The VidCon conference kicked-off yesterday in California and one of the most important pieces of news for content creators' concerned updates to YouTube's capabilities, features and functionality. In related industry news it looks like Yahoo might be putting on ice plans to start-up a serious YouTube rival and – if you can't beat 'em join 'em – buy up YouTube partner network Fullscreen. Apparently Yahoo is bidding against another interested party, Chernin, to spend around $250 million on the network.
YouTube upgrades
The upgrades, previewed for the first time yesterday, will be rolling out over the coming months. YouTube has nine new YouTube features, aimed at content creators but some directly benefitting viewers too. The extra features and capabilities include the following:
- 60fps video: YouTube will support 60fps HD videos for the first time. Already there are examples published to show off this new capability, said to be "awesome," for fast paced in-game action footage.
- YouTube Creator Studio: This is an app to help manage your videos including analytics, community and more.
- Audio Library, now with sound effects: More royalty free music has been put in the creator library and this time YouTube has added a selection of sound effects for your productions.
- Fan funding: This sounds like a kind of virtual 'tip jar' for your channel, a way for fans to thank you for your videos with their wallets.
- Subtitle contribution from fans: YouTube's automatic translation and transcription wasn't as accurate as I hoped last time I checked. This is a new way to provide improved subtitles.
- Also: Creator credits, Info cards, more ways to playlist and a weekly YouTube 15 show are listed as upcoming YouTube improved features.
Yahoo bids $250 million for YouTube content network
Yahoo is said to be vying with investment firm The Chernin Group to take over the Fullscreen YouTube partner network. Such networks team up with various YouTube creators to use YouTube to serve their own ads to viewers. Fullscreen is one of the biggest such businesses, along with Machinima (which specialises in gaming content.)
Sky News reports that the Fullscreen network generates over 3 billion monthly views from over 300 million subscribers. AOL and Comcast are also said to be interested in the network but have not put their hats in the ring as yet. Yahoo hasn't officially commented on this news.
