Video Sharing: YouTubeA Look at the phenomenon

What is online video sharing?A quick and dirty definition:Broadcasting content through a video hosting serviceWorks because the media is translated into the same “language” code (Adobe Flash, on YouTube)Benefits the userNo required knowledge to upload, stream, or embed dataLow-cost (or no cost!)Community-based, by sharing a server

Broadcasting content through a video hosting service

Works because the media is translated into the same “language” code

Benefits the user

No required knowledge to upload, stream, or embed data

Low-cost (or no cost!)

Community-based, by sharing a server

Video sharing websites

The leader in online video content:Data from http://www.hitwise.com

YouTube popularityTwo-thirds of all video views are on YouTube, and is the primary video-viewer for various sites (like SlideShare.net)Last March the site had 90 million visitors… 10 times more than the next largest competitor, HuluLast August, YouTube boasted over 7 million video streams…20 times more than HuluData from http://en-us.nielsen.com/rankings/insights/rankings/internetand http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/youtube/index.html

What sets YouTube apart?no advertising before watching a video, continual resistance to the “big name” media most content created or added by individuals innovation in uploading: embedding in other sites and to mobile devices popularity = large viewing audience for users early entrance into the market . . .

YouTube founders:Chad Hurley and Steve ChenPhoto by Michael Grecco, 2006. From http://www.time.com

YouTube history2005: former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim discuss issue of sharing video after dinner party (legendary story)Inspiration to create a “Hot Or Not” –like site, but with videoIdea shifts from “Hot Or Not” to all video, and credit cards are maxed. Hurley and Chen take charge. October 2005: Site gains notoriety from a few viral videos, like Nike ad with Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho. Venture capitalists and silicon valley companies invest ≈$8.5 million2006: Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 billion

2005: former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim discuss issue of sharing video after dinner party (legendary story)

Inspiration to create a “Hot Or Not” –like site, but with video

Idea shifts from “Hot Or Not” to all video, and credit cards are maxed. Hurley and Chen take charge.

October 2005: Site gains notoriety from a few viral videos, like Nike ad with Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho. Venture capitalists and silicon valley companies invest ≈$8.5 million

2006: Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 billion

Organization using YouTube: NikeJuly 29, 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrEdYueahO8

Organization using YouTube: NikeJuly 29, 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBWRfhBlX24

Nike on YouTube…SUBLIMINAL ads: Ronaldinho & Kobe Bryant for HyperdunkEPISODIC ads: Nike SBHIGH VALUE ads: Guy Ritchie directs footballer commercial, 2008 As featured on culture-buzz.com and telegraph.co.uk, Nike ads have garnered positive reviews and repeat video sharing

More YouTube successes:

using YouTube: U2October 24, 2009

using YouTube: Chris Crocker, the Britney Spears superfanBritney Spears performs at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards to much criticism Chris Crocker makes numerous pleas in September of 2007 via VLOG to “leave Britney alone” Crocker’s vlog becomes the second most discussed video in YouTube history, with over 425,000 comments The vlogcurrently has had over 27 million views Crocker’s YouTube channel has over 260,000 subscribers, he has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, and guest-hosted segments on VH1

Britney Spears performs at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards to much criticism

Chris Crocker makes numerous pleas in September of 2007 via VLOG to “leave Britney alone”

Crocker’s vlog becomes the second most discussed video in YouTube history, with over 425,000 comments

The vlogcurrently has had over 27 million views

Crocker’s YouTube channel has over 260,000 subscribers, he has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, and guest-hosted segments on VH1

using YouTube: other organizations you can findU.S. government: Health concerns, public safetyNews outlets: Associated Press, CBS News, and others have their own YouTube “channels” Television on YouTube “shows”: The Amazing Race, Grey’s Anatomy, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, 20/20

U.S. government: Health concerns, public safety

News outlets: Associated Press, CBS News, and others have their own YouTube “channels”

Television on YouTube “shows”: The Amazing Race, Grey’s Anatomy, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, 20/20

A problem for YouTube providing service to organizations…Profit margin must cover the cost of server space, site maintenance, and new developments Source of the problem:No advertising before watching a video

Wait…what?

What sets YouTube apart?no advertising before watching a video, continual resistance to the “big name” media most content created or added by individuals innovation in uploading: embedding in other sites and to mobile devices popularity = large viewing audience for users early entrance into the market . . .

Solutions to ad revenue problem: The“thrifty” approach of Hurley and ChenSide-bar advertisingProduct giveawaysExample: iPod giveaway for Babylon’s YouTube video competition, how translation has changed your lifeCall-to-action overlay adsDrive traffic to sites off of YouTubeAs of June 30, 2009, YouTube no longer restricts use of ads to certain partners, content, or video genresCreates “YouTube Promoted Videos”Generating revenue through deals with television and music media outletsExample: Warner Music to allow hosting of music videosYouTube hosts CBS (Hulu, owned by Disney, hosts NBC, Fox, and ABC)

Another problem for YouTube:Copyright infringement, similar to NapsterThe latest ending case:A group of 25 music publishers, producers, and musicians from Germany suing YouTube for server log information that reveals who shared their copyrighted content

YouTube continues to deal with copyright issuesGoogle CEO Eric Schmidt responds, “Copyright law, the safe-harbor provisions—it works, as long as we do a good job of takedown.” Note: Parodies and examples of free speech are not taken down, are protected by free speech. Opposition to this practice is evidenced by the Thai government’s ban of the site.s

YouTube: looking forwardNew innovations all the timeExample: In the past week, YouTube introduces “trending topics” as a real-time search of video comments, similar to TwitterChanging content: Lawsuit outcomes, copyright issuesNegative media press, YouTube “celebrity” and trends with teensTastes of vloggers: Personal bios and how-tos moving over to more independent YouTube competitors Freedom of speech—be it by the individual or commercial conglomerate—sharing space and communicating directly with the world at large

New innovations all the time

Example: In the past week, YouTube introduces “trending topics” as a real-time search of video comments, similar to Twitter

Changing content:

Lawsuit outcomes, copyright issues

Negative media press, YouTube “celebrity” and trends with teens

Tastes of vloggers: Personal bios and how-tos moving over to more independent YouTube competitors

Sources:http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570721-2,00.htmlhttp://www.hitwise.com/us/datacenter/main/dashboard-10133.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/youtube/index.htmlhttp://en-us.nielsen.com/rankings/insights/rankings/internethttp://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/specials/the-top-ten-time-travel-films-of-all-time.phphttp://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2354485,00.asphttp://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4901/How-to-Use-YouTube-s-Call-to-Action-Overlay-Ads.aspxhttp://www.culture-buzz.com/blog/Nike-Bets-on-YouTube-1649.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3117854/Guy-Ritchies-Nike-advert-a-YouTube-hit.htmlhttp://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/09/warner-music-comes-back-to-youtube.htmlhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20750575/http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1842653,4_1_JO24_FLU_S1-091024.articlehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-territo/new-jersey-man-arrested-a_b_332200.htmlhttp://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/german-musicians-to-sue-youtube-their-own-fans-644610http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/210256/youtube_vs_the_thai_government.htmlhttp://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2354485,00.asphttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/win-a-new-ipod-touch-with-babylons-youtube-video-competition-65935127.htmlhttp://www.negotiationlawblog.com/articles/movies-tv-youtube/http://gizmodo.com/tag/fair-use/