YouTube is a video hosting headquartered in California, United States. The service was created by three former Paypal employees in February 2005. In November 2006, it was bought by Google for US$1.65 billion. YouTube’s 2005 launch and the subsequent proliferation of similar sites represent a maturation of the broadband infrastructure and the embedded software required for social media” (Julie Levin Russo). YouTube has over a billion users that’s almost one-third of the Internet. YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile alone, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S. The number of users coming to YouTube who start at the YouTube homepage, similar to the way they might turn on their TV, is up more than 3x. Most videos have less than a 100 views and most are home videos. 80% of YouTube’s views are from outside of the U.S. YouTube has launched local versions in more than 70 countries. You can navigate YouTube in a total of 76 different languages (covering 95% of the Internet population). According to Google’s analytic tool Google Trends, the top 4 searches on Youtube are (2014-2016): trailers, music, Minecraft, and movies.
YouTube Red is a paid subscription service that YouTube has offered to its users in the US; it provides advertising-free streaming of videos hosted by the service, offline and background playback of videos on mobile devices, access to new original content, and access to advertising-free music streaming in November 2014. Offline downloads are only available for 30 days, but, using the apps, users can download videos for offline use and play them in the background. It costs $9.99 a month. However, apple users will be charged $12.99 for in app purchase tax). It’s not its own app, just a tier for Google and YouTube accounts and apps.
It is supported by Smart TVs. However, you still need to see ads on other paid networks such as paid channels or TV and movie purchases and rentals. You also get free Google Play Music subscription with Red. If you’re subscribed to Google music you also get YouTube red. ”Google will continue to keep YouTube just the way it is. Without a subscription to Red, you can still watch all of the videos and channels you like on the site, free of charge, but with ads. You will miss out on the extra features Red offers, but nothing will change about how you use YouTube right now. Additionally, most of the original content available through Red will eventually become free with ads after an unspecified amount of time.” YouTube music filters out any non musical videos and red allows you to listen while in other apps or while the screen is off. YouTube music is still available but not with those features
-”Because YouTube Red includes free access to Google Play Music, it’s arguably a better deal than Spotify, Rdio and other streaming music subscriptions because you get both services.”