YouTube comes to Colombia

Starting today, Colombians will have a localized YouTube to show the world their creativity, talent, and ingenuity. Colombia follows Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico as the fourth Latin American country to launch a YouTube domain (youtube.com.co). With a local version of YouTube, Colombians will now be able to more easily discover content and share local talent from within their country.


The advent of YouTube Colombia also has economic implications, especially for users who create videos that people share frequently. Users with the most watched or popular videos may apply to be part of YouTube's partner program, which already provides economic benefits to more than 20,000 members worldwide.

We hope that YouTube will allow Colombians to see and share their world through video. There have already been many shining examples, such as Esteman, who found YouTube a great worldwide place to have his musical hit, or math teacher “JulioProfe” who holds more than 17 million views of his math classes around the globe.

See you, and Colombia, on the web!

Susana Pabon, Communication Manager for Google in Colombia, recently watched “Fonseca - Te Mando Flores."



Mabuhay, YouTube Philippines!

While YouTube has been available in the Philippines' native Tagalog language since 2010, we have opened a new chapter for YouTube in the Philippines with the launch of a fully localized version of the platform.

As we were launching this new Philippines homepage, we also had the launch of two official government channels from current President Benigno Aquino III at his official channel and news channel. Through his representative Secretary Ricky Carandang, President Aquino also announced his plans to have a livestreamed chat with us with our YouTube World View program on November 4, in partnership with ABS-CBN. President Aquino will be the first Head of State in Asia to participate in the program, and you can ask submit and vote on questions via Google Moderator starting October 21.

This new Philippines homepage spotlights the most relevant videos to Filipinos, as well as more content from an array of Filipino partners such as broadcasters ABS-CBN, GMA Network Inc., TV5, record labels VIVA Records/Vicor Records, Pinoy Tuner, Star Records, and production company Oak3. If you’re in the Philippines, the site will automatically detect your location and send you to the Philippines page, but anyone interested in Filipino content can get there by just selecting “The Philippines” at the bottom of the page in the Location section.

At the launch event in Manila, we also debuted a video interview from one of our favorite Filipino YouTube success stories, Charice Pempengco.



Filipinos have already been using YouTube to make a name for themselves across the globe. Rock band Journey chose Filipino singer-songwriter Arnel Pineda to be their new vocalist after seeing videos of him belting out their hits on YouTube. And of course, the immaculately choreographed prisoner dance routines for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Bebot” brought world renown to the uniformed inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

With the YouTube Partner Program also opening in the Philippines today, we hope that talented Filipino video creators like the next Charices will sign up and start turning their passions into their careers.

Adam Smith, Director of Product Management, YouTube Asia-Pacific, recently watched “Will Ferrell & Manny Pacquiao Sing ‘Imagine.”

Meet the October "On The Rise" Nominees

Each month, we find four YouTube Partners whose subscriber numbers are growing but who still have fewer than 100,000 for our On The Rise program. After you check out their videos and channels, we want to hear your vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog. The channel with the most votes at the end of the week will be featured on the YouTube homepage and videos page.

Our nominees this month are all artists in their own field, and their videos could be especially useful this Halloween. Whether it’s getting you in the spirit with songs about witches and wizards, drawing faces for your jack-o-lanterns, or perfecting your costume with vintage makeup or martial arts moves, these YouTubers can be just what you’re looking for. Check out their videos and vote for your favorite on the top right corner of this blog by October 19 at 6pm PT, and we’ll announce the winner on October 27.

cartoonblock
Wielding only a Staedtler pencil and a kneaded eraser, Evan Burse made his career animating for hits like Batman and Scooby-Doo. But he’s also committed to giving back - his YouTube channel contains tutorials for anyone interested in re-creating their favorite superheroes, anime and cartoon characters.



kwonkicker
Micah, aka Kwonkicker, has devoted his channel to martial arts - specifically, a style he refers to as Taekwondo Kickboxing. If you’re looking for training tutorials or martial arts-based action films, you’ll find it all here.



hollywoodnoirmakeup
Ashley’s history as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics and her passion for old Hollywood and film noir serve her well on YouTube. Her tutorials have earned her a dedicated following, and she even keeps a running list of upcoming requested tutorials.



AlexanderCarpenter
Alex is well known for his original music videos about pop culture, movies, and books, like this video about Alex’s favorite book (and a great costume idea). If you like it, check his tour dates to see when he might be playing near you!



Past winners like theneedledrop and JasonMundayMusic and have seen their audiences grow, all thanks to your support. If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners. Look for more featured partners on the YouTube Browse page.

Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “Adele - Someone Like You.”

Introducing ThePianoGuys, your June On The Rise winner

Congratulations to ThePianoGuys, who received the most votes June’s On The Rise poll and will become the first piano-dealing videographers featured in this program. ThePianoGuys will have their day in the homepage spotlight today, thanks to your support and votes.

ThePianoGuys (aka Paul Anderson, Tel Stewart, and Craig Knudsen) operate a Yamaha piano dealership in St. George, Utah. Over the past decade, they’ve hosted countless musicians at their store and finally decided to combine their two passions—music and filmmaking—showcasing these artists for the world to see. The result: original YouTube hits featuring talented artists such as Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson and Jarrod Radnich.



Here’s a word from Paul Anderson of ThePianoGuys:
We're a just couple of guys with a camera, a computer and some really talented friends. We are passionate about showcasing artists that are not big yet, but we know will be someday, and would love nothing more than to be a part of someone’s "Big Break." It's a joy to bring exciting music to life through video, and we can truly say we love what we do. Thanks to our loyal subscribers we are having the time of our lives and who knows, maybe someday we will be able to do this full-time!
If you’ve enjoyed monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel or look for our playlists on the browse page. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!

Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched "To The Summit- by Jon Schmidt ‘Featuring Ray Smith on Tenor Sax.’”