Create your own video duels with YouTube Slam

Last year we started experimenting with the idea that you could find the next big thing on YouTube. YouTube Slam pits two videos against each other, where you get points for picking the crowd favorite. In just a few months, hundreds of thousands of you cast more than a million votes on Slams we created, and today we’re turning the game controls over to you.

You can now turn any of your playlists into a YouTube Slam. Play solo, share the YouTube link with your friends or even play together in a Google+ Hangout. Here’s how to do it:

1. Make a playlist with the videos you want to include in the Slam (you’ll need at least two videos and they have to be public), or choose a playlist you have already
2. Go to www.youtube.com/slam/create
3. Click the “Create Slam” button next to one of your playlists. It’ll look like this:

When you click “Play Slam” you’ll be taken into your game, and we’ll show the highest scoring videos and players on the leaderboard page of your Slam. Click “View the winners” at any time to check it out.

Want to get your friends involved? You can now play custom or existing Slams live with friends inside a Google+ Hangout by clicking the “Play Slam with your friends” link. You can also share the YouTube Slam link with friends directly to get more people playing. If you feel like the Slam has been settled, you can remove it at any time.



Slam is still a work in progress, and we want to hear your feedback. Let us know what you think in the comments below or by clicking the “Feedback” link on any Slam.

Interested in learning more about the research behind YouTube Slam? Check out our recent Google Research Blog post about gamification of search ranking, or find out about our work on finding funny videos and talented musicians.

Sanketh Shetty, software engineer, recently played a “Tree Cutting Fails” Slam.

Woo your Valentine with help from YouTube

The oldest known Valentine still in existence today is a poem written by a Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was locked away in the Tower of London. On Valentine's Day he sent his wife a rhyming love letter. Written in 1415, this poem now lives in the British Library in London.

The Duke had 25 years in prison to craft poems to make his love swoon, but you have just one day until Valentine’s Day to woo the one you love. So look no further than YouTube to find some inspiration.

Find the way into your Valentine’s heart through his or her stomach with the help of some of YouTube’s cooking channels. From romantic fondue dips to red velvet vegan cupcakes to recipes for raw food hearts, you’re sure to find a dish for any loved one’s palette.



Whatever your budget, whomever your Valentine, truly great gifts are thoughtful and personal. From an origami bouquet of roses to a sentimental deck of cards to tips for creating a romantic dinner at home, YouTube channels have great gift ideas for you.



Finally, are you thinking about asking someone special an important question this Valentine’s Day? The YouTube Slam team cooked up a Valentine's Day Slam of romantic proposals to help you get inspired! Watch the proposals side by side and vote for whichever pulls on your heartstrings or even brings tears to your eyes. And don’t forget to check out the top voted proposals.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jessica Mason, communications associate, recently watched “How to cook a lobster for Valentine's Day!”