YouTube Presents: Mayday in San Bruno, California

England had The Beatles. Ireland has U2. Taiwan has Mayday.

Taiwan’s Mayday (五月天) is the biggest name in Chinese rock today, with tens of millions of fans across the globe. No doubt they will be making even more fans when they perform at YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, California on Wednesday, November 28 at 7pm PT, and livestream it to the world on YouTube Presents and Mayday's YouTube channel.

After the concert at 8:30pm PT, Mayday will hold a Hangout with fans on Google+. To get a chance at joining this Hangout, post a question you want to ask the band with the tag #HangoutsWithMayday on Google+. Seven lucky fans will be invited to participate.



The first ever Chinese-speaking band to perform at YouTube Presents, Mayday announced their visit at Google’s office in Taipei last week, as they start their U.S. tour promoting their newest album Album No. 8 (作品8號).

Tune in to the livestream for a bit of Mayday to warm up your November, and subscribe to Mayday’s YouTube channel to get the latest videos from the group.

Richard Li, Country Marketing Manager for Taiwan, recently watched “Don’t Wanna Leave You Alone.”

Mission complete: Red Bull Stratos lands safely back on Earth

Today the Red Bull Stratos Mission took Felix Baumgartner to the edge of space and back, and the world tuned in to Red Bull’s YouTube Channel to see it all. At peak, you were watching more than 8 million concurrent livestreams of this mission, which intended to break 50-year old records of human limits and break new ground in medical and scientific research.

Following five years of preparations and a two-hour livestream on YouTube, Felix and this mission now hold the world records for:
  • Highest jump from a platform: 128,100 feet
  • Longest distance freefall: 119,846 feet
  • Maximum vertical velocity: 833.9 mph (Mach 1.24)


We congratulate Felix Baumgartner and the entire Red Bull Stratos team for their successful mission, and for creating a livestream with the most concurrent views ever on YouTube. To keep following this Mission and other videos from Red Bull, subscribe to their YouTube channel here.

For more live content on YouTube, you can also visit YouTube Live for a listing of channels with live events, like the closing day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Tim Katz, Sports Partnerships Manager, recently watched “The Balloon - Red Bull Stratos.”

Supersonic freefall from the edge of space to Earth, live on YouTube

This Monday, the launch window opens for aviation pioneer Felix Baumgartner to freefall from the edge of space back to Earth, hoping to break the speed of sound with nothing but his body and a parachute on the way down—live on Red Bull’s YouTube Channel. The mission aims to collect scientific data for the advancement of aerospace safety.

”All systems are a go” for The Red Bull Stratos Mission starting 6:00am PT on October 8. Since freefalling from space requires perfect weather conditions, the full launch window extends for two weeks. To find the exact time of the launch, check the Red Bull YouTube Channel or sign up for email updates at redbullstratos.com.



How it works
The 120,000 foot jump over Roswell, New Mexico is the culmination of over five years of work by Felix and the Red Bull Stratos mission team, who are now prepared to break the 102,800 ft record set by US Air Force legend, Col. Joe Kittinger 52 years ago. After rising in a capsule propelled by 30 million cubic feet of helium, Felix will jump from 23 miles above Roswell, New Mexico. You’ll see a live data feed that will show exactly where Felix is in the sky, his rate of speed during the freefall, and how high above earth he is throughout the entire flight. You’ll also be able to hear Felix’s conversations with Col. Kittinger who will be the only voice from Mission Control advising Felix.

Enjoy the ride.

Tim Katz, Sports Partnerships Manager, recently watched “Supersonic Freefall - Red Bull Stratos CGI.”

How the Olympics played out on YouTube

When we started preparing for the Olympics last year, we prioritized two things: giving you a front-row experience, and serving you video at the best quality possible. You responded in a huge way:

Around the world
  • Giving more people access to watch live and recorded events was key. Across the US and 64 countries in Africa and Asia you watched 231 million total streams. Of those, 72 million total streams came from IOC YouTube Channel.
  • At peak, YouTube delivered video for more than half a million livestreams at the same time. That’s 5X the capacity of Wembley Stadium.
  • Live video looked better than ever before, with a 7X improvement in quality based on low buffering and high frame rates.
In the U.S.
  • We powered online coverage for NBCOlympics.com, delivering more than 159 million total streams.
  • Through NBC’s native apps, 37 percent of views came from mobile devices, and more than half were in HD.
  • The U.S. Olympic Committee YouTube Channel shared behind the scenes video with more than 6.75 million views, and 50 YouTube Creators “Invaded” London to show the full experience through their eyes.


We hope you enjoyed the Games on YouTube and across Google, and thanks for tuning in.

The YouTube team

Attention, cricket fans: Sri Lanka Premier League T20 comes to YouTube

The world’s attention may currently be concentrated on a certain international sporting event in London, but cricket fanatics’ minds are much closer to the equator as they mentally prepare for the first ever Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL). This Twenty20 tournament goes from August 10 to August 31, featuring Sri Lankan cricketing icons Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan, as well as 42 international players like Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Nathan Mccullum and Saeed Ajmal.

And just as we did with the India Premier League, YouTube will be streaming straight from the pitch (with slight delay) on the SLPL’s YouTube Channel. For those far from Sri Lanka in an un-friendly time zone, no worries—just catch up on the highlight videos uploaded after the match conclusion.



We’re always excited to see a new T20 tournament popping up, and we’re even more excited to help bring the action from Colombo and Kandy straight to you, wherever you are.

Manan Singhi, content partnerships manager, recently watched “Lasith Malinga’s Four Wickets in Four Balls.”

Bonnaroo: Live on YouTube this weekend

Stock your cooler with sparkling water and hook your laptop up to a big-screen TV -- YouTube Presents is bringing you the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival all weekend, starting this Friday at 1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT. Tune in to youtube.com/bonnaroo to watch three days of non-stop musical performances, in partnership with DELL.



And we mean non-stop. In its eleven years of existence, Bonnaroo has transformed from a haven for jam band aficionados into one of the premiere places to experience live music. The headliners alone are massive -- perhaps you’ve heard of Radiohead, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish? But the sheer diversity of artists is also astonishing: over 45 artists will be participating in the webcast, and they range from hip-hop and retro soul to continent-spanning collaborations. Check out the webcast schedule, or whet your appetite with this "Bonnaroo 2012" playlist.



To celebrate the festival’s return to YouTube, we’ll also feature playlists from webcast artists including Soja, the Punch Brothers, the Debo Band and fun. throughout the weekend. And keep an eye out for an exclusive video premiere from the heavily (and justly) buzzed band Alabama Shakes tomorrow. It may just knock your socks off.

The festivities start promptly at 11am PT on Friday on youtube.com/bonnaroo -- see you there, people.

Sarah Bardeen, music community manager, recently watched “Bonnaroo 2012 - Ben Folds Shoutout."

The IOC to show live coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games on YouTube in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

This summer, from July 27 to August 12, the world will turn their attention to London to watch the daily trials and triumphs of the greatest living athletes at the Summer Olympic Games. Today, we’re excited to announce that millions of Olympic fans from across 64 territories in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa will have a chance to watch the games live from London on the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/olympic.

In total, the IOC’s YouTube Channel will offer fans in these countries over 2,200 hours of high-definition sporting event coverage from London 2012, including all the medal finals.

People in countries including Singapore, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya (full list here), can tune in to the IOC channel on their desktop, tablet, or mobile device enjoy live coverage of the events as well as highlight clips free-of-charge. The IOC channel will have 10 HD live-feeds from the Games, running from 9am to 11pm London time, plus a 24-hour broadcast of the Olympic News Channel. There will also be highlight reels and full videos of events after they’ve finished — all organized by the day, medal event, or the sport.

For those not in these particular countries, you can already watch historic clips from past Games on the IOC channel and teasers from London on the London 2012 YouTube Channel. Hopefully, these will hold you over until the triumphant entrance of the athletes at the Opening Ceremony on July 27.

Tommy O’Hare, sports content partnerships manager, recently watched TK,
Flying Finn Ritola signs off with fifth gold - Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games.”

Vivid LIVE from Sydney Opera House puts you in the FRONTROW

Some of the biggest musicians from around the world will gather over the coming week as part of Vivid LIVE, the annual music event held at Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid Sydney, the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas.

For the first time, audiences around the globe will be able to watch select performances live on YouTube, and share the experience through a custom camera application called FRONTROW.

During the livestream, not only can you sit back and enjoy the tunes of some renowned musicians, you can also participate right from your desktop! In a world first, you can take photos of the event through the FRONTROW camera app: zoom in and out to change your view, take photos during the live stream, apply filters and immediately share on your social networks.



Oh, and what will you be watching? The line-up of performances includes:
  • We kicked off today with German design collective URBANSCREEN lighting the sails of Sydney Opera House
  • Tuesday, May 29, from 6:00pm AEST / 1:00am PST: Grammy award-winning English singer Imogen Heap, in an intimate recital with a spectacular Sydney Harbour backdrop
  • Thursday, May 31, from 9:50pm AEST / 4:50am PST: Our very own The Temper Trap, debuting their new album in the Concert Hall, with footage from the event available on YouTube following the performance
  • Saturday, June 2, from 9:00pm AEST / 4:00am PST: Brazilian electronica mastermind Amon Tobin in an audiovisual spectacle taking projection mapping and electronic performance to new heights
For the full schedule of events and to experience Vivid LIVE on YouTube, visit youtube.com/sohfestival.

Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Australia, recently watched “Seekae 3.”

See what happens when Gary Oldman directs Jack White’s live show

The American Express Unstaged series, in partnership with Vevo and YouTube, matches a musical act with a visionary director to create a unique online experience. Previous match-ups have included Duran Duran directed by David Lynch, Arcade Fire directed by Terry Gilliam, and My Morning Jacket directed by Todd Haynes.

Tonight at 6pm PT, Gary Oldman will direct the live stream of a very special performance from Jack White. At a time when White is embarking on a brand new solo project, with his album Blunderbuss performing well both critically and commercially, we're excited to see what he brings to the stage of New York City's Webster Hall!


Watch the show unfold on Jack White's official channel.

Tim Partridge, music marketing manager, recently watched "Metronomy - The Bay."

Live from Toronto: World MasterCard Fashion Week

World MasterCard Fashion Week may have been an exclusive event in the past, but now it’s available to everyone live on YouTube.

Starting today through Saturday, March 17, fashion enthusiasts everywhere can watch the hottest Canadian designers showcase their Fall 2012 collections live from Toronto on the Fashion Week Live YouTube Channel, presented by Maybelline NY. The channel will also have behind-the-scenes videos and make-up tips on YouTube Fashion Week Live, giving you even more tutorials to get the looks fresh off the runway.



Check out the schedule and add your favorite show to your calendar so you don’t miss a thing. If you can’t make it for the live stream, all of the shows will be available on the Fashion Week Live YouTube Channel.

Jamie Reichstein, YouTube lifestyle program manager, recently watched “KONY 2012.”