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13 'Arts' stories August 2011 - September 2013
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YouTube launches Audio Library with more than 150 royalty-free tracks

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Sep 25 2013 - 8:02 am PT
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YouTube announced today on its YouTube Partners & Creators Blog that is launching a new Audio Library that will provide YouTubers with access royalty-free instrumental audio tracks to use in their  YouTube videos and elsewhere. The new Audio Library tool is available via a link in the YouTube video manager and currently provides access to over 150 tracks grouped by genre, instrument, and mood that can be downloaded as 320 Kbps MP3s.

Google also noted that it teamed up with a number of musicians to record the original tracks:

As you can see, this project was a whole lot of fun. We searched far and wide for musicians to create tracks for us and ended up finding co-conspirators in multiple places: an acquaintance down in LA, music houses across the country and a well-known music producer in Brooklyn. And it turns out the latter produced albums for Phish and Sean Lennon. So, we’re basically rock stars now (or we felt like them for awhile).

You can check out the new Audio Library for yourself here. Musicians that are interested in submitting music to be considered for the audio library can do so here. Unfortunately, in exchange for offering up your tunes royalty-free forever, Google does not seem to be crediting artists for their contributions in the Audio Library. 
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Report: YouTube to launch paid subscriptions between $1 and $5/month by spring

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 29 2013 - 8:32 am PT
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We heard last summer straight from YouTube chief Salar Kamangar that Google’s video service considered introducing subscription-based content that would rival traditional cable channels and see users paying a fee to access some partner channels. Today, a report from Ad Age, quoting “multiple people familiar” with YouTube’s plans, shared some additional details.

According to the report, YouTube will not only charge somewhere between $1 and $5 per month for access to certain channels, it will also charge for some “content libraries and access to live events, a la pay-per-view, as well as self-help or financial advice shows.”

YouTube has reached out to a small group of channel producers and asked them to submit applications to create channels that users would have to pay to access. As of now it appears that the first paid channels will cost somewhere between $1 and $5 a month, two of these people said. In addition to episodic content, YouTube is also considering charging for content libraries and access to live events, a la pay-per-view, as well as self-help or financial advice shows.

Ad Age’s sources said the service could launch as early as the second quarter of 2013 with around 25 channels and a 45-55 revenue split for content creators:
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YouTube adds Face Blur tool for protecting anonymity in videos

Avatar for Élyse Betters Jul 18 2012 - 8:53 am PT
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YouTube just launched a face-blurring feature for when “footage requires anonymity.”

The new addition to the video-sharing platform is self-explanatory. It is a tool that allows users to muddle faces in videos with just the click of a button.

“Whether you want to share sensitive protest footage without exposing the faces of the activists involved, or share the winning point in your 8-year-old’s basketball game without broadcasting the children’s faces to the world, our face blurring technology is a first step towards providing visual anonymity for video on YouTube,” explained the official YouTube Blog.

To blur faces: Go to Additional Features under Video Enhancements, and then click the “Apply” button below Blur All Faces. Users can see a preview before publishing, and a new copy is created with the blurred faces when saved. Users have the option to delete the original video.

YouTube warned that the tool is an “emerging technology,” so Face Blur may have difficulty auto-detecting faces.

Get the full breakdown at the official YouTube Blog.


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Director accepts HTC One challenge, shoots 4-minute film with smartphone [Videos]

Avatar for Élyse Betters Jul 9 2012 - 8:50 am PT
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlrJ5AteH8Q&feature=plcp]

Last spring, as part 2012’s 24 Hour Film Race presented by HTC One, Director Frank Hannah shot a four-minute film with the manufacturer’s popular Android-powered smartphone.

The challenge occurred from May 18 to May 19, where over 750 teams around the world were given the following criteria:

Create an original short films (4 minutes max) in just 24 hours based on a theme (one), action (listening to music), and prop (the number one).

Hannah interpreted and completed the challenge, and then HTC honored his work by recently posting the short film on YouTube (above). A second video even documents the behind-the-scenes footage (below). Check ’em out!


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YouTube gets even fancier, adds audio editing and mixing options

Avatar for Élyse Betters Apr 18 2012 - 1:32 pm PT
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kngOOe37OBA]

YouTube is quickly making its video-sharing platform an all-in-one editing tool with its built-in 3D graphics button and other attractive features, but now Google has taken the service up another notch with its new audio editing and mixing options.

The video above explains it all, but here is a quick run-down:


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YouTube will live-stream ‘Coachella 2012’ starting tonight, featuring 60 artists including Gotye

Avatar for Élyse Betters Apr 13 2012 - 10:00 am PT
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[youtube=http://youtu.be/rgZuUTRvzso]
YouTube announced it is live-streaming “Coachella 2012” all weekend long on its video-sharing platform.

“Since 2001, the the Coachella Music and Arts festival has brought thousands of fans to southern California to kick off the music festival season in style.  For the second year, YouTube will be live streaming the action, with a three day broadcast of the festival, presented by State Farm,” explained Google’s Music Marketing Manager Tim Partridge on the Official YouTube Blog. 

Over 60 artists will stream during the event—from Gotye to The Black Keys. The show begins at 6:50 p.m. EST tonight on the Coachella YouTube channel.
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Motorola teases MOTOACTV update coming March 7

Avatar for Jake Smith Feb 7 2012 - 4:45 pm PT
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Motorola announced in a blog post today its all-in-one fitness band is about to get a new update. Motorola said it would detail more as the launch date of the update comes closer, but it did reveal that the MOTOACTV would gain support for up to 40 new activities, including: yoga, Pilates, dancing and martial arts. Motorola will also roll out an online hub —where users can track fitness progress—at the time of the update. The MOTOACTV band will push the fitness information over Wi-Fi, so you can then setup competitions among friends.

Just as a refresher: Motorola announced the MOTOACTV at an event in October along with the Droid RAZR. The MOTOACTV can track your every move, play music through an FM radio, and can even store up to 4,000 songs. The 8GB version retails for $210 and the 16GB version retails for $300. Stay tuned, as Motorola said there is more to come.


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YouTube Movies gets free selections added to its lineup

Avatar for Jake Smith Oct 21 2011 - 2:24 pm PT
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YouTube Movies features a wide selection of movies that users can rent for $2.99, but today we have discovered that YouTube Movies now features free movies in its lineup. The free section isn’t just released movies by any means, so don’t expect to get the latest and greatest. The free section does however feature a pretty nice set of older titles, including the popular Step Brothers, Resident Evil, Ghost Busters II, and more. Clicking on the movie page will bring up a description of the movie, a review of the movie from Rotten Tomatoes, and suggested movies.
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I just embedded the whole 1972 Classic Godfather movie in a blog post [Video]

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Aug 24 2011 - 12:48 am PT
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Update: Oh, damn, they pulled it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrPKCZLbPck&hd=1]

Thanks to Sony Pictures UK, you can now watch the original Godfather for free at YouTube (and sites like this that embed the almost 3 hour classic).

Description:

Uploaded by  on Aug 23, 2011

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.

Director:
Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:
Mario Puzo (screenplay), Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)

Stars:
Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan

Category:

Film & Animation

License:

Standard YouTube License

via TNW

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