YouTube will share revenue with content creators

Good news if you're creating original content which is popular on YouTube. According to co-founder Chad Hurley, YouTube will soon be offering a revenue share to creators of popular videos. The BBC reports, "The system would be rolled out in a couple of months, [...] and use a mixture of adverts, including short clips shown ahead of the actual film." Revenue sharing will only be available for non-copyright infringing videos, and its unclear exactly how much money per video play will be offered.

Now the debate begins; Will YouTube users leave in droves once they're forced to sit through advertising? Will bright, independent content creators work harder to impress now that money, not just temporary Internet fame, is involved? With much discussion going on around Download Squad this week about abandoning your TV, how television as we know it is doomed, and YouTube's pilot to push ads on major label music videos, are we really witnessing the birth-cry of a full scale television revolution?

Tags: news