4K live streaming: Live has never looked so good

Back in 2010, we enabled 4K video support for the very first time. Since then, millions of videos have been uploaded at that eye-popping resolution, making YouTube's the largest library of 4K videos online. Today, we're proud to say that we're taking 4K video one step further with the launch of 4K live streaming for both 360-degree videos and standard videos.

Supporting this new format will let creators and partners stream incredibly high-resolution video, and let viewers enjoy the clearest picture possible when watching a live stream on 4K-supported devices. The image quality is just mind-blowing on screens that support it, and in 360 degrees … the clarity can truly transport you. If you want to experience it for yourself, make sure to check out the Game Awards tomorrow, December 1 at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST on YouTube. The entire show will be live streamed in 4K resolution.

4K video isn't just a little different from HD video; it's a giant leap. It shows 8 MILLION pixels total, with an image that has four times more image definition than even 1080p video. What does this mean in real world terms? Live streams look better, show a more detailed, crisper picture, and aren't as blurry when there's fast action on screen. Basically, 4K makes everything better to look at. And because we support 4K at up to 60 frames per second, creators can make content that looks silky smooth, and more realistic than ever before.

For creators this means the ability to take advantage of an incredibly clear picture for recorded and now streaming video. It's the kind of thing that can help to push their hardware (and their talent) to create the most beautiful or just plain crazy-looking images and videos possible. And with 360 4K live streams, the sky is (literally) the limit. Get ready for 360 concert and event streams that look sharper, cleaner, and brighter than ever before. If you want more information on how to stream in 4K, just check out this Help Center article.

Today's an exciting day, and we can't wait for everyone to experience the beauty of 4K live streams from their favorite creators.

Kurt Wilms, Senior Product Manager, recently watched “BABY PUG LIVESTREAM!”

Funny Scary Snowman Holiday Scare Prank Season 2 Episode 2

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Scary Snowman Season 2 Episode 2

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We are doing new pranks all summer long.

This episode was shot On Thayer St in Providence RI and in front of Google HQ in NYC. We decided to try something a little different with the music and reached out to one of my old friends to see if he could create a dustup mix for the series, I hope you all like it as much as I do. We got some great reactions which include random judges scoring the scares. One of the women we scared nearly had a heart attack and another beat us with her umbrella.

The post Funny Scary Snowman Holiday Scare Prank Season 2 Episode 2 appeared first on .

More parental controls available in YouTube Kids starting today

Since we launched YouTube Kids less than two years ago, we've seen families across the globe download the app tens of millions of times and rank it consistently among the top 5 apps in the App Store and give it an overall 4+ ranking on Google Play.

Along the way, we've also received helpful feedback from parents on how we can make the app even better. Parents have told us they want more control over how their kids watch content in the YouTube Kids app. Today, we're rolling out a new feature that continues to put parents in the driver's seat so they can decide what content is right for their family.

Let's say you don't want your little one watching a DIY video that shows them how to make gooey slime, or maybe you want them to take a break from watching certain sing-a-long videos. Well, now you can block videos or channels from their experience by signing into the app.

Block videos using the 3 dot menu next to any video or channel



To sign in you will be asked to send yourself a parental consent email.





And the best part is that because you're logged in, the videos and channels you block in YouTube Kids will remain consistent across all your devices. And as a parent, if you change your mind, you can unblock all restricted videos or channels at once. It's that easy! This update will be available in: the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malaysia, Philippines, India, and Singapore.

This new feature follows other ways families can already customize their YouTube Kids experience:

• Learn how the app works: When parents open YouTube Kids, we explain upfront how our systems choose and recommend content and how to flag videos. We also prompt you to make a choice about how broadly you want your child to explore-turn search on to access millions of family-friendly videos, or turn search off to restrict your child's experience to a more limited set.
• Timer: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids' screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don't have to.
• YouTube Kids on the big screen: Watch YouTube Kids as a family on your big screen. Now YouTube Kids is available on your TV, using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smartTV.
• Age-based customization: When you first open the app, you can select from three general age groups (preschool, school age or all kids) making the initial home screen reflect videos that may interest children in that age range.

Stay tuned for more to come and in the meantime happy viewing!

Balaji Srinivasan, father of two girls and YouTube Kids Senior Software Engineer, recently watched "Hexaflexagons."

SEO Search Engine Optimization

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22 Ways The Harry Potter Universe Is Darker Than You Think

By CRACKED Readers  Published: November 12th, 2016 

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YouTube VR: A whole new way to watch… and create

We're inspired every day by the videos people share on YouTube. The idea that anybody, from any part of the globe, can create something that all of us can watch, laugh at, cry to, or relate to. Not only has this turned YouTube into a home for just about any idea imaginable, it's made it the place where new video formats, new ways to connect, and new ways to tell stories are born.

We want to continue to provide you with new ways to engage with the world and with your community, and we believe virtual reality will play an important role in the future of storytelling. More than just an amazing new technology, VR allows us to make deep, human connections with people, places and stories. That's why we're committed to giving creators the space and resources they need to learn about, experiment with, and create virtual reality video. In fact, we've already started working with some awesome creators, recording artists, and partners who are producing VR videos across a wide variety of genres and interest areas on YouTube.

Want to spend some time with beauty vlogger Meredith Foster? Check out an immersive tour of her apartment. More of a foodie? Tastemade's VR cooking videos breathe new life into learning new recipes. Rooster Teeth reimagines their gaming comedy “Red vs. Blue” for some fresh laughs. You can even watch breaking news in VR from HuffPost RYOT.

We've also been working to allow you to have experiences or visit places you might not be able to (or might not dare to!) in real life. Go swimming with sharks thanks to Curiscope, get a first-hand look at a living, breathing dinosaur at the Natural History Museum in London, travel to Belize with StyleHaul, hike a trail a thousand miles away with Daniel and Kelli at Fitness Blender, or watch Tritonal in concert no matter where you are.


And today you can experience all of this amazing content in a more immersive way with the brand new YouTube VR app, available first on Daydream. This new standalone app was built from the ground up and optimized for VR. You just need a Daydream-ready phone like Pixel and the new Daydream View headset and controller to get started. Every single video on the platform becomes an immersive VR experience, from 360-degree videos that let you step inside the content to standard videos shown on a virtual movie screen in the new theater mode. The app even includes some familiar features like voice search and a signed in experience so you can follow the channels you subscribe to, check out your playlists and more.

We can't tell you how inspired we all are after watching the amazing VR videos made by creators on YouTube. We can't wait to see what you dream up next!

Erin Teague, Product Manager, and Jamie Byrne, Director of YouTube Creators, recently watched "Tour of Man At Arms: Reforged Shop in 360° - The Forging Room!"

True colors: adding support for HDR videos on YouTube

We believe in the power of video at YouTube. It's what allows for the creativity, connection, and fun that brings together our community of creators and viewers. And over the last 11 years, we've worked hard to push the boundaries of online video. We've added product features and made new video and audio formats available to everyone, from HD to 4K video, live streaming, 3D, 360-degree video, and spatial audio.

Today we are adding support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos on YouTube. HDR videos have higher contrast, revealing precise, detailed shadows and stunning highlights with more clarity than ever. Support for wide color gamut means colors are more vibrant. Simply put, HDR unlocks the most spectacular image quality we've ever streamed.

Simulated SDR vs HDR comparison (seeing true HDR requires an HDR display)

Starting today, you can watch YouTube videos in HDR on supported devices, such as HDR TVs with the new Chromecast Ultra, and soon on all 2016 Samsung SUHD and UHD TVs. If you're using a device that doesn't yet support HDR, don't worry, videos will still play in standard dynamic range. As more HDR devices become available, YouTube will work with partners to enable streaming of the HDR version.

And if you want to watch some amazing content in HDR today, we got you covered. We've worked with YouTube creators like MysteryGuitarMan, Jacob + Katie Schwarz, and Abandon Visuals to bring you great content in HDR.

Starting today, any creator can upload HDR videos to YouTube. You can learn more about uploading HDR videos here. To make sure creators can tell awesome stories with even more color, we've been working with companies across the industry. We've worked with the DaVinci Resolve team to make uploading HDR just as simple as SDR videos to YouTube. We've also outfitted the YouTube Spaces in LA and NYC with all the gear needed to produce great HDR content.

HDR adds a whole new dimension of creative freedom and visual spectacle, and we've barely scratched the surface of what this means for storytelling. We can't wait to see the amazing videos you're going to make with HDR.

Steven Robertson, Software Engineer, recently watched “History of Japan,” and Sanjeev Verma, Product Manager, recently watched “Flaming Wire Wool.”

The Clash Royale King's Cup, live on YouTube Gaming

Sound the horns! The King has declared a tournament to host the most skilled Clash Royale players in the land. Who among you can beat his champions and take the King's Cup?

We are proud to present the King's Cup Live on YouTube Gaming, a first-of-its-kind major tournament event featuring the second largest mobile title on YouTube this year, Clash Royale. The tournament will take place on Sunday, November 6, live in Los Angeles with a prize pool of $100,000.

Competitors from all over the world will attend this open event to qualify to play against eight of the top Clash Royale creators from YouTube. Come sharpen your swords and ride your hogs and take down our legendary Clash Royale creators:

• Alvaro845
• ClashWithAsh
• Chief Pat
• Ddotty
• GamingWithMolt
• Godson
• Nickatnyte
• Orange Juice

Can't battle? No worries! Watch the tournament live exclusively on YouTube Gaming and YouTube. There'll be awesome gameplay, fun interviews, and even opportunities to win prizes. Running alongside the tournament will be a limited time, in-game “King's Cup Special Event Challenge” where players can join for free and play with cards they haven't yet unlocked! This special event will be available on iOS and Android between Friday, November 4, and Sunday, November 6.

Join along with our commentary team for this Royale event in coordination with YouTube, Google Play and Supercell at https://gaming.youtube.com/kingscup or https://www.youtube.com/clashroyale.

Lester Chen, Head of eSports Content & Partnerships, recently watched the “2016 League of Legends World Championships.”

#YTMehrMusik: More music from artists you love on YouTube in Germany

Today is a big day for music in Germany. YouTube has reached a landmark agreement with the Germany-based music rights organization, GEMA, meaning that starting today, more music will be available on YouTube in Germany. This is a win for music artists around the world, enabling them to reach new and existing fans in Germany, while also earning money from the advertising on their videos. And for YouTube users in Germany, who will no longer see a blocking message on music content that contains GEMA repertoire, for the first time in seven years.

This agreement reflects a long-held commitment that composers, songwriters, and publishers should be paid fairly, while ensuring fans can enjoy their favorite songs and discover new music on YouTube. That commitment has helped YouTube evolve into an important source of promotion and revenue for musicians. As such, we continue to invest in our rights management system, Content ID, to protect rights owners while continuing to innovate and create new and exciting YouTube features such as VR and 360, that can heighten the music experience on YouTube even more.

From AnnenMayKantereit to Rolf Zuckowski, we heartily welcome German artists and songwriters from A-to-Z to YouTube. And to our YouTube community, enjoy the music!



Christophe Muller, YouTube's Head of International Music Partnerships, recently watched “Best Friends Challenge with Justin Timberlake.”

U.S. election results LIVE on YouTube

From candidates announcing their run for office to the political conventions, you've come to YouTube to get informed on the U.S. election.

In fact, over the past few weeks you spent over 20 million hours watching - and rewatching - the presidential debate live streams on YouTube. That's the equivalent of over 2,288 years of time!

With just over a week until election day, all eyes are on the candidates as they work to earn your vote. As in 2012, YouTube is back live streaming election results coverage and this year, you can choose from more news organizations than ever before.

Head to YouTube starting at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 8, and select your favorite news channel to follow all the action:

• NBC News
• PBS
• MTV
• Bloomberg
• Telemundo
• The Young Turks

Also, tune in to a special election night event at YouTube Space NY, where host Complex News will deliver live results coverage and celebrate the momentous occasion.

If you haven't already sent in your ballot, head to Google, search “how to vote” and get all the info you need to make your voice heard.

Brandon Feldman, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched ”U.S. Government & Politics”

The three 2016 U.S. presidential debates rank as the most-viewed political live streams of all time

This year, more news organizations live streamed the U.S. presidential debates on YouTube than ever before, and we saw record-breaking interest from the YouTube community. The 2016 presidential debates rank as the three most-viewed political live streams of all time. In total, these debates drove 8.5M live watch hours and averaged 1.7M live peak concurrent viewers.

Last night's final presidential debate delivered:

• 2.8M live watch hours, nearly five times higher than 2012
• 1.7M live peak concurrent viewers, over four times higher than 2012
• Over 140 million views on all debate-related videos

Elections-related YouTube searches are also at an all-time high. Searches for U.S. election content are up 547 percent compared to this time in the last presidential race.

Throughout the debates, millions of viewers tuned in and stayed engaged. The average live session duration was 22 minutes across all three presidential debates and concurrent viewership consistently peaked towards the end of the debate.

In true YouTube fashion, Americans weren't the only ones involved. Have a look at who was watching the most around the globe:



With only 18 days until U.S. Election Day voters are preparing to head to the polls. If the voter registration deadline in your state hasn't passed, register today! It only takes 1 min., 34 seconds.

Kurt Wilms, Product Lead, Live Streaming at YouTube, recently watched “The Third Presidential Debate.”

Tune in to the final presidential debate, live on YouTube

With just 21 days remaining, the U.S. presidential election is top of mind for voters across the country.

Over the past three debates you've come to YouTube to follow live coverage from more news organizations than ever before. And Wednesday's third and final presidential debate will be no exception.

Pick your favorite news channel and tune in to the debate starting at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 19. Here is where you can watch live on YouTube:

• NBC News
• CBS News
• Fox News
• PBS
• Washington Post
• Univision
• Telemundo

You can also join The Young Turks and Complex News on the ground reporting from Las Vegas, Nev., using YouTube Live directly from their phones.

Can't decide on one stream? Check out youtube.com/news to follow all of the coverage.

And if the voter registration deadline in your state hasn't passed, register today! It only takes 1 min., 34 seconds.

Brandon Feldman, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched “How Voters Decide.”

Helping creators connect with brands

Nine years ago, YouTube launched its Partner Program with the goal of helping creators earn advertising revenue while connecting their innovative content to audiences around the world. Every year, more and more brands are making YouTube essential to their marketing strategy. In fact, in the last year alone, the top 100 advertisers have increased their spend on YouTube video ads by 50 percent.

As brands continue to embrace the value of YouTube, they're also taking their investments one step further, partnering with creators on branded content opportunities such as product placements, promotions and sponsorships. As we look to the future, we want even more creators and brands to come together and realize the benefits of these creative collaborations.

Today, we're excited to announce that Google has acquired FameBit -- a technology platform company that helps creators and brands find and work with each other through sponsorships and paid promotion. We believe that Google's relationship with brands and YouTube's partnerships with creators, combined with FameBit's technology and expertise, will help increase the number of branded content opportunities available, bringing even more revenue into the online video community.

Creators will always have the choice in how they work with brands, and there are many great companies who provide this service today. This acquisition doesn't change that. Our hope is that FameBit's democratized marketplace will allow creators of all sizes to directly connect with brands, as well as provide a great technology solution for companies like MCNs and agencies to find matches for their creators and brand partners.

We look forward to seeing FameBit and the entire branded content space thrive as we continue to support the success and creativity of the creator community.

Ariel Bardin, Vice President, Product Management recently watched "New Yorkers Share their Story for a Dollar."

The latest training camp gossip features Rockets intrigue

The latest training camp gossip features Rockets intrigue

Tune into the second presidential debate, live on YouTube

As U.S. voters prepare to head to the polls in just over a month, all eyes are on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as they debate for a second time -- and like the last two debates, you can head to YouTube to watch the candidates take the stage.

Just choose a news channel on YouTube and join us live from St. Louis, Mo., on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET:

• NBC News
• CBS News
• Fox News
• PBS
• Washington Post
• Univision
• Telemundo

Stay up to speed on U.S. election news, including live coverage, by heading to youtube.com/news. And if you haven't already, register to vote. It only takes 1 min, 34 seconds!

Brandon Feldman, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched “The Vice-Presidential Debate.”

Watch tonight's vice presidential debate, live on YouTube

After last week's record-breaking presidential debate, Americans are gearing up to hear from the vice presidential nominees in the only debate where they'll face off -- and you'll be able to follow all the action live on YouTube!

Whether you're watching from your smartphone or your smart TV, head to YouTube tonight at 9 p.m. ET and choose your favorite news channel, which will bring you live coverage from Farmville, Va.:

• NBC News
• Fox News
• PBS
• Washington Post
• Univision
• Telemundo

As always, check out youtube.com/news to follow all of the live coverage. See you tonight, and from the upcoming presidential debates in St. Louis, Mo., and Las Vegas, Nev.

Brandon Feldman, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched "The First Presidential Debate."

With nearly 2 million concurrent viewers and over 3 million live watch hours, first presidential debate breaks political record

Last night's debate marked the largest political live stream of all time and was one of the biggest live streams in YouTube history. This record-breaking political stream garnered nearly 2 million live concurrent viewers and 3 million live watch hours across the six news organizations that streamed the debate on YouTube.

To put these numbers into context, we took a look at 2012 debate viewership on YouTube. Compared to 2012, last night's debate had 14x larger live viewership, 5x higher watch time, and 4x more peak concurrent viewers. And views on all debate-related videos exceeded 88 million.

Of course YouTube is a global community and people in the U.S. weren't the only ones watching. Here are the top five countries, in descending order, outside of the U.S. that tuned in live:

1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. Argentina
4. Australia
5. New Zealand

And remember, today is Voter Registration Day and YouTube creators along with The Rock, Conan, Bill Maher, and The Chainsmokers want you to head to the polls and #voteIRL.

Up next we'll see you live from the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, October 4.

Kurt Wilms, Product Lead, Live Streaming at YouTube, recently watched "Fastest Skateboarder Ever!"