JasonMundayMusic is August’s On The Rise Star

Congratulations to JasonMundayMusic, who won August’s On The Rise poll after receiving the most votes from the YouTube community. Thanks to your support, Jason Munday (and his friends) will be featured on the YouTube homepage all day today.

As the self-proclaimed “nerdiest YouTube musician,” Jason’s repertoire includes songwriting, singing, producing, and sound engineering. His long history of musical projects on YouTube include hit YouTube bands Ministry of Magic and The Oceanic Six, whose songs were inspired by pop culture. Jason credits Ministry of Magic (a collaborative project with YouTube stars Luke Conard and Ryan Seiler) with opening the trio up to the potential of a YouTube music career with hits such as “Don’t Leave,” “On The Other Side,” and “This Town.” The band members have since chosen to pursue individual careers and Jason’s current solo project, Skyway Flyer, artfully combines the big arena sounds of the 80s with modern dance rock. Check out the video below for an overview of Jason’s work, past and present.



Here’s a word from Jason about his YouTube history, channels, and collaborations:

"I've been a YouTuber for several years, a musician for over a decade, and a nerd for as long as I can remember. Being a YouTube musician is now my full time job, and I'm proud to say that I've got to be one of the nerdiest! I started writing nerdy music with Luke Conard and Ryan Seiler over 4 years ago, and as Ministry of Magic, we were extremely fortunate with our online following and support. Thanks to our fans, I've been able to quit my full time job, move to Los Angeles, and pursue my dream of music and video making. I've since been able to focus so much more time and energy toward many different music projects and being out in LA amongst a vast ocean of music & film industry people, not to mention the growing YouTuber population, I've been able to network and make friends that are always looking to collaborate and even just help each other out. I always try to excel at whatever it is I'm focusing my efforts towards, and I find it fascinating to be able to look back at where I started and the place I've reached and simply look forward to where to future will take me. I'm inexpressibly grateful for all the good fortune I've had and as long as there are people enjoying what I do, I will continue to create it!”

If you’ve enjoyed monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel or look for our playlists on the browse page. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!

Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched “Ready For Anything" (Live!) - Skyway Flyer.”

More about → JasonMundayMusic is August’s On The Rise Star

August’s On The Rise nominees

Each month, we identify four YouTube Partners who are growing their subscribers but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 mark for our On The Rise program. You vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog, and the winner will be featured on the YouTube homepage and the videos channel.

For August, we’ve got a mix of educators, creative folks and personalities. Check out the nominees’ videos below, and then cast your vote in the upper right-hand corner of this blog by August 22 at 6pm PT. We’ll announce the winner on August 29.

TheGeekGroup
The Geek Group describes itself as "a non-profit science and technology educational organization, creating a peer group and support network for anyone with a sincere and passionate desire to learn." These videos get you hands-on views of electronics, mechanics and even some retro technology.



JasonMundayMusic
Musician and producer Jason Munday weaves video games, Harry Potter and cartoons into his upbeat, dancey songs. From the Ministry of Magic Music to collaborations with other YouTubers to his solo works, Jason’s channel could be just what you need for those musical/gaming cravings.



RobynStamps
On her channel Robyn shares her love of stamps, all things crafts and the color pink. She has hundreds of videos with easy-to-follow ideas on craft making, as well as vlogs with family and friends.



MilTownKid
Casey aka MilTownKid brings you “random video creations,” ranging from deep thoughts to his martial arts passion. Expect to see vlogging on Milwaukee happenings, new websites to check out and interesting people Casey meets along his way.



Past winners like DestinWS2, CuteGirlsHairstyles and ThePianoGuys have since been featured in the news, performed at VidCon and more, all thanks to your support. If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners. Look for more featured partners on the YouTube Browse page.

Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “Mud is Interesting - Smarter Every Day 18.”

More about → August’s On The Rise nominees

Introducing Smarter Every Day, your July On The Rise winner

Congratulations to Smarter Every Day (aka destinws2), who received the most votes in July’s On The Rise poll to become this month’s winner. Smarter Every Day will own the homepage spotlight all day today, thanks to your support.

Smarter Every Day is the result of Destin's fascination with the scientific method and his job as a rocket tester, bringing science to life with experiments like tracking movement patterns of chicken’s head and a DIY high-speed camera. Destin aims to have the channel leave you a little smarter about the science behind our world, while also hoping to motivate his children to explore and even to help with their college education. To kick off your experience with Smarter Every Day, Destin put together a Rube Goldberg system of rockets that’s eye-popping for both the visuals and the fact that he made it in 36 hours.



Here’s a word from Destin about Smarter Every Day:

Imagine a Junior High school science fair except the kids have Master's degrees in Rocket Propulsion and have access to much cooler resources. Since I could talk I've always asked ‘why,’ and I frequently setup experiments to answer just that question. I love to explore creation using the tools of the Scientific method as my map and compass. The saying I've taught my children is that ‘in a world of talkers we are to be thinkers and doers.’ I am very thankful for those who took the time to vote for ‘Smarter Every Day’ in the On The Rise video contest. Come join the fun and contribute science projects you'd like to see in this science fair!

If you’ve enjoyed monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel or look for our playlists on the browse page. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!

Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched “Magnet making Current - Smarter Every Day 16.”

More about → Introducing Smarter Every Day, your July On The Rise winner

July’s On The Rise nominees: educators and artists

Each month, we identify four YouTube Partners who are growing their subscribers but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 mark for our On The Rise program. You vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog, and the winner will be featured on the YouTube homepage and the videos channel.

For July, we're bringing you two partners who combine education with entertainment, and two performance artists we think you’ll enjoy. Check out the nominees’ videos below, and then cast your vote by July 21 at 6pm PT. We’ll announce the winner on July 28.

HowToLiz
In 2010, Liz decided she would learn 52 things in 52 weeks, documenting her progress in weekly videos. She’s scaled back to learning 26 things in 2011, and her educational and entertaining videos include how to be nice, job interviews and Rubik’s cubes.



destinws2
Destin is from Alabama and is a rocket tester by trade, and he’s transformed his passion for the scientific method into his YouTube channel. Under the series title “Smarter Every Day,” Destin educates his viewers with Mythbusters-esque investigations into scientific phenomena.



VSOHOTT
Musician VSOHOTT has worked with major labels and even American Idol winners. This Michigander writes, produces, and engineers his own music; his first album is currently in production; and he recently started a reality web series.



jeremiahjw
“All kinds of awesomeness” is how Jeremiah Warren describes his channel, where he combines his skills as a filmmaker and videographer for a broad mix of content. Looking for traditional films, animation, documentaries and special effects? You’ll find it here.

On The Rise is all about giving a kickstart to the next generation of Partners who will go on to do big things on YouTube, and helping you discover new talent. Past winners like emilynoel83, joshsundquist, and CuteGirlsHairstyles have seen lots of new viewers thanks to your support. If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners.

Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “2D Photography Rube Goldberg.”

More about → July’s On The Rise nominees: educators and artists

Introducing ThePianoGuys, your June On The Rise winner

Congratulations to ThePianoGuys, who received the most votes June’s On The Rise poll and will become the first piano-dealing videographers featured in this program. ThePianoGuys will have their day in the homepage spotlight today, thanks to your support and votes.

ThePianoGuys (aka Paul Anderson, Tel Stewart, and Craig Knudsen) operate a Yamaha piano dealership in St. George, Utah. Over the past decade, they’ve hosted countless musicians at their store and finally decided to combine their two passions—music and filmmaking—showcasing these artists for the world to see. The result: original YouTube hits featuring talented artists such as Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson and Jarrod Radnich.



Here’s a word from Paul Anderson of ThePianoGuys:

We're a just couple of guys with a camera, a computer and some really talented friends. We are passionate about showcasing artists that are not big yet, but we know will be someday, and would love nothing more than to be a part of someone’s "Big Break." It's a joy to bring exciting music to life through video, and we can truly say we love what we do. Thanks to our loyal subscribers we are having the time of our lives and who knows, maybe someday we will be able to do this full-time!

If you’ve enjoyed monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise channel or look for our playlists on the browse page. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!

Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched "To The Summit- by Jon Schmidt ‘Featuring Ray Smith on Tenor Sax.’”

More about → Introducing ThePianoGuys, your June On The Rise winner

Introducing June’s On The Rise Nominees

It’s already mid-June, which means summer in the U.S. and a new set of On The Rise program nominees are here. We’re proud of our talented partners, and we invite you to check out these folks and vote for your favorite in the poll at the top right corner of the blog.

Here’s how it works: we identify channels who have grown their subscriber base in the past 30 days but haven’t yet reached 100,000. You vote on your favorite on the poll, and at the end of the week, the nominee with the most votes wins exposure on the YouTube homepage and videos page, as well as posts on Facebook and Twitter. Past winners like joshsundquist, theslowmoguys, and cutegirlshairstyles have seen their channels grow, all thanks to your support.

This month’s nominees showcase a range of video that will teach you, entertain you and thrill you. Take a look at their featured videos below, and cast your vote by June 22 at 6:00pm PT. Please note that only votes in the poll on the blog will count, and we’ll announce the channel with the most votes on this blog and the YouTube homepage on June 29.

Vihart
Vi Hart describes herself as a “recreational mathemusician.” She has a passion for music and hobby for mathematical art. On YouTube, Vi walks her audience through whimsical lessons that evolve from staged math class doodles. Who said math couldn’t be fun?



ThePianoGuys
Paul and Tel weren’t even thinking of YouTube when they opened their Yamaha Piano dealership in St. George, Utah, 10 years ago. But after seeing a steady flow of talented musicians coming through their store, they decided to combine their love of pianos with their passion for filmmaking. Their goal is to introduce the world to more talented pianists, and their YouTube channel is already a destination for musicians and music-lovers alike.



TommyandGracie
It’s hard not to love kittens and puppies, and Tommy the chihuahua and Gracie the cat — best friends since they were young — sure are cute. Lucky for us, their owners have documented their play-fights and antics on YouTube for all to enjoy.



Hrlmglobetrotters
The famed Harlem Globetrotters have thrilled audiences around the world for the past 84 years in more than 25,000 exhibition games. Their channel showcases clips of their shows, impersonations and interviews with members who continue the team’s tradition of combining theater with basketball.



If you’re inspired by what you see here, check out other up-and-coming Partners by visiting our On the Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and winners. Look for more featured rising partners on the Browse page.

Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Geese Surf Glenwood Wave @ 25,500 cfs!!”

More about → Introducing June’s On The Rise Nominees

CuteGirlsHairstyles wins May’s “On The Rise”

Congratulations to Mindy of CuteGirlsHairstyles, the YouTube Partner that won May’s edition of On The Rise with a record number of votes on the YouTube blog. On The Rise is your chance to decide which growing partner will get a day in the spotlight on the YouTube homepage, and based on your votes, CuteGirlsHairstyles is featured on our homepage today.

CuteGirlsHairstyles began years ago when Mindy’s eldest daughters were 18 months old. She started experimenting with new hairstyles to avoid standard pigtails, keeping a photo collection to keep track of the styles. She then created a blog to share the techniques and expanded her network to YouTube, where her video hairstyle tutorials like “Waterfall French Braid,” “Twists into Side Flip,” and “Side Ponytail Combo” quickly caught on.



Here’s a word from Mindy:

“I am a wife, a mom to six children (five of them girls), a hairblogger, a school board member, passionate about adoption, and full-time CEO and Logistics Director of our "organized chaos!” YouTube has become a major driver for our hairstyles, with thousands of subscribers coming from all over the world. For me, providing these tutorials brings satisfaction in knowing that girls worldwide are receiving a boost to their self esteems from all the daily compliments. It is also nice knowing that my daughters and I are helping moms and daughters find bonding time together each day. We sincerely want to thank our YouTube subscribers and fans for voting CuteGirlsHairstyles as May 2011's YouTube 'On The Rise' winner!"

If you’re enjoying our monthly blog series and want to see more rising YouTube stars, head over to our “On The Rise” channel and check out our playlists on the browse page. Check back next month, as your channel may be the next one featured!

Devon Storbeck, Partner Support, recently watched “Beachy Combo | Beautiful Hairstyles.”

More about → CuteGirlsHairstyles wins May’s “On The Rise”

Meet May’s On The Rise nominees

A new month brings a new batch of up-and-coming talent for our On The Rise program. Our On The Rise nominees for May are in, and we invite you to check them out and vote for your favorite.

Here’s how it works: we identify channels who have grown their subscriber base in the past 30 days but haven’t quite reached 100,000. You vote on your favorite on the top right-hand corner of this blog. At the end of the week, the nominee with the most votes wins exposure on the YouTube homepage and the videos page as well as posts on Facebook and Twitter. It’s all about giving a kick start to the next generation of Partners who will go on to do big things on YouTube. Past winners like emilynoel83, joshsundquist, and theslowmoguys have seen their subscriber numbers jump, all thanks to your support.

This month, our nominees span a range of areas, from musicians to educators to vloggers. Take a look at their channels and featured videos below, and cast your vote by May 18, 2011 at 6:00pm PST. We’ll announce the winner via this blog and the YouTube homepage on May 27.

YourTeacherMathHelp

If you want to solve polynomial equations, or remember how to find the circumference of a circle, check out YourTeacherMathHelp. With hundreds of videos, you can find lessons to match what you are currently studying to make the grade or ace that standardized test.



DisneyKid1

“Young & Free” is Joseph Birdsong’s outlook on life, but it’s also the title of his first full-length album. In addition to producing music, rapping under the moniker DK1, and collaborating on the channel 5awesomegays, Joe has created comedy and art videos on his own YouTube channel since 2007.



PaulDateh

Violin. Vocals. Writing. The three words Paul uses to describe who he is and what he does. What this translates to is inspiring music that blends violin with a hip hop beat, or classical music with the soul of jazz. Paul’s goal is to be a musician in every possible way, and given his latest tracks, and growing channel on YouTube, he is almost there.



CuteGirlsHairstyles

For more than two years, CuteGirlsHairstyles has saved many viewers from tired, boring hairdos. The channel hosts videos containing modern, original hairstyles for girls and young women, most of which take under five minutes to complete.



If you’re inspired by what you see here, check out other up-and-coming Partners by visiting our On the Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and winners. Look for more featured rising partners on the Browse page.

Julie Kikla & Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Inbetweeners - Rude Road Trip - Red Nose Day.”

More about → Meet May’s On The Rise nominees

The Slow Mo Guys are April’s “On The Rise” winners

Congratulations to The Slow Mo Guys, who took an early lead and went on to win this month’s edition of On The Rise, the program where you decide which up-and-coming YouTube partner gets a spot on the homepage. The Slow Mo Guys will be featured on the YouTube homepage today, thanks to your support and votes.

A quick history on The Slow Mo Guys: Gavin Free and Dan Gruchy have been experimenting with high-speed cameras since 2004. Whether documenting birds of prey swooping, droplets colliding, or the effects of taking a ball to the face, these friends take on the world at a slower pace.



Here’s more from The Slow Mo Guys themselves:

"I have loved watching stuff in slow motion ever since I was a kid. I used to watch fight scenes from movies frame by frame on VHS so I could see all the action. When I got the opportunity to work with high speed cameras I saw this as my opportunity to film as many things as possible in super slow motion. I have been doing it for about 6 years now as a profession, but only recently got a computer powerful enough to deal with such massive files for my own show! Looking at things in slow motion makes you realise what you actually miss out on when you see things at "human speed". Sometimes you see something completely unexpected, sometimes can see how stuff works and sometimes stuff in slow motion just makes you laugh! It has been a great honour to participate in YouTube's On The Rise contest. I would like to thank everyone who voted for us and to welcome all our new subscribers!" Gavin Free

If you’re enjoying our monthly blog series and want to see more rising YouTube stars, head over to our “On The Rise” channel and check out our playlists on the browse page. Check back next month, as your channel may be the next one featured!

Devon Storbeck, Account Manager, recently watched "The Slow Mo Guys - Fly Eats Fly in Slow Motion."’

More about → The Slow Mo Guys are April’s “On The Rise” winners

Meet April’s On The Rise nominees

Every month, we identify four channels that are experiencing big gains in subscribers but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 mark. Then we ask you to vote for your favorite. We’ll reward the winner with exposure on the YouTube homepage and the videos channel as well as posts on Facebook and Twitter. It’s all about giving a kick start to the next generation of Partners who will go on to do big things on YouTube. Past winners like emilynoel83, justjesse197 and joshsundquist have seen their subscriber numbers jump, thanks to your support.

This month, our nominees are all artists of one kind or another. They may express it in pen and paper, slow motion film or beehives -- but each, in his or her own way has something unique to say. Check them out, and then cast your vote in the upper right-hand corner of this blog by April 20; we’ll announce the winner on April 28.

PacificPastime
If you’re looking for portraiture, look no farther. The 22-year-old California-based artist known as PacificPastime can conjure up just about any celebrity with just a few colored pencils and a piece of paper. Her sped-up videos make it look a bit like magic.



outofabluesky
The man behind outofabluesky, McCartney Taylor, has a thing for meteorites and engineering. But when it comes to bees, he’s really in his element -- offering short videos on everything you need to know about a hobby that’s become wildly popular in recent years. Bring on the honey!



HollywoodBubbleInc
Hollywood Bubble Inc. is a Hollywood-based production company led by Ruben Garay and Jimmy Sereno. The guys produce a short film each week as well as tutorials on how to replicate big-budget action scenes yourself -- on no budget at all. They invite the community to post their efforts as video responses and reward them with feature spots.



theslowmoguys
They claim they’re lazy, but The Slow Mo Guys seem to be anything but. They gather equipment and set up situations to film, then slow that film down to show you how the intricacies of how matter actually behaves: tiny revelations in slow motion.



If you’re inspired by what you see here, check out other up-and-coming Partners by visiting our On the Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and winners. Look for more featured rising partners on the Browse page.

Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Fredrik - Flora (full album stream).”

More about → Meet April’s On The Rise nominees

And February’s “On The Rise” winner is...theDOMINICshow

The people have spoken, and the people love Dominic! That’s right, D-trix from theDOMINICshow won this month’s “On The Rise” contest, the program that lets you decide which up-and-coming YouTube user gets a spot on the homepage. Thanks to your support (and votes!), D-trix is featured today.

D-trix is a talented dancer with a big love for comedy. When he’s not spoofing Justin Bieber or teaching us how to rap, he’s dancing out a surprisingly romantic Valentine’s message.



And, now, a few more words from the man himself:

“Hey, everyone! First off I would just like to say ‘Thank You’ for all the support and for getting me here today. This experience thus far has been a blast and I extremely honored to be a part of the poll. How it all began was I was on reality television (So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew) and from there I wanted to stay in the eye so I thought YOUTUBE was the best route for me. But, all in all, I totally wouldn't be here if it weren't for my great friend Ryan Higa, who pretty much introduced me to this whole YouTube experience. So to all my supporters old and new I just want to say THANK YOU times a thousand and stay tuned for more! Much love!”

If you want to learn more about this program, head over to our “On The Rise” channel, where you can watch trending partners as well as “On The Rise” winners and nominees. And be sure to check out our browse page to see other budding YouTube stars.

Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Tommy Guerrero - Nomadic State.”

More about → And February’s “On The Rise” winner is...theDOMINICshow

On the Rise: We need your votes!

Another month, another crop of talented video-makers! February’s On the Rise nominees are in, and we need you to check out the four nominees below and choose your favorite. Cast your vote in the top right-hand corner of this blog.

Here’s how On the Rise works. We identify channels who’ve gained a lot of subscribers in the past 30 days but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 mark. You vote on your favorite, and we feature the winner on the YouTube homepage and the videos page, Facebook and Twitter. Past winners like emilynoel83, justjesse197 and joshsundquist have seen their subscriber numbers jump, thanks to your support.

This month we’re featuring four channels that have been moving from a simmer to a boil -- and for good reason! Check them out, and don’t forget to cast your vote by February 16, 2011, so we can feature the winner on the homepage on February 23.

fouradipuntnl
Pop music (and good-looking guys) need no translation. These two Moroccan-Dutch brothers formed the hip-hop group Fouradi back in 2009, and in 2010 their single “1 Ding” scaled the Dutch charts. Their YouTube channel has also garnered mad love.



RMG209
Graphic designer and heavy metal DJ Rick Gurnsey is the mastermind behind this genuinely comic, self-described “creepy” animated series. Once you start watching, it’s very hard to stop; imagine a Simpsons in which every character is Mr. Burns, and you’re partway there.



theDOMINICshow
Dominic “d-trix” Sandoval has turned his life into a one-man show. He’ll teach you to rap, he’ll spoof the Bieber phenomenon, he’ll sing (sardonically) the praises of mother’s milk. On theDOMINICshow, nothing is sacred, but just about everything is funny.



TornadoVideosdotnet
Reed Timmer has made a living chasing and filming tornadoes, and we’re willing passengers on his wild ride. When he’s not running away from an oncoming twister, he’s filming the gorgeous weather that’s about to produce one. Warning: not for the adrenaline-phobic.



If you’re inspired by what you see here, check out other awesome, up-and-coming channels. Visit our channel of On the Rise nominees, trending partners and winners, and look for more featured rising partners on the browse page.

Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched "The Sway Machinery - Gawad Teriamou featuring Khaira Arby."

More about → On the Rise: We need your votes!

JoshSundquist is January’s “On the Rise” star

Congrats to Josh Sundquist, who edged past Luke Conard in the final hours to win this month’s edition of On the Rise, the program where you decide who goes on the homepage based on a shortlist of channels that’ve experienced fast growth in the last month. Josh is on the homepage today, thanks to your support.

Josh’s list of talents seemingly has no end. He’s an author, a skier, a rapper, a motivational speaker and, naturally, a skilled videographer:



Here’s more from the man himself:

“The growth of my channel is due entirely to the awesomeness of the YouTube community. I especially want to thank iJustine. Even if I wanted to, I could not possibly exaggerate how much she has helped my channel. Also thanks to KsicsFaces for his vids about me, to the VlogBrothers for the stage time at VidCon 2010, to ShaneDawsonTV and Smosh for tweeting my vids, to WillOfDC for promoting my tour, to sxephil, LinzLoves and WHATTHEBUCK for tweeting my book, to Catrific and ItsMeJennaE for putting me in their box, to MissGlamorazzi for her shout-out, to Lisa Harbin for all her behind-the-scenes assistance, and most importantly, to you, my viewers. Without you all watching, talking into a camera would be a very weird hobby. Which is to say, more strange than it already is.”

And that’s not all. Due to the fun we’ve had since starting this program, we’ve created a channel to house regular playlists of even more rising YouTube stars -- because so many more channels deserve a wider audience. These playlists will be featured on the browse page and Tweeted, and will be updated several times a week. Make sure to check back often as your own channel might be featured!

Mia Quagliarello, Community Manager, recently watched “Amputee Rap.”

More about → JoshSundquist is January’s “On the Rise” star

On the Rise: Help these users get on the homepage!

Check it out, people! This month’s “On the Rise” nominees are in -- and we need your help to choose a winner.

Just to remind you how this works: we identify a handful of channels who’ve rapidly increased their subscriber base in the last 30 days but haven’t yet hit the 100,000 mark. You watch their videos, and then vote for your favorite in the top right-hand corner of this blog. You have until noon PT on January 14, 2011, to make your choice. Once we have a winner, we’ll give them a big leg up with a feature on the YouTube homepage and videos page, as well as love on Facebook and Twitter. Past winners emilynoel83 and justjesse197 more than doubled the number of subscribers gained during the month of their spotlight versus the previous month, and Emily is close to hitting the 100,000 subscriber milestone herself.

And now, in alphabetical order, here are the nominees for the homepage spotlight on January 22:

Michael Aranda
You never quite know what you’re going to get with a Michael Aranda video: one minute he’s dropping knowledge, the next he’s freak-dancing -- or turning his car into an art project.



Luke Conard
Catchy pop songs. A sense of humor. Adorably goofy videos....What’s not to like about Luke Conard?



Tori Kelly
Tori Kelly’s just 18 years old, but she plays piano and guitar and sings like nobody’s business. Check out one of her original songs.



Josh Sundquist
Josh Sundquist has quite a personal story: overcoming childhood cancer and a leg amputation to become an athlete, inspirational speaker and author. Check out his sweet and affecting animations.



Mia Quagliarello, Community Manager, recently watched “Taylor Momsen escapes paparazzi.”

More about → On the Rise: Help these users get on the homepage!

Celebrating our partners’ success

As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on another incredible year in online video. During the last 12 months you all watched more than 700 billion YouTube videos, and uploaded more than 13 million hours of content to the site. We met a bunch of new faces (and fruits) and celebrated as new YouTube partners hit the big time with millions of views. Indeed, our partner program grew to around 15,000 participants worldwide.

We’re privileged to work with the most passionate and talented partners in the world, who produce and upload videos that inspire us, make us laugh and move us -- and, most importantly, change the way we look at the world. In bedrooms, garages and studios across the globe, these talented and entrepreneurial YouTube partners are building the next generation of media companies, and in July this year we announced a new way we’d be supporting this via Partner Grants.

It’s clear that we want to see YouTube partners continue to create great video and further push the boundaries of what’s possible online. To that end, today we’re giving a $1,000 credit at B&H Photo to 500 partners around the world, who primarily create and distribute their content online, to purchase new video production equipment. This group includes well-known YouTube stars like ShayCarl, MysteryGuitarMan and FreddieW (and this past weekend we learned the latter two make quite a guitar-bass duo), and also successful musicians like Kina Grannis and promising new talents like EmilyNoel83, who was the inaugural winner of our “On The Rise” program last month. Collectively, these 500 partners generated billions of video views in 2010, and we chose them to receive a $1,000 credit based on their popularity during 2010, as well as their online focus.

We hope this will provide our most popular partners with the tools they need -- whether it be a new camera, sound & lighting equipment or editing software -- to produce even higher quality videos and ultimately drive bigger audiences to their work. Hundreds of creative people all around the world have launched professional careers after using YouTube as a global platform to demonstrate their talent - we want to see this number continue to grow.

On behalf of the entire YouTube community, we thank these partners for sharing their creativity and talent with us, and we look forward to what’s to come in 2011 and beyond.

Tom Pickett, Director of Content Operations & Online Creators, recently watched “P4A: The Annoying Orange Interviewed by Tay Zonday.”

More about → Celebrating our partners’ success

“World’s smartest dog” JustJesse197 is “On the Rise” winner

Voting is in, and a channel showcasing the irresistible cuteness of a Jack Russell terrier named Jesse is the winner of this month’s “On the Rise” competition.


See why Jesse’s so lovable in this video and via these words from his trainer, Heather:

Jesse and I have a wonderful relationship, and we have got where we are now through love, respect, patience, mutual understanding, and trust. Tricks are a wonderful bonding experience. It is so much fun seeing Jesse thinking while learning, and he has so much fun performing his tricks. We keep training sessions short, fun, and upbeat. You can tell when Jesse is having fun because he has a huge smile across his face :) He is such a joy to live with, and I cherish every moment we have together.

Some of Jesse’s top videos are on the homepage today, and we’ll be back soon with a new crop of “On the Rise” channels for you to vote on. Feel free to also leave suggestions in the comments below, though please note that comments are moderated due to spam.

Mia Quagliarello, Community Manager, recently watched “Jesse goes to New York City!”

More about → “World’s smartest dog” JustJesse197 is “On the Rise” winner

Choose the next community member to go on the homepage

On the Rise is a program where you determine which YouTube upstart appears on the homepage. emilynoel83, a morning news anchor who creates makeup tutorials, won the inaugural edition and was featured in November, promoted socially, and covered in the blogosphere. Emily doubled the number of subscribers she acquired in the month (compared to the month before), and her catalog also saw a boost in views.

It was so much fun that we want to do it again, taking four more channels that’ve recently seen good subscriber growth but still have less than 100,000 subscribers and putting them up to your discerning tastes. Please vote for your favorite channel in the poll in the top right corner of this blog by Tuesday, December 7, and we’ll put the lucky winner on the homepage on Saturday, December 11. Here are the nominees, in alphabetical order:

corycotton is home to a group of trick-shot basketball entertainers whose swooshes and dunks will leave you floored:



JustJesse197 is a showcase for the amazing tricks and utter cuteness of a five-year-old shortie Jack Russell Terrier named Jesse:



ShowMeTheCurry is Hetal Jannu and Anuja Balasubramanian, who offer easy-to-follow lessons in Indian cooking:



tjw1963 features Teresa teaching the world to crochet one stitch at a time:






Now go vote!

Mia Quagliarello, Community Manager, recently watched “Candlelight - The Maccabeats.”

More about → Choose the next community member to go on the homepage

Emilynoel83 wins the first “On the Rise” spotlight

Meet Emilynoel83, a morning news anchor who's also a “makeup addict” who loves to make videos about beauty products. Today she's on our homepage. And you put her there.

Last week, we announced a new initiative to give rising channels greater visibility and hopefully also more subscribers. We selected four channels whose subscriber base flourished in the last month, and we asked you to choose which one should go on the homepage. As you can see, Emily won by a significant margin.

Here’s a few words from Emily herself:


The growth of "Beauty Broadcast" has been slow and steady since late 2007, gaining subscribers that are more loyal than I could've imagined. My YouTube channel is my passion, and I'm thrilled to think that more people can become part of it as a result of this poll! As many have found, Beauty Broadcast isn't just about makeup... but also positivity, fun, and inner beauty. Thanks to this opportunity, I hope many people will go "On the Rise" right along with me! :)



We’ll be back soon with four new channels for you to vote on in the next edition of “On the Rise.”

Mia Quagliarello, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched "Katy Perry & Russell Brand Makeup Tutorial."

More about → Emilynoel83 wins the first “On the Rise” spotlight

On the Rise: Pick which YouTube upstart goes on the homepage

More and more of our YouTube partners are hitting subscriber numbers in the 100,000s and even in the 1,000,000s. We want to help more of you to get to those kind of subscriber numbers, which is why we’re starting a new monthly feature called “On the Rise.”

Here’s how it works: every month, we’ll pull together a list of partner channels whose subscriber rate has quickly accelerated in the last 30 days but who still have less than 100,000 subscribers. We’ll winnow that list down to a handful of channels, and then we’ll ask the community to vote on one channel to be featured on the YouTube homepage and get promoted through our social media channels on Twitter and Facebook.

So, here are the four channels vying for the inaugural spotlight, in alphabetical order:

emilynoel83 is Emily Eddington, a 26-year-old morning news anchor whose channel is devoted to all things beauty, particularly fun ideas for TV news makeup.



golf says it all: this channel consists of golf videos, tips and lessons, aggregated from Tour Links Putting Greens, BunkerShot.com, NationalSchoolForms.com and Show Me the Golf.



kalebnation, a 22-year-old vlogger who says he enjoys “wild rumpuses.”



optibotimus is “just a simple guy” that does toy reviews. “I typically stick to what I grew up loving,” he writes on his channel. “Transformers, mostly.”



You’ve got one week, until the end of the day on November 2, to vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog. We plan to showcase the winner on our homepage on November 6. You can also nominate yourself or your friends for next month’s feature in the comments section of this blog post (though please note: comments are moderated due to spam).

Mia Quagliarello, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched “The Giants Win The Pennant!”

More about → On the Rise: Pick which YouTube upstart goes on the homepage