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YouTube

YouTube is a wonderful hobby for many people. Its popularity has been growing steadily, and it continues to be one of the most popular websites in the world. YouTube can provide you with endless entertainment, as well as opportunities to share your own creative work with others around the globe.

What Can I Do with YouTube?

Watch videos

YouTube is a great place to do some in-depth browsing, and watch your favorite clips over and over again. There are literally millions of videos on the site available for you to explore, giving you access to an unlimited entertainment source. You can even search for new categories that interest you or upload your own creative work for others to enjoy.

Share videos

YouTube is a great way to share your videos with the world. Once you’ve uploaded them, they are available for anyone to watch, no matter where they are in the world. This can be a great way to connect with friends and family, or even promote your own work. You can also comment on other people’s videos, and start discussions with others who have similar interests.

Learn new skills

YouTube can be a great place to learn new skills. There are many channels dedicated to teaching different things, like video editing or SEO marketing. If you’re interested in learning a new skill, there’s a good chance that you can find a tutorial on YouTube that will teach you how to do it.

Connect with other creators

YouTube is a great place for creative people to connect and share their work with others. There are many channels dedicated to different forms of creativity, like art, music, or cooking. This can be a great way to get feedback on your work, as well as connect with others who have similar interests.

Watch TV shows and movies

YouTube is a great alternative to traditional television. You can watch your favorite shows and movies for free, without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. You can also browse by genre, or search for specific titles that interest you.

Discover new music

YouTube is a great place to discover new music. You can listen to songs for free, and browse by genre or artist. You can also watch music videos, and see the lyrics for each song. This can be a great way to find new music that you’ll love.

Stay connected with friends and family

YouTube is a great way to stay connected with friends and family. You can watch videos together, comment on each other’s clips, and even share your own work with them. This can be a great way to keep in touch with people who are far away or to catch up with friends and family who live nearby.

Benefits of YouTube as a Hobby

Here are 10 benefits of YouTube as a hobby:

You can upload videos easily

Uploading video content onto Youtube is free and easy to do. If you have an idea for something that you would like to share, all you need is a camera and an internet connection!

There are no limits on what kind of content can be uploaded

The beauty of this website is that there’s no limit on what type of content can be uploaded! This means that you can share your videos on any topic or subject matter that you like.

You can watch videos for free

One of the great things about YouTube is that users can watch videos for free. This means that you can explore a variety of different topics and genres without spending a penny.

You can learn new skills

YouTube is a great place to learn new skills. Whether you’re interested in video editing, marketing or just want to learn more about the world around you, this website has something for everyone.

There are no rules

Unlike other social networking platforms, there are no strict rules on YouTube. This means that you’re free to be and share your work with others in any way you please.

You can build a following

If you’re lucky, you may be able to build a following on YouTube and attract new viewers to your work. This can be a great way to get your content in front of new eyes and grow your audience.

You can collaborate with others

Collaborating with other creators is a great way to broaden your reach and tap into new audiences. YouTube is home to many talented individuals, so don’t be afraid to reach out and collaborate!

You can make money from your videos

If you’re successful in building a following on YouTube, you may be able to make money from your videos. There are a variety of ways that you can monetize your work, so you don’t have to limit yourself!

The community is supportive

The YouTube community is a very positive and supportive place. The vast majority of the content on this website is user-generated, so it’s a great space for creators to get involved and contribute.

You can share clips from other platforms

YouTube makes it easy to extract video clips from other platforms and upload them onto the site. This means that you’re able to take your favorite videos from other websites (i.e. Vimeo or Dailymotion) and share them with others in an easily accessible way!

Common Youtube Terms

Annotations: Annotations are a way of adding maps, and links to other videos onto your video.  This is not seen by everyone who views the video on Youtube but can be useful for those using screen readers or text-to-speech programs
Avatar: The avatar may occasionally change shape depending on what mood you are in when viewing it. You can choose an Avatar from within the settings page that best suits your personality.
Branding Watermark: A watermark is applied to any content creator’s content so that people know where they found it originally and/or who created it if there was no credit given at the beginning of the video itself. This information will show up in lower thirds (a box with three lines below) as well as across the screen with a notice before the video begins.
Bulletin: A bulletin is an editable post that can be used to communicate information like news, updates, and messages to your subscribers of all levels.
Calls To Action (CTAs): Calls To Actions are buttons or links at the end of each video that allow you to subscribe, share, comment on videos as well as buy any products advertised in them if they have been monetized by the content creator. The most popular types of CTA’s would be “subscribe” and “buy”.
Closed Caption (CC) & Subtitles: Closed Captions translate spoken words into text so deaf people can read what is being said while watching someone speak without having to read lips.  Subtitles do the same thing for those who are hard of hearing or those with an auditory impairment and may not be able to hear what is being said
Community Guidelines: The Community guidelines are a set of rules that all users must abide by in order to keep the community clean, safe, healthy, and helpful.  The guidelines have been designed to protect members while balancing their desire for free expression
Community Settings: As a content creator you can choose your audience’s viewable age range (Adult Content, General Audience) as well as whether they will see comments on videos from anonymous viewers before submitting it for approval with Youtube staff. You also get to decide if other people cannot comment on your video at all or only if you approve the comment.
Content ID appeals: When a video is claimed by Content ID, it becomes unavailable for public viewing on Youtube and cannot be monetized or shared without first appealing to the original claimant (see ‘Copyright’).  You must file an appeal with Google as well as provide evidence that your content does not violate their copyright in order to have it restored to its original state.
Copyright: Copyright protects any form of artistic expression from being stolen or altered without permission (unless they are deemed “fair use”).  When someone publishes copyrighted work online, they need explicit authorization from the owner of said work before posting. This may include contacting them through email and asking for permission; making sure there are no watermarks on the video itself; or asking for written consent before using it.
Creative Commons: Creative Commons is a license that allows you to share your work with others without fear of copyright infringement by giving them permission up front (see ‘Content ID appeals’).  This helps content creators and consumers alike because people are able to enjoy their favorite videos without worrying about getting in trouble for downloading copyrighted material.
Copyright Infringement: Copyright infringement occurs when someone steals, copies, or alters an artist’s creative work without explicit authorization from the owner of said work. This may include posting images online and claiming they’re theirs; taking photos at concerts but not buying tickets; reproducing articles word for word without citing the original author.
Creator Academy: The Creator Academy helps you learn about some best practices in order for your video content on Youtube to be successful.  You will find this section under “Help” after clicking on “Creator Studio.”
Credits: The Credits section of the Creator Academy is where you can find information about copyright, credits, and other legal issues if your goal is to create a video.
End-slate: The end slate will often show up at the very end of a YouTube video and provides space for creators to thank their audience or list links that they want viewers to visit (see ‘Closed captions’)  It also explains any music used in the background so it’s clear who owns it.
Events: You may not be able to edit this but events are opportunities designed with Youtube stars in mind! They allow influencers like yourself connect directly with fans through live shows hosted online by leading industry brands. Get ready to build even more professional relationships when an event comes to your city
Featured content: Videos that are part of Youtube’s “Super Chats” program offer live chat features and the chance to earn money while doing it.  To qualify for Super Chat, you have to meet a few requirements like having over 100 subscribers or be verified on Twitter.
Influencers: Someone with a large following on social media who is usually seen as an expert in their industry and can help market products through word of mouth, promotions, reviews, etc…
Metadata: Metadata refers specifically to information about data such as when an event occurred; who was involved; what the video is about.
Monetization: Monetizing a video means turning your content into an income source by placing advertisements on it which are then paid for using YouTube’s Partner Program (see ‘YouTube Partners’)  For example, if you upload a hair tutorial and place ads throughout the clip, those who watch the ad will earn money from Youtube–and so will you! For more information go to “Help” in Creator Studio and click on “Partnerships.”
Optimization: Optimizing videos can help them rank higher with viewers as well as be found more easily in search engines like Google. There are many ways that this can be achieved but some of the easiest include adding keywords, tags; including subtitles or closed captions; selecting a thumbnail and preview image that accurately represent the video
Paid content: Paid videos are usually charged upfront, one-time payment.  The most common type of paid video is with ads (see ‘Monetization’) but there are also opportunities for influencers to get paid directly from brands through partnership or sponsorship agreements
Stream now: This is where you can watch your own uploaded YouTube videos live as they’re being broadcasted! These streams will be saved in order so that viewers have the opportunity to go back and rewatch any sessions previously streamed.
Social Media Marketing: Using social media to advertise your product or service.
Tags: Tags help people find specific videos on Youtube by using words that describe them. For example, if someone types “dog” into Google’s search bar then all web pages with the word “dog” will show up
Video editor: The video editor is an application that allows you to edit your uploaded videos by adding effects, adjusting volume and altering visual aspects like color. YouTube offers a free version of the program called ‘YouTube Studio.’ It’s available in both desktop and mobile formats
Verification: Verifying channels on Youtube means going through steps such as submitting identification documents; connecting with Google+  or Twitter; linking accounts together so they can be verified simultaneously (see ‘Monetization’)
Youtube Partners: This is where creators who want to earn money from their content submit information about themselves including home address for verification purposes. Once this process has been completed then monetizing one’s channel becomes possible–meaning that advertisements can be placed on content and money will go to the creator
YouTube Studio: This is a free video editing application that lets you edit your videos by adding effects, adjusting volume and altering visual aspects like color. It’s available in both desktop and mobile formats.

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