youtube

YouTube is a video-sharing platform and online service owned by Google. It was founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and quickly grew into a central hub for user-uploaded videos, music, and entertainment. Google acquired YouTube in November 2006 and has since integrated it into its suite of services as a subsidiary.

YouTube allows users to upload, view, rate, share, comment on, and subscribe to videos. It supports a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, live streams, and short-form videos introduced as YouTube Shorts. The platform operates on web browsers and mobile apps, and also supports live streaming and offline viewing in certain cases. Content is organized through channels, playlists, and a recommendation algorithm that guides viewing.

Monetization is available through the YouTube Partner Program, which shares advertising revenue with eligible creators (commonly around half of ad revenue to the creator, with YouTube retaining the remainder). Additional revenue streams include channel memberships, Super Chat, merchandise integrations, and a separate Shorts Fund in some periods. YouTube also offers a paid tier, YouTube Premium, which provides ad-free access, offline downloads, and background playback, and YouTube Music for audio streaming.

Content policy and copyright enforcement are overseen by Community Guidelines and the Content ID system, with takedowns and restrictions enforcing copyright, age ratings, and community standards. YouTube operates in many countries and languages and remains a major platform for education, entertainment, advertising, and media distribution, influencing creators and traditional media alike. It faces ongoing scrutiny regarding moderation, copyright, and platform power.