Portals and KM

YouTube Attempts to Increase Time on Site Through Discovery

The New York Times had an interesting article, YouTube’s Quest to Suggest More, that covered their goal to have people stay longer on the site which would increase ad revenue. Compared to other Web sites with similar content (or really almost any Web site) they are way ahead. But compared to that other channel for viewing content, televsion, they are way behind. Users spend an average of 15 minutes a day on the site and they spend about five hours in front of the television.

To increase time spent on YouTube Hunter Walk leads a team of about a dozen engineers, designers and project managers who are fine-tuning YouTube to users what they want, even when users aren’t quite sure what they really want. This is where discovery comes in. One way is to select the 10-15 most appealing videos for a specific user from their library of over 100 million.

The process starts with search. The NYT reported that in November, Americans typed some 3.8 billion search queries on YouTube, more than on any search engine other than Google, according to comScore, a market researcher. But there is a difference. While Google queries tend to be very specific, users often come to YouTube with requests as vague as “funny videos.” This is where discovery can help by providing a range of results that are not simply literal matches.

One challenge is when to anticipate the user might be getting tried of their original topic and proactively offer related content to keep them on site.  One way to provide good options suggesting videos that users may want to watch based on prior viewing before, or on what others with similar tastes have enjoyed. The effort requires data-mining techniques similar to those used by and Amazon to make music or book recommendations.

Darwin Ecosystems is also in the discovery business. Instead of offering content in a list format based on your prior behavior or others similar to you, it offers a set of topics arranged in a Scan Cloud™ that correlate with the original search term or, as we say attractor. Then you can hop around to explore the related topics based on your interests. It is an alternative model to trying to read your mind as YouTube and Amazon do.  Instead, it gives you a range of choices in an easy interface to allow you to better make up your own mind. 

Is Online Video Moving to Look More Like Television? Or the Reverse?

Here is another angle on the convergence of TV and the Web. The digital marketing firm eConsultancy asks the question, Is online video destined to look like television programming? They quote Brian Stelter in The New York Times: "News Web sites are starting to look a lot less like newspapers and a lot more like television." Brian also writes that online ads are booming, if they’re attached to a video.

They report that traditional television has been impacted by commercial fast-forwarding, but with online it does not work quite the same way. And as much as people complain about pre-roll ads, they are increasingly watch them instead of skipping through them.

Digital video earned $477 million in revenue in the first half of 2009, which is an increase of 38% from the same time period last year. By online standards this may seem small as online search is estimated to be a $10 billion market this year. However, this growth is good news for struggling media companies. Especially since online views are not poaching traditional TV viewers. During the daytime, online is popular, but at night viewers are switching to television. I think people will switch to online videos as a diversion while working on their computers but will prefer the bigger TV screen for more devoted recreational viewing.

I have written elsewhere that traditional media cannot not simply reproduce itself on new media (see Here is a Creative Blend of Mainstream Media and Social Media and The Misplaced Fear of the Mainstream Media) and this post agrees. It points out that in the longterm, merely reproducing TV content online at a quicker pace is not likely save the networks. They quote Todd Teresi, chief revenue officer at Quantcast: "We need to get to solutions that are as elegant as search. The power of the search marketplace is that Google does not sit there and tell you what you should buy. Google gave people control. That fundamentally is why that marketplace works so well."

I wonder if traditional TV will ever gives us the same control and the online world? It could be a very powerful move. Will hardware be the driver or content?  (see TV Moving Closer to Mobile Phones and the Web). 

Mahalia Jackson on YouTube

I grew up listening to Mahalia Jackson in New Orleans as my mother was a big fan. She often talked about how Mahalia refused to sing the blues. Mahalia was born in New Orleans. I remain a fan of her music. One Sunday morning I put together this collection. Enjoy. The first two are my favorites and the ones I remember most as part of the sound track of my childhood in New Orleans. For some I could only find audio with a still image or series of images. I added a Little Richard version of my favorite at the end.

"Didn't It Rain"

Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho

Summertime/Motherless Child

Down By The Riverside

Steal Away - Mahalia Jackson & Nat King Cole

"Move On Up a Little Higher, Pt. 2" (1947) audio only

I'm On My Way (audio only)

Jesus Met The Woman At The Well (audio only)

Amazing Grace

Little Richard - Didn't it Rain

Aretha Franklin on YouTube

I think Aretha is the most powerful R&B singer and my favorite. I had fun a few days ago putting together this list of YouTube videos with her. I picked ones that had some of my favorite songs and show her at different points in her career. I hope these links last.

Aretha Franklin - Baby I Love You (1967) - From her 1967 album "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You", a young Aretha Franklin performs on the streets of New York.

Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (1968)

Aretha Franklin - 'Mockingbird' (60s) young Aretha really rocks this one

Aretha Franklin - Don't Play That Song For Me (1970)

Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady (early 70s)

Aretha Franklin – Groovin (70s?) not best tape but great performance

Aretha Franklin - Night Life (70s?) same tape as Groovin

Aretha Franklin - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man - Introduction by James Brown (80s?) Aretha sings that James says it’s a man’s world but you cannot prove that by me as long as we are together you have to show some respect for me James comes out at the end as says you got that do right man right here and dances with her

Aretha Franklin - Respect (1990)

Aretha Franklin & Mariah Carey - Chain of Fools (2005)

Aretha Franklin - 'I Never Loved A Man' 2006 with an introduction by Robert DiNiro

Stand by Me Across the Globe Through Music

Here is a music video, Stand by Me, I found through Twitter – thanks @reneclemens. It starts in the Santa Monica, goes through my hometown, New Orleans, and continues around the world to places like Zuni New Mexico, Amsterdam, South Africa, Pisa, Moscow, Caracas, and Barcelona. I have listened to it several times and wanted to share it here. It sponsored by Playing for a Change.

Here is John Lennon’s version of Stand by Me.

Here is the original Ben E. King version.

Here is U2 and Bruce Springsteen doing Stand by Me.

I never get tired of this song. If only I could sing.

Bee Gees on You Tube

Remember the late 1970s? Was disco a dream? The Bee Gees always bring back memories of that era for me. I was really a 60s person but I have a soft spot for these guys. They are so different from the 60s rock and soul. I went through the YouTube offerings and picked out seven performances from the era by the Bee Gees. This is one of a number of YouTube anthologies I have done - browse music and food for more. Enjoy.

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (Full Version) - Great music video with the real guys done at the time it came out over 4 million views

Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love-Live

Bee Gees - Night Fever

Bee Gees - Nights on Broadway

Bee Gees – Massachusetts

Bee Gees Words..and words are all I have

Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees – has the words for karaoke

Allman Brothers Anthology on YouTube

Now you can find a stable collection of Allman Brothers videos on YouTube. Just search for Moogis within YouTube and you will find these videos along with Moogis promotions. There are many interviews and great live videos including Highway 61 Revisited" Allman Brothers Band w/ Johnny Winter 3/10/09 and Allman Brothers Band live @ Beacon - Red House w/guest Johnny Winter - 3/11/2009, NYC. They do covers nicely along with their original works.

Moogis is a social networking that includes live streaming concerts of the Allman Brothers, and new upcoming jam bands. Wyndstorm helped Moogis put the site up. They also convinced the Allman Brothers band members to release some of their music videos for free exposure on YouTube and similar venues.

I like their quote from Butch Trucks, founding member and drummer of the Allman Brothers Band. “For years, I had a vision of how the Internet could bring the live concert experience into people's homes, dramatically expanding the audience and the experience, and finally, with the help of Wyndstorm, technology has caught up with this dream. The fans of the bands we have lined up understand two things about jam concerts: it’s about the music, and it’s about the social experience.”

Here are some more from Moogis that should stay up on YouTube.

"The Weight" – Allman Brothers w/ Levon Helm

"One Way Out" Allman Brothers w/Los Lobos

"Smokestack Lightning" - Allman Brothers Band w/Bruce Willis

"Loan Me A Dime" PT 1 - Allman Brothers w/Boz Scaggs

"You Don't Love Me" Allman Brothers w/ Buddy Guy

"Turn On Your Lovelight" Allman Brothers w/ Robt. Randolph

Jefferson Airplane – The YouTube Anthology

I recently found a link via Twitter to a live video of Jefferson Airplane doing White Rabbit in the 60s. It came from my fellow Fast Forward blogger and Twitter friend, Rob Paterson. As often happens with YouTube music videos, Rob’s link inspired me to look for more Jefferson Airplane live performances on YouTube. Like the Chambers Brothers, there were a not that many live versions from the early days. The best are presented below. Let me know if you have found others. There were also a lot of covers and a number of videos that showed still pictures with a sound track. There were also many live versions of White Rabbit. Rob’s link remained one of the best. Here is their official Jefferson Airplane Website and link to their best album "Surrealistic Pillow."

somebody to love- jefferson airplane – another live video that flips back and forth to some street scenes from San Francisco summer of 1967 at the Panhandle. I was there for a number of weeks that summer and helped with the free lunch project on the Panhandle. Later, I was surprised to find a photo in a Look magazine article on Haight Ashbury where I was included along with some others standing around a soup pot.

Jefferson Airplane with Signe Anderson recorded at the Fillmore in 1966. I have their first album, Jefferson Airplane 'Takes Off, with Signe who got replaced with Grace Slick. Signe was gone by the time I saw the Airplane in San Francisco in 67 at the free concerts at Golden Gate Park.

Jefferson Airplane - Today (Live At Montereypop 1967) – This is one of my favorite JA songs and I think it is in my top ten list of ballads by anyone. I got to San Francisco just after Monterey Pop but it was still a strong topic of discussion in the Haight. I have watched the Monterey Pop video many times.

Jefferson Airplane Live at Monterey Pop 1967 doing an intense version of high flying bird.

Coming Back To Me - Jefferson Airplane - 1967 This is an audio only with great stills - starts with a poster I had in my room in 1970-71 in NYC (see start of this post). I rank this second to Today as their best ballads.

Jefferson Airplane - Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil (Live 1970) - Live performance from "A Night at the Family Dog" (1970). Not one of their best songs but it captures some of the chaos as 67 moved to 70.

Wooden Ships (1970) - Jefferson Airplane live studio version with breaking surf - Wooden Ships, written by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Paul Kantner, originally recorded for the JA Volunteers LP. This is a "live" studio performance filmed April 2, 1970 with breaking surf in the background. My friend Don Lesser said that Crosby Stills and Nash did the sailboat version of Wooden Ships and the Jefferson Airplane did the motorboat version.

Wooden Ships - Crosby, Stills & Nash – Here is the sail boat version for contrast. It was recorded live in 1977 in Houston.

Chambers Brothers Limited Editions on YouTube

Happy Valentine's Day. I was surfing my Facebook friends feed and found this great video on one of my favorite bands from the 60s – the Chambers brothers through Frederica-Azania Clare. They were doing People Get Ready live. So I naturally explored a bit and also found the following. YouTube is so seductive. I can never watch just one video, especially when it comes to music. I found it hard to find live performances, as most of the videos were their sound over some other visual. Does any one know of other Chambers Brothers live videos?

The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today – perhaps their most famous song. This is a live but short version.

have a little faith - the chamber brothers – just audio over a graphic

There were a lot of covers. She also mentioned that Al Green has some great stuff on YouTube and here is Al doing People Get Ready.

Here is Curtis Mayfield’s take on People Get Ready.

Here is the nine minute version of Time has Come Today.

Here is the Ramores cover of Time has Come Today.

Sadly, time has come to stop this exploration.

Post Script: First be sure to check out the link John Maloney sent me to Canned Heat at Woodstock in the comments. Then Stan Garfield sent me this link to a great cover of Let's Stay Together produced by his brother David , featuring Michael McDonald and other vocalists. It was on his CD "Tribute to Jeff." His brother is currently collaborating with Smokey Robinson on a new recording. Thanks. Any more links music links?

DylanTube – Great Blog

I wrote a post, Dylan on YouTube, that was the sixth most visited post in 2008. Here I described how I set up a Dylan video anthology through YouTube in under an hour and offered the links. Well, I recently got a comment from Josh Lobley, who mentioned his blog, DylanTube. This is a great resource for Dylan fans.

There are numerous posts with Dylan videos and Josh’s observations. Examples include; Bob Dylan and Paul Simon - Sound of Silence 1999, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (Rolling Thunder Revue, 1975) - excerpt from Renaldo and Clara, and Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performing With God On Our Side on Peace Sunday, June the 6th, 1982. There is much more. Check it out.

A YouTube Guide that Goes Beyond Dummies

I have now had a chance to read, YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts. Thanks to O’Reilly for the review copy. The book is very comprehensive, including great coverage of all the technical video stuff. I see the above blog post title as an endorsement, not a criticism. One thing that stands out is that YouTube success requires a lot of work. This should be no surprise as this is an artistic medium. The book focus more on YouTube as an art channel than YouTube as a news or marketing channel but the lessons apply to all uses.

Any artist will tell you that you need to pay your dues and obtain basic competence in your medium before being able to accomplish artistic depth. This applies to both visual and literary arts. I would not be surprised to see courses on YouTube in art colleges than cover video and/or the web. In these cases, this book should be on the reading list.

The book covers how to succeed in storytelling and directing, shooting, editing, and rendering, creating your very own channel, broadcasting user-generated content, re-broadcasting commercial content, handling music, cultivating a devoted audience, fitting into the YouTube community, among other things.

The book was written by YouTube veterans Alan Lastufka and Michael W. Dean and includes a lot of their personal experience. It also has interviews with YouTube stars LisaNova, Hank Green (vlogbrothers), WhatTheBuckShow, nalts, and liamkylesullivan. There are a lot of links to great YouTube clips.

There is also a nice chapter on using other social media to promote your YouTube efforts. You can use blogs for simple promotion but starting a community invites more engagement by your audience. It is interesting how people build communities around all types of interests, YouTube simply being a more recent example. I remember reviewing a documentary on BBQ competitions and the community around these events. There were always those who put in the extra effort and they were usually the winners.

Michael Dean provides a chapter on time management to help with the effort issue. He noted that he wrote that chapter while waiting in his doctor’s office. Ironically, I am writing this review at my doctor’s waiting room and can appreciate his approach.

I liked the background on Hollywood movies and how YouTube differs. It gave me a better understanding of treatments and techniques in both media. In both cases, conflict is the essence of drama. The sequence is similar to what I learned in building sales pitches in PowerPoint. Define a situation, introduce a complication, and then offer a resolution. In this case, whatever you are selling without this sequence there is no story or focus and people lose interest.

So if you want to be a YouTube star, this book is required reading. It will either excite you or test your commitment by pointing out all that needs to be done. In the end all the competence will still need an artistic vision. Skills are certainly necessary but not sufficient. Good luck and I hope to see you on YouTube. If you have some favorite clips, either yours or others, please leave them in the comments to this post. I am a sponge for these.

The Reach of YouTube

Just as the news was reaching us that Nicolas Sarkozy had won the French election, British Prime Minister, Tony Blair had his own message of congratulations on YouTube in French and English. This just illustrates how quickly governments, individuals and companies can respond to events and the power of Web 2.0 can have. These clips were provided by 10 Downing Street which is a registered user of YouTube.

When I went searching for the clip and found some other good stuff. There are a lot of rivals to Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report out there. Now, of course, there are farewells to Tony. Some of them require a deeper understanding of UK politics to fully comprehend. Here are some of the more humorous ones.

The George Bush Tony Blair Duet

Tony’s Way

Tony’s Indecision Prior to Leaving

There is also Tony’s own You Tube site to get questions from people and many historical clips. I wonder what appears for other politicians? web 2.0

Bob Dylan on You Tube

There is no end to the wonders of the web for someone who grew up in the 50s and 60s. The other day I was doing some web research and stumbled upon the video of Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues on You Tube from the movie Don’t Look Back. The Pennebaker film, was a documentary on Bob Dylan's tour of England in 1965 that I saw when it first came out. The opening scene has always been one of my favorites. Now I can look at it whenever I want. At least until some copyright suit is settled. I looked further and put together this partial video history of Dylan from You Tube in about a hour (plus listening time) as birthday present to myself. There ar emany other sbut these were my picks. I am sure I will return to this post many times. Enjoy.

Bob Dylan - Blowin' In The Wind

Bob Dylan - Only A Pawn In Their Game 1963 DC Sound is hard to hear but historic as it is part of civil rights march on Washington. Look at the comments.

Bob Dylan - "The Times They Are A' Changin" – 1964

Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (Quest TV Show 1964)

Bob Dylan - Masters of War (early music video)

Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues from Don't Look back

Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man – Newport 1964

Byrds - "Mr. Tambourine Man" Featuring Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Live) 1965 UK

Bob Dylan - Maggie's Farm (1965 newport)

Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone 1966

Bob Dylan - Ballad Of A Thin Man (Live)

Bob Dylan - It Ain't Me Babe (Live)

Bob Dylan - Hurricane (Live)

Bob Dylan - Knocking' On Heavens Door (Live)

Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash - Girl From The North Country (Live)

Bob Dylan & Joan Baez - Blowin' In The Wind (1976)

Bob Dylan & Carlos Santana - Blowin' in the Wind

The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone

Bob Dylan & Eric Clapton - Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street (Live) in Hyde Park, London 29th June 1996 with Eric Clapton and Ron Woods and others

Here is one of the many take offs on the card flip scene by Dylan in Don’t Look Back web 2.0