The world's most popular online video community.
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the world's most popular online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small.
YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, mobile devices, blogs, and e-mail.
Everyone can participate in the YouTube community by watching, sharing, and commenting on videos. People can see first-hand accounts of current events, relive their favorite TV moments, find videos about their hobbies and interests, discover new artists and filmmakers, and even uncover the quirky and unusual.
As more people capture special moments on video, YouTube is empowering them to share their experiences, talents, and expertise with the world.
Some of the site's features include:
* Video embedding: Users can insert a YouTube video into Facebook and MySpace accounts, blogs, or other Web sites where anyone can watch them.
* Public or private videos: Users can elect to broadcast their videos publicly or share them privately with friends and family upon upload.
* Subscriptions: Users are able to keep track of their favorite users' new videos.
* Record from Webcam: Users with a webcam and Flash software are able to instantly record video responses or normal videos onto the site rather than having to prerecord and then upload the video.
* TestTube: This is an area where YouTube engineers and developers conduct alpha testing for new features in development. Users are encouraged to participate in the development process and are welcome to evaluate the feature.
By registering, users are able to upload and share videos, save favorites, create playlists, and comment on videos. YouTube is building a community that is highly motivated to watch and share videos. The YouTube service is free and will be supported by advertising.
Part of YouTube’s goal is to extend its reach beyond the Internet browser and enable users to discover and share compelling video content. As part of this, YouTube continues to innovate and enhance its APIs and tools. This includes wholesale access to its extensive video library, worldwide audience, and the underlying video hosting and streaming infrastructure that powers the site, giving users yet another way to engage the world of video and actively participate in the YouTube community wherever they are, whenever they want.
