Youtube potentially "to remove uncommercial content" under new rules

[downfader]

For those of you using the service to host videos of your music, tutorials and vlogs this is quite an important update. It means that Google can determine what is commercially important to the site and remove content they feel will clog up their system or scare away advertisers:

https://www.youtube.com/t/terms?preview=20191210#main&

Terminations by YouTube for Service Changes

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.

This could also affect Distrokid, Tunecore and others that upload to youtube as they are not technically paying youtube for that service. They're paying for a googleplay placement.

[crshm]

Removing all concert footage captured on mobile phones should be top priority for Youtube.

Then, remove Gluten Free recipes

[TLW]

There is absolutely nothing new in this at all. It’s always been there. Youtube are a commercial company and have always taken the position they can delete user content for various reasons.

It might, at a big stretch, mean Youtube will remove your content if they think you’re music isn’t “commercial” enough, but lots of small channels have never bothered them before. I don’t think they’re after deleting someone’s 15 hour selection of atonal music concrète drones played on a dustbin, concrete breaker and chain saw.

I read it as meaning that if e.g. Youtube had to set up a completely distinct operation to serve the population of one small country they might conclude it’s not worth their while financially to do it and you can’t force them to do it. Or maybe if you upload so many atonal etc. drones that you’re taking up a significant amount of space in what’s one of the largest storage clouds on Earth.

A bigger problem is the operation of the Youtube algorithm and how it chooses to flag up videos to users, and their often unhelpful attitude to inaccurate copyright strikes, which can hit smaller channels very hard with very little recourse by way of appeal.

[downfader]

There is absolutely nothing new in this at all. It’s always been there. Youtube are a commercial company and have always taken the position they can delete user content for various reasons.

It might, at a big stretch, mean Youtube will remove your content if they think you’re music isn’t “commercial” enough, but lots of small channels have never bothered them before. I don’t think they’re after deleting someone’s 15 hour selection of atonal music concrète drones played on a dustbin, concrete breaker and chain saw.

I read it as meaning that if e.g. Youtube had to set up a completely distinct operation to serve the population of one small country they might conclude it’s not worth their while financially to do it and you can’t force them to do it. Or maybe if you upload so many atonal etc. drones that you’re taking up a significant amount of space in what’s one of the largest storage clouds on Earth.

A bigger problem is the operation of the Youtube algorithm and how it chooses to flag up videos to users, and their often unhelpful attitude to inaccurate copyright strikes, which can hit smaller channels very hard with very little recourse by way of appeal.

It does beg the question then why allow ads on smaller channels if nobody is going to see them, and why even allow that content to be uploaded for free? I feel like this is simply the direction youtube is going in. Other sites like Vimeo vastly cut their free access so I can see youtube following suit.

[TLW]

Youtube at the moment certainly seems to be heading in a direction intended to persuade people to pay to watch the service.

As for advertising, it’s up to Youtube and the advertisers to decide what gets adverts and what doesn’t. We don’t get to be party to that discussion.

It will be interesting to see how long Youtube keeps its near-monopoly position, especially if it decides to shed a lot of smaller channels. Lots of views are lots of views, whether spread over many channels or just one and someone will want to fill a gap if Youtube creates one.

It’s all part of the great mystery that started in 1992 - “how can you make money out of providing an internet service?”. You either have to have advertisers paying for slots or charge subscription or other fees. Or both.

[torbenscharling]

YouTube/Google/Facebook etc. all evil corporations don’t support their shit, find alternatives and support producers on their personal websites.