14 DAY TRIAL // YouTube's first ever Music Awards was held last night. The live show didn't go off without a hitch, but that was the plan from the get-go. Unlike the highly scripted MTV Video Music Awards, or any other ceremony of its kind, the YouTube Music Awards was largely unscripted and spontaneous.
In that vein, it went exactly as expected, though likely the traditional media or maybe even YouTube fans aren't all that impressed. The chaos and confusion were a little too much for most people.
It wasn't just the show that was different. The voting process was too, as the winners were based on how many views their videos got on YouTube for the past year and on votes from the public. All in all, the show got a mixed reception, but also close to one million live viewers.
But it doesn't really matter, it was a first edition, and there were bound to be problems. The first VMAs were no different, so things will get better in time.
More important for YouTube and Google though was the message the awards ceremony sent, namely that online video is here to stay. YouTube has been investing a big chunk of money into its top creators for the past couple of years.
That program too got mixed results, but, again, it shows that YouTube is committed. Google will continue to pour money into the site because YouTube revenues are growing.
The company has never revealed how much money YouTube makes or whether it's profitable, but it is starting to be a significant chunk out of Google's global revenues.
But the site wants more than just money – it wants respect, it wants to be treated like all the other TV networks. That respect still isn't there, but it's coming. In fact, getting too hung up on it may prove detrimental. YouTube doesn't need the respect of old-school media, it needs to crush it.