User:Snamigohar46/sandbox

As YouTube started to grow as a site, it became increasingly difficult to distinguish amateur video producers apart from the professionals due to the increased volume of professionally produced content. In hopes to transition more amateur YouTubers into the professional media world, YouTube launched Next Up to hand pick amateur performers and aid them in producing new context to become the “new pros”(5). Next Up would allow aspiring singers, entertainers and more, whom have recorded videos on their webcam in their bedroom, to become “discovered”. The idea of amateur and professional worlds merging is not new. Ordinary people have been able to shape their individual expressive needs by creating videos of imitating their pop idols with parodies, lip dubs and more.

YouTube next up is a six week search for YouTube creators in which YouTube in return can help guide them to creating more successful content. This will help transition from an amateur dominated site to more polished and professional one. The twenty-five contestants of Next Up, each get 35,000 to build their channels in addition to a one-on-one training consultation at YouTube creator camp, as well as promotion for their channel from YouTube.

To apply to YouTube Next Up, creators must be YouTube partners, which are content producers who earn income through their channels. In 2010, YouTube partners generated more than 100 billion views and drew in millions of dollars through the partner program. YouTube Partner Program allows creators to earn money off of their videos through a variety of ways such as advertisement, paid subscriptions and merchandise. Creators also are offered various resources, features, and programs that YouTube offers to them to aid in the success of channel and build audience. The content creators large sustained, persistent audiences have been built through appealing videos, enticing advertisers and therefore monetizing their videos. After certain videos are selected to be monetized, advertisements are placed by their videos for their viewers to see and allowing the creator to earn money.

In April of 2013, YouTube changed their revenue-sharing program. Before this change, YouTubers who wanted to attain sponsored advertisements on their videos had to get permission from Youtube. Whereas now, YouTube has automated the process with a ‘monetize’ button. Therefore, any video that gets a certain amounts of views is automatically paired with an advertisement, allowing the YouTuber to obtain up to half of the proceeds. YouTube pays the creators a certain amount of money per every 1,000 clicks on their video. Tom Pickett, YouTube’s vice president of global operations states, “If they can generate an audience, they can start making money”

Another way to obtain revenue from YouTube is from brand deals and sponsored content in which YouTube creators team up with connect with advertisers to promote a product from a specific brand. This is also known as a paid product placement, where a video is created specifically for the product that is being advertised and the “sponsor's brand, message, or product is integrated directly into the content”.