One Site can Lead a Cultural Shift
A website that revolutionizes the way we consume media comes around once in awhile. Napster changed the way we think about monetizing media, ownership, Copywrite laws, and file sharing. It stripped power and influence over art from the few media conglomerates that run the world and returned it to the hands of the consumer. It liberated media by presenting an alternate world in which it could be free.
Another site, YouTube, has had a key impact on the way that we consume media, particularly video content. Prior to YouTube's launch, our options were rather limited for what kinds of videos we would have access to. People could basically choose from one of but a few choices.
We could watch preprogrammed television shows whenever they happened to be on, go see a movie at the theater, rent a movie from Blockbuster, or use a file-sharing site like Napster to download a movie.
However, YouTube rose up unexpectedly and offered us not only a new way to watch videos but a new way to share our own content as well. I don't think that YouTube gets nearly enough credit for putting a spotlight on video streaming, proving that a video streaming site could be both practical, scalable, and profitable.
Without YouTube, it's possible that there would be no Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, or Amazon Prime Video. YouTube was instrumental in paving the way for these streaming sites ? and we're grateful for their work. Without them, we may not be enjoying all of these amazing sites today.
In February of 2005, three people who had previously worked together at PayPal created YouTube. Shortly thereafter, in November of 2006, Google bought the video streaming service for 1.6 billion US dollars. Today, YouTube is still owned and operated by Google, one of Google's subsidiaries.
More than Meets the Eye
In case you are unaware, YouTube offers a variety of features and types of content. Let's go over what can be done on the site.
YouTube users can view, rate, share and comment on videos as well as create personalized playlists of video content which is something that is unheard of on most other video streaming sites. Another way that YouTube differs itself from its competitors lies in the fact that users can also upload an unlimited amount of video content, create live video broadcasts and regularly video blog.
YouTube has made its bread and butter by producing tons of unique and previously unheard-of types of content, such as the ?unboxing video.? This has resulted in companies finding new and creative ways to market products, contributing to the ?influencer? culture that now dominates social media.
Before Twitch, people were uploading videos of themselves playing video games for years on YouTube. YouTube was the original place where these kinds of streamers would post content. After Twitch realized that there was a huge opportunity in this burgeoning market, they quickly capitalized on it.
There has recently been a trend on YouTube of people simply reacting to new music, stand-up comedy, and movie trailers when they come out. These reactions function as reviews that you can watch. YouTube reviewers are not experts in their field, but they can be highly entertaining to watch - especially if the YouTuber in question has an electric or quirky personality.
With all the new YouTube content out there, it's not hard to make a living off of uploading videos to the site. With a complex and highly regulated system of monetizing videos, you can make a career as a professional YouTuber if you get enough viewers and likes.
Some videos on YouTube are amateurish, while others are professional-grade. You won't be able to find full-length movies or TV show episodes on YouTube anymore, but there are plenty of clips and the occasional company-sanctioned full episode of a series.
There are many interesting YouTube videos that you may not have known about. YouTube is the home to a plethora of music videos, documentaries, mini-series, short films, cartoons, and educational videos. Basically, anything that falls within YouTube's Copywrite policy is allowed.
A Staggeringly Large Video Streaming Phenomenon
I bet YouTube outgrew anything the three creators initially dreamed it would become. It has rapidly grown and expanded, but has also come under fire and been degraded.
We've touched on YouTube in an abstract way before, but just to give you a concrete idea of just how massive it is, Merch Dope compiled these stats: the total number of people who use YouTube is 1.3 billion, and 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute! Almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every single day. In an average month, almost 8 out of 10 18-49-year-olds watch YouTube.
Those numbers are truly incredible. There is no other video streaming site in the world with that kind of viewership.
Iconic Site Design
Let's take a look at YouTube's site design. It's iconic, of course - it has inspired the layouts of nearly every video streaming service after it. And for good reason: it's logical, effective, and intuitive.
You'll find the search bar at the top of the page. Below that, you'll be given a bunch of videos to choose from, most of which will be based on your own viewing habits. They are separated into sections, starting with Recommended videos for you. Next, you'll find news, latest posts, latest uploads by channels that you follow, YouTube mixes (popular playlists based on your viewing), and then even more recommended videos.
To the left of these thumbnails, you will find all of the personalized user features. This is where you can access your library, history, watch later, liked videos, your playlists, subscriptions, and a list of categories from which you can browse all of YouTube by tags like Fashion, Gaming, Sports, etc. Clicking on a video keeps the viewing process streamlined.
Below the media player are all the comments, where you can participate in a discussion that will never end. And on the right-hand side of the screen are suggested videos for you to browse which are similar to this one. This is an impressive site, and it's just too convenient for its own good!
Too Many Ads Nearly Ruin an Otherwise Perfect Site
Some people who have been using YouTube for a long time believe that the site has sold out, big time. The biggest flaw is that there are a lot of ads and they can be very annoying. Plus, they often interrupt your videos. YouTube is one of the most ad-ridden sites on the web, no doubt.
That being said, there is no other site like it on the web- at least not of the same size. Love it or hate it, YouTube is here to stay and it will remain one of the top free video streaming sites in the world.
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