Get creative. Go nuts. Be in the YTMAs

The countdown is on. In just two days, we’ll host the first-ever YouTube Music Awards, celebrating the videos that you watched, shared, and loved the most over the past year.

Whether you’re crazy for Slim Shady, gaga for Gaga or cuckoo for K-Pop, this Sunday, November 3 show will have something for everyone. Each nomination category was created by your views, comments, likes, subscriptions and shares. (That’s how we ended up with six epic battles - check the data behind Video and Artist of the Year here!) Creative director Spike Jonze has loads of surprises up his sleeve, and co-hosts Jason Schwartzman and Reggie Watts are planning to bring you a night that’s as unique as your favorite playlist.

And YOU could be in it.

That’s right. We’re asking you to upload a video to putmeintheytmas.com for a chance to be featured. Check out Jason’s video for more on how your creativity could become a part of the big show:


If a video selfie isn’t your thing, there’s still time to participate. Vote for your favorite artists, songs and videos, at youtube.com/musicawards or by searching “YTMA” on YouTube.

And then join us! Starting at 5 a.m. ET on Sunday, tune in at youtube.com/musicawards to catch music events from Seoul, Moscow, London and Rio, culminating in the live event from Pier 36 in New York City at 6 p.m. ET.

See you there!

The YTMA Team recently watched “Be Part of the YTMAs - Jason Schwartzman Tells You How.”

Thundermist Lures is your October partner On The Rise

Congratulations to the team over at Thundermist Lures, our featured “On The Rise” partner for this month. Their channel and several of their videos are in the spotlight on the On The Rise homepage and the YouTube Spotlight channel today.

Thundermist Lure Company’s team of professional anglers--Claudio, Ivo, and Phil--have been fishing for more than 40 years. Their combined wealth of knowledge makes them expert guides when it comes to fishing tackle and methods, not to mention fishing for different types of fish and in different types of water. Whether you’re new to the sport or you’re out there winning tournaments every weekend, the team’s weekly videos are bound to entertain and educate. So why not check out a few of their videos? You can see how they reel ‘em in with the Viper Spoon or learn some secrets and tips about catching catfish. Of course, you may want to start with figuring out the best fishing rod for your next catch before you hit the open water.

 

Here are a few words from Ivo, the host of “Thundermist Fishing Tips:”

We love sharing knowledge and different fishing tips/techniques with you on a regular basis. Spending quality time with family and friends on the water fishing is one of our favorite pastimes and we've been doing just that on YouTube since 2007. We are finding that more and more people are writing in with questions, as they want to spend more time enjoying our great outdoors and the sport of fishing. Thanks to all your positive feedback and support over the years, our YouTube channel continues to grow. [Being featured as YouTube’s On The Rise partner] is an honor that we would like to jointly share with you as we equally deserve such recognition. Thank you and as always, until next time, good luck and good fishing.

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly blog series and are interested in learning more or participating, we encourage you to visit our On The Rise homepage. You can check out all of our past featured partners on the Featured Partners tab, or nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the program on the Nominate tab. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who drive YouTube watch time, have fewer than 100,000 subscribers, and produce engaging content on a regular basis.

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Baby LED light suit halloween costume preview.”

Calling All Music Fans: YouTube Music Award Voting Opens Today

What do waking up, paper planes, hives, goblins, and five people on one guitar have in common? On November 3, Avicii, M.I.A., Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler the Creator, and Walk Off the Earth will all perform live at the first-ever YouTube Music Awards, joining a top musical lineup at Pier 36 in New York City. Actor and musician Jason Schwartzman is joined by comedian and musician Reggie Watts to host this live event. Music video visionary Spike Jonze is creative director, with executive producers VICE Media and Sunset Lane Entertainment.

And now it’s your turn. YouTube Award Nominations across six categories have just been announced at youtube.com/musicawards. Starting today, you can go there or search “YTMA” on YouTube to vote on the nominees by sharing the official YouTube Music Awards nomination videos across Google+, Twitter and Facebook. These video and artist nominations are based on YOUR views, likes, comments and subscriptions over the last 12 months from September 2012, and your votes from today will determine the winners.

The six nomination categories and nominees for this year’s YouTube Music Awards are:

Video of the Year: Honoring the world’s most loved music videos, these nominees represent the videos with the most fan engagement on YouTube over the last year.


• Demi Lovato - Heart Attack
• Epic Rap Battles of History - Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney
• Girls' Generation - I Got A Boy
• Justin Bieber (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Beauty And A Beat
• Lady Gaga - Applause
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Mary Lambert) - Same Love
• Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop
• One Direction - Best Song Ever
• PSY - Gentleman
• Selena Gomez - Come & Get It

Artist of the Year: Honoring the acts YouTube fans have made stars, nominees represent the most watched, shared, liked, and subscribed-to artists on YouTube.

• Eminem
• Epic Rap Battles of History
• Justin Bieber
• Katy Perry
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Nicki Minaj
• One Direction
• PSY
• Rihanna
• Taylor Swift

Response of the Year: Honoring the best fan remix, parody or response video, these nominees represent the top “unofficial” fan videos on YouTube based on your views, shares and other activity.

• Boyce Avenue (feat. Fifth Harmony) - Mirrors
• Jayesslee - Gangnam Style
• Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix - Radioactive
• ThePianoGuys - Titanium / Pavane
• Walk Off the Earth (feat. KRNFX) - I Knew You Were Trouble

YouTube Phenomenon: Recognizing the YouTube trends the world could not escape from, nominees are based on the phenomena that generated the most fan videos.

• Diamonds
• Gangnam Style

• Harlem Shake
• I Knew You Were Trouble
• Thrift Shop

YouTube Breakthrough: Honoring the music world’s breakout new acts, nominees represent the artists who experienced the biggest growth in views and subscribers.

• Kendrick Lamar
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Naughty Boy
• Passenger
• Rudimental

Innovation of the Year: Starting with videos selected by an international panel of musicians, YouTubers and creative luminaries, we then selected the creative video innovations that resonated most with fans on YouTube, based on views, likes, shares and comments.

• Anamanaguchi - ENDLESS FANTASY
• Atoms For Peace - Ingenue
• Bat For Lashes - Lilies
• DeStorm - See Me Standing
• Toro Y Moi "Say That"

In the run up to the YouTube Music Awards, five music events will be streamed from around the world on YouTube, culminating in the live awards celebration at Pier 36 in New York City. The shows from Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow, London and Rio will kick off at 5 a.m. ET on November 3, and fans can tune in at youtube.com/musicawards.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to youtube.com/musicawards to watch the nomination videos and cast your votes. Stay tuned for more information on the big show and we’ll see you on Sunday, November 3!

The YouTube Music Awards Team recently watched “Announcing the first-ever YouTube Music Awards.”

Help us select October’s “On The Rise” partner

On The Rise is a monthly program where we introduce four YouTube partners whose channels drive significant watch time but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 subscriber mark. Thanks to your help, we’ve identified four channels this month who are getting close to crossing that threshold. Our October nominees create engaging videos about their hobbies, which include origami, auto repairs, fishing, and extreme sports.

You can help these partners get even closer to reaching that 100,000 subscriber milestone. Check out their videos below, vote for your favorite here, and one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured across YouTube later this month. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner we’ll feature.

In past months, featured On The Rise partners like StanWinstonSchool and CookingAndCrafting have gained subscribers and seen their watch time grow due in large part to your support. This month’s poll will be open until October 10, 5 p.m. PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see which channel will be featured on October 30.

jeremyshaferorigami
A change purse, vampire teeth, baseball hat--these are just a few of the items that Jeremy Shafer has created from origami paper and dollar bills. Head over to his channel and watch his tutorials to learn how to make some of these fun trinkets for your friends and family.

 

realfixesrealfast
If you have a car and you’re interested in running your own diagnostic tests and repairs, you should check out this channel. Learn how to fix problems with your A/C, your windows, or your starter with these helpful walkthroughs.

 

Thundermist Lures
If fishing is one of your hobbies, you’ll want to check out the Thundermist Lure Company's YouTube channel. Claudio, Ivo and Phil are professionals who have won fishing tournaments and are here to share their best fishing tips and tricks.

 

Riders Match
Kiteboarding, horse surfing, parkour, BMX--if you enjoy extreme sports, you’ll find a lot to love on this channel. These videos offer best-of sports coverage that’s bound to give you a thrill.

 

If you’re interested in participating or have suggestions for partners you think should be featured, you we encourage you to visit our On The Rise homepage. You can check out all of our past featured partners on the Featured Partners tab, or nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the program on the Nominate tab. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who drive YouTube watch time, have fewer than 100,000 subscribers, and produce engaging content on a regular basis.

Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “What Kids REALLY Think About Social Media.”

Like Eminem, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire? Announcing the first-ever YouTube Music Awards

We get it. You love music. From propelling unknown artists to the top of the charts, to cheering on established artists as they reinvent the music video, to remixing and reimagining your own, music fans have turned YouTube into the world’s go-to music destination. Now, to celebrate music fans and the music you love, we’re announcing a new kind of awards show--one powered by you.

On Sunday, November 3, YouTube will host the first-ever YouTube Music Awards, a live-streamed event honoring the artists and songs that you have turned into hits over the past year. Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Arcade Fire will join other top artists and some of YouTube’s biggest stars including Lindsey Stirling and CDZA in performances and musical collaborations from Seoul, Moscow, London and Rio, culminating in a live event in New York City. Music-video visionary Spike Jonze will be the creative director and acclaimed actor Jason Schwartzman will host with VICE and Sunset Lane Entertainment acting as executive producers.



And we’ll need your help. In mid-October, YouTube Music Awards Nominations will be announced based on the videos that you watched and shared over the past year. We’ll then call on you to determine the songs and artists honored, by sharing the nominees across social media so the awards are judged in full view of everyone.

There will be a whole lot more music to enjoy on YouTube around the Music Awards. In the days leading up to the November 3 event, nominees will share official music videos, covers, parodies, concerts, interviews and fan videos on YouTube--so you can stay in the loop, find your faves and discover new music you didn’t even know you loved! Stay tuned for lots more info, and get ready for a nonstop week of music on YouTube.

Danielle Tiedt, Vice President, Marketing, recently watched "Lady Gaga - Applause (Official)," "Eminem - Berzerk (Official) (Explicit)," and "Arcade Fire- Here Comes the Night Time."

Stan Winston School is September’s On The Rise partner!

Congratulations to the entire team at Stan Winston School, our featured “On The Rise” partner for the month. Their videos are in the spotlight on the On The Rise homepage and the YouTube Spotlight channel today.

Founded more than four years ago, the Stan Winston School of Character Arts in many ways carries on Stan’s own legacy as a contributor to some iconic films including "Jurassic Park," "Iron Man" and "Avatar." The school’s various courses, webinars and workshops are led by some of Hollywood’s best artists and technicians. Whether you’re interested in seeing behind-the-scenes effects from "Terminator 2" or you’ve always wondered about the evolution of "Jurassic Park"’s raptor suits, this channel has content that’s bound to entertain and educate. And Halloween is just around the corner--if you need costume ideas, you might want to check out this Iron Man suit built by a 16-year-old!

 

Here are a few words from Matt and Erich:

Thank you from all of us at Stan Winston School! We're honored to have been selected as a YouTube "On the Rise" Channel and it wouldn't have been possible without the support of our awesome community of Creature FX fans. We hope this spotlight brings even more awareness to the magic behind the movies, and inspires a new generation of artists to create their own fantasy characters. Long live monster making!

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly blog series and are interested in learning more or participating, we encourage you to visit our On The Rise homepage. You can check out all of our past featured partners on the Featured Partners tab, or nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the program on the Nominate tab. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who drive YouTube watch time, have fewer than 100,000 subscribers, and produce engaging content on a regular basis.

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched "Spencer’s Home Depot Marriage Proposal."

We hear you: Better commenting coming to YouTube

Quick taste test. Let’s say you’re watching a video from Justin Timberlake. What type of video comment would be awesome to see: one from JT himself, one from people you care about who love the video...or one from just the last random person to stop by?

When it comes to the conversations happening on YouTube, recent does not necessarily mean relevant. So, comments will soon become conversations that matter to you. In the coming months, comments from people you care about will rise up where you can see them, while new tools will help video creators moderate conversations for welcome and unwelcome voices.

Starting this week, you’ll see the new YouTube comments powered by Google+ on your channel discussion tab. This update will come to comments on all videos later this year, as we bring you more ways to connect with familiar faces on YouTube. Here’s what comments will look like later this year in a sample video from SoulPancake:

Here’s more detail:

• Comments you care about move to the top: You’ll see posts at the top of the list from the video’s creator, popular personalities, engaged discussions about the video, and people in your Google+ Circles.
• Join the conversation publicly or privately: You can choose to start a conversation so that it is seen by everyone on YouTube and Google+, only people in your Circles or just your bestie. Like Gmail, replies are threaded so you can easily follow conversations.
• Better ways to moderate comments: You have new tools to review comments before they’re posted, block certain words or save time by auto-approving comments from certain fans. These can help you spend less time moderating, and more time sharing videos and connecting with your fans.

If you’re not yet using a Google+ profile or page on YouTube, you can sign up here or visit here to learn more.

Nundu Janakiram, Product Manager, and Yonatan Zunger, Principal Engineer, recently watched “A Capella Science - Bohemian Gravity!”