such as the BBC, CBS, NBA, and many others.
History
YouTube was created by three former PayPal employees, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. Hurley studied design at Indiana University of Pennsylvania while Chen and Karim studied computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The trio got the idea to create a video-sharing site during the early months of 2005. Karim mentioned that the inspiration started with the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident in 2004 when her breast got exposed during her performance, as well as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Karim said that it was difficult to find video clips of the event, which then triggered the creation of a video-sharing site.
YouTube began as a venture-funded technology startup and their headquarters were situated above a pizzaria and Japanese restaurant in San Mateo, California.
The first ever video on the site was called “Me at the zoo” which showed co-founder Karim at the San Diego Zoo. YouTube was officially launched in November 2005 and immediately saw a rise in membership.
Site Statistics
According to data published by comScore, a market research company, YouTube is the leading provider of online video content in the US. They own 43% of the market share and recorded more than 14 billion video views in May 2010.
As early as July 2006, the company announced that more than 65,000 new videos were being uploaded to their site each day. Not only that, the site was also receiving 100 million view per day.
Youtube Features
- Video playback
Users need to have the Adobe Flash Player plug-in installed in their browser to be able to play YouTube videos. Basically, users can opt not to log into the site in order to view a video. However, if they want to do such things as comment or like a video, then they need to log in with their Google account.
Youtube Video Playback
Enjoy watching videos at Youtube
- Video upload
YouTube users are allowed to upload videos up to 15 minutes in length. If you have a good track record of abiding by the Community Guidelines of the site, then YouTube might offer you the chance to upload videos up to 12 hours in length.
The file types that can be uploaded to YouTube include AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4, DivX, FLV, ogg, and ogv.
Upload Videos To Youtube
Upload, store & share your videos for free at Youtube
- Video sharing
If you found a video that you want to share to your social networks, YouTube makes it easier by providing a set of buttons corresponding to the platform you want to share it to. This is so you don’t have to copy URLs into Facebook or Twitter anymore. All you have to do is click on a button and it does all the work for you.
- Video liking
Liking videos allows YouTube to generate content that might interest you.
- Video playlists
You can create different playlists according to your liking. For example, you can add all the American Idol performances you liked into one collection.
Youtube Playlists
Create & save Youtube playlists
- Video subscriptions
You can subscribe to a variety of channels on YouTube. These are basically the accounts whose videos you want to view on a regular basis. When you subscribe to them, the newest ones appear on your homepage once you sign into the site.
- Video comments
Just like any other social media platform, you can also leave comments on YouTube videos. However, YouTube became stricter with this to avoid spammy messages by requiring those who want to comment to sign in with their Google+ account.
Top Brands on YouTube
As a testament to its overall usefulness, several brands have made use of YouTube for marketing purposes. Here are some of them:
- Red Bull
- PlayStation
- Apple
- GoProCamera
- Rovio Entertainment
YouTube Uses
Apart from marketing, one of the best uses for YouTube has been in the discovery of new artists. Justin Bieber’s claim to fame started out on YouTube where he uploaded several songs to the delight of many. Popular band Boyce Avenue also makes YouTube a platform where they upload covers of well-known songs. Another thing YouTube is well-known for is videos of animals being silly: there are insane cat videos, adorable dogs caught on tape, etc.
So, whether you like discovering new music, watching crazy cat videos, or learning something, all of these are offered on YouTube.
You are always welcome to visit us at YouTube by navigating to https://www.youtube.com/user/ImpactSocialMedia1
Also, if you have questions or comments about YouTube or would like to share with us about your channel there then feel free to post your info in the comments section below.
Video: How to Start a YouTube Channel