September 2009
20 posts
The Facebook Challenge: Day 60 - The End! →
We talked trash about giving ourselves two months to get more fans on Facebook than some well-known celebs, and though we’re now totaling 3.65 million fans and have gained nearly 600K since…
YouTube Musicians Launch a Label →
We love to brag about successful projects that happen in our community, and so when we heard about DFTBA Records, the label that’s all about acts that rose up on YouTube, run by YouTube…
Calling All Creative Types... →
We’d like to introduce you to the Creator’s Corner, a new hub for aspiring video-makers. This section of the site brings together all the information a budding artiste could want to know about…
User Inspires Favicon Change →
Favicon is short for “Favorites Icon” and it is a square icon that often appears in your Web browser’s address bar or in your list of bookmarks. An enterprising blogger at Typophile recently…
Five Stars Dominate Ratings →
This graph fascinated us and so we wanted to share. It shows the number of videos that receive specific star ratings: one star for when you loathe something, five for when you love it. Judging from…
Join World Leaders on the Road to Copenhagen →
In December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to discuss a global agreement on climate change as part of the United Nations’ Climate Change Convention (often referred to as COP15)….
If Only Every Homework Assignment Had Prizes Like... →
As a new school year unfolds, here’s an assignment for America’s students from the U.S. Department of Education and YouTube: in two minutes or less, make a video showing the nation and the world how…
Extending the Olive Branch on YouTube →
Today, in honor of the International Day of Peace, a UN-recognized global day of nonviolence and ceasefire, we’re turning up the volume on this important issue by featuring peace-related film, music,…
Release Notes: 9/17/09 →
We’re back with a rundown of the new features and changes that went live recently: Friend suggestions: As mentioned in a previous post, we’ve started the first phase of the “find your friends”…
The Votes Are In: Fall TV's Most Anticipated Show →
YouTube users voted on over 100 Fall TV previews, and the most anticipated show of the season is…drumroll, please…Mythbusters. Congratulations to Jamie and Adam, who busted some viral video…
First Round of Democracy Definers Find Fame - Will... →
Today is the International Day of Democracy and what better way to celebrate than to announce the second round of the Democracy Video Challenge, a partnership between YouTube, the State Department,…
The Facebook Challenge: Day 46 →
There’s still technically some time for us to slink past Vin Diesel, Megan Fox, Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Adam Sandler in the race for the most Facebook fans, but with just 14 days left, we’ll…
A Year of Interactive Video Annotations →
“Choose a different ending” is an interactive video describing the life of a teenager trying to survive the slums of London. The story, which is shot from a first-person point of view, lets viewers…
Looking Back on 9/11 in Remembrance and Service →
Today, in honor of 9/11, many Americans are using YouTube to share their stories and forge connections with fellow citizens. Some, like this user, are hoping to create community by uploading…
Live on YouTube Today: President Obama's Address... →
Although the United States Congress was out on recess for most of August, the debate over health care reform was hotter than ever this last month, as the lively town hall meetings and non-stop…
Coming soon: Finding your friends on YouTube →
YouTube has always been a place for you to share and enjoy videos with family and friends. Soon, we’ll be making it even easier for you to find people you know on the site. We’ll start by launching a…
How Do We Build Better Schools? Ask the Students →
Okay, YouTube — it’s time to trade in those water balloons for some #2 pencils. A new school year is upon us! Thankfully, an organization called Architecture for Humanity (AFH) is trying to…
Adopt a Feature: All Hail MikeandToneRP →
Lots of good news to report since we last spoke about Adopt a Feature v2. This round, the number of submissions to the program more than doubled — 76 videos were made about annotations,…
Share Your American Journey, Win a Travel... →
Have you gone road tripping to find the world’s best BBQ? Does your Aunt Mindy have an awesome collection of outdoor gnomes? Is there a must-see monument in your own backyard? Visit My Journey…
Catch Latest L.A. Fire Footage on YouTube →
As fires continue to spread through the hills of Los Angeles and thousands are forced to evacuate the area, citizens are turning to YouTube to post footage of the blaze. For example, in this…
August 2009
18 posts
Vote on the No. 1 Video Vaccine →
A month ago, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Katherine Sebelius put out a call asking you to raise awareness about how citizens can steel themselves against the H1N1…
Live from the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival! →
We’re pleased to present YouTube’s first live-streamed concert, featuring selected performances from the Outside Lands Music & Arts festival happening this weekend in San Francisco’s Golden Gate…
Who Would Win in a Fight? →
Today, we’re wondering who would emerge victorious in a battle royale between two ninja warriors, both of whom are currently starring in movies on YouTube. One is the greatest martial artist of all…
YouTube Mobile App Expands to Five New Languages →
We’re happy to announce that the YouTube Mobile Application for Windows Mobile and Symbian S60 devices is now available in five new languages. We now support users with localized content in…
Join Jude Law and Speak Your Peace on September 21 →
Last year, in honor of Peace Day — a United Nations-sanctioned day of global nonviolence and ceasefire held on September 21 — a nonprofit called Peace One Day helped persuade…
Vote For Your Fall TV Favorites →
The end of summer is upon us here in the northern hemisphere, but it’s not all bad news, especially if you’re a pop culture fan. It’s time to swap days at the beach for nights on the couch with your…
Congress Responds as Health Care Heats Up on... →
Congress may be in recess, but that doesn’t mean its members are taking a vacation. For the past few weeks, elected officials from both sides of the aisle have been fanning out across the country…
Imagining the YouTube of the Future →
What will watching video be like a few years from now? That’s a question that we ask ourselves a lot here at YouTube. In a recent article in Forbes magazine, we shared a few ideas that…
A Note About Content Availability →
Today, we wrap up our week-long feature of the 1984 classic, Ghostbusters. Over half a million of you tuned in, but many more of you outside the U.S. wanted to. Some of you have also wondered why…
Ghostbusters Last-Chance Viewing Party →
Is there anything better than kicking back to a great movie with a bucket of popcorn and a few of your closest friends? How about kicking back to a great movie with a bucket of popcorn and a few…
Couldn't Make It to a Town Hall? It's Coming to... →
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen citizens using YouTube to make their voices heard about health care and to amplify their interactions with members of Congress. In light of this trend,…
Robot Chicken, Gossip Girl and Ellen Clips Coming... →
Pop-culture-ridiculing dolls, beautiful backstabbers, and
one of the most popular talk show hosts on TV are headed to YouTube,
thanks to a new partnership announced today with…
YouTube Gear for Sale →
We are pleased to announce that finally there is a way for you to get YouTube swag! Our new online store has just launched at http://www.googlestore.com/youtube, and it’s stocked with T-shirts,…
The Facebook Challenge: Day 14 →
It’s been two weeks since we started talking trash here about whooping some celebrity butt on Facebook. Nearly 140K of you have joined our group since the announcement. That’s pretty good! But…
Look Inside a 1,024 Recipe Multivariate Experiment →
Do small changes make a big difference? In the world of landing page testing, they certainly can. A few weeks ago, we ran one of the largest multivariate experiments ever: a 1,024 recipe experiment…
"Just-in-Time" Learning About Flagged Videos →
Sometimes it happens. You’ve read the Community Guidelines, you think you understand the rules, and you upload videos that you believe comply with them. Then one day you receive a message from us…
Don't Cross the (Video) Streams →
This summer marks the 25th anniversary of the film that put “crossing the streams,” Gozer the Gozerian, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on the map. An instant quotable classic, Ghostbusters — and…
Masthead Undergoes Redesign →
You may notice something looks a little different about our masthead (top navigational area on the homepage) today, and that’s because we’ve done a bit of housecleaning. We’ve streamlined and…
July 2009
5 posts
Scary Shorts in the Screening Room →
Been a while since your last good scare? Then check out the new round of short horror films in The YouTube Screening Room, our destination for top independent films from the film festival…
Update on New Channels →
It’s been a week since we announced that a new version of channels is coming, and we wanted to give you an update on our progress. Well over a million of you have now opted in to the beta, and many…
Upload Size Doubles + HD Tips →
Many of you have been asking for an increase in the size limit of your uploads. We’re happy to announce that the size of standard uploads has doubled from 1GB to 2GB. The increase means you can…
Use Action on YouTube to Drive Action Off YouTube →
For a few months, we’ve been testing a feature for partners that lets them add “Call-to-Action” overlays to their YouTube videos to help them drive traffic to other websites. Many have used the…
Adopt a Feature v2 →
You may remember the inaugural edition of Adopt a Feature, for which you made videos about AudioSwap, Country Pulldown, Insight, Playlists, Quick Capture, and Subscriptions. These…
June 2009
25 posts
Helping You Report the News →
Ever captured a natural disaster or a crime on your cell-phone camera? Filmed a political rally or protest, and then interviewed the participants afterward? Produced a story about a …
Submit Your Question for President Obama →
President Obama is taking your questions this Wednesday in a special online health care townhall event at 10:30am EDT. With healthcare at the top of the President’s agenda, he is opening up the…
Lights! Camera! Action! Trailers Page Launches →
Summer is in full swing and that means summer movie season is right around the corner. Get a sneak peek at upcoming blockbusters by checking out our new Trailers page in the Movies section of…
Mobile Uploads to YouTube Increase Exponentially →
In the last six months, we’ve seen uploads from mobile phones to YouTube jump 1700%; just since last Friday, when the iPhone 3GS came out, uploads increased by 400% a day.
This growth represents…
New Channels Coming Soon →
A few months ago, we launched our YouTube channels redesign in beta (first via a secret opt-in URL that many of you discovered, then as a visible opt-in link). Hundreds of thousands of you are now…
More From Iran: On-the-Ground Footage, Tribute... →
Last week, we highlighted several videos uploaded straight off the streets of Iran, as protests raged and the Iranian police force, the Basij, cracked down. And if the graphic footage that was…
Announcing Service 2.0: Video Volunteers →
Have you ever wanted to volunteer but weren’t able to find an opportunity that felt right? Have you ever considered using your video-creating skills for a cause you care about but didn’t know…