Web 2.0 behemoth YouTube will share ad revenue with people uploading original video to the site. YouTube founder Chad Hurley told the BBC, the revenue sharing plan was designed to “reward creativity“. The adverts will include short pieces inserted at the beginning of clips. Watch for new Tivo-like technology to bypass these commercials. The public has spoken on this issue—”You can advertise but that doesn’t mean we have to watch it.”
The revenue sharing model is not new, having been used by Revver, MetaCafe, and Break.com, among others.
While the monetary incentives will certainly draw more user content to the site, the overall quality is likely to suffer as the video bandwagon gets crammed with mediocrity in search of fame. BUT, we think the truly creative will take advantage of the offer and try to take a bite of the dangling capitalistic carrot. And why not?
What do you think about ads on YouTube? What about ads on your blog?
Further Reading on the news:
(H/T) Drew Meyers’ Personal Insights
NewTeeVee (with video clip from the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, courtesy of BuzzMachine’s Jeff Jarvis)
ZDNet
Thanks for the H/T!
I don’t think ads on YouTube will be too distracting if they implement them correctly. But I don’t think users with money as a primary motive will produce compelling content — the great content will come from those passionate about contributing without being rewarded with monetary incentives. If it were me making the decision, I’d identify the power contributors and give them some monetary compensation for all their work thus far.
Isn’t that happening now—passionate people posting their videos?
With money at stake, more will contribute, thus diluting the overall quality, which is a point I think you made in your post. I agree.
But I also think the money will attract creative types. So I think you get more videos but also more videos contributed by creative types. Look at it like a YouTube film festival.
Now, if you have more content, with quality diluted, you will not want to bear more than a few seconds of advertising. Perhaps the voting will really come into play and you won’t even bother to click play unless some threshold of votes is registered so as to save you the grief of another ad.
And I am sure some creative techie will come up with a way to bypass the ad. No?
Thanks for stopping by Drew.