Official Blog

You subscribe to PharrellVEVO and iAMOTHER on YouTube. You’ve watched Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” a bazillion times. You don’t think you could get any closer to him as a fan.

Challenge accepted.

Tonight Pharrell Williams is performing live from the Apollo Theater as part of the American Express Unstaged series, in partnership with VEVO and YouTube. You can watch the performance--directed by Spike Lee--live at 6 p.m. PT on the American Express YouTube channel.

 

What on Earth will you do with yourself in the three hours between now and then? We’ve got you covered. Check out the trailer; add a few more views of Pharrell’s euphoric anthem “Happy” to the 273 million it’s already collected; dance around with the many fan tributes from all over the world; and, catch up on special Unstaged moments from the past like Kings of Leon, Sugarland, and Usher.

Nicola Young, Music Programs Manager, recently watched "I The Mighty - Speak To Me.”

From the Sochi Olympics to the recent NFL draft, this year has seen a growing, global conversation about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the world of sports. Many LGBT athletes are sharing their stories on YouTube, and the support they’re getting from teammates and fans has helped others find the courage to do the same.

Sports bring together people from all backgrounds and experiences through a shared passion, and YouTube shares that spirit of connecting diverse communities to make a difference. In celebration of the upcoming World Cup in Brazil and LGBT Pride month, we’re honoring the LGBT athletes, their supporters, as well as the YouTube Creators who stand up for diversity in sports and elsewhere—all of whom help create an equal and inclusive playing field for everyone. Inspired by #ProudToLove last year, we’re calling this effort #ProudToPlay.



We applaud the courage and openness of athletes at all levels who have come out and admire their teammates, friends, families, and supporters who are all proving that it doesn’t matter who you are or who you love—what matters is that you put forward your best effort. We stand with our community in the belief that youth everywhere should all have the same opportunities to grow up and pursue their dreams and passions, on or off the field.

Join the conversation by uploading a video talking about what being #ProudToPlay means to you. Over the course of Pride month, we’ll share a collection of videos about the LGBT community and sports on the YouTube Spotlight Channel.

Happy Pride and enjoy the beautiful game this summer!

Raymond Braun, YouTube Marketing Manager, and Lauren Pachaly, Consumer Marketing Manager, recently watched "Robbie Rogers returns to the beautiful game with a wonderful homecoming | MLS Insider, Episode 1."

Nothing ruins the experience of watching a YouTube video like Magic of Rahat more than seeing the dreaded buffering wheel, which is why we're always working to make videos play smoothly in the best quality possible. And when you can't see what you want, when you want, it’s important you know why.

Starting today, if you’re in the U.S., you can use the Google Video Quality Report to see the level of video quality your Internet service provider can play YouTube. If you’re regularly seeing videos buffer, this report can give you a better idea of why, as well as tips to make YouTube play better. You can also see the video quality other ISPs in your area are delivering, based on these levels:

• HD Verified: If your provider can consistently deliver HD video, a resolution of at least 720p, without buffering or interruptions--it’s HD Verified.
• Standard Definition: If you can watch videos at a resolution of at least 360p, your provider is delivering Standard Definition.
• Lower Definition: If videos load slowly or frequently buffer, even at resolutions lower than 360p, your provider is delivering Lower Definition performance.

Want to see our methodology? Check out the geeky details, and learn how videos get from us to you with this video.

7 ways to improve your video quality

Making sure you can watch YouTube in HD from anywhere, anytime is a shared effort among us, your Internet service provider and even you. So, to make sure you're getting the best video quality possible, check out these seven tips you can use right now:



And for those of you not living in the U.S. or Canada where the report is also available, we’ll be bringing it to more of your countries in the coming months.

Jay Akkad, Product Manager, YouTube, recently watched “Tiny Hamsters Eating Tiny Burritos - Episode 1.”

Trololo! YouTube turned 9 this May. And what multitudes are contained in that vast near-decade of video?

To call out just a few highlights in YouTube history, there are more than 120,000 videos inspired by “Let it Go” (based on videos posted with that title), half a million by “Gangnam Style,” and a stunning 1.5 million videos by “Harlem Shake” (that’s a lot of motorcycle helmets). These inspired riffs got us thinking about those magical moments when songs become bona fide trends—and people all over the world start remixing, covering, parodying, dancing, and lip-dubbing.

So to celebrate this year, we pay homage to the music you've made on YouTube. We got a bunch of your favorite performers together to cover some of the most memorable musical moments in YouTube’s history. The result is a mashup called YouTube Birthday Karaoke Night, featuring familiar faces like The Gregory Brothers, Chester See, Cimorelli and more (see if you can spot all 18).


Now raise your Cups ... ’cause Here it Goes Again. Call us Maybe?

Claire Stapleton, YouTube Culture & Trends, recently watched (and crooned along to) the playlist Nine Classic Hits Celebrating YouTube’s Ninth Birthday.

Nine-time Grammy Award winner John Legend. Dubstep violinist Lindsey Stirling. The most popular dancers on YouTube, Les Twins. On their own, these artists have topped charts, gone platinum and generated more than a billion combined views on YouTube. Tomorrow night, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. will host these artists and more to perform on its iconic stage.

Tune-in tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET at youtube.com/TheKennedyCenter for “YouTube OnStage Live from the Kennedy Center,” a celebration of art, technology, and culture that unites stars who are building global fan bases worldwide on YouTube.


Whether it’s the vintage cover artists Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox, or the Playing for Change movement that helps connect the world through music, all the performers featured in the event have found a global platform and audience for their creativity on YouTube.

Visit the Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel for the full rundown of the night, artists’ videos, and a replay of the event after it airs live. And if you’re in D.C., head down to the Kennedy Center for free tickets tomorrow evening.

Ali Rivera, West Coast Head Artist Label Relations, recently watched "Dude, what? This ramen sucked."

Just because you can’t make it to the desert this weekend doesn't mean you have to miss out; you can catch Coachella LIVE on YouTube presented by T-Mobile. For the fourth year in a row, the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival will stream live from Indio, Calif. on Coachella's official YouTube channel.


Starting this Friday at 3:30 p.m. PT, you can watch performances from more than 70 acts, including Lorde, Pharrell, The Replacements, Arcade Fire and Beck. And with three-hour late night blocks from EDM superstars like Skrillex, Martin Garrix, Zedd, Dillon Francis, Duck Sauce and more, your party can keep going well into the night. Plus, Jason Bentley, DJ, music director and host of KCRW’s internationally acclaimed “Morning Becomes Eclectic” will host, bringing you artist access and exclusive interviews throughout.

And, this year, we have a special surprise to bring you even closer to Coachella: Chvrches, Zedd and other artists will jump into fans' Google+ Hangouts live from backstage. Check the schedule on the Coachella YouTube channel for artist meet-and-greets. Start a Hangout with friends, and when the time comes, it may bring you face-to-face backstage and directly into the Coachella webcast!

It all begins tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. PT, so stay tuned to Coachella’s YouTube channel for the latest schedule and meet-and-greet updates!

Brian Anderson and Craig McFadden, YouTube Music, recently watched "Little Dragon performing 'Ritual Union' Live at KCRW."

Next time you’re playing Titanfall and nail that jump-run-jetpack move, there’s a new way to show it off to your friends. With the new updated YouTube app for Xbox One, you can now upload gameplay from your Game DVR to your YouTube channel in just two clicks.



YouTube now also supports Xbox One Snap Mode (so you can move it to one side of your screen, where it will continue to run while you do something else on the main part of your screen) 'cause ain’t nobody got time to switch between screens while in the middle of a game. Watch a how-to video while stuck on a board, play an awesome music playlist while you finish a level, or catch up with the guys from TeamCrafted while browsing on your Xbox One.

Plus, just because you're a fan of YouTube on Xbox One, you can also earn 10 achievements by watching, uploading and sharing videos. Earn achievements like UUDDLRLRBA when you watch more than five hours of gaming videos.



Sarah Ali, Product Manager, recently watched the playlist “Top 10 Xbox One Gameplay Videos.”