YouTube

Blubrry’s New Vid2Pod Makes Any YouTube Channel Into An Audio Podcast

~ jen

A YouTube channel on its own isn’t a podcast. While there have been a number of tools available to audio-first podcasters for getting their shows onto YouTube, there hasn’t been anything that could easily turn a YouTube channel into an audio podcast. That problem is solved with Blubrry’s new Vid2Pod service:

You can now effortlessly publish podcast episodes from your video playlists into high-quality audio podcasts, opening your content to a new audience.

Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or a YouTube first creator looking to expand your reach Vid2Pod is a set it and forget it video-to-audio podcasting tool, available as part of our Advanced Hosting plans and above.

YouTubers can get Vid2Pod up and running in a few simple steps: sign up for a Blubrry media hosting subscription; link a YouTube channel to Blubrry; enter audio podcast settings (including show artwork). Blubrry will then provide a podcast RSS feed that can be submitted to podcast apps/directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartMedia, TuneIn, and more. From there, the process is completely automated. Blubrry will pick up new videos from YouTube, convert them to audio podcast episodes, and publish those episodes to RSS.

Vid2Pod users will also get access to features already baked in to Blubrry media hosting like a free WordPress site and access to Podcasting 2.0 capabilities, including Value4Value donations and Live Item notifications. Vid2Pod users will be able to measure the reach of their audio podcasts using Blubrry’s industry-leading IAB certified statistics.

Blubrry’s new Vid2Pod service is available starting today, so YouTubers who want to try the service can get started right now. Vid2Pod should be a real game changer for YouTube-first creators who want to expand their reach beyond the walls of YouTube.

Podcasts Launch On YouTube Music In The UK

~ jen

YouTube has launched a Podcasts destination page on YouTube Music in the UK, which will provide an expansion as to how users can consume podcasts.

Users will have the ability to watch and listen to podcasts on YouTube Music without requiring a paid membership, pivoting between an audio and audiovisual experience with the ability to background listen on the go.

Audiences will also be able to background listen (listen even if the app is not open) to their favorite podcasts in YouTube Music and download episodes for offline consumption. These features are available to all users where podcasts have launched in YouTube Music. Background play was previously a feature exclusive to YouTube Premium which we’re now allowing free exclusively for podcasts.

Podcasts will be surfaced across a variety of options within YouTube Music – dedicated podcast discovery pages, search and filter capabilities and users will be able to create their own libraries.

YouTube is already a successful audio platform for music and podcasts, and with the launch of podcasts in YouTube Music, consumers can listen to their favorite podcasts on YouTube in a listen-centric experience. Creators can either upload audio content with a static image, with a dynamic image, or a full video. Later this year, we’ll offer support for creators to directly submit their RSS feeds to YouTube to distribute to audio podcasts.

Alison Lomax, YouTube UK Lead, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching podcast in the UK on YouTube Music. Podcasts have soared in popularity in recent years among all age groups, particularly Gen Z users, and there is clearly an appetite for this longer-form audio visual content. YouTube is a platform that thrives on community and finding your tribe, and podcasts will be another way of bringing like-minded people together to engage in the content they love. With long-form, Shorts, VOD and now podcasts, YouTube is cementing itself as the platform for multiformat creators and ushering in a new era of creativity on the platform.”

Triton Digital Announces YouTube Integration With Podcast Metrics

~ jen

Triton Digital, the global technology and services leader to the digital audio, podcast, and broadcast radio industries, announced its data integration with YouTube.

Triton Digital has integrated YouTube views of podcast episodes into Triton Podcast Metrics, one of the first IAB-certified podcast measurement services in the industry, so publishers can now view how their content is consumed on YouTube in conjunction with their overall podcast downloads.

Publishers who are using Podcast Metrics will be able to effortlessly compare podcast downloads and views of their programming on YouTube within the interface. Additionally, the integration empowers publishers to seamlessly consolidate video metrics from a variety of programs, allowing you to choose any range of metrics including date range and country.

“YouTube’s influence on video podcasting is undeniably transformative and this integration marks a significant step forward for Triton Digital,” said Sharon Taylor, SVP Podcast Strategy & Product Operations, Triton Digital. “We’re confident that this will revolutionize the way podcasters engage with their audience, opening up a world of possibilities for content moderation and audience growth.”

A Podcast Metrics Demos+ study conducted by Triton Digital and Signal Hill Insights found that 28% of monthly podcast listeners surveyed name YouTube as the platform they use most often to consume podcasts. This integration serves as part of Triton Digital’s overall commitment to moving the podcast industry forward.

“Video has added another dimension connecting podcast creators with their audiences,” said Kai Chuk of YouTube, “The measurement and reporting of views provides critical insights to podcasters as they continue to produce the high quality content audiences want and deserve, giving publishers a more holistic view of podcast performance data.”

This initiative comes off the heels of Triton Digital’s recent partnership with Basis Technologies for over-the-air programmatic advertising and its acquisition of Manadge, a leading advertising analytics platform.

Freakonomics Radio Network Partners With YouTube

~ jen

The Freakonomics Radio Network, home to podcasts Freakonomics Radio, No Stupid Questions, People I (Mostly) Admire, and Freakonomics, M.D., is teaming up with YouTube to bring its network of shows to the platform. “YouTube is the biggest and best audience in the world for user-generated media,” said Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio and founder of the Freakonomics Radio Network. “I can’t wait to show them what we’ve been making.”

The Freakonomics Radio Network YouTube channel now includes all new podcast episodes each week, as well as hundreds of episodes from the network’s archives. The network also plans to experiment with short-form video, animation, and long-form video on the channel.

“YouTube is one of the most popular platforms for podcasts,” said Stephanie Chan, Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube. “With over 2 billion monthly logged-in users, YouTube can provide access to a vast global audience. We are very excited to partner with the Freakonomics team to expand the reach of their storytelling and look forward to deepening our relationship in the future.”

With its arrival on YouTube, the Freakonomics Radio Network is extending its commitment to accessibility by leveraging the platform’s technology, including real-time caption and translation tools. The network already provides transcripts for every episode of its shows.

“One of the challenges for podcasting has been discoverability, and Google and YouTube have been leaders in search for years now,” said Neal Carruth, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the network. “We can’t wait to see this strength in search help get our shows in front of new audiences.”

You can subscribe to the channel, which is updated multiple times a week, at youtube.com/freakonomics.

YouTube’s Terms of Service Changes are Controversial

~ jen

YouTube recently changed its Terms of Service, and one part of it is making some podcasters, YouTubers and others who use the platform a bit nervous. The new Terms of Service are set to go into effect on December 10, 2019.

Mashable reported that the wording in YouTube’s new Terms of Service could be interpreted to mean that YouTube could delete your account if the platform determines that your account is “no longer commercially viable”.

Mashable also noted that people who have a YouTube account, but aren’t content creators, could also lose their account if YouTube determines that the user watches videos but does not monetize. The wording in the Terms of Service is rather vague. The Account Suspension & Termination section in YouTube’s Terms of Service are where the troubling portions are located. One part is titled: “Terminations by YouTube for Service Changes”. That part says:

YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access, to all or part of the Service if YouTube believes, in its sole discretion, that provision of the Service to you is no longer commercially viable.

There’s another part in the Terms of Service that has podcasters (and other content creators) worried. It says: “If your Google account is terminated or your Google account’s access to the Service is restricted, you may continue using certain aspects of the Service (such as viewing only) without an account, and this agreement will continue to apply to such use.” The implication is that there could be a situation where YouTube suspends someone’s account, and this results in the person losing their Gmail account as well.

Mashable got a response from a YouTube spokesperson, who stated: “To clarify, there are no new rights in our ToS to terminate an account bc it’s not making money. As before, we may discontinue certain YouTube features or parts of the service, for ex., if they’re outdated or have low usage. This does not impact creators/viewers in any new ways.”

Despite this clarification, I think that podcasters, who post videos of their episodes on YouTube, might still have reasons for concern. Ideally, content creators will have copies of the videos that they posted on YouTube backed up on their own computer (just in case YouTube deletes their account).

Apple, YouTube, and Facebook Removed Alex Jones’ Content

~ jen

Last week, Spotify deleted several episodes of The Alex Jones Podcast. The reason was because that content violated Spotify’s hate content policy. Stitcher removed Alex Jones’ podcasts on August 2, 2018. Apple, Facebook, and YouTube have followed with their own bans.

Buzzfeed News reported that Apple removed the entire library for five of Infowars’ six podcasts from its iTunes and Podcasts Apps. Among them were War Room and Alex Jones Show.

Buzzfeed reported a statement from Apple that said:

“Apple does not tolerate hate speech, and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users. Podcast that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming. We believe in representing a wide range of views, so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions.”

CNBC reported that YouTube, which is owned by Google, has removed the Alex Jones Channel.

CNBC reported that Google said in a statement regarding the removal of the page: “All users agree to comply with our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines when they sign up to use YouTube. When users violate these policies repeatedly, like our policies against hate speech and harassment or our terms prohibiting circumvention of our enforcement measures, we terminate their accounts.”

Facebook provided information about why they removed four videos on four Alex Jones Facebook pages in a newsroom post titled: “Enforcing Our Community Standards”.

It starts with: “We believe in giving people a voice, but we also want everyone using Facebook to feel safe. It’s why we have Community Standards and remove anything that violates them, including hate speech that attacks or dehumanizes others. Earlier today, we removed four Pages belonging to Alex Jones for repeatedly posting content over the past several days that breaks those Community Standards.”

Toward the end of the post, Facebook said: “As a result of reports we received, last week, we removed videos on four Facebook Pages for violating our hate speech and bullying policies. These pages were the Alex Jones Channel Page, the Alex Jones Page, the InfoWars Page, and the InfoWars Nightly News page. In addition, one of the admins of these Pages – Alex Jones – was placed in a 30-day block for his role in posting violating content to these Pages.”

Facebook also removed more content from the same pages that had been reported to them. Facebook took it down for glorifying violence, which violates Facebook’s graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describes people who are transgender, Muslims, and immigrants, which violates their hate speech policies.

On August 2, 2018, Stitcher posted a tweet that said: “Thanks for your note. We have reviewed Alex Jones’ podcasts and found he has, on multiple occasions, harassed or allowed harassment of private individuals and organizations, (1/2)”

Stitcher followed that with a second tweet: “and that harassment has led listeners of the show to engage in similar harassment and other damaging activity. Therefore, we have decided to remove his podcasts from the Stitcher platform.”

Facebook Video Faces Massive “Freebooting” Problem

~ Shawn Thorpe ~ 1 Comment

Facebook logoFacebook has quickly become a major player in the online video space, thanks to the site’s ability to import and display videos natively. This has created a quick and convenient way for users to upload and share short clips and home movies. But it’s also created a new venue for social media savvy celebrities and big brands to distribute shareable content, similar to YouTube. The big difference being that native Facebook videos are easier to share on the massive social networking website. This has been a boon for some creators who’ve seen success in posting exclusive content to their Facebook pages. But it’s also created a problem for others, who’ve seen their videos posted natively to Facebook without their permission. This practice is called “freebooting” and it’s become fairly prevalent on Facebook.

The freebooting issue is felt most by YouTube creators who discover that their videos have been ripped from YouTube and then uploaded to Facebook without their permission. Freebooting is a problem that’s really as old as the World Wide Web itself. But it’s gotten a lot of attention recently due to a post on Medium by YouTuber/author Hank Green, which reports that:

According to a recent report from Ogilvy and Tubular Labs, of the 1000 most popular Facebook videos of Q1 2015, 725 were stolen re-uploads. Just these 725 “freebooted” videos were responsible for around 17 BILLION views last quarter.

That’s a lot of freebooted content! Naturally, Green is pretty upset by this, since it’s definitely cutting into the YouTube traffic he relies on for ad revenue.

Freebooting like this probably isn’t as big of a problem for most podcasters. In fact, most of us release our content under Creative Commons licenses that might even allow for this kind of redistribution. But when a third party gains from your work, whether it’s in direct financial compensation or just social currency, it’s a problem. Especially when that third party isn’t even providing proper credit or attribution for the work.

If you suspect your creations have been freebooted, reach out the party responsible for posting your content and politely ask them to remove it. If they decline, file a DMCA takedown request with the website’s administrator or hosting company.

Spreaker Adds YouTube Stats

~ Shawn Thorpe ~ 1 Comment

Spreaker LogoPodcast host and media-streaming service Spreaker has added a new feature to its statistics package. Users who subscribe to one of Spreaker’s Broadcaster Pro plans and  share their media on YouTube can now see YouTube stats for those shared items from within the Spreaker dashboard. From the Spreaker blog:

We’re excited to introduce a new figure to your podcasts’ analytics!
Spreaker has always been the only podcasting platform out there allowing you to export your content to Youtube. It only makes sense to have your plays there counted towards your overall stats, too.

and:

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Justin.TV Announces Closure Of Video Archives

~ Shawn Thorpe ~ 1 Comment

JustinTV LogoVideo streaming service Justin.TV has announced it will be closing its video archive system permanently on June 15th. This means that producers who use Justin.TV will no longer be able to host saved versions of their videos on the site. Also, any videos that are currently in Justin.TV’s archives will be deleted. The company explained thru its blog:

“…our staff has been reviewing data surrounding our archive and VOD (Video on Demand) system. We found that more than half of our VODs are unwatched (with 0 or 1 total views), while the vast majority are rarely watched (with 10 or less views). This data was essential in better understanding how our service is being used. Even when adding the direct upload to YouTube functionality, we found this feature was seldom used.”

The statement went on to say that Justin.TV will be focusing its efforts on live streaming, as that seems to be what most producers and viewers are using the service for.  Justin.TV has put together a help article that provides alternative solutions for live producers who’d still like to archive their video streams. Users who currently have archived videos on the system can also download them.

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SoundCloud For Podcasting: A Skeptic’s Point Of View

~ Shawn Thorpe

SoundCloud LogoIf you want to publish a podcast, media hosting is a big deal. You need a reliable place to store your audio/video files. And preferably, that storage system won’t cause you go to go broke due to high bandwidth costs. Over the years, a number of companies have moved into this field but most of them haven’t stuck around. Spend any amount of time in a public forum devoted to podcasting, and the question of, “Which media host should I use?” will come up. And a flurry of responses will follow. Perennial favorites in the media hosting game like LibSyn and Blubrry come up often during these discussions. But another company seems to be entering the conversation more and more as of late: SoundCloud.

SoundCloud was first conceived by its founders as an online collaboration tool for musicians. It eventually morphed into an upload-and-share service for audio. Thanks to its ease of use and social sharing features, the service took off with musicians. Its growing popularity caused some to dub it “the YouTube of audio.” Soon, podcasters began asking SoundCloud how they too could take advantage of the service. SoundCloud’s base offerings aren’t really good for podcasters, as they’re really designed for musicians. In response, SoundCloud created a program for podcasters which has never officially left the beta phase of development.

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