YouTube is looking to make a number of changes to its services, including giving users the ability to crowdfund sites and video sites that will help users manage and monitor videos better and bring in a few bucks for their efforts.The revenue-generation feature is being described as a virtual tip jar.
The idea, says YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, will help users with crowd-sourced translation efforts, and the tip jar should help give funding to those making a difference.
A new mobile app will also give users greater capability to manage and monitor videos away from the desktop.
The company also announced a new video option of up to 60 frames per second aimed at video game vloggers and a free music and sound library, as well as a new system for tagging contributors.
Wojcicki first announced "Fan Subtitles," a crowd-sourced translation effort that encourages bilingual users to type in subtitles for their favorite videos. This, however, could have copyright issues for videos that would require an official translation, but no mention of copyrights has been discussed.
Google, which has been known to put entire volumes of books online without paying any royalties, appears ready to go this route with films and other videos, although YouTube is promoting the new service as a private endeavor for individual users.
"Our goal is to make it that every video uploaded to YouTube will be available in every language," she said of the opt-in feature.
She spoke about the need for diversifying YouTubers' business models, and the company also announced it will soon add its virtual tip-jar "Fan Funding," with which fans can contribute cash to creators (who have to sign up for it) at any time.
"To put it really simply," Wojcicki said, "any viewer can show any creator their viewer their love by tipping them any amount between $1 and $500."
The overall aim for YouTube is to help make users make some money on blogging or constant video uploading channels.
