There are several rumors making the rounds that YouTube has more changes on tap. According to Zachary Rodgers at Clickz, YouTube will be rolling out a new site layout this Thursday, April 16. The big difference will be that user-generated content (UGC) will now be clearly segregated from the premium content that those creators have paid to have promoted.
From the post: “According to two sources familiar with Google’s plans for YouTube, the new design will do away with the current navigation scheme which funnels users into “videos,” “channels,” and “community” categories. That layout will be replaced with a tabbed navigation with clearly defined sections for professional content.”
“The new design will offer four tabs: Movies, Music, Shows, and Videos. The first three tabs will display premium shows, clips, and movies from Google’s network and studio partners, all of which will be monetized with in-stream advertising. Meanwhile the Videos channel will house amateur and semi-pro content of the sort major brand advertisers have shied away from.”
OUT WITH THE OLD NAVIGATION SYSTEM
While changes on YouTube are inevitable in order that they monetize the site and keep up with the excitement over more high-profile television content at Hulu, according to Michael Learmonth in Advertising Age, there is good news for less exalted users, which shows that You Tube isn’t going to leave user-generated content in the dust:
“But Shishir Mehrotra, YouTube’s director-product management, downplays the impact of high-profile content deals such as those signed with Disney, CBS, and, in the works, Sony Pictures. ‘We’re very proud of our agreement with Disney. But we aren’t hinging our strategy around it. If it’s great for our users, it happens to be good for monetization.’”
And as we reported in yesterday’s blog post, while we’ve already begun to see YouTube take larger steps toward monetization in recent weeks, there has been nothing yet that will rock the entire system and drastically affect the video optimization strategies taught in YouTube Secret Weapon.
Paul and I do intend to stay on top of what’s going on though.
In fact: Since the scheduled day for this change in site design is Thursday, April 16th, all YouTube Secret Weapon owners have been invited to a 2-hour webinar with Julie Perry and Paul Colligan at 1 PM EDT / 10 AM PDT on Friday, April 17th to go over how this might affect current marketing efforts on the site and how to take advantage of these changes.
Other recent updates and changes on YouTube will also be discussed on this call, and there will be a chance to ask questions live at the end of the call.
To take part in that webinar, all you need to do is pick up your copy of YouTube Secret Weapon today (and hurry, because the price doubles on Wed, April 15th at Midnight EDT).
Join us!
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Post Update – Thursday, April 16th -
An update: No apparent changes have appeared yet; however, I came across this video last night where YouTube users are rallying to petition what they’re calling a move to “HuluTube (basically, a downplay of UGC content):
While the effects of what will happen are a tad bit hyped, this is a well done video that gives a comprehensive summary of all the recent changes that have negatively affected user-generated content. (That is, the user-generated content that made YouTube what it is.) They also make some great recommendations on how to compromise on the reported changes (again, yet to be seen).
I realize that YouTube needs to monetize, but in my opinion, I’d rather pay a $20 annual subscription fee like I do on other sites to have the advertising and premium content toned down and the various UGC features restored. Let’s face it, real people are far more interesting anyway. 
I’ll be interested to see what happens over the next 24-48 hours.
Meanwhile, Paul and I will be ready to discuss the implications of these proposed changes — as well as a few others updates that have already come about in recent weeks — on Friday’s YouTube Secret Weapon webinar.
We’ll talk then!
~JP