YouTube, the online video website which contains mostly simple user-generated content, launced nearly 100 video channels this year to expand its content with original webshows. Talented artists, actors and well-known personalities are attracted to create or star in shows in an effort to draw new audiences and advertisers. 

The YouTube channels vary from comedy to woman-interest, sports and talk shows. Advertisers pay a premium to show their ads next to the high-quality videos. Other ads on the site show randomly next to videos uploaded by users. According to Robert Kyncl, vice president of YouTube and architect of the channels initiative, the number of subscribers to channels has doubled since last year. YouTube invested $150 million in the channels already and will invest another $200 million to market them.

YouTube hopes to attract other professional video creators by investing in the creation of professional content and showing that there is a growing economic model for it. YouTube's fast production process and the lower costs of online video allows producers to react quickly on viewer feedback. This will help them to find the best way to attract large audiences in the long run. 

While YouTube is sometimes referred to as a platform where copyright infringing content can easily be shared, it's good to see that it is the company's ambition to develop new initiatives and business models to experiment with professional video distribution and new possibilities that the internet can offer to users and creators.

Read more about YouTube on FutureOfCopyright.com:

• Google prohibits YouTube conversion services
• Viacom vs. Google: Notice and takedown may not be enough for YouTube to escape liability
• Rightsflow helps YouTube to guarantee copyrights

Source: The Wall Street Journal

By: Marjolein van der Heide