Individual Video Program, one year later...

What if Michelangelo had sculpted the David and that was his one and only masterpiece? What if Francis Ford Coppola had shot one scene of The Godfather, then called it quits on a film career? What if Jim Henson had only given the world Kermit the Frog, and then decided to become a plumber? Would you still want to see these hallmarks of creativity? Chances are, you would.

It’s been well over a year now since the launch of the Individual Video Program (IVP), which celebrates the very nature of rewarding the one-hit creative spark or remarkable moments caught on video. Some of the most well known videos run the gamut through rough-cut home video (“Jessica’s Daily Affirmation”), wonders of the natural world (“Praying Mantis Attacks Hummingbird”), or good old fashioned comedy clips (“Laughing Baby,” with 33M views). Here's one of our recent favorites:

What’s even more powerful than sharing these moments through video? Hearing how the lives of the people who have uploaded them have been changed. For instance, in one of the most heart-warming videos featuring a U.S. solider reunited with his dog after returning from Afghanistan, the earnings made from the video went to the local animal shelter where their pet was rescued.

Online video is evolving, and we believe there should be a place on the web where all forms of content are celebrated and brought to the masses. In fact, did you know that...

• YouTube has now enabled hundreds of thousands of videos to earn money?
• We’ve enabled international users from 11 markets to earn revenue from their videos?
• IVP helped thousands of YouTube users to become official YouTube Partners?

We’re proud to have our Individual Videos share in our business success, and plan to find more ways to encourage a diversity of video on the site.


Lin Shi, Software Engineer, recently watched “Cows, Cows, Cows.”