YouTube was founded in 2005 and has since become the world's largest online video sharing platform. It allows users to easily upload, view and share videos. Though initially for personal use, YouTube has expanded into business, political, music and news applications. Viral videos in particular have helped YouTube grow exponentially as popular videos spread rapidly by sharing online. The future of YouTube may include paid content and increased user playlist and sharing capabilities.

1. : An ArtefactBy Sharon SimcoxStudent 591373

2. A Quick HistoryURL: WWW.YOUTUBE.COMYouTube was founded in 2005, and soon became the world’s largest online video sharing community.YouTube was created to allow users around the world to share their videos online easily and quickly – in real time.In November 2006, Google purchased YouTube, and made it into a Google product. YouTube is now a subsidiary company of Google Inc.YouTube has joined forces with several major media companies to be come an onlineSource of entertainment including: CBS, BBC, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group etc…

3. A Quick HistoryAnyone can search the site’s content and view videos on the site – using keyword searching to locate videos titled or tagged with words matching the search words.Anyone can upload videos onto the site, but they must firstly register with the site either by setting up a Google account or using an existing Google account.YouTube now streams live events; the first series of events to be streamed live on the site were Indian Premier League Cricket matches.Access to the YouTube website is banned in some countries such as China, as it contains content that their governments do not wish their citizens to have access to, although the citizens are constantly finding ways around this to allow them to upload and watch content on the YouTube website.

4. StatisticsYouTube receives more than 2 billion views per day.24 hours of video are uploaded onto the site every minute.The audience demographic of YouTube is very broad – 18-54 Years old.YouTube has more HD content than any other website.Over 4million people share links to videos on You Tube via at least one social network.More than 50% of the videos on YouTube have been either rated or commented on by the YouTube Community.YouTube Mobile receives more than 100 million views per day.

5. Rules of Videos uploaded must adhere to the strict rules, designed to keep content clean and within the laws of copyright throughout the world.Videos are not allowed on the site if they show any of the following:Sexually explicit contentAbuse of AnimalsGory content, including showing dead bodiesViolenceHate Speech (speech inciting hate against religions, races etc)Bomb MakingDrug AbuseYouTube also do not allow any behaviour on the site that is:Spam – using misleading tags or titles to direct users to a videoStalking or harassment of YouTube community members.

6. Copyright on YouTube take Copyright very seriously. YouTube’s current copyright rules are:You may only upload videos you are authorised to use.

7. If you didn’t make the video, don’t upload the video unless you have authorisation from the owner.

8. Don’t use any content within a video which some else may own the copyright on, e.g. Music tracks, without their permission.

9. If you infringe the YouTube copyright rules, YouTube are allowed to and will take down your video without prior notice.If a video infringes your copyright, you must send a copyright notice to YouTube requesting to have the video taken down. They will assess your request and take down the video if they find that it does infringe your copyright.

10. Flag as Inappropriate!YouTube have a self administering system where users are allowed to flag uploaded videos as inappropriate, if they feel that the video is unsuitable or infringes the YouTube rules. A button is placed on each video’s page, which the user must click on. This will then flag the video to the YouTube Staff, who will review the content of the video and whether or not it should be removed from the site.

11. ChannelsChannels are used to hold collections of videos, uploaded by one user/organisation.This is an example of a channel page.Users can subscribe to channels and receive alerts when new videos are uploaded. Examples of organisations using channels to store and present videos online include Channel 4, using YouTube to upload videos of their televisions programmes that have been recently broadcast as an extension of their on demand service.

12. Channels cont.Channels can be set up by anyone.The videos stored within channel don’t have to be about the same subject or genre.You must have an account registered with Google to enable you to set up a channel.Users can subscribe to channels, and can also post comments about videos in the channel and the channel itself.The contents of channels can be made private to only specified users and websites, as set by the channel owner.Channels can be designed and displayed according to the channel owner’s requirements and customisations.

13. Subjects and GenresWhen uploading a video, the user must select with subject or genre category the video fits into. For example, a funny video should be placed under the Comedy genre.Genres currently available to select or browse:EntertainmentSportGamingShows (TV)EducationScience & TechnologyComedyHow to & StyleTravel & EventsMusicFilm & AnimationPeople & Blogs

14. The uses of YouTube has many applications: Personal

15. Business

16. Political

17. Music

18. NewsUses - PersonalYouTube was initially designed for personal use; to share videos with others online.There are now many ‘personal’ applications of YouTube, developed over the time since the site launched, by the website owners and by the YouTube Community through popular demand.As anyone can upload videos, many people upload videos to ‘speak to the world’; giving their personal views on various issues or subjects. Some users upload videos of them singing or dancing or doing anything!People post videos for a variety of reasons;To share with friends or family or, To entertain or speak to the general public.

19. Uses - PersonalHere is an example of a social interaction video – Someone giving their point of view on a subject:If you cannot view this video above, please view it on YouTube, by clicking here.

20. Uses - PersonalOther examples of the personal applications of YouTube are:Educational – instructional videos on how to do almost anything!If you cannot view this video above, please view it on YouTube, by clicking here.

21. Uses - PersonalAnd finally Entertainment: Funny videosSingingDancingSportetc … The list is endless!This is an example of a ‘funny’ video which has been posted for the general public to watch.If you cannot view this video above, please viewit on YouTube, by clicking here.

22. Uses - BusinessBusinesses and organisations use YouTube to reach several different types of audience:Customers/Clients (existing and potential)EmployeesOther businesses and organisationsBusinesses post adverts or create viral videos (detailed explanation to follow) as a source of ‘free’ advertising; it is free to post the video onto YouTube, but there may be costs involved in the video production.If you cannot view this video above, please viewit on YouTube, by clicking here.

23. Uses - BusinessBusinesses and organisations also use YouTube to post instructional videos to help their customers use their productsIf you cannot view this video above, please view it on YouTube, by clicking here.

24. Uses - BusinessBusinesses and organisations use the social and community features of YouTube to their advantage: - Asking customers to post videos showing them using their products or services.Allowing the general public to watch videos and adverts online and to then rate them and leave comments (see example, right, of a channel set up by Audi).

25. Allowing the downloading of their videos so that they can be shared via various electronic methods, such as email, social network sites etc…Uses - PoliticalPolitical parties now have YouTube channels and use these to reach the electorate; posting videos on the party’s policies, current events views and election promises.YouTube is used by political parties as a quick and easy way to reach the general public, without being limited on the amount of time they use to demonstrate their point as they are when creating a TV party political broadcast video.But any videos that are uploaded by a party onto YouTube must still adhere to the rules of what can and cannot be said, including any videos containing hate speech.

26. Uses - NewsYouTube has become a valuable source of news and current events coinciding with the popularity mobile phones with cameras and digital cameras and camcorders. Whereas in the past news footage was only filmed by television crews, now any member of the general public can film an event as it happens, then upload the video in almost ‘real time’.Some news organisations post copies of their news reports onto YouTube for the public to view, creating an alternative to accessing the news via their news programme on television.

27. Uses - NewsMembers of the public use YouTube to share their ‘amateur’ news videos; if they were at the scene of a news event and filmed it at the time, they may want to share this with the rest of the world. Some of these videos are used by news agencies and other organisations to complete their news broadcast if they don’t have footage themselves or if the video shows the event from a different view or better angle.As with all video uploads onto YouTube, the videos must adhere with the rules such as not showing violence or dead bodies.

28. Uses - NewsExample of Television company news video and YouTube channel:If you cannot view this video above, please viewit on YouTube, by clicking here.

29. Uses - NewsExample of amateur news video:If you cannot view this video above, please view it on YouTube, by clicking here.

30. Uses - MusicYouTube is a source of all types and styles of music; from professional singers, bands and artists and official music company videos to amateur ‘karaoke’ singers – members of the general pubic, and unsigned artists. All mentioned above use YouTube for the same reasons – to reach a wide audience using a ‘free’ service to promote themselves.Music companies upload artists and bands official videos to promote them; the videos can then be shared via social networking and so the companies hope that more people will then buy the artist’s single/album etc.Any videos posted must adhere to the copyright rules, so the person uploading must have permission to use the music track in their video. As artists and the music companies recognise that members of the public posting videos of them performing their artist’s song can be a source of advertising, most videos of this type aren’t removed, even though the ‘uploader’ may not have requested permission to use the music track.

31. Uses - MusicAmateur artists, bands and members of the general public upload videos onto YouTube to show the general public their performance.Some unsigned music acts use YouTube for promotional purposes; to showcase their music to new and existing fans and to try to attract music companies with a view to being signed up.This has happened in the past; the band Straight no Chaser posted an old video of them performing ‘12 days of Christmas’ which became a viral video, shared around the world and the web. They were signed by Atlantic Records to a 5 year album deal because of their YouTube video (1).If you cannot view this video above, please view it on YouTube, by clicking here.

32. Uses - TV and FilmAs a new development, YouTube has partnered with several TV and film companies. YouTube allows the companies to upload videos that are longer than the 15 minutes regular users can upload, so that they can post a whole television programme or film onto the site, which the general public can then access.This arrangement gives the companies another method of reaching their audience through the YouTube site and is a method of trying to stop users feeling the need to upload copyrighted material such as television programmes. It also allows the companies to create online ‘on demand’ facilities for their viewers.

33. Uses - TV and FilmA good example of the use of YouTube for hosting an ‘on demand’ service is the UK’s Channel 4’s YouTube channel. The television company has been quick to embrace the technology available on YouTube, using it as an alternative to the service they provide on their own website.http://www.youtube.com/user/4oDEntertainment

34. Uses - TV and FilmChannel 4 also used the YouTube Channel function to create a fan’s channel for fans of Big Brother. Episodes of the programme, unseen footage and share videos across social networking sites.Fans could also post comments on each of the Big Brother videos posted, so a ‘fan community’ was created on YouTube.Users could subscribe to the channel so that they were alerted as and when new content was uploaded onto the channel.

35. What is a Viral Video?Since the launch of the YouTube website, a new internet meme (something spread online via the internet) has been created – the Viral Video.Viral videos are videos which are shared in various forms or methods, online, frequently, to become very popular, very quickly – in some cases almost over night!

36. Viral Video - ExampleThe video ‘Charlie bit my finger’ became a viral video. It was originally uploaded onto YouTube as a way to share the video showing the children with other members of the family who were in a different country.But it was picked up by members of the public, who shared it online, viewed it many time to make it become very popular – one of the most popular viral videos of all time, with over 259,000,000 views to date.If you cannot view this video above, please view it on YouTube, by clicking here.

37. How Viral Videos spread?Viral Videos are called viral as they can spread across the internet like the common cold virus can spread amongst people in a room! Very fast!