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Opinion: The flawed reality of Google Contributor — paying for fewer ads, not a cause

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Yesterday I wrote about the general availability of Google Contributor, a service through which consumers can choose to be billed an amount between $2-10 on a recurring monthly basis in exchange for seeing less display advertisements around the web.

Contributor is an interesting service that I likened to the Patreon and Kickstarter crowdfunding platforms, but that could make the web browsing experience a little less frustrating. Here’s how I concluded that post:
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YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki at VidCon: mobile, VR, and creator tools

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YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki just stepped off the ballroom stage here at the 6th annual VidCon, the four day convention evolving around all things web video — although it takes some real effort to see past the hoards of teenage fandom. What she had to say was, well, a lot of what we already know about YouTube past, present, and future. The highlights? A “mobile, mobile, mobile” strategy starting with a new mobile app designed from the ground-up based on community feedback, even more tools for creators to make their lives easier and bring them closer to their audiences, and virtual reality.


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YouTube adds new features for video creators, including 60fps support and fan donations

YouTube announced several upcoming features for video makers during its VidCon conference today. Among the new features is support for high-framerate video, including popular options like 48 and 60fps, typically used in HFR live-action footage and video game captures, respectively. When viewed in HD, videos uploaded at these framerates will retain their full quality.

Another new feature for content creators is the YouTube Creator Studio app for Android, which allows uploaders to manage their channels from their mobile devices. A new donations feature will allow viewers to directly contribute money to channels they enjoy. The feature is currently in beta, but anyone interested in testing it can sign up for a chance to do so through a form on YouTube’s website.

These changes are accompanied by smaller changes, such as more visible playlists, viewer-submitted subtitles, a new annotation-like “info cards” function, and the ability to tag collaborators in video descriptions so viewers can easily find their work.

Most of these changes are being rolled out to a few select YouTube partners for testing while others are not yet available. All of these features are expected to go public soon. As noted earlier, YouTube also announced a SiriusXM music show called YouTube 15, hosted by YouTuber Jenna Marbles that will start on July 11th.