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Virtual meetup on YouTube Analytics and Google +

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Dear Partners, please join us for our virtual meetup on YouTube Analytics and Google +!
This will be a live event on the YouTube channel. Many of you have requested information about the new features of YouTube Analytics and Google+ functions - we want to answer your questions and hear all of your feedback.
Our own Ted Hamilton will be leading a discussion on the new functionalities of YouTube Analytics and Google+. You have the opportunity to ask your questions right now here. This is a unique opportunity to discover everything about YouTube Analytics. Please submit your questions by Monday 11th of June, and then make sure to tune in to see what Ted Hamilton has to say during the live event.
Date: Tuesday, June 12th, 2012
Time: 3 PM GMT (London)
Web address: Live streaming at youtube.com/YouTube

We look forward to seeing you on June 12th!
YouTube Partnerships Team

Meet Secretosdechicas, May's YouTube Partner Success Story!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Introduction:
Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name, your channel name? Where are you from, your fanbase?

I’m Patry Jordan from the YouTube channel 'Secretosdechicas', and I’m 28 years old. My main channel is Secretosdechicas and I have 3 additional channels: GymVirtual, SecretosdechicasVIP and SecretosdechicasVlog. I come from Girona, a city in Catalonia, Spain. I studied hair dressing and beauty therapy, and I am a sports instructor at a sports centre here in Girona. My suscribers come from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

History:
Please tell us how it all started. How and when did you start creating videos? When did you decide to be active on YouTube and become a partner? What was your first video on YouTube?

I started my channel more than a year ago with an introductory video and a hairstyling video using curling irons. After a while, I started to think about uploading my first video and starting a new project, although I had no experience.

Channel:
Please explain your channel. What's the story behind your channel? How did you come up with your channel concept?

At first, I wanted to create a website dedicated to sport and beauty, two themes I am passionate about, but this would require investment. So I decided to create a YouTube channel as a starting point, so that I could help others with my tutorials.

YouTube Partnership:
Please share your experience of being a YouTube partner. How has being a YouTube partner helped/changed your business and personal life? Were there any surprises? What are your plans for the future of your channel and YouTube partnership?

It is a hugely rewarding experience because of the positive feedback you get from all your subscribers. The channel has changed my personal life because I have got all friends involved in the project, as I constantly need help. I keep an eye on my channel all week and at weekends as well, so it requires a lot of dedication.
My future plans for the channel are to follow up with the subscribers and my video views. Now I am working on my new website and I hope to continue with as much enthusiasm as I had on the first day of the project.

Success:
How do you define success? How did you become successful on YouTube? What were your goals for your channel, and how did you achieve them? What would you recommend to newbie partners to be successful on YouTube?

I recommend that everyone should pursue their goals, celebrate their successes and examine how they achieved them. Success requires hard work. It is very important to be consistent and keep informed. Constantly learning new things will improve the channel more and more every day.

Creative inspiration:
Please tell us what inspires you. Do you have a particular creative aesthetic? Are there other YouTube channels you watch, creators you admire?

The truth is that I haven’t run out of ideas yet, but I must confess that I have a weakness for channels outside Spain. These are the ones I follow most.

Key Takeaways:
Anything you want the YouTube audience to know about you, your channel, or being a YouTube Partner?

I want my audience to know that I am very grateful for their support, that I live for what I do and that I enjoy it as much as they do.

Secretosdechicas, YouTube Partner, recently watched "Katniss' Braid"

YouTube Merch Store for all partners, now with CafePress

Friday, May 18, 2012

We chock YouTube full of features to help turn your YouTube channel into your dream job, and there’s lots of other good folks out there who have similar goals. Last year we launched the Merch Store, teaming up with Amazon, iTunes, Topspin, Songkick and Google Play to help indie musicians on YouTube promote licensed merchandise, music downloads, and concert tickets on their channels.

Selling merch isn’t just for musicians, so starting today the Merch Store will become available to all YouTube partners in good standing around the world. We’ve also added another friend from the web for even more great merch—CafePress.

Over the next few months, you’ll see a new tab on their channel called “Store,” where you can choose your merch to showcase to fans. You’ll need to have an account with each company to list products on your channel, and clicking on the product will take you to the site where it’s for sale. Here’s what it looks like:

For Merch Store inspiration check out partners like Pomplamoose, Geek & Sundry and DeStorm, and for more information check out our Help Center.
Christian Weitenberner, product manager, recently watched “ The Flog ”

Meet Rinuszingt, April's YouTube Partner Success Story!

Monday, April 30, 2012

We have loads of partners across Europe that are taking advantage of the YouTube Partner Program, and becoming highly successful on YouTube. We've asked some of these partners to share their experience on YouTube and within the program, and shed light on how to best utilize the platform. This month featured partner is Rinuszingt, please read on for their story and best practices!

Introduction:Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name, your channel name? Where are you from, your fanbase?
My name is Rinus Dijkstra, I am a singer from Drachten, in the North of Holland. My channel is called Rinuszingt. Deborah, my girlfriend, is the woman dancing in the latest videos. First, I was only famous in the region where I live, then the entire Dutch population checked my videos, and now I've made a video with Don Diablo & Diplo, so now I'm famous worldwide.
History:Please tell us how it all started. How and when did you start creating videos? When did you decide to be active on YouTube and become a partner? What was your first video on YouTube?
It all started two years ago. When my song 'Hey Marlous' was popular on YouTube, I became famous. Maybe it was because of the great styling, maybe because of the beautiful lyrics (hey Marlous, I want to shower with you) or maybe because of my great singing skills, but everybody was talking about the video. Just four months ago, I started the 'Rinuszingt' channel. Since YouTube videos are the most important part of my career, I wanted my own channel.
Channel:Please explain your channel. What's the story behind your channel? How did you come up with your channel concept?
The concept is simple: my own official music videos. Not a concept I had to think about for years. Sometimes, the best things in life are simple.

YouTube Partnership:Please share your experience of being a YouTube partner. How has being a YouTube partner helped/changed your business and personal life? Were there any surprises? What are your plans for the future of your channel and YouTube partnership?
Being a partner made it easier to regulate the videos. It's really important now that everything is OK. My fans are really waiting for the new videos. My career depends on the YouTube videos. And the future? Life is a big surprise to me. Let's make it a YouTube roller coaster.
Success:How do you define success? How did you become successful on YouTube? What were your goals for your channel, and how did you achieve them? What would you recommend to newbie partners to be successful on YouTube?
Success is waking up smiling every day. I have millions of people watching my YouTube videos. And every morning, the viewing numbers increase. So, cheers!Being successful is only possible when you stay close to yourself. Show who you really are on YouTube.
Creative inspiration:Please tell us what inspires you. Do you have a particular creative aesthetic? Are there other YouTube channels you watch, creators you admire?
The creativity is all natural to me. Especially, Deborah's creativity is endless. There's nobody like us.
Key Takeaways:Anything you want the YouTube audience to know about you, your channel, or being a YouTube Partner?
Always be prepared. We might do something unexpected.
Rinuszingt, YouTube Partner, recently watched "Het Vliegerlied (Het is weer een mooie Dag)"

Being a YouTube Creator Just Got Even More Rewarding

Thursday, April 12, 2012

[Update: This blog post was updated at 5:20PM on 4/12. Please read more below.]

Everyone has a different reason for being on YouTube. Some people want to be stars, others want to share what they know, and others are in the right place at the right time when something beautiful happens. Creativity is ever present and ever growing on YouTube: with more than 60 hours of content uploaded every minute, creators are constantly uploading fresh, innovative content and building audiences of millions around the world.

Back in January, we shared how we’re helping more creators earn money from their videos. Today, we’re expanding this more broadly so that if you’re uploading high quality, original content and monetizing it, you’re eligible for the Partner Program. You can learn more in the Help Center.
To further help all Partners in their careers, we’re also increasing the number of initiatives and resources to help all Partners unlock their creativity and skills, build larger audiences, and earn more revenue. You can find all of these initiatives and the latest Partner news at the Creator Hub (youtube.com/creators). Some of these initiatives are available in certain countries, but rest assured that we’re actively working to make more of them available in your region.

To help you unlock your creativity and further develop your skills:

Creator Clubs & Meetups: Sign up for a Creator Club to network and collaborate with other creators in your area; discover a Meetup near you, where you can meet YouTube staff and other creators.

YouTube Creator Academy & Next Creator Camps: For more hands-on training, we’ll be offering seats at the YouTube Creator Academy and Next Creator camps. YouTube Creator Academy will focus on video production training. Next Creator programmes will offer the chance to meet other creators, and gain skills to be more successful on YouTube.

Trainings & Updates: Check out our ever-growing collection of tutorials on the Creator Hub. To ensure you’re always informed of the latest updates and happenings in your region, subscribe to the Creator Blog.

YouTube Editing Tools: Whether you’re looking to improve and increase your production quality, or trying to create easy, fun videos, YouTube has a host of new tools to help new creators easily produce high quality videos. You can find most of them in your Video Manager.

To help you build larger and more engaged audiences:
Partner Promotion: Over the next few months, we’ll be rolling out Partner Promotion globally. This means our partners can receive free advertising on the Google Display Network.
Creator Playbook 2: The YouTube Creator Playbook 2 is the latest version of the definitive YouTube audience development guide. Find it at youtube.com/playbook. Translated versions will be available in just a few weeks; please check the Creator Hub.

To help you earn revenue from your videos:
TrueView and Other Ad Formats: TrueView is one of many innovative ad formats that can help creators earn more revenue, more deeply engage with their audiences, and provide a better overall experience to viewers. We’ve also improved a host of other monetization features, such as bulk monetization.
YouTube Analytics: YouTube Analytics is a powerful tool to help you build larger audiences and make more money. There have been some feature enhancements made so that more creators can take advantage of its reporting power.

[Update] We're excited to provide more creators with the opportunity to become partners and have access to programs and resources to help them be successful on YouTube. These programs will be tailored to partners based on their specific needs. We also recognize that custom thumbnails and banners are sought-after features by many creators. We are working on making these and other features available to more newly-made partners over time, like we have done with long uploads and monetization.

As always, you can stay on top of all creator-related initiatives and news at youtube.com/creators. We’re excited to see your channels continue to evolve as we bring more resources to more creators on YouTube.

Posted by Sara Mormino, Head of YouTube Content Operations and Next Lab EMEA

Meet Koalakombat, March's YouTube Success Story!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Introduction:
Please tell us a bit about yourself. What is your name, your channel name? Where are you from, your fan base?

My name is Ralph Ruthe, my channel on YouTube is called “koalakombat”. When I started in 2006, I was working on a flash-game by the same name so I decided spontaneously to give my channel the same name. Looking back maybe not the best decision, but neither a catastrophe. I live and work in Bielefeld, Germany.

History:
Please tell us how it all started. How and when did you start creating videos? When did you decide to be active on YouTube and become a partner? What was your first video on YouTube?

Mid 2005 I was already successful for several years with Cartoons published as books and publications in several magazines. Several attempts to translate my characters and content to video with professional animation studios and production companies were unsuccessful because I was not fully satisfied with the results. Professional producers just didn’t get my sense of humor as they were producing primarily for a child audience. My target group focused rather on teenagers with no upper age limit. I further focus on content rather than art. Accordingly, my first video from 2006 was a non-animated music video with self-designed puppets. When I got to know Falk Hühne, who was already producing animations, I saw a chance to jointly produce short clips on a small budget to demonstrate my ambitions and capabilities to established players.

Channel:
Please explain your channel. What's the story behind your channel? How did you come up with your channel concept?

My Channel stands for comedy. Animated, real life or puppets - what matters is that it reflects my humor 100%. Music plays a major role in my clips - I write and compose everything myself. My Top 3 are: "Du bist wie Sand", "Biber und Baum 2", "FLOSSEN - die Falltür".

YouTube Partnership:
Please share your experience of being a YouTube partner. How has being a YouTube partner helped/changed your business and personal life? Were there any surprises? What are your plans for the future of your channel and YouTube partnership?

The primary benefit of the YouTube partnership for me: the ability to develop videos without constraints on content or time according to my ideas, and the possibility to refinance my production cost (sometimes even make a small profit). Honestly, I didn’t even expect this level.
My characters and cartoons were known before my YouTube Partnership, but only through YouTube I was able to introduce myself as a musician and film producer to my audience because I could produce without any limits or constraints on creativity. I’m very comfortable with this situation and hope that will continue.

Success:
How do you define success? How did you become successful on YouTube? What were your goals for your channel, and how did you achieve them? What would you recommend to newbie partners to be successful on YouTube?

Success for me is the chance to do what I like best and what I can do well so people recognize me and I can make a living off it. I think that’s the recipe for success: To do what you really love. Not only for YouTube, but in general.

Creative Inspiration:
Please tell us what inspires you. Do you have a particular creative aesthetic? Are there other YouTube channels you watch, creators you admire?

Inspiration is everything. Shopping in the supermarket, a movie, an overheard conversation in the tube. But also other YouTubers, sure. For instance, I love the clips by Mr. Weebl.

Key Takeaways:
Anything you want the YouTube audience to know about you, your channel, or being a YouTube Partner?

I always try to surprise myself.
Koalakombat, YouTube Partner, recently watched “ Dick Figures: Kung Fu Winners”

Changes to Related and Recommended Videos

Monday, March 12, 2012

To make the videos you watch on YouTube more enjoyable, memorable, and sharable, we're updating our Related and Recommended videos to better serve videos that keep viewers entertained.For years, the Related and Recommended videos we served to the right of the player and on the homepage represented our best prediction of what people wanted to watch next. We regularly tweaked the system that selects these videos to keep it evolving with the rest of the site.Today, this system serves videos based on the number of clicks they receive, which would be like suggesting a TV show based on how many people briefly flipped on a channel while surfing. But clicks aren’t always the best way to predict whether you’ll be interested in a video. Sometimes thumbnails don’t paint the whole picture, or a video title isn’t descriptive.We’ve been experimenting with the way we offer Related and Recommended videos, focusing on video engagement to get people to the videos they like more quickly. In particular, we’ve discovered that time watched is one of the best indicators of a viewer's engagement. As a result, we’ll be focusing more prominently on time watched in providing Related and Recommended videos starting next week. While we'll still be looking at clicks, engagement will become the leading indicator for serving these videos.So, if you’re making videos that keep people engaged, Related and Recommended videos will begin showing your videos more prominently. On the flip side, videos that don’t will not be surfaced as prominently, which will impact a video’s viewcounts over time. How can you adapt to these changes? The same as you always have — create great videos that keep people engaged. It doesn’t matter whether your videos are one minute or one hour. What matters is that your audience stops clicking away and starts watching more of your videos.To help you, we have an Analytics Audience Retention Report, a list of best practices, and answers to frequently-asked questions to find ways ranging from content to programming. As this kicks off next week, we’ll continue to share resources on this blog to help drive even more audiences to your videos and to your channel.The YouTube Team

Creator Blog