Wed 4th of November, filed under Internet News
Surge in monetised YouTube clips
Google has managed to treble the number of its online video views that can be monetised in the past 12 months.
The company, which bought video-sharing portal YouTube for £875 million in 2006, claims the rise is due to strong uptake of its content ID system, reports the Telegraph. High-profile media brands such as ITV, Sony and Electronic Arts are among 1,000 firms worldwide that have adopted the YouTube copyright infringement system.
Launched in late 2007, content ID enables rights holders to block clips that illegally feature their material. Alternatively, companies can choose to place ads around the infringing content – all revenue generated is then split between the rights holder and Google.
1 in 3 monetised videos use content ID
A third of the content currently being monetised on YouTube is a result of this revenue-sharing ad deal. However, some companies are unhappy that they have to identify and respond to copyright infringements rather than Google.
Ian Maude, head of internet at technology research firm Enders Analysis, has predicted that YouTube will generate a £243 million turnover in 2009. But while this would be double the estimated revenues for 2008, the site has still not hit the black for Google.
He explained: "It is difficult to model out YouTube's costs accurately so knowing how close it is to profit is near impossible. However, I think its revenues are growing ahead of expectations and pretty rapidly in a tough advertising market."
In the following video, YouTube product manager David King explains the content ID system:
Posted by Richard Frost
