YouTube Offers Popular Podcasts $50,000 In Cash To Pivot To Video (arstechnica.com) 22
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: YouTube is still gearing up for a big podcast push. After hiring an executive in charge of podcasting last year, YouTube is now offering cash to popular podcasts that are willing to make the jump to video. Bloomberg is reporting that YouTube's content push works out to "offers of $50,000 to individual shows and $200,000 and $300,000 to podcast networks." The report says these "grants" are meant to help with the high start-up costs of producing video, which requires cameras, lighting, a studio, and a lot of other equipment you don't need to just do audio.
We still don't know the extent of YouTube's podcasting plans. The project sounds like another instance of YouTube developing a specific content vertical with a specialized interface and custom branding. We've already seen this play out when YouTube's plethora of gaming content led to YouTube Gaming, when all the company's music deals created YouTube Music, and when kids' content got a "YouTube Kids" vertical. If podcasting follows a similar playbook, expect a "YouTube Podcasts" app and website, or at least a special section in the Music app.
We still don't know the extent of YouTube's podcasting plans. The project sounds like another instance of YouTube developing a specific content vertical with a specialized interface and custom branding. We've already seen this play out when YouTube's plethora of gaming content led to YouTube Gaming, when all the company's music deals created YouTube Music, and when kids' content got a "YouTube Kids" vertical. If podcasting follows a similar playbook, expect a "YouTube Podcasts" app and website, or at least a special section in the Music app.
Define "Video" (Score:2)
Because I've seen quite a few YouTube videos that consist of an excellent audio track and a still picture of an album cover or some scenery.
And then there are those podcasters that you don't want to see. "A face made for radio" comes to mind.
Re: (Score:2)
Wheras some podcasts are interesting, there are even more youtube videos that would have been better off if there were just a page of text, not even any audio. Really because of the monetization these podcasts waste so much time blabbing about how you should subscribe, friends you should subscribe to also, etc.
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Try SponsorBlock. It will automatically skip over adverts, sponsor sections, pointless filler, intro animations, episode recaps and the like.
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there are even more youtube videos that would have been better off if there were just a page of text, not even any audio.
This.
Unfortunately, i have noticed that many people these days, especially younger ones, turn exclusively to video (YouTube, basically) in search of information, even for things like learning a programming language or answering a Java question. Some of them plain refuse to use any other medium that involves, gasp, reading text!
It's gotten to the point where interesting and long-running weblogs, that benefit nothing from video, add a YT channel, or turn exclusively to YT, to avoid losing audience and/or to a
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Because I've wanted to listen to several podcasts on YouTube and it is a PAIN if you put your phone ion your pocket to, for instance, walk.
Unless you subscribe to YouTube, and PAY for it.
And that, I suspect, is the bottom line. Convert to video, inconvenience your audience, they convert to paid, profit.
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Simple, but requires pre-planning before going on your walk rather than just turning on podcast #27 of a series because that's where you left off, and letting it run until you're done with your walk.
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The cost of YouTube Red, and now YouTube Family, what you get in terms of ad-free YouTube and access to YouTube Music, which technically is just YouTube again.... the original price point for just YouTube Red was worth the price because I wanted to support all the creators I watch. I don't watch TV so YouTube and more YouTube and for that little bit of price I am good because I know I am help contribute to that YouTube Red bucket of money that every creator I watch. When I got my parents hooked on YouTube a
Re: Define "Video" (Score:2)
Lots of my fav podcasts are showing up elsewhere, like Spotify, and being u/l to Google Podcasts, so I'm reluctant to ditch my sweetheart Spotify deal for YT which also held my Google Music library hostage for a while. YT has surprisingly little value to me, and I know I'm an exception. Oh well.
Who wants a video podcast? (Score:2)
Who wants to watch a podcast? I listen to them while riding my bike, working, and driving. Podcasts are nice specifically because you don't have anything to look at while you're listening.
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Not that I suppose Google cares about that.
Video killed the radio star? (Score:2)
Sorry. Could not resist.
Re: Video killed the radio star? (Score:2)
But (Score:2)
What if you're ugly?
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That's why someone invented VTuber..
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YouTube is toxic for creators (Score:2)
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how about the other way? (Score:2)
Well will Youtube offer RSS-Feeds? (Score:2)
I mean that's the feature that would make it usable for video podcasting. Otherwise it's just a website with video files.
Also producing video is _way_ more expensive than just audio, and I'm not talking about "startup costs". Video equipment is comparatively cheap with the technical side of a studio being available for a few thousands Euros. What's expensive is generating all those graphical elements. There's little use in just filming someone saying something, if you want to use video you need to show grap
Face (Score:2)
Some podcasters have a face that is perfect for radio. That includes some youtubers, too.