History of YouTube#Founding (2005)

{{Timeline of release years

| title = Timeline of events

| 2005a = July – Video HTML embedding

| 2005b = July – Top videos page

| 2005c = August – 5-star rating system

| 2005d = October – Playlists

| 2005e = October – Full-screen view

| 2005f = October – Subscriptions

| 2006a = January – Groups function

| 2006b = February – Personalized profiles

| 2006c = March – 10-minute video limit

| 2006d = April – Directors function

| 2006e = May – Video responses

| 2006f = May – Cell phone uploading

| 2006g = June – Further personalized profiles

| 2006h = June – Viewing history

| 2007a = June – Local language versions

| 2007b = June – Mobile web front end with RTSP streaming

| 2008a = March – 480p videos

| 2008b = March – Video analytics tool

| 2008c = May – Video annotations

| 2008d = December – Audioswap

| 2009a = January – Google Videos uploading halted

| 2009b = June – Launch of "YouTube XL" front end for television sets

| 2009c = July – 720p videos and support for 3D video

| 2009d = November – 1080p videos

| 2009e = December – Automatic speech recognition

| 2009f = December – Vevo launch

| 2010a = March – "Thumbs" rating system

| 2010b = July – 4K video

| 2010c = December – Removal of groups feature

| 2011a = April – Live streaming

| 2011b = November – YouTube Analytics

| 2011c = November – Feature film rental

| 2012a = March – Seek bar preview tooltips

| 2012b = June – Merger with Google Video

| 2013a = March‒June – Transition to the "One" channel layout

| 2013b = September – Removal of video responses feature

| 2013c = September‒November – Google+ integration of comments sections

| 2014 = October – 60 fps videos

| 2015a = March – 360° videos

| 2015b = June – 8k video

| 2015c = October – YouTube Red launches (rebranded as YouTube Premium in 2018)

| 2016a = February – YouTube subscription service

| 2016b = April – live streaming with 360° and 1440p

| 2017a = January – Introduction of "Super Chat"

| 2017b = February – YouTube TV launches

| 2017c = March – Ability to modify video annotations removed

| 2017d = August – Logo changed and new "polymer" website version defaulted (preselected)

| 2017e = September – Video Editor discontinued

| 2018 = June – Introduction of "Channel Memberships", "Merchandise" and "Premieres"

| 2019a = January – Removal of annotations and AutoShare features

| 2019b = September – Visible subscriber counts abbreviated to three leading digits

| 2020a = January – Creators now must comply with COPPA

| 2020b = February – Removal of option for legacy website version ("disable_polymer"){{Cite web |last=(TeamYouTube) |first=Hazel |date=February 3, 2020 |title=Heads up, discontinuing older version of YouTube on desktop soon |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/27596769/heads-up-discontinuing-older-version-of-youtube-on-desktop-soon |access-date=September 11, 2024 |website=YouTube Help |publisher=Google Inc.}}

| 2020c = Spring – Removal of legacy "Creator Studio"

| 2020d = May – Addition of chapters

| 2020e = August – Removal of optional email notifications for uploads

| 2020f = September – YouTube Shorts is launched; "Community Captions" removed

| 2021a = July – Introduction of "Super Thanks"

| 2021b = July – Purge of pre-2017 unlisted videos through mass-privatization.

| 2021c = September – Introduction of "Super Stickers"

| 2021d = November – Removal of public dislikes count

| 2022a = October – New UI Design

| 2022b = October – Handles

| 2023 = July – Crackdown on ad blockers

| 2024a = April – Intensified crackdown on ad blockers, targeting third-party apps with ad blockers

| 2024b = September – Addition of YouTube Playables, implementation of ads on paused videos

| 2024c = December – Crackdown on misleading video titles and thumbnails, known as "egregious clickbait"

}}

File:YouTube screenshot 2005.png){{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/ |title=YouTube on May 7, 2005 |work=Wayback Machine |date=May 7, 2005 |access-date=December 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050507021216/https://www.youtube.com/ |archive-date=May 7, 2005 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}]]

File:Youtube founders.jpg, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim.]]

YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, when they worked for PayPal.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-11-21-video-websites_x.htm|title=Video websites pop up, invite postings|access-date=July 28, 2006|last=Graham|first=Jefferson|date=November 21, 2005|work=USA Today|archive-date=July 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706134045/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-11-21-video-websites_x.htm|url-status=live}} Prior to working for PayPal, Hurley studied design at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Chen and Karim studied computer science together at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.{{cite book|last1= Wooster|first1=Patricia|title=YouTube founders Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim|year=2014|publisher=Lerner Publishing |isbn=978-1467724821|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VB-XAgAAQBAJ|access-date= 21 November 2016}} YouTube's initial headquarters was above a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in San Mateo, California.{{Cite news|title=Ready for Its Close-Up|author=Sara Kehaulani Goo|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100600660.html|access-date=November 29, 2008|date=October 7, 2006|archive-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402153534/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100600660.html|url-status=live}}

The domain name "YouTube.com" was activated on February 14, 2005, with an open beta on April 23, 2005, with the slogan "Tune In, Hook Up" ─ the original idea of Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. The concept was an online dating service that ultimately failed but had an exceptional video and uploading platform.{{Cite news|last=Dredge|first=Stuart|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/16/youtube-past-video-dating-website|title=YouTube was meant to be a video-dating website|date=2016-03-16|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-18|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128200940/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/16/youtube-past-video-dating-website|url-status=live}} After the infamous Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson Halftime show incident, they found it difficult to find any videos of it on the internet. After noticing that a video sharing platform did not exist, they dropped the dating aspect of the site.{{Cite web|url=https://phrasee.co/the-history-of-youtube/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925140821/https://phrasee.co/the-history-of-youtube/|archive-date=2020-09-25|title=The history of YouTube|date=2016-05-09|website=Phrasee|language=en-GB|access-date=2021-02-14}} The idea of the new company was for non-computer experts to be able to use a simple interface that allowed the user to publish, upload and view streaming videos through standard web browsers and modern internet speeds. Ultimately, creating an easy to use video streaming platform that wouldn't stress out the new internet users of the early 2000s.{{cite book |last1=Burgess |first1=Jean |last2=Green |first2=Joshua |title=YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture |date=2013 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-7456-5889-6 }}{{page needed|date=November 2022}} The first YouTube video, titled Me at the zoo, was uploaded on April 23, 2005, and shows co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo and currently has over 355 million views and 17 million likes.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2480280/YouTube-Overnight-success-has-sparked-a-backlash.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2480280/YouTube-Overnight-success-has-sparked-a-backlash.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=YouTube: Overnight success has sparked a backlash|date=July 31, 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London|author=Alleyne, Richard|access-date=January 17, 2009}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/jNQXAC9IVRw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Me at the Zoo|author=Jawed Karim and Yakov Lapitsky |format=Video|publisher=YouTube |date=April 23, 2005|access-date=August 3, 2009}}{{cbignore}} Hurley was behind the look of the website, creating the logo.Owings, L. (2017). YouTube. Checkerboard Library. Chen made sure the page actually worked and that there would be no issues with the uploading and playback process. Karim was a programmer and helped in making sure the initial website was put together properly and helped in both design and programming.

As of June 2005, YouTube's slogan was "Your Digital Video Repository".{{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/ |title=YouTube – Your Digital Video Repository |access-date=May 31, 2012 |archive-date=June 14, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050614234128if_/http://www.youtube.com/}}

YouTube began as an angel-funded enterprise working from a makeshift office in a garage. In November 2005, venture firm Sequoia Capital invested an initial $3.5 million,{{cite news|first=Scott|last=Woolley|url=http://members.forbes.com/global/2006/0313/027.html|title=Raw and Random|work=Forbes|date=March 3, 2006|access-date=July 28, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122133536/http://members.forbes.com/global/2006/0313/027.html|archive-date=November 22, 2018|url-status=dead}} and Roelof Botha (a partner of the firm and former CFO of PayPal) joined the YouTube board of directors. In April 2006, Sequoia and Artis Capital Management invested an additional $8 million in the company, which had experienced significant growth in its first few months.{{cite news|url=http://thornbury.biz/sequoias-investment-memo-youtube/|title=Sequoia's Investment Memo on YouTube|date=June 11, 2016|work=Thornbury Bristol|language=en-GB|access-date=November 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122005540/http://thornbury.biz/sequoias-investment-memo-youtube/|archive-date=November 22, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{failed verification|date=June 2023}}

As of December 2005, the number of commenters' videos, favourites, and friends was directly indicated in the comment section, as well as a video's backlinks, comment counts in suggested videos, and rating indicator in video listings search results and channel pages. The site slogan was "Broadcast yourself. Watch and share your videos worldwide!", which would later become just "Broadcast yourself".{{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=usRldgBlEBk&search=funny |title=YouTube – Baby Fart |website=YouTube |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-date=December 18, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051218151541if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=usRldgBlEBk&search=funny}} Later, while some of these indicators were removed, the watch page displayed playlists linking back to a video as of 2007, like SoundCloud does as of 2022.{{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yD29fXQhSI&feature=PlayList&p=72677A5526D27B3C&index=52 |title=YouTube – Nintendo Show |website=YouTube |date=June 17, 2005 |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-date=February 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208165919/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yD29fXQhSI&feature=PlayList&p=72677A5526D27B3C&index=52 |url-status=live}}

After opening on a beta service in April 2005, YouTube.com was trafficking around 30,000 viewers a day within just a few months of launch. After launching eight months later they would be hosting well over two million viewers a day on the website. By March 2006 the site had more than 25 million videos uploaded and was generating around 20,000 uploads a day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/YouTube|title=YouTube {{!}} History, Founders, & Facts|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-04-18|archive-date=April 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419132946/https://www.britannica.com/topic/YouTube|url-status=live}} During the summer of 2006, YouTube was one of the fastest growing sites on the World Wide Web,[http://adage.com/digital/article.php?article_id=110632 "YouTube is the Fastest Growing Website"], Gavin O'malley, Advertising Age, July 21, 2006. hosting more than 65,000 new video uploads. The site delivered an average of 100 million video views per day in July.{{cite news|title=YouTube serves up 100 million videos a day online|url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-07-16-youtube-views_x.htm|work=USA Today|agency=Reuters|date=July 16, 2006|access-date=November 29, 2008|archive-date=December 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231004209/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-07-16-youtube-views_x.htm|url-status=live}} However, this did not come without any problems, the rapid growth in users meant YouTube had to keep up with it technologically speaking. They needed new equipment and wider broadband internet connection to serve an ever growing audience. The increasing copyright infringement problems and lack in commercializing YouTube eventually led to outsourcing to Google who later failed in their own video platform "Google Video". It was ranked the fifth-most-popular website on Alexa, far out-pacing even MySpace's rate of growth.{{cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?&range=max&size=large&compare_sites=myspace.com&y=r&url=youtube.com#top|title=Info for YouTube.com|access-date=July 26, 2006|date=July 26, 2006|work=Alexa.com|archive-date=November 3, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103011300/http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?&range=max&size=large&compare_sites=myspace.com&y=r&url=youtube.com#top|url-status=dead}} The website averaged nearly 20 million visitors per month according to Nielsen/NetRatings, with around 44% female and 56% male visitors. The 12- to 17-year-old age group was dominant.{{cite web|url=http://www.videodownloadx.com/pr_060721_2.pdf|title=YouTube U.S. Web Traffic Grows 17 Percent Week Over Week, According to Nielsen Netratings|access-date=September 12, 2006|date=July 21, 2006|format=Press Release|work=Netratings, Inc.|publisher=Nielsen Media Research|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025034/http://www.videodownloadx.com/pr_060721_2.pdf|url-status=dead}} YouTube's pre-eminence in the online market was substantial. According to the website Hitwise.com, YouTube commanded up to 64% of the UK online video market.{{cite news|url=http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=1837|title=Google pays the price to capture online video zeitgeist|work=Eureka Street|volume=16|number=15|author=James Massola|publisher=Jesuit Communications Australia|date=October 17, 2006|access-date=October 18, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825073808/http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=1837|archive-date=August 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}

YouTube entered into a marketing and advertising partnership with NBC in June 2006.{{cite news|title=Online Video: The Market Is Hot, but Business Models Are Fuzzy|url=http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/online-video-the-market-is-hot-but-business|access-date=August 25, 2017|archive-date=February 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224150113/https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/online-video-the-market-is-hot-but-business-models-are-fuzzy/|url-status=live}}

The first targeted advertising on the site came in February 2006 in the form of participatory video ads, which were videos in their own right that offered users the opportunity to view exclusive content by clicking on the ad.{{cite web|date=August 22, 2006|title=YouTube expands types of advertising|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14464285|access-date=February 28, 2021|publisher=NBC News|archive-date=August 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806171720/https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14464285|url-status=live}} The first such ad was for the Fox show Prison Break and solely appeared above videos on Paris Hilton's channel.{{cite web|last=Morrissey|first=Brian|date=August 22, 2006|title=YouTube Shuns Pre-Roll Video Advertising|url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/youtube-shuns-pre-roll-video-advertising-86148/|access-date=February 28, 2021|magazine=Adweek|archive-date=January 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117221906/https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/youtube-shuns-pre-roll-video-advertising-86148/|url-status=live}} At the time, the channel was operated by Warner Bros. Records and was cited as the first brand channel on the platform. Participatory video ads were designed to link specific promotions to specific channels rather than advertising on the entire platform at once. When the ads were introduced, in August 2006, YouTube CEO Chad Hurley rejected the idea of expanding into areas of advertising seen as less user-friendly at the time, saying, "we think there are better ways for people to engage with brands than forcing them to watch a commercial before seeing content. You could ask anyone on the net if they enjoy that experience and they'd probably say no." However, YouTube began running in-video ads in August 2007, with preroll ads introduced in 2008.{{cite web|last=Jackson|first=Nicholas|date=August 3, 2011|title=Infographic: The History of Video Advertising on YouTube|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/infographic-the-history-of-video-advertising-on-youtube/242836/|access-date=February 28, 2021|magazine=The Atlantic|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310113305/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/infographic-the-history-of-video-advertising-on-youtube/242836/|url-status=live}}

On October 9, 2006, it was announced that the company would be purchased by Google for US$1.65 billion in stock, which was completed on November 13. At that time it was Google's second-largest acquisition.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Google-closes-A2b-YouTube-deal/2006/11/14/1163266548827.html|title=Google closes $A2b YouTube deal|work=The Age|agency=Reuters|date=November 14, 2006|access-date=March 3, 2007|location=Melbourne|archive-date=February 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209013507/http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Google-closes-A2b-YouTube-deal/2006/11/14/1163266548827.html|url-status=live}} This kickstarted YouTube's rise to becoming a global media dominator, creating a multi-billion-dollar business that has surpassed most television stations and other media markets, sparking success for many YouTubers. Indeed, YouTube as an entity generated more than twice the amount of revenues in 2018 than any major TV network (with $15 billion compared to NBC's $7 billion).{{Cite web|title=Infographic: YouTube Beats Cable TV in Ad Revenue|url=https://www.statista.com/chart/20714/youtube-ad-revenue/|access-date=2021-03-02|website=Statista Infographics|date=February 4, 2020 |language=en|archive-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103062949/https://www.statista.com/chart/20714/youtube-ad-revenue/|url-status=live}} The agreement between Google and YouTube came after YouTube presented three agreements with media companies in an attempt to avoid copyright-infringement lawsuits. YouTube planned to continue operating independently, with its co-founders and 68 employees working within Google.{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/10/09/technology/googleyoutube_deal/index.htm?cnn=yes|title=Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion|date=October 9, 2006|access-date=October 9, 2006|agency=CNN|department=CNNMoney|first=Paul R.|last=La Monica|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015618/https://money.cnn.com/2006/10/09/technology/googleyoutube_deal/index.htm?cnn=yes|url-status=live}} Viral videos were the main factor for YouTube's growth in the beginning of its early days with Google, for example Evolution of Dance, Charlie Bit My Finger, David After the Dentist, and more viral videos.{{Cite web|url=https://www.business2community.com/social-media/history-viral-videos-0968594|title=The History of Viral Videos|website=Business 2 Community|date=August 7, 2014|access-date=2020-04-18|archive-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322222815/https://www.business2community.com/social-media/history-viral-videos-0968594|url-status=live |last1=Brooke |first1=Connor }}

{{wikinews|Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 billion}}

Google's February 7, 2007, SEC filing revealed the breakdown of profits for YouTube's investors after the sale to Google. In 2010, Chad Hurley's profit was more than $395 million while Steve Chen's profit was more than $326 million.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/03/18/chad-hurleys-take-from-the-sale-of-youtube-334-million/|title=Chad Hurley's Take From The Sale Of YouTube: $334 Million|last=Schonfeld|first=Erick|website=TechCrunch|date=March 18, 2010|access-date=August 25, 2017|archive-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126114519/https://techcrunch.com/2010/03/18/chad-hurleys-take-from-the-sale-of-youtube-334-million/|url-status=live}}

In 2006, Time magazine featured a YouTube screen with a large mirror as its annual "Time Person of the Year". It cited user-created media such as that posted on YouTube and featured the site's originators along with several content creators. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times also reviewed posted content on YouTube in 2006, with particular regard to its effects on corporate communications and recruitment. PC World magazine named YouTube the ninth of its Top 10 Best Products of 2006.{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Stafford|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125706-page,2-c,technology/article.html|title=The 100 Best Products of 2006|work=PC World|date=May 31, 2006|access-date=March 3, 2007|archive-date=June 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604161400/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125706-page,2-c,technology/article.html|url-status=dead}} In 2007, both Sports Illustrated and Dime Magazine featured positive reviews of a basketball highlight video titled, The Ultimate Pistol Pete Maravich MIX.{{cite web|url=http://boingboing.hexten.net/2006/10/09/google_buys_youtube_.html|title=GooTube: Google buys YouTube|publisher=Boing Boing|date=October 9, 2006|access-date=March 4, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319194404/http://boingboing.hexten.net/2006/10/09/google_buys_youtube_.html|archive-date=March 19, 2007|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

{{anchor|Continued_growth_(2007-present)}}

It is estimated that in 2007, YouTube consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet in 2000.{{cite news|title=Web could collapse as video demand soars|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584230/Web-could-collapse-as-video-demand-soars.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584230/Web-could-collapse-as-video-demand-soars.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=April 21, 2008|first=Lewis|last=Carter|date=April 7, 2008}}{{cbignore}}

YouTube's early website layout featured a pane of currently watched videos, as well as video listings with detailed information such as full (2006) and later expandable (2007) descriptions, as well as profile pictures (2006), ratings, comment counts, and tags.{{cite web |title=YouTube in 2006 timeline {{!}} Web Design Museum |url=https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/timeline/youtube-2006 |website=Web Design Museum |date=February 16, 2018 |language=en |access-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422110256/https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/timeline/youtube-2006 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=YouTube in 2007 timeline {{!}} Web Design Museum |url=https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/timeline/youtube-2007 |website=Web Design Museum |date=February 16, 2018 |language=en |access-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210530001930/https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/timeline/youtube-2007 |url-status=live }} Channels' pages were equipped with standalone view counters, bulletin boards, and were awarded badges for various rank-based achievements, such as "#15 – Most Subscribed (This Month)", "#89 – Most Subscribed (All Time)", and "#15 – Most Viewed (This Week)". Channels themselves had a view count indicator.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070420121601/http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=YouthHealth Sample channel page archive from April 20th, 2007]

In March 2007, YouTube launched the YouTube Awards, an annual competition in which users voted on the best user-generated videos of the year.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/2007-03-18-youtube-awards_N.htm|title=YouTube announces awards to recognize best user-created videos of the year|access-date=March 17, 2008|last=Coyle|first=Jake|agency=Associated Press|date=March 20, 2007|work=USA Today|archive-date=June 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629050124/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/2007-03-18-youtube-awards_N.htm|url-status=live}} The awards were presented twice, in 2007 and 2008. Video contests with prizes existed as early as December 2005, possibly earlier.{{cite web |title=YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. |url=http://www.youtube.com:80/ |access-date=8 September 2021 |date=13 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060113170224/http://www.youtube.com:80/ |archive-date=January 13, 2006 |quote=Holiday Video Contest}}{{cite web |title=Holiday Video Contest – YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. |website=YouTube |url=http://www.youtube.com/t/holiday_contest |access-date=8 September 2021 |date=19 December 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219165553/http://www.youtube.com/t/holiday_contest |archive-date=December 19, 2005 }}

At "youtube.com/browse", there were various web feeds, including a list of the videos most recently uploaded to the site, suggesting an upload rate of approximately two videos per minute as of April 2007.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070407223553/http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=mr&t=t&c=0&l= "Most recent" feed (twenty videos per page) in April 2007]: Last video on first page uploaded eleven minutes ago. Other feeds included the most viewed, highest rated, most discussed, most "favourited", most backlinked, staff picks, videos with most video responses, and "Watch on mobile". Some feeds could be filtered by categories including but not limited to "Autos & Vehicles", "Music", "News & Politics", "People & Blogs", "Travel & Places", and feeds except "Most recent" (where inapplicable) could be filtered by time range ("Today", "This week", "This month", "All time"). An uncaptioned Verizon Wireless logo resided on the "Watch on mobile" feed, suggesting a partnership.{{cite web |title=Watch on Mobile – YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. | website=YouTube |url=http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=mv&t=t&c=0&l= |access-date=8 September 2021 |date=8 April 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070408111615/http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=mv&t=t&c=0&l=|archive-date = April 8, 2007}}

In June 2007, YouTube launched a mobile web front end, where videos are served through RTSP. This came concurrently with its launch on iPhone OS 1 as one of the pre installed apps.{{cite web |title=YouTube Mobile A Bust! (Getting 3GP/RTSP to work on WM5) |url=https://chrisduke.tv/youtube-mobile-a-bust |website=Chris Duke |access-date=29 May 2021 |date=2007-06-23 |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529224508/https://chrisduke.tv/youtube-mobile-a-bust |url-status=live }}

In July 2007, YouTube partnered with Verizon Wireless to enable mobile phone users to submit videos through Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).{{cite web |title=Verizon Wireless Customers First To Upload Videos To YouTube Using Multimedia Messaging |url=https://www.verizon.com/about/news/vzw/2007/07/pr2007-07-24 |website=www.verizon.com |access-date=8 September 2021 |date=24 July 2007 |archive-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908121914/https://www.verizon.com/about/news/vzw/2007/07/pr2007-07-24 |url-status=live }}

On July 23, 2007, and November 28, 2007, CNN and YouTube produced televised presidential debates in which Democratic and Republican US presidential hopefuls fielded questions submitted through YouTube.{{cite news|last=Gough|first=Paul|title=CNN's YouTube debate draws impressive ratings|page=1|work=Reuters|date=July 25, 2007|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2425835220070725|access-date=August 3, 2007|archive-date=August 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821173411/http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2425835220070725|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/28/debate.transcript/index.html|agency=CNN|title=Part I: CNN/YouTube Republican presidential debate transcript - CNN.com|date=November 28, 2007|access-date=April 30, 2010|archive-date=December 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212113941/http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/28/debate.transcript/index.html|url-status=live}}

In December 2007, YouTube launched the Partner Program, which allows channels that meet certain metrics (currently 1000 subscribers and 4000 public watch hours in the past year){{cite web|title=YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851?hl=en|access-date=February 28, 2021|publisher=YouTube Help|archive-date=September 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140916175325/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851?hl=en|url-status=live}} to run ads on their videos and earn money doing so.

As of 2007, the youtu.be domain served as an image hosting service for the site, but was subsequently repurposed for shortening watch page URLs.{{cite web |url=https://techwelkin.com/difference-youtube-youtu-be |date=2019-02-02 |access-date=2022-01-01 |title=Difference Between YouTube and YouTu.be URLs |language=en |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101003310/https://techwelkin.com/difference-youtube-youtu-be |url-status=live }}Wayback Machine capture of "youtu.be" dated 20070129040306. Not directly linkable due to the URL blacklist prohibiting URL shortening.

Around 2008, "Warp Player" was tested out. It was an experimental interactive interface for browsing videos, where links to videos appeared as thumbnails, visualized in a floating and navigable net.{{Cite web|last=van Zanten|first=Boris Veldhuijzen|date=2008-02-10|title='Warp' through YouTube with Visual Browser|url=https://thenextweb.com/2008/02/10/warp-through-youtube-with-visual-browser/|access-date=2021-04-10|website=The Next Web|archive-date=March 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327074923/https://thenextweb.com/2008/02/10/warp-through-youtube-with-visual-browser/|url-status=live}}

Starting in 2008, the site featured a series of {{Visible anchor|AprilFools|text=April Fools' pranks}} each year until 2016. At the first, on April 1, 2008, all video links on the front page were redirected to Rick Astley's music video "Never Gonna Give You Up", a prank known as "rickrolling". The other gags are covered in {{section link|YouTube#April_Fools_Gags}}.

In June 2008, {{Visible anchor|Annotations|text=video annotations}} were introduced. Users were able to add text boxes and speech bubbles at any desired location and custom sizes in various colours, and optionally with a link and short pausing, allowing for interactive videos. In February 2009, the feature was extended to allow for collaboration, meaning uploaders could invite others to edit their video's annotations.{{cite web |last1=DaveWeLike |title=Youtube Annotations |url=http://www.stuffwelike.com/2008/06/03/youtube-annotations/ |website=StuffWeLike |access-date=7 August 2021 |date=4 June 2008 |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807163659/http://www.stuffwelike.com/2008/06/03/youtube-annotations/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=New on YouTube: Collaborative Annotations |url=https://readwrite.com/2009/02/20/youtube_collaborative_annotations/ |website=ReadWrite |access-date=7 August 2021 |date=20 February 2009 |archive-date=July 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150727054514/http://readwrite.com/2009/02/20/youtube_collaborative_annotations |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Eves |first1=Derral |title=How To Create YouTube Video Annotations |url=https://derraleves.com/how-to-create-youtube-video-annotations-2/ |website=DerralEves.com |access-date=7 August 2021 |date=6 February 2013 |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807163659/https://derraleves.com/how-to-create-youtube-video-annotations-2/ |url-status=live }} On May 2, 2017, annotations were locked from editing, and on January 15, 2019, they were entirely shut down.

Since October 2008, deep linking to a playback position through a timestamped URL is possible.{{cite web|title=Link To The Best Parts In Your Videos|url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/link-to-best-parts-in-your-videos|website=YouTube company blog|language=en-us|date=2008-10-30|access-date=August 16, 2021|archive-date=August 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816032547/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/link-to-best-parts-in-your-videos|url-status=live}} A new "theatre view" mode was added as well, allowing the video player to optionally extend over both page columns.{{cite web |last1=Chacksfield |first1=Marc |title=YouTube gets new video features {{!}} News {{!}} TechRadar |url=http://www.techradar.com/news/broadband/web/internet/youtube-gets-new-video-features-474777 |website=TechRadar.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311184349/http://www.techradar.com/news/broadband/web/internet/youtube-gets-new-video-features-474777 |archive-date=2014-03-11 |language=en |date=2008-10-09}}

As part of the "TestTube" program which allows users to opt to use experimental site features, a comment search feature accessible under /comment_search was implemented in October 2009. YouTube Feather was introduced in December as a lightweight alternative website front-end intended for countries with limited internet speeds.{{cite web |title=Slow YouTube? Try Feather, Made for India |url=https://www.gtricks.com/youtube/slow-youtube-feather-india/ |website=Gtricks |date=December 7, 2009 |access-date=2021-10-05 |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213032953/https://www.gtricks.com/youtube/slow-youtube-feather-india/ |url-status=live }} Both were removed subsequently.{{cite web |title=Google Testing Comment Search On YouTube |url=https://searchengineland.com/google-testing-youtube-comment-search-27900 |website=Search Engine Land |date=October 16, 2009 |access-date=2021-10-05 |archive-date=December 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209151338/https://searchengineland.com/google-testing-youtube-comment-search-27900 |url-status=live }}

In November 2008, YouTube reached an agreement with MGM, Lions Gate Entertainment, and CBS, allowing the companies to post full-length films and television episodes on the site, accompanied by advertisements in a section for US viewers called "Shows". The move was intended to create competition with websites such as Hulu, which features material from NBC, Fox, and Disney.{{cite news|title=MGM to Post Full Films on YouTube|author=Brad Stone and Brooks Barnes|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10mgm.html?ref=technology|access-date=November 29, 2008|date=November 10, 2008|archive-date=November 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123205343/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10mgm.html?ref=technology|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043001853.html|title=It's Official: Disney Joins News Corp., NBCU In Hulu; Deal Includes Some Cable Nets|access-date=April 30, 2009|date=April 30, 2009|author=Staci D. Kramer|publisher=paidContent|archive-date=May 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504054305/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043001853.html|url-status=live}}

YouTube was awarded a 2008 Peabody Award and cited as being "a 'Speakers' Corner' that both embodies and promotes democracy".{{cite news|url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=59|title=Complete List of 2008 Peabody Award Winners|date=April 1, 2009|publisher=Peabody Awards, University of Georgia|access-date=April 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501125111/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=59|archive-date=May 1, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|url=http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/04/02/peabody0402.html|title=Peabody honors CNN, TMC|last=Ho|first=Rodney|date=April 2, 2009|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=April 14, 2009|archive-date=July 28, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728150636/http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/04/02/peabody0402.html|url-status=live}}

In early 2009, YouTube registered the domain www.youtube-nocookie.com for videos embedded on United States federal government websites.{{cite news|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-10184578-46.html|title=Is the White House changing its YouTube tune?|author=Chris Soghoian|work=CNET|date=March 2, 2009|access-date=August 25, 2017|archive-date=June 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609045333/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-10184578-46.html|url-status=live}}[https://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=143713 "YouTube's Guide to Video Embedding for the U.S. Federal Government Overview"]. {{Dead link|date=July 2014}} It is currently used in "privacy-preserving mode", an option available for embedded videos, allowing for video playback without the need to accept cookies from YouTube, as well as allowing users to watch videos without affecting their watch history or suggestions on YouTube.com.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-05 |title=Embed YouTube videos without cookies |url=https://axbom.com/embed-youtube-videos-without-cookies/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Axbom • Digital Compassion |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Embed videos & playlists - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780?hl=en#zippy=%2Cturn-on-privacy-enhanced-mode |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708190003/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780?hl=en#zippy=%2Cturn-on-privacy-enhanced-mode |archive-date=2024-07-08}}

In November of the same year, YouTube launched a version of "Shows" available to UK viewers, offering around 4,000 full-length shows from more than 60 partners.{{cite news|title=YouTube launches UK TV section with more than 60 partners|author=Allen, Kati|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/nov/19/youtube-uk-full-length-shows|access-date=December 13, 2009|date=November 19, 2009|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331042512/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/nov/19/youtube-uk-full-length-shows|url-status=live}}

In April 2009, YouTube launched their earliest HTML5 video player experiments.{{cite web |last1=Metz |first1=Cade |title=Google toys with plug-in free YouTube |url=https://www.theregister.com/2009/05/27/youtube_html5/ |website=www.theregister.com |access-date=24 September 2021 |language=en |date=2009-05-27 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924221158/https://www.theregister.com/2009/05/27/youtube_html5/ |url-status=live }}

In May 2009, YouTube retired the legacy account system that was built before the acquisition by Google, in favour of the Google account system. Since then, new YouTube user names can only be registered through Google accounts.{{cite web |title=Connecting a Google Account to your older YouTube account |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/connecting-google-account-to-your-older/ |website=YouTube Blog |access-date=12 March 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250305095334/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/connecting-google-account-to-your-older/ |archive-date=2025-03-05 |date=2010-07-13}}

Throughout 2009, the alphabetical sorting of YouTube's "AudioSwap" feature helped popularizing Alexander Perls' "009 Sound System" music project through frequent use in videos.{{cite web |title=009 Sound System Background Songs |url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/009-sound-system-background-songs |website=Know Your Meme |access-date=21 August 2021 |orig-date=2007 |date=2020-08-05 |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223041650/https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/009-sound-system-background-songs |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Change Background Music in Youtube Videos with Audioswap |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/youtubes-audioswap-lets-you-change-your-videos-soundtrack/ |website=MUO |access-date=21 August 2021 |date=11 December 2008 |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815151925/https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/youtubes-audioswap-lets-you-change-your-videos-soundtrack/ |url-status=live }}

File:YouTube XL Logo (2009-2013).png

In June 2009, YouTube XL was launched. It was a front-end for viewing and browsing on television sets, and as such, for use on stationary game consoles with web browser, such as the Nintendo Wii. Its appearance varied depending on device.{{cite web |title=YouTube XL Brings The World's Most Popular Video Portal To Your TV |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/06/02/youtube-xl-brings-the-worlds-most-popular-video-portal-to-your-tv/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=13 June 2021 |date=2009-06-02 |archive-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613180053/https://techcrunch.com/2009/06/02/youtube-xl-brings-the-worlds-most-popular-video-portal-to-your-tv/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Accessing YouTube XL on the television |url=http://tv-true.org/content/youtube.html |website=TV True |access-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210114114/http://tv-true.org/content/youtube.html |url-status=dead }}

In July 2009, developers of YouTube placed a site notice that warned about the impending deprecation of support for Internet Explorer 6, prompting its users to upgrade their browser. It is claimed that they represented 18% of site traffic at that time. Within months of the announcement, traffic from Internet Explorer 6 reduced to less than half, and traffic from other browsers surged accordingly.{{cite web |last1=Warren |first1=Tom |title=Former Google engineer reveals the secret YouTube plot to kill Internet Explorer 6 |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/4/18529381/google-youtube-internet-explorer-6-kill-plot-engineer |website=The Verge |access-date=11 September 2021 |language=en |date=4 May 2019 |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911121946/https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/4/18529381/google-youtube-internet-explorer-6-kill-plot-engineer |url-status=live }} Support for its successor, Internet Explorer 7, was deprecated in the second half of 2012.

Around the same time, YouTube introduced public video statistics, making graphs that show videos' view count over time publicly available. This is separate from the "analytics" feature in "YouTube Studio" which was earlier named "YouTube Insight".{{cite web |title=Official YouTube Blog: More statistics coming to a video near you |url=https://youtube.googleblog.com/2009/07/more-statistics-coming-to-video-near.html |website=youtube.googleblog.com |url-status=live |archive-date=2019-02-20 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20190220123000/https://youtube.googleblog.com/2009/07/more-statistics-coming-to-video-near.html}}

3D stereoscopic video was first implemented in July 2009.{{cite web |title=YouTube Experimenting With 3D Stereoscopic Video! |url=https://podcastingnews.com/content/2009/07/20/youtube-experimenting-with-3d-stereoscopic-video/ |website=Podcasting News |access-date=1 December 2021 |date=20 July 2009 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201205443/https://podcastingnews.com/content/2009/07/20/youtube-experimenting-with-3d-stereoscopic-video/ |url-status=live }} In September 2011, a "2D-to-3D conversion tool" was added.{{cite web |title=YouTube Increases Upload Time Limit, Adds 3D Conversions |url=https://lifehacker.com/youtube-increases-upload-time-limit-adds-3d-conversion-5842888 |website=Lifehacker |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en-us |date=2011-09-22 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201205443/https://lifehacker.com/youtube-increases-upload-time-limit-adds-3d-conversion-5842888 |url-status=live }} Side-by-side 3D videos could be made to appear as stereoscopic 3D (anaglyph 3D). Since late 2018, it is only available with a flag set in the video file's metadata.{{cite web |title=Getting 3D Content on YouTube |url=https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2011/09/getting-3d-content-on-youtube_8.html |website=YouTube Engineering and Developers Blog |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en |date=8 September 2011 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201205445/https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2011/09/getting-3d-content-on-youtube_8.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Mac and 3-D video and "st3d" metadata and YouTube |url=https://appleause.com/2018/12/15/mac-and-3-d-video-and-st3d-metadata-and-youtube/ |website=Appleause |access-date=1 December 2021 |date=16 December 2018 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201205445/https://appleause.com/2018/12/15/mac-and-3-d-video-and-st3d-metadata-and-youtube/ |url-status=live }}

In late 2009, YouTube introduced automatic captioning of videos through speech recognition. Initially only available in English, it was expanded to six European languages in late 2012.{{cite web |last1=Alberti |first1=Christopher |last2=Bacchiani |first2=Michiel |title=Automatic Captioning in YouTube |url=https://ai.googleblog.com/2009/12/automatic-captioning-in-youtube.html |website=Google AI Blog |access-date=21 September 2021 |language=en |date=2009-12-04 |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921003940/https://ai.googleblog.com/2009/12/automatic-captioning-in-youtube.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=YouTube Expands Automatic Captioning To 6 European Languages, Now Supporting 10 Languages Total |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/youtube-automatic-captioning-six-euro-languages/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=21 September 2021 |date=2012-11-28 |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921003939/https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/youtube-automatic-captioning-six-euro-languages/ |url-status=live }} The same day, some videos has difficulted to be written inaccurate{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}.

Entertainment Weekly placed YouTube on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list In December 2009, describing it as: "Providing a safe home for piano-playing cats, celeb goof-ups, and overzealous lip-synchers since 2005."{{cite web|title=100 greatest movies, TV shows, and more|url=https://ew.com/article/2009/12/04/100-greatest-movies-tv-shows-and-more/|website=Entertainment Weekly's EW.com|access-date=21 November 2016|archive-date=October 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009053848/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20431232_20324138,00.html|url-status=live}}

The transition from ActionScript version 2 to 3 was initiated in late 2009.{{cite web |title=The ActionScript 3 YouTube Chromeless Player is Now Live |url=http://apiblog.youtube.com/2009/10/actionscript-3-youtube-chromeless.html |website=YouTube API blog – News and Notes for Developers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018151912/http://apiblog.youtube.com/2009/10/actionscript-3-youtube-chromeless.html |archive-date=2009-10-18 |date=2009-10-14}}

In January 2010, an overhaul of the watch page was first tested as beta. It was made default on March 31st.{{cite web |last1=Parr |first1=Ben |title=YouTube Makes Major Changes to Video Pages [SCREENSHOTS] |url=https://mashable.com/2010/01/21/youtube-video-redesign/ |website=Mashable |language=en |date=2010-01-21 |access-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215547/https://mashable.com/2010/01/21/youtube-video-redesign/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Lowensohn |first1=Josh |title=YouTube's big redesign goes live to everyone |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/youtubes-big-redesign-goes-live-to-everyone/ |website=CNET |access-date=29 September 2021 |language=en |date=2010-03-31 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403023507/https://www.cnet.com/news/youtubes-big-redesign-goes-live-to-everyone/ |url-status=live }}

At a similar time, "YouTube Disco" was launched, a music discovery service. It closed in October 2014.{{cite web |title=YouTube Goes Disco With Experimental Music Discovery Project |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/01/20/youtube-disco-music-discovery-project/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=31 October 2021 |date=2010-01-20 |archive-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031010519/https://techcrunch.com/2010/01/20/youtube-disco-music-discovery-project/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Sinha |first1=Robin |title=Google to Shut Down YouTube Disco in October |url=https://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/google-to-shut-down-youtube-disco-in-october-606219 |website=NDTV Gadgets 360 |access-date=31 October 2021 |language=en |date=2014-10-13 |archive-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031010514/https://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/google-to-shut-down-youtube-disco-in-october-606219 |url-status=live }}

Image:901 Cherry Avenue.jpg (2010 to present)|alt=YouTube's current headquarters in San Bruno, California]]

In January 2010,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/internet/21youtube.html|title=YouTube takes a small step into the film rental market|date=January 20, 2010|work=The New York Times|author=Miguel Helft|access-date=August 13, 2010|archive-date=April 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404134758/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/internet/21youtube.html|url-status=live}} YouTube introduced an online film rentals service which is currently available only to users in the US, Canada and the UK.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8471635.stm |title=YouTube turns to movie rental business |access-date=May 7, 2010 |date=January 21, 2010 |work=BBC News |first=Maggie |last=Shiels |archive-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223210731/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8471635.stm |url-status=live }}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15214939|title=YouTube to offer film rentals in the UK|work=BBC News|date=October 7, 2011|access-date=October 7, 2011|archive-date=April 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408160919/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15214939|url-status=live}} The service offers over 6,000 films.{{cite news| title=Google Partners With Sony Pictures, Universal And Warner Brothers For YouTube Movies| author=Tsotsis, Alexia| work=techcrunch.com| url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/05/09/google-partners-with-sony-pictures-nbc-universal-and-warner-brothers-for-youtube-movies/| access-date=June 5, 2011| date=May 9, 2011| archive-date=March 31, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331161353/https://techcrunch.com/2011/05/09/google-partners-with-sony-pictures-nbc-universal-and-warner-brothers-for-youtube-movies/| url-status=live}} In March 2010 YouTube began free streaming of certain content, including 60 cricket matches of the Indian Premier League. According to YouTube, this was the first worldwide free online broadcast of a major sporting event.{{Cite news |title=Cricket: IPL goes global with live online deal |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jan/20/youtube-live-indian-premier-league |access-date=February 6, 2010 |first=Mark |last=Sweney |date=January 20, 2010 |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331101143/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jan/20/youtube-live-indian-premier-league |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|2010overhaul|text=On March 31, 2010, YouTube launched a new design}} with the aim of simplifying the interface and increasing the time users spend on the site. Google product manager Shiva Rajaraman commented: "We really felt like we needed to step back and remove the clutter."{{cite news|title=YouTube redesigns website to keep viewers captivated |agency=AFP |url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/youtube-redesigns-website-to-keep-viewers-captivated-20100401-rfbc.html |author=Chapman, Glenn |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=April 1, 2010 |access-date=April 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402234432/http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/youtube-redesigns-website-to-keep-viewers-captivated-20100401-rfbc.html |archive-date=April 2, 2010 }}

Until then, a five-point video rating system that used star icons was in use. Users were able to rate videos with one to five "stars", where more indicated greater preference. This rating system was replaced with a bidirectional one using positive "like" and negative "dislike" ratings, citing low numbers of users rating other than the most (5) or least (1) stars. Ratings of three or more "stars" were converted to "likes" and such below accordingly to "dislikes".Before change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |title=YouTube – Evolution of Dance |website=YouTube |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=March 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330015447if_/http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |url-status=dead}}; after change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |title=YouTube – Evolution of Dance |website=YouTube |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=April 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409231722if_/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |url-status=dead}} This change was first announced in September 2009.{{cite web |title=YouTube Comes To A 5-Star Realization: Its Ratings Are Useless |url=https://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/22/youtube-comes-to-a-5-star-realization-its-ratings-are-useless/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=24 September 2021 |date=2009-09-22 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924221154/https://techcrunch.com/2009/09/22/youtube-comes-to-a-5-star-realization-its-ratings-are-useless/ |url-status=live }} As a reference, widely known sites that operate a five-level rating system as of 2021 are IMDb, Amazon, and the Google Play. Additionally, videos previously marked as "Favorite" have been moved to a playlist for each user, the video description was moved from the right side to below the video viewport, the profile picture was removed from the watch page, and the "More From: channel name" section in the side pane above "Related Videos" was moved to button above the video player labelled with the number of channels' public videos which allowed quickly accessing other videos of a channel without having to navigate to the channel page. Recommended videos since no longer appear in a scrollable box.

Later the same month, the control section of the Flash-based video player was redesigned to feature a dedicated row for the seek bar, as is used since, as of 2021.{{cite web |title=Youtube Has A New Player – Again! As of April 29, 2010 |url=https://www.techpinas.com/2010/04/youtube-has-new-player-again-as-of.html?m=0 |website=TechPinas : Philippines' Technology News, Tips and Reviews Blog |access-date=24 September 2021 |date=2010-04-29 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924221154/https://www.techpinas.com/2010/04/youtube-has-new-player-again-as-of.html?m=0 |url-status=live }}

In May 2010, it was reported that YouTube was serving more than two billion videos a day, which was "nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major US television networks combined".{{cite news |title=YouTube serving up two billion videos daily |author=Chapman, Glenn |agency=AFP |work=Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/youtube-serving-up-two-billion-videos-daily-20100518-v8sf.html |date=May 18, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2010 |archive-date=July 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721222317/http://www.smh.com.au/technology/youtube-serving-up-two-billion-videos-daily-20100518-v8sf.html |url-status=live }} According to May 2010 data published by market research company Comscore, YouTube was the dominant provider of online video in the United States, with a market share of roughly 43 percent and more than 14 billion videos viewed during May.{{cite web | title =comScore Releases May 2010 U.S. Online Video Rankings | publisher =comScore | url =http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/6/comScore_Releases_May_2010_U.S._Online_Video_Rankings | date =June 24, 2010 | access-date =June 27, 2010 | archive-date =September 23, 2012 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120923221302/http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/6/comScore_Releases_May_2010_U.S._Online_Video_Rankings | url-status =live }}

The video visibility setting "unlisted" was added in mid-2010. It lets uploaders hide videos from search results and their list of uploaded videos while allowing sharing them through the URL to its watch page and through playlists. Until then, the only visibility settings were "public", which lists videos in search results and on a channel page, and "private", which lets only the uploader and optinally a limited number of users they choose watch a video.{{cite web |title=More choice for users: unlisted videos |url=https://youtube-au.googleblog.com/2010/06/more-choice-for-users-unlisted-videos.html |website=YouTube Australia Blog |access-date=4 March 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231012084447/https://youtube-au.googleblog.com/2010/06/more-choice-for-users-unlisted-videos.html |archive-date=2023-10-12 |language=en-AU |date=15 June 2010}}{{cite web |archive-date=2015-10-03 |url-status=dead |url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/128046/youtube-provides-unlisted-addresses-for-videos.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20151003102531/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/128046/youtube-provides-unlisted-addresses-for-videos.html |access-date=2025-03-04 |title=YouTube Provides 'Unlisted' Addresses For Videos 05/13/2010 }}{{cite web |url=http://phys.org/news/2010-05-youtube-unlisted-videos-feature.html |title=YouTube expands 'unlisted videos' feature |date=2010-05-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20150723041501/http://phys.org/news/2010-05-youtube-unlisted-videos-feature.html |archive-date=2015-07-23 |access-date=2025-03-04 }}

Around 2010, an easter egg of the Flash-based video player was discovered, where pressing the arrow key while the dotted loading animation is visible initiates a Snake game formed by the dots. The HTML5-based player, which initially had the same dotted loading animation, did not support it.{{cite web |last1=O'Neill |first1=Megan |title=YouTube Easter Egg: Play Snake While You Watch |url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/youtube-easter-egg-play-snake-while-you-watch/ |access-date=23 June 2021 |date=2020-07-26 |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622190533/https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/youtube-easter-egg-play-snake-while-you-watch/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=YouTube's Hidden Secret Easter Eggs – AskVG |url=https://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-youtube-hidden-secret-easter-eggs/ |website=www.askvg.com |date=2014-06-03 |access-date=June 23, 2021 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227143241/https://www.askvg.com/ultimate-collection-of-youtube-hidden-secret-easter-eggs/ |url-status=live }}

In September 2010, a unique full-page interactive TippEx advertising campaign was launched on YouTube, where the entire watch page was simulated in a Flash viewport. A hunter who does not wish to shoot a bear grabs outside of the video's viewport to reach for a Tipp-Ex tape roller, and uses it to cover the word "shoots" in the video titled "A hunter shoots a bear". Users were able to enter words in the gap, which lead to different unlisted videos with a multitude of pre-recorded reactions.{{cite web |title=Best YouTube Ad Campaign: Tipp-Ex Impresses With Interactive YouTube Video |url=https://tubularinsights.com/tippex-interactive-youtube-ad/ |website=Tubular Insights |access-date=29 May 2021 |date=2010-09-03 |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529232933/https://tubularinsights.com/tippex-interactive-youtube-ad/ |url-status=live }}

In October 2010, Hurley announced that he would be stepping down as the chief executive officer of YouTube to take an advisory role, with Salar Kamangar taking over as the head of the company.{{Cite news|url=http://en.kioskea.net/news/16755-hurley-stepping-down-as-youtube-chief-executive |title=Hurley stepping down as YouTube chief executive |access-date=October 30, 2010 |date=October 29, 2010 |agency=AFP |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812042711/http://en.kioskea.net/news/16755-hurley-stepping-down-as-youtube-chief-executive |archive-date=August 12, 2014 }}

James Zern, a YouTube software engineer, revealed in April 2011 that 30 percent of videos accounted for 99 percent of views on the site.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8464418/Almost-all-YouTube-views-come-from-just-30-of-films.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8464418/Almost-all-YouTube-views-come-from-just-30-of-films.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Almost all YouTube views come from just 30% of films |access-date=April 21, 2011 |date=April 20, 2011 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |first=Ben|last=Whitelaw}}{{cbignore}}

Live streaming was introduced in April 2011, initially rolled out to select users and later expanded.{{cite magazine |last1=Abell |first1=John C. |title=YouTube Gets Into the Live Stream Business |url=https://www.wired.com/2011/04/youtube-live-streams/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=1 December 2021 |date=2011-04-08 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201205442/https://www.wired.com/2011/04/youtube-live-streams/ |url-status=live }}

In May 2011, YouTube reported on the company blog that the site was receiving more than three billion views per day, and that 48 hours of footage are uploaded every minute. Later, in January 2012, YouTube stated that the figure had increased to four billion videos streamed per day and sixty hours.

In June 2011, YouTube started experimenting with reaction buttons, allowing users to react to videos with a multitude of expressions, similar to Facebook's 2016 reaction buttons, though YouTube removed reaction buttons soon after.{{cite web |title=YouTube Testing New "Reaction" Buttons: OMG, Epic, LOL, Fail, WTF, & Cute |url=https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-testing-reaction-buttons-omg-epic-lol-fail-wtf-cute/ |website=Tubular Insights |date=2011-06-06 |access-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529234509/https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-testing-reaction-buttons-omg-epic-lol-fail-wtf-cute/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Updated YouTube Reactions System For Audience Feedback |url=https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-reactions/ |website=Tubular Insights |date=2011-08-04 |access-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529234443/https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-reactions/ |url-status=live }}

Since July 2011, the word "YouTube" is placed after the video title in the watch page title, whereas before it until then.Before change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |title=Evolution of Dance |website=YouTube |date=April 6, 2006 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708011601/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |url-status=bot: unknown }}; after change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |title=Evolution of Dance |website=YouTube |date=April 6, 2006 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718142026/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |url-status=bot: unknown }}.

During November 2011, the Google+ social networking site was integrated directly with YouTube and the Chrome web browser, allowing YouTube videos to be viewed from within the Google+ interface.{{cite web | title=Google+ now connects with YouTube, Chrome | website=CNET | url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57318595-93/google-now-connects-with-youtube-chrome/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20 | access-date=November 4, 2011 | date=November 4, 2011 | first=Lance | last=Whitney | archive-date=February 23, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223210734/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57318595-93/google-now-connects-with-youtube-chrome/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20 | url-status=live }} In December 2011, YouTube launched a new version of the site interface, with the video channels displayed in a central column on the home page, similar to the news feeds of social networking sites.{{Cite news|title=YouTube's website redesign puts the focus on channels|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16006524|access-date=December 2, 2011|date=December 2, 2011|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416164337/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16006524|url-status=live}} It is based on a similar user interface was put to test as early as July 2011 under the code name "Cosmic Panda".{{cite web |title=YouTube's gorgeous, Hulu-like redesign makes videos pop |url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/07/08/youtube-redesign-cosmic-panda/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=21 August 2021 |date=8 July 2011 |archive-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821005745/https://venturebeat.com/2011/07/08/youtube-redesign-cosmic-panda/ |url-status=live }} At the same time, a new version of the YouTube logo was introduced with a darker shade of red, which was the first change in design since October 2006.{{cite web |url=http://mashable.com/2006/10/26/youtube-gets-new-logo-facelift-and-trackbacks-growing-fast/ |title=YouTube Gets New Logo, Facelift, and Trackbacks – Growing Fast! |author=Cashmore, Pete |website=Mashable |date=October 26, 2006 |access-date=December 2, 2011 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126194348/https://mashable.com/2006/10/26/youtube-gets-new-logo-facelift-and-trackbacks-growing-fast/ |url-status=live }} A comment section that refreshes automatically to resemble a stream of chat messages was initially tested around that time.{{cite web |title=Cosmic Panda: A New Look for Videos, Playlists & Channels On YouTube |url=https://www.gizmocrazed.com/2011/07/cosmic-panda-a-new-look-for-videos-playlists-channels-on-youtube/ |website=Gizmocrazed – Future Technology News |access-date=26 March 2022 |date=10 July 2011 |quote=features like real-time comments update |archive-date=August 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811232942/https://www.gizmocrazed.com/2011/07/cosmic-panda-a-new-look-for-videos-playlists-channels-on-youtube/ |url-status=usurped }}

In 2012, YouTube reported that {{Visible anchor|60h|text=roughly 60 hours of new videos are uploaded to the site every minute}}, and that around three-quarters of the material comes from outside the U.S.{{cite news |title=YouTube users uploading two days of video every minute |author=Shane Richmond |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/8536634/YouTube-users-uploading-two-days-of-video-every-minute.html |date=May 26, 2011 |access-date=May 26, 2011 |archive-date=July 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713064250/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/8536634/YouTube-users-uploading-two-days-of-video-every-minute.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=YouTube hits 4 billion daily video views |author=Oreskovic, Alexei |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-youtube-idUSTRE80M0TS20120123 |access-date=January 23, 2012 |date=January 23, 2012 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308105444/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-youtube-idUSTRE80M0TS20120123 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title = Eric Schmidt, Princeton Colloquium on Public & Int'l Affairs |publisher = YouTube |format = video |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nXmDxf7D_g#t=14m52s |date = April 18, 2009 |access-date = June 1, 2009 |archive-date = February 12, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170212193457/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nXmDxf7D_g#t=14m52s |url-status = live }} The site has eight hundred million unique users a month.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/16/120116fa_fact_seabrook?currentPage=all | title=Streaming Dreams | magazine=The New Yorker | date=January 16, 2012 | access-date=January 6, 2012 | author=Seabrook, John | archive-date=July 2, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702013528/http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/16/120116fa_fact_seabrook?currentPage=all | url-status=live }}

As of 2012, users were able to rate playlists, and videos' view counts and playlists' total duration were indicated on playlist pages.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120108080510/http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL57A31A57F0DBD2B2 2012 sample YouTube playlist page]

In March 2012, preview tooltips for the video player's seek bar were introduced on the desktop web front end, initially available on select videos and gradually rolled out. This feature allows the viewer to additionally preview portions of a video by hovering above the seek bar with the mouse cursor, whereas only the time stamp was indicated before. Dragging the position handle of the video player additionally showed surrounding preview images in a film strip layout. For videos longer than 90 minutes, a magnified portion of the seek bar was additionally displayed since to facilitate fine seeking.{{cite web |last1=Janakiram |first1=Nundu |title=Looking ahead in the YouTube player |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/looking-ahead-in-youtube-player |website=blog.youtube |access-date=16 August 2021 |language=en-us |date=2012-03-06 |archive-date=August 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816030618/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/looking-ahead-in-youtube-player |url-status=live }}

On March 30 and 31, 2012, in the course of earth hour, the site used a light-on-dark color scheme (or "dark theme"). A switch was located left to the video title, allowing to toggle back if desired. This is the earliest known use of a light-on-dark color scheme on the site. The switch was removed the following day and the bright background was restored.{{cite web |title=YouTube has a turn the lights back on button [...] |url=https://www.sociolatte.com/2012/03/youtube-has-turn-lights-back-on-button.html |website=SocioLatte.com |access-date=29 September 2021 |date=2012-03-30 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929195444/https://www.sociolatte.com/2012/03/youtube-has-turn-lights-back-on-button.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg |title=Evolution of Dance – by Judson Laipply – YouTube |website=YouTube |date=April 6, 2006 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=March 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331131642/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg}}

From 2010 to 2012, Alexa ranked YouTube as the third most visited website on the Internet after Google and Facebook.{{cite web| title = Alexa Traffic Rank for YouTube (three-month average)| publisher = Alexa Internet| url = http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/youtube.com| access-date = September 23, 2012| archive-date = August 7, 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160807013431/http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/youtube.com| url-status = dead}}

In late 2011 and early 2012, YouTube launched over 100 "premium" or "original" channels. It was reported the initiative cost $100 million.{{cite news |last=Nakashima |first=Ryan |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-10-29/youtube-original-programming/50997002/1 |title=YouTube launching 100 new channels |work=USA Today |date=October 29, 2011 |access-date=November 29, 2013 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412094733/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-10-29/youtube-original-programming/50997002/1 |url-status=live }} Two years later, in November 2013, it was documented that the landing page of the original channels became a 404 error page.{{cite web |last=Gutelle |first=Sam |url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/12/youtube-original-channels-initiative-experiment-end/ |title=YouTube Has Removed All References To Its Original Channels Initiative |work=Tubefilter |date=November 12, 2013 |access-date=November 29, 2013 |archive-date=November 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116170416/http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/12/youtube-original-channels-initiative-experiment-end/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/yt/advertise/original-channels.html|title=Error 404 (Not Found)!|publisher=YouTube|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=September 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903132143/http://youtube.com/yt/advertise/original-channels.html|url-status=live}} Despite this, original channels such as SourceFed and Crash Course were able to become successful.{{cite web|last=Cicconet|first=Marcelo|url=http://nyunews.com/2013/04/07/cicconet-13/|title=YouTube not just a site for entertainment, but education|work=Washington Square News|date=April 7, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=April 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411042332/http://nyunews.com/2013/04/07/cicconet-13/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Humphrey|first=Michael|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2012/07/27/youtube-primetime-philip-defrancos-people-first-plan-has-sourcefed-booming/|title=YouTube PrimeTime: Philip DeFranco's 'People First' Plan Has SourceFed Booming|magazine=Forbes|date=July 27, 2012|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116174634/https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2012/07/27/youtube-primetime-philip-defrancos-people-first-plan-has-sourcefed-booming/|url-status=live}}

An algorithm change was made in 2012 that replaced the view-based system for a watch time-based one that is credited for causing a surge in the popularity of gaming channels. It was meant to reduce the impact of channels releasing low effort videos for profit.{{Citation|last=The Game Theorists|title=Game Theory: How Minecraft BROKE YouTube!|date=2017-05-07|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?vl=en&v=X9BNqktRdLo|access-date=2017-06-22|archive-date=February 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223210738/https://m.youtube.com/watch?vl=en&v=X9BNqktRdLo|url-status=live}}

In October 2012, for the first-time ever, YouTube offered a live stream of the U.S. presidential debate and partnered with ABC News to do so.{{cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/01/youtube-partners-with-abc-news-to-offer-its-first-ever-live-stream-of-the-u-s-presidential-debates/|title=YouTube Partners With ABC News To Offer Its First-Ever Live Stream of the U.S. Presidential Debates|work=TechCrunch|access-date=October 1, 2012|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424070847/https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/01/youtube-partners-with-abc-news-to-offer-its-first-ever-live-stream-of-the-u-s-presidential-debates/|url-status=live}} The peak in concurrent views on any live stream was reached on October 14, where over eight million watched a sky dive.{{cite web |last1=Humphrey |first1=Michael |title=Updated: Red Bull Stratos On YouTube Live Topped 8 Million Concurrent Views |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2012/10/14/red-bull-stratos-live-topped-8-million-concurrent-views-on-youtube/ |website=Forbes |access-date=6 August 2021 |language=en |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806163302/https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2012/10/14/red-bull-stratos-live-topped-8-million-concurrent-views-on-youtube/ |url-status=live }}

In September 2012, with the release of iOS 6, the app, which had been a default app on the os since its release, was removed.{{cite web |first=Mark |last=Gurman |title=War? YouTube app disappears from iOS 6 beta 4 as Apple breaks Google ties |url=https://9to5mac.com/2012/08/06/war-youtube-app-disappears-from-ios-6-beta-4/ |website=9to5Mac |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2017 |archive-date=May 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511111057/https://9to5mac.com/2012/08/06/war-youtube-app-disappears-from-ios-6-beta-4/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |first=Jay |last=Yarow |title=Apple Is Taking The YouTube App Off The iPhone |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-iphone-2012-8 |website=Business Insider |publisher=Axel Springer SE |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2017 |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712062423/http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-iphone-2012-8 |url-status=live }} Apple told The Verge that the reason for the removal was due to an expired license, but that YouTube users could still view videos through the Safari web browser. The company also confirmed that Google, which owns YouTube, was developing its own app, with a then-upcoming release through the App Store.{{cite web |first=Nathan |last=Ingraham |title=Apple: YouTube app will not be included in iOS 6, Google working on standalone version |url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/8/6/3223775/apple-youtube-ios6 |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2017 |archive-date=June 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615093547/https://www.theverge.com/2012/8/6/3223775/apple-youtube-ios6 |url-status=live }} The Apple-developed YouTube app remained on iOS 5 and previous iOS versions.{{cite web |first=Darren |last=Murph |title=YouTube app removed from iOS 6 but not iOS 5 and older; Google working on a standalone version |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/youtube-app-removed-from-ios-6-ios-5-confirmation-official/ |website=Engadget |publisher=AOL |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2017 |archive-date=May 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501080944/https://www.engadget.com/2012/08/06/youtube-app-removed-from-ios-6-ios-5-confirmation-official/ |url-status=live }}

On {{Start date|2012|10|25}}, The YouTube slogan (Broadcast Yourself) was taken down due to the live stream of the U.S. presidential debate.

In October 2012, YouTube introduced the ability to add a translucent and overlayed custom icon at a corner of all own videos, which can link to the channel page or a specified video. The feature was initially named "InVideo Programming".{{cite web |last1=Atkinson |first1=Chris |title=YouTube InVideo Programming Tutorial How-To |url=https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-invideo-programming/ |website=Tubular Insights |access-date=8 October 2021 |date=4 October 2012 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008013012/https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-invideo-programming/ |url-status=live }}

YouTube relaunched its design and layout in early December 2012 {{citation needed span|to resemble the mobile and tablet app version of the site.|date=September 2021}} Notable changes of the watch page are the relocation of title and the "Subscribe" button from above to below the video's viewport, the removal of the button that opened a section above the video viewport showing other videos of the same channel without needing to leave the watch page, and the removal of a button-sized banner located above the viewport, which could contain a custom image, popularly icons and text logos.Before change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 |title=PSY – GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V – YouTube |website=YouTube |date=July 15, 2012 |access-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-date=December 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203214046/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 |url-status=}}; after change: Playlists on the watch page, which were formerly displayed as collapsible horizontal list fixed at the page bottom, became a scrollable vertical list next to the video player.Before change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQlrSvnG3dg&list=PL57A31A57F0DBD2B2 |title=Shepard Tone Illusion .... And more! |website=YouTube |date=October 23, 2011 |access-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-date=September 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911012824/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQlrSvnG3dg&list=PL57A31A57F0DBD2B2 |url-status=bot: unknown }}; after change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQlrSvnG3dg&list=PL57A31A57F0DBD2B2 |title=Shepard Tone Illusion .... And more! |website=YouTube |date=October 23, 2011 |access-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-date=December 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207220641/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQlrSvnG3dg&list=PL57A31A57F0DBD2B2 |url-status=bot: unknown }}

On December 21, 2012, the "Gangnam Style" music video by South Korean musician PSY became the first YouTube video to surpass one billion views.{{cite news|last1=Burns|first1=Matt|title=Gangnam Style Hits 1 Billion YouTube Views, The World Does Not End|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/21/i-still-dont-know-what-he-is-saying/|access-date=21 November 2016|work=TechCrunch|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424070854/https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/21/i-still-dont-know-what-he-is-saying/|url-status=live}}

As of early 2013, YouTube video recommendations contain both videos and channels.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130325111538/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDyJeMIngY8 Archive of playback page with channel recommendations]

In early 2013, YouTube introduced a new layout for channels known as "One Channel", which added the ability to put playlists into shelves on the channel front page, but removed custom backgrounds. Formerly unified channel pages were separated into multiple sub pages such as "Videos", "Playlists", "Discussion" (channel comments), "Channels" (featured by user), and "About" (channel description, total video view count, join date, outlinks). This layout was initially optional, with a transitional period taking place between March 8 and June 5 after which it has been made permanent for all users. This layout formed the basis of the one currently used going forward.{{cite web |title=Tips on How to Convert to the New YouTube Channel Design 2013 {{!}} Black Box Social Media |url=https://blackboxsocialmedia.com/youtube-channel-redesign-2013/ |date=March 2013 |access-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529221328/https://blackboxsocialmedia.com/youtube-channel-redesign-2013/ |url-status=live }}

In March 2013, the number of unique users visiting YouTube every month reached 1 billion.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2013/03/21/youtube-reaches-1-billion-users-milestone.html|title=YouTube Reaches 1 Billion Users Milestone|work=CNBC|date=March 21, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424070850/https://www.cnbc.com/id/100575883|url-status=live}} In the same year, YouTube continued to reach out to mainstream media, launching YouTube Comedy Week and the YouTube Music Awards.{{cite magazine|last=Shields|first=Mike|url=http://www.adweek.com/videowatch/arnold-schwarzenegger-ryan-higa-win-youtube-comedy-week-maybe-149839|title=Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ryan Higa Win YouTube Comedy Week—Maybe|magazine=Adweek|date=May 28, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=August 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826010937/https://www.adweek.com/videowatch/arnold-schwarzenegger-ryan-higa-win-youtube-comedy-week-maybe-149839/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Spangler|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/youtube-music-awards-nominees-announced-1200749352/|title=YouTube Music Awards Nominees Announced|magazine=Variety|date=October 21, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=July 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701181852/http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/youtube-music-awards-nominees-announced-1200749352/|url-status=live}} Both events were met with negative to mixed reception.{{cite news|last=Jaworski|url=http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/jaworski-youtube-hollywood-problems-comedy/|title=YouTube has a Hollywood problem|work=The Daily Dot|date=May 23, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=June 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601104058/http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/jaworski-youtube-hollywood-problems-comedy/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/20/youtube-big-live-comedy-show-fail/|title=Six Reasons Why YouTube's 'Big Live Comedy Show' Didn't Work|work=Tubefilter|date=May 20, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=June 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611121037/https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/05/20/youtube-big-live-comedy-show-fail/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Gelt|first=Jessica|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-youtube-music-awards-eminem-wins-artist-of-the-year-20131103,0,7513928.story#axzz2jdsdyvQY|title=YouTube Music Awards: Eminem wins Artist of the Year ... wait, what?|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 3, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=November 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119053916/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-youtube-music-awards-eminem-wins-artist-of-the-year-20131103,0,7513928.story#axzz2jdsdyvQY|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Gutelle|first=Sam|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/04/youtube-music-awards-weird-problem/|title=The YouTube Music Awards Were Weird, And That's A Problem|work=Tubefilter|date=November 4, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424072406/https://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/04/youtube-music-awards-weird-problem/|url-status=live}}

Automatically generated playlists known as "YouTube Mix" were first rolled out in April 2013.{{cite web |last1=Yeung |first1=Ken |title=YouTube Testing An Auto-Generated Playlist Service Called YouTube Mix |url=http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/04/22/youtube-experimenting-on-new-video-discovery-feature-called-youtube-mix/ |website=The Next Web |access-date=26 March 2022 |language=en |date=22 April 2013 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216190159/https://thenextweb.com/google/2013/04/22/youtube-experimenting-on-new-video-discovery-feature-called-youtube-mix/ |url-status=live }} A year later, the feature was rolled out to the mobile app for Android OS.{{cite web |last1=Sinha |first1=Robin |title=YouTube for Android update brings Mix feature, comment replies and more |url=https://gadgets360.com/apps/news/youtube-for-android-update-brings-mix-feature-comment-replies-and-more-515213 |website=NDTV Gadgets 360 |language=en |date=2014-04-28 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704103802/https://gadgets360.com/apps/news/youtube-for-android-update-brings-mix-feature-comment-replies-and-more-515213 |url-status=live }} A similar feature called "YouTube Radio" for continuous music playback in resemblance to radio stations was tested in February 2015.{{cite web |last1=Kahn |first1=Jordan |title=YouTube experiments w/ non-stop radio stations based on current video |url=https://9to5google.com/2015/02/11/youtube-radio/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=26 March 2022 |date=11 February 2015 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327000526/https://9to5google.com/2015/02/11/youtube-radio/ |url-status=live }}

Since approximately July 9, 2013, the first page of videos' comment section is no longer included in the watch page's static HTML source code, but instead loaded subsequently through AJAX.Before change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR1rvqW9fN0&gl=US&hl=en |title=Angry German Kid sees himself on youtube – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-date=July 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708084413/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR1rvqW9fN0&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=dead }}; after change: {{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 |title=PSY – GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V – YouTube |website=YouTube |date=July 15, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2022 |archive-date=July 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711002826/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 |url-status=live }}.

A picture-in-picture mode for browsing within the app while watching was introduced to the mobile app in August 2013.{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Fox Van |title=YouTube App Updated with Picture-in-Picture |url=https://www.techlicious.com/blog/youtube-app-updated-with-picture-in-picture/ |website=www.techlicious.com |access-date=30 October 2021 |language=en |date=2013-08-21 |archive-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030230339/https://www.techlicious.com/blog/youtube-app-updated-with-picture-in-picture/ |url-status=live }} At a similar time, channel hover cards were first implemented to the desktop site, which are tooltips previewing channel details that appear when pointing at channel names with the mouse cursor. These details include the header image, subscriber count, subscribe button, and a snippet of the channel description text.{{cite web |title=YouTube Hovercards, Video Trimming, and Thumbnail Essentials |url=https://tubularinsights.com/tube-talk-37/ |website=Tubular Insights |access-date=1 December 2021 |date=20 August 2014 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201192002/https://tubularinsights.com/tube-talk-37/ |url-status=live }} Additionally, a play symbol ("▶") to indicate a playing video in the page title was added to the desktop site. But it has been rendered obsolete the following years as desktop web browsers were equipped with an indicator for audio-playing tabs.{{cite web |last1=Protalinski |first1=Emil |title=YouTube Adds Play Icon to Video Page Titles |url=http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/08/03/youtube-adds-play-icon-to-video-page-titles-so-you-can-quickly-see-which-tabs-are-making-noise/ |website=TNW {{!}} Google |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en |date=3 August 2013 |archive-date=December 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202232609/https://thenextweb.com/google/2013/08/03/youtube-adds-play-icon-to-video-page-titles-so-you-can-quickly-see-which-tabs-are-making-noise/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=See What Browser Window or Tab is Playing Audio / Video in Chrome Quickly |url=https://osxdaily.com/2014/01/17/audio-video-playing-indicator-chrome-tabs/ |website=OS X Daily |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en |date=17 January 2014 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201192002/https://osxdaily.com/2014/01/17/audio-video-playing-indicator-chrome-tabs/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Tkachenko |first1=Sergey |title=Tab muting feature and sound indicator come to Firefox |url=https://winaero.com/tab-muting-feature-and-sound-indicator-come-to-firefox/ |website=Winaero |access-date=1 December 2021 |date=3 August 2015 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201192001/https://winaero.com/tab-muting-feature-and-sound-indicator-come-to-firefox/ |url-status=live }}

On September 12, 2013, the "video responses" feature introduced back in May 2006 was discontinued, citing a low click-through rate. It allowed users to respond to videos through a new or existing video which appeared above the comment section.{{cite web |title=Google Dumps Video Responses From YouTube Due To Dismal .0004% Click-Through Rate |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/08/27/google-dumps-video-responses-from-youtube-due-to-dismal-0004-click-through-rate/ |website=TechCrunch |date=27 August 2013 |access-date=6 August 2021 |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806160401/https://techcrunch.com/2013/08/27/google-dumps-video-responses-from-youtube-due-to-dismal-0004-click-through-rate/ |url-status=live }}

From September to November 2013, YouTube's comment system on channel pages and videos, were integrated to Google's social network site "Google+", since which a Google Brand Account is required to be able to comment. This change also included the ability to edit existing comments and include URLs in comments, with the removal of the 500 characters limit and negative user ratings from comments. Channels created prior as standalone YouTube accounts using its legacy registration form have been grandfathered to a /user/ URL.{{cite web |last1=Janakiram |first1=Nundu |last2=Zunger |first2=Yonatan |title=We hear you: Better commenting coming to YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/youtube-new-comments/ |website=blog.youtube |publisher=YouTube company blog |access-date=20 September 2021 |language=en-us |date=2013-09-24 |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920212734/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/youtube-new-comments/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Understand your channel URLs – YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6180214?hl=en |website=support.google.com |access-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920101415/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6180214?hl=en |url-status=live }}

In November 2013, YouTube's own YouTube channel surpassed Felix Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel to become the most subscribed channel on the website. This was due to auto-suggesting new users to subscribe to the channel upon registration.{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Joshua|url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/04/youtube-most-susbcribed-channel/|title=YouTube Is Now The Most Subscribed Channel On YouTube|work=Tubefilter|date=November 4, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=November 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105230510/http://www.tubefilter.com/2013/11/04/youtube-most-susbcribed-channel/|url-status=live}}

Users of the mobile app gained the ability to reply to comments in April 2014.

In June 2014, YouTube replaced the classic Inbox feature with a new private messaging system, which – like comments – required users to have their YouTube accounts linked with a Google+ profile, which was subsequently moved over to Google Brand Accounts. Legacy Inbox messages could be viewed and downloaded up until December 1.{{cite web|title=Goodbye YouTube InBox, Hello Google+ YouTube Messages|url=https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-messages/|website=tubularinsights.com|date=June 25, 2014|access-date=February 10, 2022|archive-date=February 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210123521/https://tubularinsights.com/youtube-messages/|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Making messages and comments easier to use |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/making-messages-and-comments-easier-to/ |website=blog.youtube |publisher=YouTube Official Blog |author=Jeffrey Lee-Chan |date=June 24, 2014 |access-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210123522/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/making-messages-and-comments-easier-to/ |url-status=live }}

In October 2014, videos' frame rate limit was increased from 30 to 60, allowing for a smoother and more realistic appearance. It was initially only available with Google Chrome and later expanded to other browsers. 60fps are only available at 720p resolution and above.{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Gordon |title=YouTube Launches 60fps Video And It Looks Amazing |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/10/30/youtube-60fps-video-is-here-and-it-looks-incredible/ |website=Forbes |language=en |access-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024004748/https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/10/30/youtube-60fps-video-is-here-and-it-looks-incredible/ |url-status=live }}

In November 2014, YouTube launched a paid subscription service initially named "Music Key", featuring background playback, the integrated ability to download music for offline use, and no advertisement breaks.{{cite web |last1=Trew |first1=James |title=YouTube Music Key is the streaming service for people who don't like streaming services |url=https://www.engadget.com/2014-11-27-youtube-music-is-the-key.html |website=Engadget |access-date=23 October 2021 |language=en |date=2014-11-27 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024004748/https://www.engadget.com/2014-11-27-youtube-music-is-the-key.html |url-status=live }} Almost a year later, in October 2015, it was rebranded to "YouTube Red" and its scope expanded beyond music.{{cite web |title=YouTube Officially Announces YouTube Red, Its Paid Subscription Service With Originals From Its Stars |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2015/10/21/youtube-red-paid-subscription-service/ |website=Tubefilter |access-date=24 October 2021 |date=21 October 2015 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024004750/https://www.tubefilter.com/2015/10/21/youtube-red-paid-subscription-service/ |url-status=live }} It was rebranded again in May 2018 to "YouTube Premium", and its availability expanded across countries.{{cite web |title=YouTube Red Renamed 'YouTube Premium', Price Upped From $10 To $12 Monthly |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2018/05/17/youtube-red-youtube-premium-youtube-music/ |website=Tubefilter |access-date=24 October 2021 |date=17 May 2018 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024004752/https://www.tubefilter.com/2018/05/17/youtube-red-youtube-premium-youtube-music/ |url-status=live }} Google's other music streaming service Play Music was merged with YouTube Music in May 2020, as the latter is a more recognized brand.{{cite web |title=How to Move Your Google Play Library Over to YouTube Music |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/music/how-to-move-your-google-play-library-over-to-youtube-music/ |website=Digital Trends |access-date=23 October 2021 |language=en |date=12 May 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024004749/https://www.digitaltrends.com/music/how-to-move-your-google-play-library-over-to-youtube-music/ |url-status=live }}

Support for the dedicated YouTube application on the Sony PlayStation Vita game console was deprecated in January 2015, for the Nintendo Wii and Wii Mini in June 2017, and for the Nintendo 3DS in August 2019.{{cite web |last1=Good |first1=Owen S. |title=Sony pulling support for three PS Vita apps |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/1/28/7927561/ps-vita-near-mapps-youtube-apps |website=Polygon |access-date=29 October 2021 |date=28 January 2015 |archive-date=October 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029003938/https://www.polygon.com/2015/1/28/7927561/ps-vita-near-mapps-youtube-apps |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Nintendo Support: YouTube for Wii Service Has Ended |url=https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26400/~/youtube-for-wii-service-has-ended |website=en-americas-support.nintendo.com |access-date=24 October 2021 |quote=YouTube ended its support for the Wii YouTube app on June 28th, 2017 as part of a larger initiative by YouTube to phase out its availability on older devices. |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817091251/https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26400/~/youtube-for-wii-service-has-ended |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Schoon |first1=Ben |title=YouTube app for Nintendo 3DS shuts down on September 3rd |url=https://9to5google.com/2019/08/26/youtube-nintendo-3ds-app-shut-down/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=29 October 2021 |date=26 August 2019 |archive-date=October 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029003938/https://9to5google.com/2019/08/26/youtube-nintendo-3ds-app-shut-down/ |url-status=live }}

In March 2015, YouTube introduced the ability to automatically publish videos at a scheduled time,{{cite web |title=How To Schedule YouTube Videos Using YouTube Video Scheduling |url=https://www.minimatters.com/2015/03/how-to-schedule-youtube-videos-using-youtube-video-scheduling/ |website=Video Production Washington DC – MiniMatters |access-date=6 August 2021 |date=15 March 2015 |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806161815/https://www.minimatters.com/2015/03/how-to-schedule-youtube-videos-using-youtube-video-scheduling/ |url-status=live }} as well as "info cards" and "end cards", which allow referring to videos and channels through a notification at the top right of the video at any playback time, and thumbnails shown in the last 20 seconds. In contrary to annotations, these work in the mobile app too, though are far less customizable.{{cite web |last1=Welch |first1=Chris |title=YouTube's new 'cards' will now obstruct your videos instead of annotations |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/16/8225275/youtube-cards-annotations-announced |website=The Verge |language=en |date=16 March 2015 |access-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807170518/https://www.theverge.com/2015/3/16/8225275/youtube-cards-annotations-announced |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=Napier |title=YouTube's Mobile-Friendly Cards Will Replace Annotations |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/youtube-introduces-interactive-cards-to-complement-annotations-and-they-work-on-mobile-too |website=TNW {{!}} Insider |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |date=16 March 2015 |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807170516/https://thenextweb.com/news/youtube-introduces-interactive-cards-to-complement-annotations-and-they-work-on-mobile-too |url-status=live }}

360-degree video was launched in March 2015. A year later, in April 2016, the ability to live stream 360-degree video was launched. Additionally, live streaming resolution was elevated to 1440p and 60 frames per second, and support for the EIA-608 and CEA-708 formats were added for embedded captioning.{{cite web |title=New YouTube live features: live 360, 1440p, embedded captions, and VP9 ingestion |url=https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2016/04/new-youtube-live-features-live-360.html |website=YouTube Engineering and Developers Blog |access-date=1 December 2021 |language=en |date=2016-04-19 |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201205447/https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2016/04/new-youtube-live-features-live-360.html |url-status=dead }}

In August 2015, "YouTube Gaming" was launched. It was a separate web and mobile front end showing only gaming-related content, featuring a similar layout but somewhat modified appearance compared to the main site, and a light-on-dark color scheme well before the feature was introduced to the main site.{{cite web |last1=Sarkar |first1=Samit |title=YouTube Gaming launches Aug. 26 with website and mobile apps |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/8/25/9208245/youtube-gaming-launch-date-web-android-ios |website=Polygon |access-date=8 October 2021 |date=25 August 2015 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008014241/https://www.polygon.com/2015/8/25/9208245/youtube-gaming-launch-date-web-android-ios |url-status=live }} It was discontinued in March 2019 and merged with the main site.{{cite web |last1=Binder |first1=Matt |title=YouTube will close YouTube Gaming, move it all to the main site |url=https://mashable.com/article/youtube-gaming-app-closing-move-to-main-site |website=Mashable |access-date=8 October 2021 |language=en |date=18 September 2018 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008014242/https://mashable.com/article/youtube-gaming-app-closing-move-to-main-site |url-status=live }}

At a similar time, the view count indicator was patched to become continuous instead of temporary halting at 301 views (indicated as "301+") for hours, reportedly to calculate and deduct "counterfeit views". This phenomenon was first documented in June 2012. As an easter egg, the view counter of the video by mathematics channel "Numberphile" discussing this phenomenon was set to remain at 301.{{cite web |last1=Kastrenakes |first1=Jacob |title=YouTube videos will no longer get stuck at 301+ views |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/5/9100759/youtube-301-view-count-freeze-going-away |website=The Verge |access-date=11 December 2021 |language=en |date=5 August 2015 |archive-date=December 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211141045/https://www.theverge.com/2015/8/5/9100759/youtube-301-view-count-freeze-going-away |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Schwartz |first1=Barry |title=YouTube Video Stuck At 301 Views? Here Is Why. |url=https://www.seroundtable.com/youtube-301-views-15347.html |website=seroundtable.com |access-date=11 December 2021 |date=2012-06-24 |archive-date=December 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211135544/https://www.seroundtable.com/youtube-301-views-15347.html |url-status=live }}{{cite AV media |date=2012-06-22 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkhgagvrjI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/oIkhgagvrjI| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-11 |publisher=Numberphile |title=Why do YouTube views freeze at 301? }}{{cbignore}} (Note from video description: "This video's view count in January 2021 – 15.1 million"; 3.3 million likes as of December 2021)

In December 2015 and January 2016, direct uploading through email and webcam recording respectively were removed. The former existed to support cell phones with limited web browsing capabilities.{{Cite web|date=2015-03-07|title=Upload Videos to YouTube Using Email|url=https://instructionaltechtalk.com/upload-videos-to-youtube-using-email/|access-date=2021-04-25|website=Instructional Tech Talk|language=en-US|archive-date=April 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417151116/https://instructionaltechtalk.com/upload-videos-to-youtube-using-email/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2015-12-13|title=YouTube will turn off its Webcam Capture feature after January 16, 2016|url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/12/12/youtube-will-turn-off-its-webcam-capture-feature-after-january-16-2016/|access-date=2021-04-25|website=VentureBeat|language=en-US|archive-date=April 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417151115/https://venturebeat.com/2015/12/12/youtube-will-turn-off-its-webcam-capture-feature-after-january-16-2016/|url-status=live}}

Around January 30, 2016, the dedicated "/all_comments" page which served videos' comments as static HTML was removed as well, and redirected to videos' main watch page, "/watch".Before removal: {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=34M2zdLc-2U |title=Netflix – Making A Murderer – Episode 1 |website=YouTube |access-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160129035502/https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=34M2zdLc-2U}}; after removal: {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=lzXjRVJrTmU |title=Robert LaVoy Finicum shooting photo 10 dash lines past double line end north of Joaquin miller camp – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160130214115/https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=lzXjRVJrTmU}}. At some point, "/all_comments" displayed the absolute date (e. g. "Aug 26, 2014") rather than the relative (e. g. "1 week ago") on older comments,{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=9bZkp7q19f0 |title=All comments on PSY – GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-date=September 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907030111/https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=9bZkp7q19f0}} as well as 500 comments per page like on legacy Reddit and three preview thumbnails from a video.{{Cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=n2iiH7AVNsU |title=YouTube – Broadcast Yourself |website=YouTube |access-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720071337/http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=n2iiH7AVNsU}}. The top notice reads "You are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 web browser. YouTube is ending support for Internet Explorer 7 soon, update your browser now."

{{Visible anchor|Polymer2016|text=In mid-2016, the earliest experiments with a redesigned desktop web front end were conducted.}} It follows the "material design" language and is based on the "Polymer" web framework.{{cite web |last1=Warren |first1=Tom |title=YouTube is getting a Material Design look and feel |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/3/11576016/youtube-material-design-test |website=The Verge |access-date=24 September 2021 |language=en |date=3 May 2016 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924233841/https://www.theverge.com/2016/5/3/11576016/youtube-material-design-test |url-status=live }} {{visible anchor|darkTheme2017|text=A light-on-dark color scheme, also known as "dark mode" or "dark theme", was first implemented in May 2017, though it wouldn't release until August 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Mott |first1=Nathaniel |title=YouTube Gets New 'Polymer' Framework, Updated Design, Dark Theme |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/youtube-polymer-design-dark-theme,34309.html |website=Tom's Hardware |access-date=24 September 2021 |language=en |date=2 May 2017 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924235716/https://www.tomshardware.com/news/youtube-polymer-design-dark-theme,34309.html |url-status=live }}

The earliest trials with a new channel sub page named "Community" as an impending replacement for "Discussion" were conducted on select channels in September 2016.{{cite web |title=YouTube becomes more social with the Community tab |url=https://www.engadget.com/2016-09-14-youtube-becomes-more-social-with-the-community-tab.html |website=Engadget |access-date=27 September 2021 |date=2016-09-14 |archive-date=September 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927033011/https://www.engadget.com/2016-09-14-youtube-becomes-more-social-with-the-community-tab.html |url-status=live }}

In November 2016, the ability to "heart" and pin comments under own videos was added. "Hearting" visibly marks comments under own videos to signify appreciation; a select comment can be pinned so to remain on top of the section.{{cite web |title=YouTube lets creators 'heart' and pin comments |url=https://www.slashgear.com/youtube-lets-creators-heart-and-pin-comments-03462743/ |website=SlashGear |access-date=27 September 2021 |date=3 November 2016 |archive-date=September 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927033013/https://www.slashgear.com/youtube-lets-creators-heart-and-pin-comments-03462743/ |url-status=live }}

Since December 2016, YouTube started rolling out a progress bar at thumbnails' bottom edge, indicating the watch progress of previously watched videos, starting with the iOS app.{{cite web |title=YouTube App Update Adds Progress Bar to Previously Watched Videos |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2016/12/02/youtube-app-update-adds-progress-bar-videos/ |website=MacRumors |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en |date=2016-12-02 |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101001530/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/12/02/youtube-app-update-adds-progress-bar-videos/ |url-status=live }}

Live streaming from the mobile app was rolled out in early 2017, initially only available to channels with at least 10,000 subscribers.{{cite web |title=YouTube Adds Mobile Video Streaming for Top Talent |url=https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/youtube-opens-mobile-live-streaming-to-creators-with-over-10-000-subscribers-launches-paid-super-cha-1657121 |website=NDTV Gadgets 360 |date=February 8, 2017 |access-date=6 August 2021 |language=en |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806161024/https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/youtube-opens-mobile-live-streaming-to-creators-with-over-10-000-subscribers-launches-paid-super-cha-1657121 |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|Annotations_locked|text=Annotations became uneditable on May 2, 2017.}} Since then, users were only able to remove all annotations from individual videos. Parts of the feature such as pause markings were already removed earlier, with collaborative annotations having been discontinued in December 2010.{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2010 |title=Annotations Updates - Now It’s Easier to Get Interactive |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/annotations-updates-now-its-easier-to/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 13, 2025}}{{cite web |title=YouTube Will Remove All Video Annotations on Jan. 15 |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/youtube-will-remove-all-video-annotations-on-jan-15 |website=PCMAG |date=November 27, 2018 |language=en |access-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807170517/https://www.pcmag.com/news/youtube-will-remove-all-video-annotations-on-jan-15 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Statt |first1=Nick |title=YouTube to discontinue video annotations because they never worked on mobile |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/16/14953756/youtube-annotations-feature-discontinue-cards-end-screens |website=The Verge |access-date=7 August 2021 |language=en |date=16 March 2017 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316035125/https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/16/14953756/youtube-annotations-feature-discontinue-cards-end-screens |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|Redesign2017|text=On August 29, 2017, YouTube changed both their logo and the design of their desktop website.}} The "Tube" part of the logo is no longer surrounded by the shape resembling a CRT television. The shape moved left besides the "YouTube" word mark and has a white triangle resembling a play button. Their new "Polymer" web front based on that first tested in mid-2016 was made default for visitors.{{cite web |last1=Wilhelm |first1=Parker |title=YouTube debuts new logo and a redesign — here's what's changed |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/youtube-debuts-new-logo-and-a-redesign-heres-whats-changed |website=TechRadar |access-date=24 September 2021 |language=en |date=29 August 2017 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924233826/https://www.techradar.com/news/youtube-debuts-new-logo-and-a-redesign-heres-whats-changed |url-status=live }}

As of 2017, notes could be added to videos within playlists by the creator of the playlist.{{cite web |last1=Keeler |first1=Alice |title=YouTube: Add to Playlist |url=https://alicekeeler.com/2017/11/22/youtube-add-playlist/ |website=Teacher Tech |access-date=1 January 2022 |date=22 November 2017 |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101003311/https://alicekeeler.com/2017/11/22/youtube-add-playlist/ |url-status=live }}

In January 2018, a musical note badge replaced the check mark to denote account verification status for music artists. YouTube refers to such channels as "artist channels", a feature introduced months prior with a slightly different channel layout.{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Abner |title=YouTube pushing fans to 'Official Artist Channels' with automatic subscriptions |url=https://9to5google.com/2018/01/23/youtube-pushing-official-artist-channels-automatic-subscriptions/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=26 March 2022 |date=23 January 2018 |archive-date=May 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506015513/http://9to5google.com/2018/01/23/youtube-pushing-official-artist-channels-automatic-subscriptions/ |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|PIP|text=In March 2018, a picture-in-picture mode was introduced to the desktop web site}} that the fixes the video player to the lower right corner of the screen for browsing and searching without having to leave the video. A fixed "mini player" top bar appearing when scrolling down and containing the video and controls for watching while browsing comments was intermittently tested.{{cite web |title=Navigation mit laufendem Video: YouTube testet Bild-in-Bild Modus auf dem Desktop (Screenshots) – GWB |url=https://www.googlewatchblog.de/2018/03/navigation-video-youtube-bild/ |website=GoogleWatchBlog |access-date=30 October 2021 |language=de-DE |date=16 March 2018 |archive-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030230333/https://www.googlewatchblog.de/2018/03/navigation-video-youtube-bild/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=YouTube testet Miniplayer: Videos gucken und gleichzeitig Kommentare lesen (Video) – GWB |url=https://www.googlewatchblog.de/2018/03/youtube-miniplayer-videos-kommentare/ |website=GoogleWatchBlog |access-date=30 October 2021 |language=de-DE |date=22 March 2018 |archive-date=October 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030230333/https://www.googlewatchblog.de/2018/03/youtube-miniplayer-videos-kommentare/ |url-status=live }}

On April 3, 2018, a shooting took place at YouTube headquarters.{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/shots-fired-at-youtube-offices-in-california-casualties-reported/ar-AAvqrNc?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout|title=Woman wounds 3 at YouTube headquarters in California before killing herself|website=www.msn.com|access-date=April 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825212608/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/shots-fired-at-youtube-offices-in-california-casualties-reported/ar-AAvqrNc?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout|archive-date=August 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}

{{Visible anchor|Premiere|text=In June 2018, a "Premiere" feature was added}}, where a video can be broadcast like a live stream after uploaded, and users can discuss in a live chat like they can in live streams. Before the video starts, an animated two-minute preroll with the soundtrack "Space Walk" by "Silent Partner" is played. A premiere can be set to start immediately after upload or at a scheduled time, though scheduled publications existed since March 2015.{{cite web |title=YouTube creators can hype prerecorded videos with 'Premieres' |url=https://www.engadget.com/2018-06-21-youtube-premieres.html |website=Engadget |date=June 21, 2018 |access-date=6 August 2021 |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806160401/https://www.engadget.com/2018-06-21-youtube-premieres.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube Premieres hopes to redefine how people watch videos |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/21/17485064/youtube-premieres-livestreaming-vod-jacksfilms-superchat-monetization |website=Polygon |access-date=6 August 2021 |language=en |date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806160402/https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/21/17485064/youtube-premieres-livestreaming-vod-jacksfilms-superchat-monetization |url-status=live }}

On July 9, 2018, the private messaging feature has been removed from "Creator Studio", purging existing messages.{{cite web |title=YouTube Private Messages Ending Soon – The Reloaders Network |url=https://www.thereloadersnetwork.com/2018/06/04/youtube-private-messages-ending-soon/ |access-date=20 August 2021 |date=2018-06-04 |archive-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821000943/https://www.thereloadersnetwork.com/2018/06/04/youtube-private-messages-ending-soon/ |url-status=live }}

In July 2018, it was reported that the site's "Polymer" redesign slowed performance significantly on non-Chromium browsers compared to the legacy, HTML-based version of the front end.{{Cite web|last=Keane|first=Sean|title=Mozilla exec says Google slowed YouTube down on non-Chrome browsers|url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/mozilla-exec-says-google-slowed-youtube-down-on-non-chrome-browsers/|access-date=2022-02-11|website=CNET|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Mozilla Exec Says YouTube Runs Slower on Firefox — Here's How to Fix It|url=https://fortune.com/2018/07/25/youtube-slow-mozilla-firefox-chrome/|access-date=2018-07-25|website=Fortune|language=en|archive-date=February 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211225413/https://fortune.com/2018/07/25/youtube-slow-mozilla-firefox-chrome/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2020-03-26|title=Make YouTube faster on Firefox with this extension – gHacks Tech News|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2020/03/26/make-youtube-faster-on-firefox-with-this-extension/|access-date=2022-02-11|website=gHacks Technology News|language=en-US|archive-date=February 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211225422/https://www.ghacks.net/2020/03/26/make-youtube-faster-on-firefox-with-this-extension/|url-status=live}}

In August 2018, the search result counter resembling that of Google Search was removed.Before change:{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=abo |title=Abo – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180811225740/https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=abo |url-status=dead}}; after change: {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aytvau+reupload |title=Aytvau reupload – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-date=August 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180815174642/https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=aytvau+reupload |url-status=dead}}. The change occurred one month after the airing of a popular TED talk with a prominent mention of a result count of 10 million for a search for surprise eggs.{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9EKV2nSU8w&t=104 |title=The nightmare videos of {{as written|chil|drens' [sic]|expecting=children's}} YouTube — and what's wrong with the internet today {{pipe}} James Bridle (at 1 minute and 44 seconds) |date=2018-07-13 |access-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814023058/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9EKV2nSU8w&t=104 |url-status=live }} Whether it is related is unknown.

In October 2018, YouTube announced launching a fund program for educational creators, to which creators with a minimum of 25.000 subscribers and a demonstrated expertise in their field could apply through an agreement.{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube is investing $20M in educational content, creators |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/22/18009908/youtube-learning-educational-investment-john-green-asapscience |website=The Verge |access-date=26 March 2022 |language=en |date=22 October 2018 |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831113901/https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/22/18009908/youtube-learning-educational-investment-john-green-asapscience |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|Stories|text=In November 2018, YouTube rolled out a "Stories" feature in resemblance to Snapchat and Instagram Stories}}, where videos are automatically deleted ("expire") after a day. The feature was tested as "YouTube reels" earlier that year, and is only accessible through the native mobile apps and not implemented on the websites.{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube is rolling out its Instagram-like Stories feature to more creators |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/29/18117670/youtube-stories-creators-subscribers-instagram-philip-defranco |website=The Verge |access-date=5 October 2021 |language=en |date=29 November 2018 |archive-date=October 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005224112/https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/29/18117670/youtube-stories-creators-subscribers-instagram-philip-defranco |url-status=live }} This feature was disabled on June 26, 2023, citing access being limited, and poor promotion. Existing stories would remain for 7 days after uploading was disabled.{{Cite web |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=2023-05-25 |title=YouTube is killing Stories |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/25/23736246/youtube-ending-stories-shorts-community-posts |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=The Verge |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=2023-05-25 |title=YouTube Stories are shutting down June 26 as company focuses on Shorts |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/25/youtube-stories-are-shutting-down-june-26-as-company-focuses-on-shorts/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

Throughout 2018, YouTube rolled out the ability to save videos to a mobile device for a limited period for offline viewing. Videos are saved in a way they are only accessible from inside the app, not from external software.{{cite web |last1=Khoury |first1=Rita El |title=YouTube offline video downloads are supported in 125 countries |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/03/01/youtube-updates-list-countries-support-offline-video-downloads/ |website=Android Police |access-date=27 February 2025 |language=en |date=1 March 2018}}{{cite web |title=YouTube videos offline FAQs - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7381437?hl=en |access-date=4 March 2025 |language=en |quote=The videos are stored encrypted on the device and can only be watched in the YouTube app.}} The feature was later made exclusive for members of the YouTube Premium subscription service.{{cite web |author=Christine Persaud, Contributions from Judy Sanhz |title=How to download YouTube videos to watch offline |url=https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/how-to-download-youtube-videos-to-watch-offline |website=Android Central |access-date=27 February 2025 |language=en |date=16 April 2024}}

{{Visible anchor|Annotations_removal|text=The removal of existing annotations on all videos was announced around November 27, 2018, and occurred as scheduled on January 15, 2019.}}{{cite web |last1=Schoon |first1=Ben |title=YouTube will delete all of those annoying video annotations early next year |url=https://9to5google.com/2018/11/27/youtube-video-annotations-delete/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=8 August 2021 |date=27 November 2018 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808154906/https://9to5google.com/2018/11/27/youtube-video-annotations-delete/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=Jon |title=YouTube annotations will disappear for good in January |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27/18114581/youtube-annotations-discontinued-january-2019 |website=The Verge |access-date=8 August 2021 |language=en |date=27 November 2018 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316035117/https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27/18114581/youtube-annotations-discontinued-january-2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Binder |first1=Matt |title=The death of YouTube annotations marks an end for early interactive web video |url=https://mashable.com/article/the-death-of-youtube-annotations |website=Mashable |access-date=8 August 2021 |language=en |date=14 December 2018 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808154906/https://mashable.com/article/the-death-of-youtube-annotations |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|AutoShare|text=On January 31, 2019, AutoShare was removed.}} The feature allowed users to opt to automatically broadcast actions such as liking videos, playlist additions, new uploads, and earlier added subscriptions to Google+ and Twitter, and the channel feed.{{cite web |last1=Partis |first1=Danielle |title=YouTube is apparently removing the ability to auto-share videos to Twitter |url=https://www.influencerupdate.biz/news/67810/youtube-is-apparently-removing-the-ability-to-auto-share-videos-to-twitter/ |website=influencerupdate.biz |date=2019-01-10 |access-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214051016/https://www.influencerupdate.biz/news/67810/youtube-is-apparently-removing-the-ability-to-auto-share-videos-to-twitter/ |url-status=live }}[https://archive.today/20191123210650/https://www.youtube.com/user/Vsauce/feed Archive of chronological channel feed with uploads, liked videos, subscriptions, and playlist additions]

On the same day, the dedicated section for video credits like "Starring", "Written by", and "Edited by" was removed from videos' description box, citing low usage. Addition of such was already disabled since November 27, 2018, the same day on which the definite annotation removal was announced.{{cite web |title=YouTube is Removing Video Credits in Early 2019 |url=https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-is-removing-video-credits-in-early-2019/280273/ |website=Search Engine Journal |access-date=8 September 2021 |language=en |date=27 November 2018 |archive-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908132652/https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-is-removing-video-credits-in-early-2019/280273/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Updates – YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9072033?hl=en |access-date=8 September 2021 |date=13 December 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181213073331/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9072033?hl=en|archive-date = December 13, 2018}}

Dedicated "learning playlists" that do not include algorithmic recommendations, have a distinct page layout, and allow dividing videos into sub-sections of lessons, were introduced in July 2019.{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Dami |title=YouTube is launching educational playlists that won't include algorithmic recommendations |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/11/20690736/youtube-learning-playlists-algorithm-recommendations |website=The Verge |access-date=26 March 2022 |language=en |date=11 July 2019 |archive-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904141543/https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/11/20690736/youtube-learning-playlists-algorithm-recommendations |url-status=live }}

{{Visible anchor|Subscriber_count_abbreviation|text=Since September 2019, channels' publicly displayed subscriber counts are abbreviated to the leading three digits and rounded down}}, including those served through the site API. This means, for example, that a subscriber count of 102,{{#expr:500+{{random number|499}} }} is indicated as "102K" or "102.000". This change disabled third-party real-time subscriber count indicators such as that of Social Blade, and diminished the accuracy of historical log data. Exact counts remained accessible to channel operators through the "YouTube Studio" web application.{{cite web |title=Abbreviated public-facing subscriber counts |url=https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2019/08/abbreviated-public-facing-subscriber.html |website=YouTube Engineering and Developers Blog (official) |language=en |access-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413152915/https://youtube-eng.googleblog.com/2019/08/abbreviated-public-facing-subscriber.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=YouTube kills exact public subscriber count |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/08/30/google-youtube-kills-exact-subscriber-count/ |website=Android Police |access-date=21 August 2021 |date=30 August 2019 |archive-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821002216/https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/08/30/google-youtube-kills-exact-subscriber-count/ |url-status=live }}

Also in September 2019, the new "direct messaging" system was removed two years after introduction. This was a distinct system not to be confused with Creator Studio messages, which was removed in July 2018 after replacing the legacy Inbox feature – which existed since YouTube's early years – four years prior.{{cite web |last1=Hazel |title=Heads Up – We're removing the ability to message directly on YouTube after September 18 – YouTube Community |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/12446824/heads-up-we%E2%80%99re-removing-the-ability-to-message-directly-on-youtube-after-september-18 |website=support.google.com |publisher=Team YouTube |access-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821000942/https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/12446824/heads-up-we%E2%80%99re-removing-the-ability-to-message-directly-on-youtube-after-september-18 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=YouTube is removing its direct messaging feature in September |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019-08-20-youtube-killing-direct-messaging.html |website=Engadget |date=August 21, 2019 |access-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821000942/https://www.engadget.com/2019-08-20-youtube-killing-direct-messaging.html |url-status=live }}

Another change reported in September 2019 was a strictening of the account verification procedure. Previously, the sole criterion for verification is said to have been a subscriber count of at least 100.000, whereas since, YouTube reports requiring what they describe as a "proof of authenticity", incorporating notability outside of YouTube. A change of the verification badge's appearance from a symbol into a highlighted channel name was also announced, but has not been implemented since.{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube creators may lose verified badges as company makes verification program even stricter |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/19/20873668/youtube-verified-creators-application-artists-musicians-policy-recommendation-search |website=The Verge |access-date=26 March 2022 |language=en |date=19 September 2019 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327000750/https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/19/20873668/youtube-verified-creators-application-artists-musicians-policy-recommendation-search |url-status=live }}

In late October 2019, a list layout with snippets of videos' descriptions, slightly in resemblance of YouTube in its early years, was tested for a short time, then the shelf (or "grid") layout was restored.{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Abner |title=YouTube homepage showing videos in list view, removes most carousels |url=https://9to5google.com/2019/10/31/youtube-homepage-videos-list/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=26 March 2022 |date=31 October 2019 |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527165709/https://9to5google.com/2019/10/31/youtube-homepage-videos-list/ |url-status=live }} Soon after, in early November, the size of videos' thumbnails on the home page was increased and profile pictures added. A similar layout was first tested in August that year, though the test used even larger thumbnails, resulting in fewer videos per row.{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube's homepage redesign means people will see bigger thumbnails and fewer videos |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20952253/youtube-homepage-design-thumbnails-videos-titles-queue-recommendation-hide |website=The Verge |language=en |date=7 November 2019 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327000753/https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20952253/youtube-homepage-design-thumbnails-videos-titles-queue-recommendation-hide |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Binder |first1=Matt |title=YouTube rolls out big changes to its desktop homepage |url=https://mashable.com/article/youtube-rolls-out-updated-homepage |website=Mashable |access-date=26 March 2022 |language=en |date=7 November 2019 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327000750/https://mashable.com/article/youtube-rolls-out-updated-homepage |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=YouTube tests bigger thumbnails, and people hate it |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/13/20803795/youtube-thumbnails-home-page-redesign |website=The Verge |access-date=26 March 2022 |language=en |date=13 August 2019 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327000524/https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/13/20803795/youtube-thumbnails-home-page-redesign |url-status=live }}

In November 2019, YouTube had announced that the service would phase out the classic version of YouTube Studio to all YouTube creators by the spring of 2020.{{Cite web|title=Transition to YouTube Studio – YouTube Help|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9706811?hl=en|access-date=2020-06-15|website=support.google.com |quote=As of November 2019, access to Creator Studio Classic is gradually going away |archive-date=2020-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205083811/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9706811 }} It was available and accessible to some YouTube creators by the end of March 2020.{{Cite web|title=YouTube Studio – How To Permanently Switch To Classic|url=https://tehnoblog.org/youtube-studio-how-to-permanently-switch-to-classic/|access-date=2020-06-15|website=TehnoBlog.org|language=en|archive-date=September 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925185301/https://tehnoblog.org/youtube-studio-how-to-permanently-switch-to-classic/|url-status=live}}

In that month, a watch queue feature was added, which resembles the intermittently removed "QuickList" feature that was originally introduced in 2006.{{cite web |last1=Pathak |first1=Khamosh |title=How to Use YouTube's Queue Feature |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/447419/how-to-use-youtube%e2%80%99s-queue-feature/ |website=How-To Geek |date=2019-11-13 |access-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428200252/https://www.howtogeek.com/447419/how-to-use-youtube%e2%80%99s-queue-feature/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Cashmore |first1=Pete |title=YouTube QuickList: New Feature |url=https://mashable.com/2006/10/05/youtube-quicklist-new-feature/ |website=Mashable |date=2006-10-05 |language=en |access-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428201128/https://mashable.com/2006/10/05/youtube-quicklist-new-feature/ |url-status=live }}

In late 2019, the mobile website got equipped with a standalone HTML5 video player interface rather than displaying browsers' built-in HTML5 player.Before change: {{Cite web |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk |title=Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee |website=YouTube |date=January 12, 2017 |access-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116021637/https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk |url-status=bot: unknown }}; after change: {{Cite web |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk |title=Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee |website=YouTube |date=January 12, 2017 |access-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-date=January 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107201617/https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk |url-status=bot: unknown }}

Since December 2019, users are no longer able to share the automatically generated playlist of positively rated videos.{{cite web |last1=Monday |first1=Last updated |title=YouTube – How to show liked videos on your public video channel |url=https://www.itsupportguides.com/knowledge-base/tech-tips-tricks/how-to-hide-liked-videos-from-your-public-video-channel/ |language=en-AU |date=2020-02-24 |access-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415002323/https://www.itsupportguides.com/knowledge-base/tech-tips-tricks/how-to-hide-liked-videos-from-your-public-video-channel/ |url-status=live }}

Beginning January 2020, video creators have to mark whether a video is made for kids or not, YouTube citing compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act as the reason for the change.{{Cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2020-01-03|title=What You Need to Know About YouTube's New COPPA Child-Directed Content Rules|url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/ftc-rules-child-directed-content-youtube-1203454167/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=January 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125032020/https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/ftc-rules-child-directed-content-youtube-1203454167/|url-status=live}}

The ability to add polls with up to five options as video info cards was removed in May 2020.{{cite web |last1=Nixon |first1=Joe |title=Why Did YouTube Remove Polls? |url=https://www.videocreator.chat/why-did-youtube-remove-polls/ |website=VideoCreator.chat |date=16 September 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807170518/https://www.videocreator.chat/why-did-youtube-remove-polls/ |url-status=live }}

The ability to visibly divide the video player's seek bar into chapters using time stamp lists in the video description was introduced in May 2020.{{cite web |title=YouTube introduces Video Chapters to make it easier to navigate longer videos |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/28/youtube-introduces-video-chapters-to-make-it-easier-to-navigate-through-longer-videos/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=23 October 2021 |date=2020-05-28 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220193529/https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/28/youtube-introduces-video-chapters-to-make-it-easier-to-navigate-through-longer-videos/amp/ |url-status=live }} Later that year, in November, the platform started experimenting with automatic estimation of videos' chapters in November 2020 using artificial intelligence that detects in-video chapter titles.{{cite web |last1=Fingas |first1=Jonathan |title=YouTube's AI-generated video chapters could help you skip lengthy intros |url=https://www.engadget.com/youtube-ai-automatic-video-chapters-test-144057028.html |website=Engadget |date=2020-11-24 |access-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213036/https://www.engadget.com/youtube-ai-automatic-video-chapters-test-144057028.html |url-status=live }}

Around May 2020, the "HD" badge disappeared from the 720p option in the resolution selector of the video player, though it stayed on 1080p.{{cite web |url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/720p-is-no-longer-hd-according-to-youtube |author=Jenny Priestley |title=720p is No Longer HD According to YouTube |date=2020-05-19 |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=TV Technology |archive-date=January 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129004646/https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/720p-is-no-longer-hd-according-to-youtube |url-status=live }}

In June 2020, YouTube phased out the ability to use categories.

In August 2020, automated Email notifications of newly published videos by user-opted channels have been shut down, citing low numbers of users who open them. Only push notifications (mobile) and internal web notifications (desktop) of new uploads remained.{{cite web |title=YouTube Will Stop Sending Out New Video Email Notifications Soon |url=https://www.androidheadlines.com/2020/08/youtube-stop-email-new-video-notifications-soon.html |website=Android Headlines |date=11 August 2020 |access-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414230141/https://www.androidheadlines.com/2020/08/youtube-stop-email-new-video-notifications-soon.html |url-status=live }}

The "Community Captions" feature which allowed viewers to contribute captions for public display upon approval by the video uploader was removed in September 2020.{{cite web |last1=Khan |first1=Haider Ali |title=YouTube is removing community captions |url=https://www.ilounge.com/news/youtube-removing-community-captions |website=iLounge |access-date=20 September 2021 |date=7 September 2020 |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920233314/https://www.ilounge.com/news/youtube-removing-community-captions |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Camilla |title=Community Contributions deprecation & improving captions on YouTube – YouTube Community |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/73769191/community-contributions-deprecation-improving-captions-on-youtube?hl=en |website=support.google.com |access-date=20 September 2021 |date=2020-09-29 |quote=the deprecation of the Community Contributions feature on September 28, 2020 |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920233312/https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/73769191/community-contributions-deprecation-improving-captions-on-youtube?hl=en |url-status=live }}

On September 14, 2020, YouTube added the YouTube Shorts section to the website.{{cite web|last1=Hayes|first1=Dade|title=YouTube Debuts Shorts, A New Venue For Mobile Videos A Few Seconds Long|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/youtube-debuts-shorts-a-new-venue-for-mobile-videos-a-few-seconds-long-1234576210/|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=20 April 2024|date=14 September 2020|archive-date=April 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420070730/https://deadline.com/2020/09/youtube-debuts-shorts-a-new-venue-for-mobile-videos-a-few-seconds-long-1234576210/|url-status=live}}

Since September 2020, YouTube blocks embedding of videos marked as "age-restricted", meaning deemed unsuitable for minors. Their preview thumbnails appear blurred in search results since October 2021.{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Abner |title=Age-restricted YouTube videos will no longer play when embedded on third-party sites |url=https://9to5google.com/2020/09/22/youtube-age-restricted-videos/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=31 October 2021 |date=22 September 2020 |archive-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031010514/https://9to5google.com/2020/09/22/youtube-age-restricted-videos/ |url-status=live }}

In December 2020, comments on so-called "art tracks" which are automatically posted music tracks with album cover, frequently on "topic channels",{{cite web |title=What is an Art Track? – YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6007071 |website=support.google.com |access-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808210821/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6007071 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Find music from artists you like – YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7636475 |website=support.google.com |access-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808210820/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7636475 |url-status=live }} have been permanently deactivated.{{cite web |title=TeamYouTube auf Twitter: "Thanks for sending this our way – Art Tracks are different from other videos on YouTube: 1) they're auto generated 2) they consist of still images 3) their comments can't be moderated. At this point of time, we have decided to discontinue comments on such Art Tracks." |url=https://twitter.com/TeamYouTube/status/1339391922633367552 |access-date=8 August 2021 |date=17 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217020931/https://twitter.com/TeamYouTube/status/1339391922633367552 |archive-date=December 17, 2020}}

In May 2021, YouTube launched a feature in live chat for chat streams where the creator can enable subscriber only mode.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-07|title=YouTube Is Beta Testing Subscriber-Only Chat Mode For Live Streams|url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2021/05/07/youtube-beta-testing-subscriber-only-chat-mode/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Tubefilter|language=en-US|archive-date=January 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124232843/https://www.tubefilter.com/2021/05/07/youtube-beta-testing-subscriber-only-chat-mode/|url-status=live}}

In July 2021, all unlisted videos prior to 2017{{efn|Whether YouTube means the original upload date or the first publishing date of videos which were later made unlisted is unclear. The latter likely applies, as that date is indicated on the watch page after initial publication.}} were set to private, making them unplayable except on channels whose owners intervened by manually opting out.{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Abner |title=YouTube will make Unlisted videos uploaded before 2017 private next month |url=https://9to5google.com/2021/06/23/youtube-unlisted-videos/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=5 August 2021 |date=23 June 2021 |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805183941/https://9to5google.com/2021/06/23/youtube-unlisted-videos/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Older unlisted content – YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9230970?hl=en |website=support.google.com |access-date=5 August 2021 |archive-date=August 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805183940/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9230970?hl=en |url-status=live }} Around this time, a study conducted by web archivists has concluded that over half of the videos which were on air on the platform around 2010 were no longer available by 2021. Such videos were either reversibly set to "private" or irreversibly erased, the latter of which occurred for the majority of those videos. Videos are taken down as a result of individual policy or copyright violation, channel terminations, retroactive policy changes, and voluntarily by uploaders.{{cite web |title=YouTube was made for Reuploads |url=https://datahorde.org/youtube-was-made-for-reuploads/ |website=Data Horde |access-date=14 August 2022 |date=28 July 2021 |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817035916/https://datahorde.org/youtube-was-made-for-reuploads/ |url-status=live }}

On August 24, 2021, YouTube sent a cease and desist to the developers of Groovy, a Discord bot which enabled audio from YouTube videos to be played in Discord voice chats, as the bot violated YouTube's Terms of Service.{{Cite web|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=2021-08-24|title=YouTube is forcing the popular Groovy Discord music bot offline|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/24/22640024/youtube-discord-groovy-music-bot-closure|access-date=2021-08-27|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=October 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005035746/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/24/22640024/youtube-discord-groovy-music-bot-closure|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Discord music bot Groovy is going offline after YouTube crackdown|url=https://www.engadget.com/groovy-bot-discord-youtube-music-145236619.html|access-date=2021-08-27|website=Engadget|date=August 25, 2021 |language=en-US|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827222258/https://www.engadget.com/groovy-bot-discord-youtube-music-145236619.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|last=Clayton|first=Natalie|date=2021-08-25|title=Google has killed Discord's best music bot|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/google-has-killed-discords-best-music-bot/|access-date=2021-08-27|magazine=PC Gamer|language=en-US|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827222304/https://www.pcgamer.com/google-has-killed-discords-best-music-bot/|url-status=live}} A YouTube spokesperson stated, "We notified Groovy about violations of our Terms of Service, including modifying the service and using it for commercial purposes." In a message announcing the bot's closure, the owner of Groovy, Nik Ammerlaan, said, "Groovy has been a huge part of my life over the past five years. It started because my friend's bot sucked and I thought I could make a better one."

In September 2021, the dedicated "view attributions" page was discontinued citing low usage.{{cite web |title=Creative Commons – YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797468 |website=support.google.com |access-date=29 September 2021 |quote=The view attributions page will be discontinued after September 2021 due to limited usage. |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929013807/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797468 |url-status=live }}

In October 2021, YouTube experimented with indicating the most watched parts of a video through a solid line chart appearing on the seek bar in the mobile app to facilitate watchers finding relevant parts.{{cite web |last1=Wilde |first1=Damien |title=YouTube UI test highlights 'Most viewed' video portions in playback progress bar graph |url=https://9to5google.com/2021/10/11/youtube-ui-test-highlights-most-viewed-video-portions-in-playback-progress-bar-graph/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=1 January 2022 |date=11 October 2021 |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101001527/https://9to5google.com/2021/10/11/youtube-ui-test-highlights-most-viewed-video-portions-in-playback-progress-bar-graph/ |url-status=live }} Additionally, an experiment with multilingual audio tracks was started, allowing creators to add audio tracks of multiple languages to one video. The watcher can switch the language during playback, similarly to a multilingual DVD-Video.{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Joshua |title=YouTube's Multiple Audio Tracks Make Videos More Accessible |url=https://www.lifewire.com/youtubes-multiple-audio-tracks-make-videos-more-accessible-5205249 |website=Lifewire |access-date=9 September 2023 |language=en |date=2021-10-11 |archive-date=October 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014234525/https://www.lifewire.com/youtubes-multiple-audio-tracks-make-videos-more-accessible-5205249 |url-status=live }}

All channels' "Discussion" sub page were discontinued on October 12, 2021. The feature was known as "Channel comments" in the site's early age, and served as channels' general comment section. Previously, it was gradually replaced with the {{visible anchor|communitypage|text="Community" page}} that first rolled out to select channels, and since approximately 2018 to channels surpassing a subscriber count threshold that decreased over time, discarding existing discussions. During the same day, YouTube lowered the threshold to the Community page from 1000 to channels with at least 500 subscribers.{{cite web |title=How to Use the YouTube Community Tab to Engage Subscribers : Social Media Examiner |url=https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-youtube-community-tab-to-engage-subscribers/ |website=Social Media Examiner {{!}} Social Media Marketing |access-date=27 September 2021 |date=2018-02-07 |quote=The Community tab is rolling out first to select YouTube channels (both verified and non-verified) with over 10,000 subscribers |archive-date=September 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927032019/https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-youtube-community-tab-to-engage-subscribers/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Expanding Community Posts to Channels with 500+ Subscribers and Removing the Discussion Tab – YouTube Community |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/125117248/expanding-community-posts-to-channels-with-500-subscribers-and-removing-the-discussion-tab?hl=en |website=support.google.com |publisher=Team YouTube |date=2021-09-10 |access-date=September 27, 2021 |archive-date=September 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927032010/https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/125117248/expanding-community-posts-to-channels-with-500-subscribers-and-removing-the-discussion-tab?hl=en |url-status=live }} The "Discussion" page was closed down earlier on the mobile site.{{cite web |website=YouTube |url= https://m.youtube.com/user/qwert/discussion?app=m |date= 2021-10-03 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20211003012505/https://m.youtube.com/user/qwert/discussion?app=m |archive-date= October 3, 2021 |title=The Discussion tab is no longer supported on Mobile Web. You can still access the Discussion tab on a computer or by using Desktop mode on a phone |access-date= October 31, 2021}} (Note: Discussion tab closed on mobile site months earlier, but no according source is currently available.)

On November 10, 2021, YouTube announced the removal of videos' count for negative user ratings (also known as "dislikes" and "thumbs down"), reportedly to protect creators from online harassment. The dislike count remains solely visible to respective channel owners. This change was first tested with select users in March and again in July.{{cite web |title=YouTube tests hiding dislike counts on videos |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/30/youtube-tests-hiding-dislike-counts-on-videos/ |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20210331010836/https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/30/youtube%2Dtests%2Dhiding%2Ddislike%2Dcounts%2Don%2Dvideos/ |url-status=live |archive-date=March 31, 2021 |website=TechCrunch |access-date=13 November 2021 |date=2021-03-30 }}{{cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=blog.youtube |access-date=12 November 2021 |language=en-us |date=10 November 2021 |quote=This is just one of many steps we are taking to continue to protect creators from harassment. |archive-date=January 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115200508/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Bhattacharya |first1=Ananya |title=YouTube is scrapping the dislike count for viewers—but the button is staying |url=https://qz.com/2088620/why-is-youtube-scrapping-the-dislike-count-on-videos/ |website=Quartz |access-date=12 November 2021 |language=en |date=12 November 2021 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205152808/https://qz.com/2088620/why-is-youtube-scrapping-the-dislike-count-on-videos |url-status=live }}

In the second half of 2022, the option to sort the videos of a channel in reverse chronological order, by oldest first, has been phased out. It was reportedly first removed from the mobile application and later from the website. Only the options to sort by the newest videos first and the most viewed remain.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=YouTube sorting option for viewing oldest video missing? Here's why (2023) |url=https://atlasvb.com/article/youtube-sorting-option-for-viewing-oldest-video-missing-here-s-why |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Atlasvb |archive-date=February 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214162641/https://atlasvb.com/article/youtube-sorting-option-for-viewing-oldest-video-missing-here-s-why |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=Leon |first=Jean |date=2023-01-31 |title=YouTube sorting option for viewing oldest video missing? Here's why |url=https://piunikaweb.com/2022/06/06/youtube-sorting-option-for-viewing-oldest-video-missing-heres-why/ |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=PiunikaWeb |language=en-US |archive-date=October 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030041730/https://piunikaweb.com/2022/06/06/youtube-sorting-option-for-viewing-oldest-video-missing-heres-why/ |url-status=live }} (originally published on June 6th, 2022)

In August 2022, YouTube announced plans to make the Shorts feature available on its smart TV app.{{Cite web |date=August 24, 2022 |title=YouTube set to launch short-form video app Shorts on its smart TV |url=https://www.mid-day.com/technology/article/youtube-set-to-launch-short-form-video-app-shorts-on-its-smart-tv-23242490 |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=Mid-day |language=en |archive-date=August 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829053617/https://www.mid-day.com/technology/article/youtube-set-to-launch-short-form-video-app-shorts-on-its-smart-tv-23242490 |url-status=live }}

On October 10, 2022, YouTube introduced "handles", whereby channels can be referred to by a more memorable web address (URL) starting with youtube.com/@. Channels' legacy custom URL formats, (/c/) and (/user/), were converted to handles. On the same day, YouTube announced that they will be rolling out handles for all users over the coming weeks, whereas previously, custom URLs required channels to pass a hundred subscribers first. Channels without a previously specified custom URL were provided with an automatically generated handle containing their displayed channel name followed by numbers, which is for use until the user specifies a custom handle. The legacy URL formats, however, still remain available to this day.{{Cite AV media |date=2022-10-10 |title=Handles on YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUcxoScgWS4 |website=YouTube |language=en-US |access-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526234757/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUcxoScgWS4 |url-status=live }} The same month, YouTube updated the subtitles to put uppercase letters in initial words{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}.

In September 2022, YouTube announced that Shorts would become part of the YouTube Partner Program starting in February 2023.{{Cite web |date=April 21, 2023 |title=YouTube Shorts monetization policies |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12504220?hl=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421160632/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12504220?hl=en |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |website=YouTube Help}}{{cite news |last1=Benjamin |first1=Brandon |title=YouTube Promotion Services |url=https://urbanmatter.com/latest-4-best-trusted-website-to-buy-youtube-views-update/ |access-date=28 June 2023}} The program allows eligible creators to receive a share of the ad revenue. Partnered YouTube channels can also utilize the 'members' and 'supers' features that allow users to pay a monthly subscription for the content or a one time donation respectively.{{Cite web |title=Turn on and manage Super Thanks - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10878910?hl=en-GB |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=support.google.com}}

On May 4, 2023, YouTube announced that it would bring the option to set videos in reverse chronological order.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-04 |title=Bringing back Sort by Oldest, "For You" Recommendations, and more Channels Updates! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS1qfuKfVN8 |website=YouTube |language=en-US |access-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526234756/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS1qfuKfVN8 |url-status=live }}

In July 2023, YouTube began blocking videos for users of ad blockers.{{Cite web |last=Welch |first=Chris |date=2023-06-29 |title=YouTube tests disabling videos for people using ad blockers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/29/23778879/youtube-videos-disabling-ad-blockers-detection |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=The Verge |language=en-US |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724002900/https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/29/23778879/youtube-videos-disabling-ad-blockers-detection |url-status=live }}

In April 2024, YouTube expanded its crackdown on ad blockers, targeting third-party apps that have the ability to turn off ads.{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=15 April 2024 |title=YouTube's ad blocker crackdown now includes third-party apps |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/15/24131338/youtube-ad-blocker-crackdown-mobile-apps |access-date=28 April 2024 |work=The Verge}} Attempting to watch a video using such apps could lead to buffering issues or the error message: "The following content is not available on this app", prompting the user to watch the video on the official app instead. The company says that its terms of service don't allow "third-party apps to turn off ads because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership".{{Cite news |last=Isenberg |first=Meara |date=16 April 2024 |title=YouTube Cracks Down on Ad-Blocking Apps |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/youtube-cracks-down-on-ad-blocking-apps/ |access-date=28 April 2024 |work=CNET}}

On May 28, 2024,{{Cite web |last=Astle |first=Aaron |date=May 29, 2024 |title=YouTube Playables are out now with over 75 games available |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/youtube-playables-are-out-now-with-over-75-games-available/ |access-date=September 11, 2024 |website=PocketGamer.biz}} YouTube began adding "YouTube Playables" to its home page. Playables are video games that can be played directly on YouTube without the need of downloading them.{{Cite news |last=Parrish |first=Ash |date=May 28, 2024 |title=YouTube rolls out its new Playables games to all users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/28/24166363/youtube-games-playables-youtube-premium |access-date=September 11, 2024 |work=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media}}

On September 19, 2024, YouTube added ads to the sides of videos when paused.https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/business/youtube-ads-paused-screen/index.html

In November 2024, YouTube announced that Shorts will be going all the way up to 3 minutes, and from then on all vertical videos 3 minutes of length or shorter would be turned into Shorts.{{Cite web |last=Hutchinson |first=Andrew |title=YouTube Clarifies Shorts Changes, Expands Sponsored Content Tags |url=https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-clarifies-shorts-changes-expands-sponsored-content-tags/730061/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Social Media Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Cavender |first=Elena |date=2024-10-03 |title=Not so short, YouTube Shorts announces 3-minute videos |url=https://mashable.com/article/youtube-shorts-3-minute-tiktok |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Mashable |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=live mint |url=https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/youtube-announces-major-update-shorts-extended-to-three-minutes-starting-october-2024-11729004999049.html}}

On December 20, 2024, YouTube introduced new guidelines prohibiting videos with clickbait titles to enhance content quality and combat misinformation. The platform aims to penalize creators using misleading or sensationalized titles, with potential actions including video removal or channel suspension.{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=20 December 2024 |title=YouTube is cracking down on clickbait |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/20/24325999/youtube-clickbait-crackdown-india |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=The Verge}} According to YouTube, this guideline will gradually roll out in India first, but will expand to more countries in the coming months.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-20 |title=New YouTube rules in India as platform bans videos with clickbait titles |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/new-youtube-rules-in-india-as-platform-bans-videos-with-clickbait-titles-2652709-2024-12-20 |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=India Today}}

File:Logo_of_YouTube_(2005-2006).svg|February 2005

File:Logo of YouTube (2005-2011).svg|October 2006

File:Logo of YouTube (2011-2013).svg|December 1, 2011

File:Logo of YouTube (2013-2015).svg|December 19, 2013

File:Logo of YouTube (2015-2017).svg|October 17, 2015

File:YouTube Logo 2017.svg|August 29, 2017

File:YouTube 2024.svg|October 22, 2024

On June 19, 2007, Google CEO Eric Schmidt was in Paris to launch the new localization system. The interface of the website is available with localized versions in 109 countries and regions, two territories (Hong Kong & Puerto Rico) and a worldwide version.See YouTube localization list on the bottom of YouTube website.

If YouTube is unable to identify a specific country or region according to the IP address, the default location is the United States (Worldwide version). However, YouTube offers language and content preferences for all accessible countries, regions, and languages.{{Cite web |title=Change language or location settings |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/87604 |url-status=live |access-date=11 March 2024 |website=YouTube |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311120528/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/87604 }}

As of 2024, YouTube continues to extend the availability of its localized version to additional countries and regions.{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in select countries & regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |url-status=live |access-date=11 March 2024 |website=YouTube |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311120528/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 }}

On October 17, 2007, it was announced that a Hong Kong version had been launched. At the time, YouTube's Steve Chen said that its next target would be Taiwan.[http://pshweb01.881903.com/apps/news/html/news/20071017/2007101715593573500.htm 881903.com Commercial Radio] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223205642/http://pshweb01.881903.com/apps/news/html/news/20071017/2007101715593573500.htm |date=December 23, 2007 }}[http://inews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_detail.php?id=250154&category=2 CableTV] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315023733/http://inews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_detail.php?id=250154&category=2 |date=March 15, 2008 }}

YouTube was blocked from Mainland China from October 18 due to the censorship of the Taiwanese flag.{{cite news|last1=Tatlow|first1=Didi Kirsten|title=Sorry for Having Insulted China? Here's Your Chance to Apologize|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/world/asia/china-apologise-contest.html?_r=0|work=The New York Times|date=19 July 2016}} URLs to YouTube were redirected to China's own search engine, Baidu. It was subsequently unblocked on October 31.{{cite news|title=YouTube unblocked in China, but could Google have cooperated?|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/youtube-unblocked-in-china-but-could-google-have-cooperated/|work=CNET}}

The YouTube interface suggests which local version should be chosen on the basis of the IP address of the user. In some cases, the message "This video is not available in your country" may appear because of copyright restrictions or inappropriate content.{{cite web| title = Learn More: Video not available in my country|work = google.com| url = https://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en-uk&answer=92571|access-date=August 4, 2009}} The interface of the YouTube website is available in 76 language versions, including Amharic, Albanian, Armenian, Burmese, Kyrgyz, Mongolian, Persian and Uzbek, whose countries do not have local channel versions.{{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/ZdLXlt9.png|title=YouTube language versions|access-date=June 2, 2015}} Access to YouTube was blocked in Turkey between 2008 and 2010, following controversy over the posting of videos deemed insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and some material offensive to Muslims.{{cite news| title = Turkey lifts two-year ban on YouTube| work = BBC News| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11659816|date=October 30, 2010|access-date=October 3, 2012}}{{Cite news| title =Turks censor YouTube censorship|author=Danforth, Nick|work=San Francisco Chronicle| url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/30/ED68191LKM.DTL|date=July 31, 2009|access-date=August 4, 2009}} In October 2012, a local version of YouTube was launched in Turkey, with the domain youtube.com.tr. The local version is subject to the content regulations found in Turkish law.{{cite web| title= YouTube cedes to Turkey and uses local Web domain|website= CNET|url= http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57524907-93/youtube-cedes-to-turkey-and-uses-local-web-domain/ |date= October 2, 2012 |access-date= October 3, 2012}} In March 2009, a dispute between YouTube and the British royalty collection agency PRS for Music led to premium music videos being blocked for YouTube users in the United Kingdom. The removal of videos posted by the major record companies occurred after failure to reach agreement on a licensing deal. The dispute was resolved in September 2009.{{Cite news |title= Music videos back on YouTube in multi-million pound PRS deal|author=Barnett, Emma |work=The Daily Telegraph |location= London |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/6127624/Music-videos-back-on-YouTube-in-multi-million-pound-PRS-deal.html |date= September 3, 2009 |access-date= September 3, 2009}} In April 2009, a similar dispute led to the removal of premium music videos for users in Germany.{{Cite news |title= Now YouTube stops the music in Germany |work= The Guardian |location= London | url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2009/apr/01/youtube-digital-music-and-audio |date=April 1, 2009 |access-date= April 2, 2009}}

Image:Youtubeheadquarterssanbruno.jpg

Image:Youtubeheadquarters.jpg]]

Before being purchased by Google, YouTube declared that its business model was advertisement-based, making 15 million dollars per month.

Google did not provide detailed figures for YouTube's running costs, and YouTube's revenues in 2007 were noted as "not material" in a regulatory filing.{{Cite news |first= Yi-Wyn |last= Yen |date= March 25, 2008 |url= http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2008/03/25/youtube-looks-for-the-money-clip/ |title= YouTube Looks for the Money Clip |access-date= March 26, 2008 |work= fortune.CNN.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170212192446/http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2008/03/25/youtube-looks-for-the-money-clip/ |archive-date= February 12, 2017 |url-status= dead }} In June 2008, a Forbes magazine article projected the 2008 revenue at $200 million, noting progress in advertising sales.{{Cite news |first= Quentin |last=Hardy |author2= Evan Hessel |url= https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0616/050.html |title= GooTube |work= Forbes |date=May 22, 2008 |access-date= August 3, 2009}}

Some industry commentators have speculated that YouTube's running costs (specifically the network bandwidth required) might be as high as 5 to 6 million dollars per month,[http://willy.boerland.com/myblog/youtube_bandwidth_usage_25_petabytes_per_month "Youtube bandwidth usage: 25 Petabytes per month"]. Willy Dobbe. July 20, 2006. thereby fuelling criticisms that the company, like many Internet startups, did not have a viably implemented business model. Advertisements were launched on the site beginning in March 2006. In April, YouTube started using Google AdSense.{{cite news |title=YouTube: a history |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/7596636/YouTube-a-history.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/7596636/YouTube-a-history.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=Telegraph.co.uk|date= April 17, 2010|access-date=21 November 2016}}{{cbignore}} YouTube subsequently stopped using AdSense but has resumed in local regions.

Advertising is YouTube's central mechanism for gaining revenue. This issue has also been taken up in scientific analysis. Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams argue in their book Wikinomics that YouTube is an example for an economy that is based on mass collaboration and makes use of the Internet.

: "Whether your business is closer to Boeing or P&G, or more like YouTube or flickr, there are vast pools of external talent that you can tap with the right approach. Companies that adopt these models can drive important changes in their industries and rewrite the rules of competition"Tapscott, Don and Williams, Anthony D. (2006). [http://bochica.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Wikinomics_-_Tapscott___Williams__Penguin__2006_.pdf Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything]. New York: Penguin. {{ISBN|978-1-59184-138-8}}.{{rp|270}} "new business models for open content will not come from traditional media establishments, but from companies such as Google, Yahoo, and YouTube. This new generation of companies is not burned by the legacies that inhibit the publishing incumbents, so they can be much more agile in responding to customer demands. More important, they understand that you don't need to control the quantity and destiny of bits if they can provide compelling venues in which people build communities around sharing and remixing content. Free content is just the lure on which they layer revenue from advertising and premium services".{{rp|271sq}}

Tapscott and Williams argue that it is important for new media companies to find ways to make a profit with the help of peer-produced content. The new Internet economy, (that they term Wikinomics) would be based on the principles of "openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally". Companies could make use of these principles in order to gain profit with the help of Web 2.0 applications: "Companies can design and assemble products with their customers, and in some cases customers can do the majority of the value creation".{{rp|289sq}} Tapscott and Williams argue that the outcome will be an economic democracy.

There are other views{{by whom|date=August 2021}} in the debate that agree with Tapscott and Williams that it is increasingly based on harnessing open source content, networking, sharing, and peering, but they argue that the result is not an economic democracy, but a subtle form and deepening of exploitation, in which labour costs are reduced by Internet-based global outsourcing.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

The second view is e.g. taken by Christian Fuchs in his book "Internet and Society". He argues that YouTube is an example of a business model that is based on combining the gift with the commodity. The first is free, the second yields profit. The novel aspect of this business strategy is that it combines what seems at first to be different, the gift and the commodity. YouTube would give free access to its users, the more users, the more profit it can potentially make because it can in principle increase advertisement rates and will gain further interest of advertisers.Fuchs, Christian (2008), [http://fuchs.uti.at/books/internet-society/ Internet and Society: Social Theory in the Information Age]. New York: Routledge. {{ISBN|0415961327}}. 408 Pages. YouTube would sell its audience that it gains by free access to its advertising customers.{{rp|181}}

: "Commodified Internet spaces are always profit-oriented, but the goods they provide are not necessarily exchange-value and market-oriented; in some cases (such as Google, Yahoo, MySpace, YouTube, Netscape), free goods or platforms are provided as gifts in order to drive up the number of users so that high advertisement rates can be charged in order to achieve profit."{{rp|181}}

In June 2009, BusinessWeek reported that, according to San Francisco-based IT consulting company RampRate, YouTube was far closer to profitability than previous reports, including the April 2009, projection by investment bank Credit Suisse estimating YouTube would lose as much as $470 million in 2009."[http://newteevee.com/2009/04/03/analyst-youtube-could-lose-470m-this-year Analyst: YouTube Could Lose $470M This Year] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820025632/http://newteevee.com/2009/04/03/analyst-youtube-could-lose-470m-this-year/ |date=August 20, 2010 }}". Chris Albrecht, Gigaom, April 3, 2009. RampRate's report pegged that number at no more than $174 million.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090619005928/http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/06/maybe_google_is.html "Maybe Google Isn't Losing Big Bucks on YouTube After All"], Rob Hof, Bloomberg Businessweek, June 17, 2009.

In May 2013, YouTube launched a pilot program to begin offering some content providers the ability to charge $0.99 per month or more for certain channels, but the vast majority of its videos would remain free to view.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22474715|title=YouTube launches pay-to-watch subscription channels|work=BBC News|date=May 9, 2013|access-date=May 11, 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23184159/youtube-providers-could-begin-charging-fees-this-week|title=YouTube providers could begin charging fees this week|last=Nakaso|first=Dan|work=Mercury News|date= May 7, 2013|access-date= May 10, 2013}}

• Social impact of YouTube
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