By Max Clarke
The UK’s ‘Stars of YouTube in 2010’ has been published by Google, with posh student parody ‘Gap Yah’ crowned as its most popular homegrown comedy.
YouTube, the world's 3rd most visited website after Google.com and Facebook, had 1,500 years of video uploaded to the site in 2010 alone, with a staggering 700 billion views- or 22,106 views each and every second.
All of the Top 10 most viewed for 2010 were music videos, with Justin Bieber in pole position and Eminem claiming 2nd and 3rd; while representing UK talent was Cher Lloyd’s X-factor audition, coming in 7th place.
The phenomenal popularity of the site’s musical content has been reflected by a change of approach from copyright holders: initially the majority of uploaded music content was unofficial and illegally uploaded, and copyright holders like EMA and Warner Music Group in particular would demand the audio be removed from offending uploads.
However, recognising the power and popularity of YouTube, WMG have recently reached an agreement with the site to distribute their content via their own official channel.
Scores of other labels have executed similar approaches, with new releases appearing on their own YouTube pages.
The site’s all time most viewed video, since the company’s launch in February 2005, with well over a quarter of a billion views, is “Charlie bit my finger — again”.
