Even if you think you may have the perfect business plan, check again. There are always little things here or there that needs adjusting within the realm of your businesses blueprint.
People are constantly changing or evolving if you will, and therefore it is a key element to see that your business strategy never goes stagnant. YouTube is one of those who continually make updates or changes for the better. In fact, it seems as if they shift their sights towards making these modifications that enable them to stay on top. Here are some of the changes they executed throughout 2014:
- New Layout: At the beginning of the year, YouTube changed the way they looked. This new design came in an attempt to manage the huge audience that now comes from mobile users. It includes a Feed section, as well as the Featured tab and the Video section. This changes the videos on the main page to give it a more centered look that will fit proportionately on any screen size. The Sidebar has all of your channel information, descriptions, and links. The other layout change is from the Playlist function which shows playlists that you have created as well as the ones you have liked. YouTube hopes that this is easier and more optimal for all types of users by simply looking for the Playlist Tab.
- Fan Funding: YouTube channel owners now have the ability to solicit donations from their fans. This new feature is completely voluntary and the extra support is warmly accepted by YouTube creators. Of course YouTube takes a small cut of that transaction to cover the cost of processing, but the onsite ‘tip jar’ is a nice addition for content creators regardless. The main hope here is to give an incentive to stay loyal to the platform.
- YouTube Creator Studio App: If you make YouTube videos, then the YouTube Creator Studio was made especially for you. Google has also made an app for iOS devices with provide quick access to analytics and notifications along with other tools in the Video Manager. Other important features that launched during this time were the new feature of the 48 and 60fps supported uploads. This feature also filters fan comments, updates your video details and settings, and offers customized push notifications.
- Audio Library: YouTube added more songs and sound effects in its licensed Audio Library to accommodate all types of content creators… and it’s free. Anyone may use these music files in videos that you submit on YouTube. There are more than 150 royalty free tracks to choose from making it easier for content creators to complete their projects.
- 60 Frames Per Second: In October, YouTube opened up higher video frame rates at 60 frames per second. This will make a huge difference for their massive amounts of video content, but especially for their gaming content.
- Subtitles Added by your Fans: For a better way to reach out globally, YouTube added Automatic Speech Recognition and Translation. This helps everyone, no matter where they live, the ability to understand the content in videos with subtitles or captions.
- Creator Credits: It was a nice thing when YouTube added Creator Credits to their tool arsenal. This is a great way to give ‘shout outs’ and credit to those who help with the making of the video. What better way to tell collaborators, musicians, video stars, and other behind the scenes workers what a great job they really do.
- YouTube Adds Sirius XM: This was the year that YouTube teamed up with Sirius XM to support their many artists and friends. They will collaborate to highlight trending songs, especially up and coming YouTube stars.
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