YouTube upload limit jumps from 10 to 15 minutes
YouTube just increased its video upload limit for all users from 10 to 15 minutes — a 50 percent upgrade that heavy uploaders to the video site will surely appreciate.
Previously, only YouTube partners — content owners and some online video companies — could upload content longer than 10 minutes. To encourage users to take advantage of the new upload breathing room, YouTube announced a “15 minutes of fame” contest: Users just need to create a 15 minute-long video about their lives and tag it with “yt15minutes” before August 4. (YouTube instructed users to imagine if it’s “all the world will ever know about you.”) YouTube will choose a select few to feature on its home page.
In a blog post, YouTube’s Joshua Siegel, Product Manager of Upload and Video Management, detailed why the company can increase the upload limit now:
…We’ve spent significant resources on creating and improving our state-of-the-art Content ID system and many other powerful tools for copyright owners. Now, all of the major U.S. movie studios, music labels and over 1,000 other global partners use Content ID to manage their content on YouTube. Because of the success of these ongoing technological efforts, we are able to increase the upload limit today. We will continue our strong commitment to provide advanced technology and tools to protect the rights of small and large copyright owners worldwide.
Basically, YouTube isn’t as worried about piracy now because its Content ID system has gotten better at identifying offending content.
It’ll be interesting to see how amateur YouTube users will take advantage of the increased limits. Now it will only take four videos — instead of six — to add up to an hour-long series. And given what Internet video junkies have been able to do with 10 minutes of video, the possibilities of 15 minutes seem endless.
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About the Author, Devindra Hardawar
Devindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's National Editor and lead mobile writer. He has been writing about technology since 2004, worked in IT support for several years, and studied philosophy at Amherst College. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.
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