Choosing how you’re seen on YouTube

Maybe you’ve outgrown that username cutepuppies99, which seemed like such a good idea at the time. Or perhaps your friends are missing out on your mad origami skills, because they don’t know you are the genius behind origamiboy1981.

Starting today we’re giving you the ability to change how you appear on YouTube, with the option to use your Google+ profile on your YouTube channel. One Google-wide identity was something that proved popular with new YouTube users when we began offering it in March, so we are now extending it to existing users.

This is your identity, so you’re in the driver’s seat. First off, your name. If you are currently YouTube user joeysam87, you can now appear as Joey Samson, the full name from your Google+ profile (with an actual space in the middle!), along with any photo you uploaded:

Next step, your past activity. Maybe you posted a few things way back (all those “I love you Biebs!!” comments?) that you’d rather not associate with publicly. By clicking “Review my content,” you can see every video, comment or playlist you’ve ever posted, and decide whether you want it associated with your full name before making the change:

This will give you more options for how your videos are seen and discovered on YouTube. However, we realize that using your full name isn’t for everyone. Maybe people know you by your YouTube username. Perhaps you don’t want your name publicly associated with your channel. To continue using your YouTube username, just click “I don’t want to use my full name” when you see the prompt. Stay tuned for more ways to use this username in other Google products and services in coming months.

For many YouTube users with existing Google+ profiles, you’ll start seeing this option the next time you upload or comment on YouTube. For partners, brands and organizations, you won’t see this just yet. This will first be available in the US, with plans to make this available internationally soon. For more information, check out our help center.

John Fisher, Software Engineer, recently watched “Dogtown Days - Gerry Saint”

It's YouTube's 7th birthday... and you’ve outdone yourselves, again

In May 2005 we first shared YouTube with the world. Seven years later, you’re the ones doing the sharing! We’re so honored that you’ve used YouTube to share how-to tips, political moments, home videos, comedy, music, and so much more.

Last year to celebrate our birthday, we wrote you, the YouTube Community, a thank you note for making our first 6 years so special. And on that birthday you gave us a great present by reaching a record rate of 48 hours of video uploaded to the site every minute. Well Community, this year, on our 7th birthday, you’ve outdone yourselves once again.

Today 72 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute. Like many 7 year olds around the world, we’re growing up so fast! In other words, every single minute you now upload three whole days worth of video instead of two. That's 61 Royal Wedding Ceremonies, 841 Bad Romances, and 1,194 Nyan Cats.

We’ve come along way in the past 7 years. What started as a handful of videos shared among friends has transformed into a global platform delivering the next generation of channels to anyone, anywhere, and on any device. This last year was especially big for us. We helped bring more great channels to YouTube and we redesigned the site, making it easier for you to discover, watch and subscribe to the videos you love. And all 800 million of you all over the world have shown us we’re on the right track by increasing subscriptions 50% and watching over 3 billion hours a month.

Behind the tens of millions of channels on YouTube featuring talented filmmakers, home videos, skateboarding tricks, music, and car enthusiasts there has always been one consistent voice: you. Throughout our seven years you’ve made the YouTube community what it is. Thank you!



The YouTube Team, recently watched “"How to" throw the PERFECT *Princess Birthday Party*”

You asked for it! Here are your 16 Next Vloggers...

Since launching, YouTube Next Creator has helped chefs cook up better videos, trainers get more people into shape and non-profits extend the reach of their causes. So figuring out which category to tackle, well, next, was a bit of a challenge. Rather than deciding ourselves, we asked you to make the tough decision for us. With a resounding cry, you told us, “BRING US NEXT VLOGGER!”

Not only is vlogging one of the most popular forms of expression on YouTube, but selecting Next Vlogger also resulted in more applications than we’ve received for any previous Next Creator program. Bravo! Although, that still left us with some tough decisions...

After much debate and many sleepless nights, we’re excited to introduce you to the 16 Next Vloggers:




From sports recaps to music parodies, book reviews to space lions, gaming tips to Smurf collecting, advice and self-empowerment to Pokemon mastery, and even some stuff that can’t be categorized, these vloggers--like the art of vlogging--literally touch on every content category.

Fun bunch, huh? In total, they’ve racked up more than 125 million views. Not a shabby start, but like most YouTube creators, they’re eager to reach even more people. To help them get there, the Next Vloggers will participate in three months of trainings via Google+ Hangouts, including mentoring from top YouTube vloggers and content creators, iJustine and Natalie Tran from communitychannel, and receive $5,000 worth of video equipment and $10,000 worth of promotion on and off YouTube. Subscribe to their channels to follow them on their journey over the next few months and beyond.

Not a vlogger but still want to gain some skills to help you go from zero to hero...views? You’re in luck because we’re kicking off some rad YouTube Creator Workshops that cover a wide range of topics from “Introduction to Cinematography” to “Improving Your Channel with YouTube Analytics.” You can check out the YouTube Creator Events site to see the calendar of workshops that you can attend via Google+ Hangouts on Air from the YouTube Creators page.

Vlog on!

Austin Lau & Bing Chen, Global YouTube Creator program managers, recently watched “YouTube's Next Vlogger!”.

Do You Have What it Takes to be the ‘Next’ great YouTube Vlogger?

Vlogging, or video blogging, videos are some of the most popular on YouTube. And rightfully so--they’re one of the few types of videos that literally anyone can create: all you have to do is sit in front of camera, share words of wisdom (okay, wisdom not always required), and upload the video. From accounts of political struggle in the Middle East to fan reactions of newly-released music videos to testaments of personal discovery, the intimate act of vlogging can take many shapes and resonate with audiences around the world.

A few weeks ago, we asked YouTube creators what form of content we should tackle as part of our Next Creator program, a development initiative to help promising creators find their voices, improve their skills, and build their audiences. You resoundingly responded with calls for YouTube Next Vlogger.

Starting today through April 18, applications will be open for sixteen promising vloggers to take part in three months of intimate educational workshops held on Google+ Hangouts. Each vlogger will receive $5,000 worth of video equipment and more than $10,000 worth of promotion on and off YouTube. Participants will also receive mentoring from industry experts, such as iJustine, one of the most successful vloggers and content creators on YouTube!

YouTube creators from Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States are eligible. If previous Next Creator participants are any indication, the Next Vloggers will be an incredibly talented and engaging group. We can’t wait to introduce them to you on April 30, but they need to apply first!

Vlog on!

Austin Lau & Bing Chen, Global YouTube Creator Program Managers, recently watched The Dominic Show’s “Dating Tips: Break Ups”

YouTube now local in Chile through YouTube.cl

Latin America is a melting pot, full of talented and witty people, and Chile is no exception. Traditionally known as a country of poets and wine, Chile is also home to many people coming to YouTube to entertain and be entertained. For that and so many other reasons, we’re very excited that now Chile joins the nations with a local version of YouTube.

Chile joins the group of 40 countries around the world with a local version of YouTube, the fifth in Latin America with Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.

Having a hometown version of the site makes finding and sharing local channels easier through charts and trending videos, and it also makes discovering new videos more relevant for Chileans on the local version. It also gives more visibility to local channels as Chileans subscribe and favorite new videos.

Because of its geography, Chile has varied cultures and customs, and we hope you enjoy seeing how they connect through YouTube. Some examples we’ve seen already are the work of Puntaje Nacional, a channel that prepares students to get into college, or the ironic humor of Soy Germán.

We’re looking forward to see the rich content that will be discovered and shared through YouTube Chile, and hope you enjoy it too. We’ll soon see how YouTube Chile takes flavor and color, like its world-renowned wines the local team is celebrating with right now!

Alejandra Bonati, communications and public affairs manager, Google Chile, recently watched “Aumento de nivel del río San Jose en costanera de Arica.”

Seeing familiar faces on YouTube through Google+

As you surf through YouTube's decorative vegetable carvings, wingsuit flying videos and Hindi lessons, you might start to notice some familiar names and faces. That's because today we're adding a feature that lets you sign up for a new YouTube channel using your existing Google+ profile. You can now use your Google+ profile name and photo on a new YouTube channel, giving you one consistent identity across platforms when uploading videos, sharing, commenting and other public activities.

Today’s update gives the more than 100 million of you on Google+, who are already able to watch YouTube in Hangouts and share videos with your Circles, another way to bring the best of Google+ directly into your YouTube experience.

Here’s what you’ll see if you sign up for a new YouTube channel and you already have a Google+ profile. If you want this to be your channel name and photo, just click OK, “I’m ready to continue.”



If you want to create a YouTube channel that’s different from your Google+ profile (e.g. “KatnissForPresident”), click “Create a username,” and you’ll have the option to create a YouTube channel as usual. It looks like this:



This is currently available on the English version of YouTube and we’re looking to roll it out across languages in coming months. Also, if you already have a YouTube channel and want to connect it to your Google+ profile—stay tuned. We’ll be following feedback on this update and hope to add more features that bring the best of Google+ into YouTube.

Trevor O’Brien, product manager, recently watched “Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run.”

Brazil’s Carnival goes social with Google

While you may have heard of Brazil’s Carnival (or Carnaval), not everyone will have the chance to fly to Brazil to experience what are arguably the largest annual street festivals (+ music concerts + dance parties + culture fests) in the world.

Every year, Brazilian cities compete to be the country’s top Carnival destination: This year, we’re bringing you the sights, sounds and energy of Brazilian Carnival directly from the streets of Salvador (Brazil’s first capital and one of the oldest cities in the the Americas) through Google+, YouTube and Orkut.

From February 16 to 21 — the height of the festival and the peak of Brazil’s summer — you’ll be able to:

• Watch the festivities wherever you are in the world on the Carnival YouTube Channel. Starting Thursday, February 16, you’ll have access to everything from a live transmission of the streetfest to videos of bands who have traveled to Salvador to host the party. You’ll even be able to chat with other YouTube users who are watching the party with you from around the world through a map we’ve integrated just for the occasion.
• Chat with bands and watch live interviews on Google+. Chat with some of the Brazilian bands who have joined the festivities in real time by sending questions via Google+ and Orkut. You’ll also be able to watch celebrity interviews running live throughout the week on the AoVivo (Live) Google+ Page and transmitted simultaneously on YouTube and Orkut.

Even if you didn’t have a chance to get a plane ticket to Brazil, there’s no reason not to experience the energy of this year’s 2012 Carnival. Find out more about how you can be part of the party on +AoVivo, Orkut or on our Carnival YouTube Channel.

Flavia Simon, head of consumer marketing, Brazil, recently watched "President Obama sings Al Green: Let's Stay Together in 2012."

Where you’ll find Google and YouTube at CES 2012

Cross posted from the Official Google Blog.

Every year in the tech world, thousands of us pack a bag with all of our gadgets and head to Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It’s a tech lover’s paradise where you can check out new technologies and talk about the trends of the future with visionary members of the industry. If you’ll be joining us, here are a few places and dates where you can find Google and YouTube.

We’ll kick things off at 3:00pm PT on Tuesday, January 10 with chairman Eric Schmidt speaking at CNET Presents - The Next Big Thing in CE, in Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) North Hall N255-257. On the following day, January 11, we have a bunch of events across topics:

• Google’s senior policy counsel Rick Whitt will participate in the Innovation Policy Summit Session: Spectrum for Wireless Broadband: Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together in LVCC North Hall N264 at 10:15am PT.
• On the education front, Angela Lin, manager of YouTube EDU, will present on “High Tech U”—digital tools and services that are changing the traditional ivory tower—at 3:00pm PT in LVCC North Hall N256.
• End the day at 5:00pm PT with CNET's Women In Tech panel, featuring Marissa Mayer, VP of product management, in LVCC South Hall, Upper Level Lobby - CNET Stage.

On Thursday, January 12 at 10:00am PT, YouTube will be keynoting the Entertainment Matters program in the Las Vegas Hilton Theatre. Robert Kyncl, VP of global content, will share his thoughts on the evolution of the entertainment industry, and he’ll later be joined by partners and friends for a panel discussion.

Don’t forget to check out Google TV around CES this year. Recently announced new partners LG, Marvell, MediaTek join Samsung, Sony and Vizio having new devices to play with at their booths. You can also find YouTube demos on TVs and devices around the LVCC show floor at LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba and other booths.

For first-timers, here’s a video overview of the show from the Official CES Channel:



Stay tuned for updates on our +YouTube page and on Twitter—pack your smartphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, televisions, E-readers and of course, your battery chargers, and see you in Las Vegas!

Matt McLernon, Communications Manager, recently watched “Fishing under ice.”

Edit your videos with YouTube

Until now, when you uploaded to YouTube, your video was hosted and shared, but couldn’t really be changed. If you wanted to trim off the end, swap out the soundtrack, or add an effect, you had to edit your video using a separate program and upload again.

Starting today, you can edit your uploaded videos right on YouTube and maintain the same video IDs. This means you keep your view count and comments, and all existing links to your video will continue to work. No re-uploading necessary!

Here’s how it works: just click Edit video on the video’s page or on your My Videos page:
You can stabilize your hand-held footage, rotate a video, and boost the contrast and colors. Try “I’m Feeling Lucky” for 1-click color correction:

Or if you’re looking for a more dramatic change, try one of our effects (developed in collaboration with our friends at Picnik):
Click Save to begin processing the edits to your video. And if you don’t like the new version, fear not: you can revert to the original and save again. You can also save your edits into a new video and try out multiple versions. Note that popular videos with over 1,000 views and videos with third-party content can only be saved as new videos once edited (learn more).

Here’s a quick video showing what you can do:



We’ll be rolling this out to all users globally over the course of the day. We know you want your videos to look their best, and we’re excited to see what you come up with using YouTube video editing!

John Gregg, Software Engineer, recently watched “Shenandoah.”

TrueView Video Ads give viewers choice and control over ads

Today we're announcing a new family of ad formats called TrueView Video Ads. TrueView Video Ads give viewers choice and control over which advertiser’s message they want to see and when. And we charge advertisers only when a viewer has chosen to watch your ad, not when an impression is served.

We believe offering a cost-per-view video ad model is good for everyone: consumers choose ads that are more relevant to them; you more precisely find the audiences you want; and content creators continue to fund great content with an ad experience that is less intrusive. Our experience with Promoted Videos, which you buy on a cost-per-click basis, shows that viewers will choose to watch ads that are relevant and engaging.

Our first available cost-per-view format is TrueView Video Ads - InStream. Viewers can choose to skip a video ad after 5 seconds, and you only pay when the viewer has watched the full ad or 30 seconds, whichever is shorter.

click for full size image

We’ve tested this ad format across thousands of viewer hours, serving millions of video views for a wide range of advertisers. If you counted up all the video views watched, they would stretch out for nearly five years. Early results are encouraging with view-through rates of 20-70%. A view-through rate measures how many viewers have opted-in to watch your ad - a valuable signal which you can use in connecting the right message with the right audience at the right time.

Check out the experience of some of our early advertisers. GoPro makes and sells the HD HERO line of wearable, gear-mountable HD cameras. Lee Topar, Director of Online Marketing for GoPro, says, “We like how TrueView Video Ads give us the ability to target our audience, and gives viewers the choice to opt-in to watch our ads. Thus far, we’ve seen about a 40% view-through rate -- and since we only pay when potential customers actually watch a video, we have more control over our budget.”



In the run-up to the recent US midterm elections, many political campaigns tested TrueView with positive results. Peter Pasi heads up Emotive LLC, an online marketing firm which recently helped to elect Senator-elect Rob Portman and Governor-elect John Kasich in Ohio. He says, "TrueView allows us to deliver our message in a scalable way specifically to the voters we want to reach. For example, we used its geo-targeting capabilities to execute a county-by-county media strategy. TrueView also provides a rich experience for the voter and allows the viewer choice and freedom. It’s easy to deploy, and it's a fraction of the cost of television."



Robert Wray served as the director of technology in Governor Martin O’Malley’s re-election campaign in Maryland. He says, “The Governor had used YouTube prior to the re-election so it was a no-brainer to use it in the campaign. We achieved a 45% view-through rate with TrueView ads and found them to be effective when you look at the raw numbers of total video views and the amount we paid for them.”



This ad format is available for customers in the US and Canada and in limited testing for advertisers in the UK. We are working to add availability in additional countries.

Several other developments are also in the works. Soon, you'll be able to use TrueView Video Ads to increase a video’s view count. We are working to make TrueView Video Ads available for our self-service customers and to simplify the buying experience and reporting for everyone.

If you’re interested in trying out TrueView Video Ads, contact your account manager today.

Posted by Gordon Zhu, Inside AdWords crew