Google’s YouTube online video service is getting a bit easier to use now that user playlists are being given more attention as part of a YouTube home page update.
The changes were unveiled by Yining Zhao, a YouTube Web developer, in a Feb. 20 post on the YouTube Official Blog.
“The way you watch YouTube keeps changing, so we’re making a few tweaks to YouTube to keep up with you,” wrote Zhao. “Starting today you’ll see some changes to make it easier to find what you want to watch on YouTube and collect playlists to watch again and again.”
A welcome new feature is the inclusion of a user’s playlists in the on-screen guide, making them easier to find and use. “Your guide now has all of the playlists that you created, as well as playlists from other channels you liked,” wrote Zhao. “If you make a playlist, you’ll also see a new page that makes editing easier. And if you’re looking for new playlists to check out from your favorite channels, check out the new playlist tab on a channel like this one from YouTube Nation.”
Also receiving some tweaks is the YouTube home page, as it gets a new “center-aligned look” that will fit better on any screen size, according to Zhao. “You can quickly flip between what’s recommended and popular in ‘What to Watch,’ like Postmodern Jukebox’s Timber, and the latest from your subscribed channels like iamOTHER in ‘My Subscriptions,’ with both options now front and center,” wrote Zhao. “Click the guide icon to the right of the YouTube logo at any time to see your playlists, subscriptions and more.”
More navigational tips can be found in the YouTube Help Center, wrote Zhao.
YouTube is often making changes and additions for its online video fans.
In January, YouTube launched a first-time-ever online gallery where viewers could begin to see previews of the ads that would later run on television during the Super Bowl XLVIII broadcast on Feb. 2. The gallery provided viewers with sneak peeks of some of the ads that were shown during the broadcast through a YouTube Ad Blitz pre-game gallery that was created. In the gallery, users were able to watch and vote for their favorite ads, and then share them with friends through social media networks.
In November 2013, YouTube hosted its first-ever YouTube Music Awards, with fans voting for their favorite performers. The awards presentation, which was streamed live Nov. 3, presented music fans with a wide assortment of live performances from some of the biggest music stars who became global hits on YouTube in 2013, including Arcade Fire, Avicii, CDZA, Earl Sweatshirt, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Lindsey Stirling, M.I.A., Tyler, The Creator and Walk off the Earth.
In September 2013, YouTube streamed live online coverage of the 2013 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week events in New York City, bringing the latest fashions and trends to the world. Included in the YouTube coverage were more than 60 live shows from BCBG, Rachel Zoe, Betsey Johnson, Jenny Packham and more on the IMG Fashion YouTube channel, as well as stylish channel live stream shows on getting made up to the hilt with expert help from fashion and makeup experts such as Louise Goldin and Jeremy Scott.
Google Updates YouTube to Help Users Find Content More Easily
In August 2013, YouTube celebrated geeks with its first-ever “Geek Week” event that highlighted content, including “Game of Thrones,” “The Big Bang Theory,” Harry Potter and “The Avengers.” The Geek Week celebration highlighted the global community on YouTube that loves superheroes, comics, gaming, science and science fiction.
In May 2013, YouTube turned 8 years old, having launched in May 2005 as a video-sharing Website where people could post their creative works and watch to see if they gained any footholds. YouTube’s popularity has been huge, with the site receiving more than 100 hours of uploaded video from creators each minute. All of that video content is being created by millions of partners and contributors, some of whom have become very popular through the growing site.
Also in May, YouTube announced a new pilot program through which viewers are able to buy premium video content at prices starting at 99 cents per month to reward video creators for their labors while encouraging the development of better video for the huge online audience. Some of the paid content at the start of the pilot included “Sesame Street,” as well as “Ultimate Fighting Championship” (UFC), which offers classic fights such as a full version of their first event from UFC’s new channel.
In March 2013, YouTube announced that it was providing video content for more than 1 billion viewers per month. The popular video-sharing site has helped launch the careers of a slew of entertainers and made ordinary citizens into celebrities, thanks to viral videos.