Sunday, January 26, 2014

Monetizing a video on YouTube phew - my story so far


How does one monetize a Video on YouTube, well with the kind of trouble Google is giving me, I seriously don’t know what they are looking for. I will post the links to the videos I am facing trouble monetizing at in this post, but first the story.

My First Attempt
Well, it all started one fine day when I thought, why don’t I upload videos to YouTube and start monetizing them. I know I might end up earning pennies, but why not at least give it a shot. So like a good boy I browsed through my hard disc and found a few videos I had shot using my DSLR in the aquarium of Singapore zoo.  I edited a few , patched them up and added some royalty free music to it. Then I uploaded the edited video onto YouTube as it is. All 180MB of it. I patiently saw it uploading on my slow internet connection and finally when it was uploaded I was all happy and excited. I happily clicked on monetization and said yaaaay I monetized my first video on YouTube and then let it be. 

 
Gmail Interrupts
My happiness doesn’t last for too long. The next morning I receive a mil in my Gmail inbox which says , more information needed in order to monetize your video on YouTube. So, I think well it must be routine procedure. I go to the link and under the monetization tab there is drop down box which ask me 3 options, I choose this is my original content and then  a box appears below it which asks me to give some information about the video. So, I give them the link for the music , I had picked from a royalty free site and tell them where I had captured the video. I wait for a few days, and the video still shows that your monetization request is under review. So now I am thinking, maybe the music was the problem , next time I upload a video I won’t put music.

My Second Attempt 
This time I choose a Video, which is smaller in size and since it has static noise in it I just use a video editor to mute the clip so that anyone who sees or attempts to see the clip doesn’t get a strong jarring noise in his ears. Well, I open my YouTube account and upload it , this video is some 125 MB in size. Again, I wait patiently till the whole thing is uploaded and finally after it is uploaded I click on monetization and that’s it. This time I am sure that Google will monetize it as it has no music, with royalty or royalty free. 


Gmail Shatters the Peace again
The next day, the same mail on Gmail more information needed in order to monetize your video on YouTube. Now, I start thinking what is problem. I go to my YouTube account repeat the same procedures as above and try and explain in the box provided to answer, that this is a video I shot I have rights for it and since it doesn’t have any music there should be no royalty issue. Further I also explained that since the video had jarring noise I decide to take off the audio in a video editor.  Same thing, even after a few days it still says that request is under review. The first Video as well as the new Video. Now, I am beginning to think that maybe because I took off the sound from the video they might have had a problem. So, I decide the next video is going to be uploaded as it is. No Change whatsoever. 

My Third Attempt.
This time around I select a Video from my hard disc and upload it as it is , no snip snaps, no edits and with the original voices.  This time I am sure that maybe they won’t need any additional information as the video is there with our original voices and lots of disturbance due to static . Once the upload is done YouTube tells me that the video is a bit shaky and I can make it better by using their editor. I refuse and I am about log out thinking that I have hit the jackpot this time around, when  I glance at a  message on YouTube which says learn how to make videos easier for streaming, so I see it and it tells me to use software such as windows movie maker for compression.  I get a bit adventurous and decide that this time I will upload one more video, so I select a video , which is 180 MB in size , compress it to 30 MB  on windows movie maker and then upload it on to YouTube. Now, I am sure that I haven’t made any mistake whatsoever and finally log out feeling good about the whole thing. 



Gmail shatters my dream again.
 Now since I uploaded two videos, both with original sounds and one full and the other compressed , Google decided to save time and send me a combo mail. Saying the same old thing. We have not been able to confirm your commercial use rights to all the elements of your video. We may consider your video(s) for further review provided you verify that you are authorized to commercially use all of the elements of your content. This includes all video, images, music, video game footage, and any other audio or visual elements.  But, the only difference is that the links to both the videos are given in the same mail. I am seriously irritated off now. I mean these are my original videos , I shot them, the voices are original, there is no music, and the videos are one of a kind, there can’t be exact duplicates with the same  framing and the voices. I open my YouTube Account again and repeat the same dahm procedures and start typing in the box. This time I am irritated. I tell Google, that I have shot the video and have altered nothing, in fact I even told them that the voice in the video is mine and if they want I will mail them my voice sample to verify, and if they find a copy of this video in their database they can tell me who uploaded it and I will personally go ahead and SUE the person.

The Mail from YouTube

 
Still waiting
Well I am still waiting for my videos to get monetized, in the meantime, I have thought of a few ideas by which Google can verify that the videos shot are original and shot by the user himself or herself. Here are my list of suggestions to Google. 


Monitoring for possible review
SUGGESTIONS

Google Maps
Ask the person to tell when and where the video was shot and the exact time it was shot, then use your Google maps archive to try and find the person while he is shooting the video. Well this can work only when the user is outdoors, but it will still help. 

Google Glass
Make wearing Google glass compulsory, that way if the video is shot using Google Glass then you can be sure who shot it.  Furthermore, if the wearer of a Google glass is using a DSLR to shoot,  like I did then ask him or her to use Google Glass to record the fact that he or she is recording using a DSLR

NSA or FBI
You are helping them snoop on people, how about asking them to return the favour and ask them to do the verification job, I am sure they will find a way to do that. 

Google Street View
Ask the user to stand near or run with your street view car while shooting the video, so that the street view car can record the person shooting and give you evidence. 

User Undertaking
A signed letter from the user sating that if the video is found to be violating any copyright then the user is liable to pay per click. 

Android Only
Ask the user to record the video using his android phone and his account should be signed in at the time of recording of the video so that you can snoop in and see whether he himself has shot the video or not.

       Well, these are just a few suggestions from my end. I am sure you can find lots of other ways to make life miserable for an honest user, just because there are lots of cheats out there. I Know you have your own set of problems to deal with, but as an up loader, and as a person who has shot those clips , I do have my own right to feel frustrated. Hope, my Videos get monetized soon. I will write another post if and when they do.

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