YouTube update – skippable pre-rolls, 1080p HD videos and WMG branding
Lots of YouTube news today. First, the company has announced that it’s running a “small test” of skippable pre-roll adverts – they run before videos, but users can choose to skip them.
“We know what you’re thinking: who would choose to watch an ad when they can skip it? Well, that’s what we’re trying to find out,” says YouTube’s blog post, which goes on to suggest that previous research indicates that 15-second pre-rolls see ‘completion rates’ as high as 85%.
Separately, YouTube has announced plans to up the maximum resolution of video uploads to 1080 pixels – true high-definition – later this week. “For our content creators, we want it to look as good or better than the source’s quality,” says YouTube’s Hunter Walk.
Finally, WMG videos are making their way back onto YouTube, surrounded by the label’s own branding, ads and prominent links through to products. It’s part of the deal negotiated by WMG when relicensing its videos to YouTube recently, in which it secured more control.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:39 am
[...] Lots of YouTube news today. First, the company has announced that it’s running a “small test” of skippable pre-roll adverts – they run before videos, but users can choose to skip them. Read more at http://musically.com/blog/2009/11/13/youtube-update-skippable-pre-rolls-1080p-hd-videos-and-wmg-bran... [...]