Published On:Monday, 2 January 2017
Posted by ARAB GAZETTE. weekly newspaper issued on Sunday morning - London, UNITED KINGDOMمؤسسة الوطن العربى الإعلامية - لندن ، المملكة المتحدة . WA MEDIA FOUNDATION - LONDON, UK
Dubai’s upcoming YouTube studio is a sign of the Mena market’s
Dubai’s upcoming YouTube studio is a sign of the Mena market’s importance to Google
ARAB GAZETTE - LONDON
At YouTube’s London content creators’ space, the US actor David Walsh is delivering his Christmas show to camera in a studio decorated to look like a festive mountain chalet.
In the studio next door, the singer Josh Daniel is warming up before he records an acoustic session. Upstairs, pairs of 20-something content creators sit side by side on benches, laptops on laps, comparing notes and planning collaborations.
This state-of-the-art studio beneath Google’s new London offices is designed to nurture content creator talent, with a series of studios, edit and sound suites and a communal area and cafe where creatives can network with each other, hold meetings with brands and attend workshops, all for free.
That YouTube now has its own studios shows how far the Google-owned video platform has come – from an online hub for funny cat films, to a broadcaster in its own right, with channels presenting everything from how-to videos and confessional series to high-production television shows.
Content creators need more than 10,000 subscribers to use the space. Reach more than 100,000 subscribers and they can sell their merchandise in the YouTube Creator Store next door, where fans can buy merchandise from books to toys from their favourite YouTube stars including Zoella and PewDiePie. It shows how YouTube content creators have the potential to grow from hobbyists to full-blown global superbrands, like television stars.
YouTube has chosen to open its 10th space in Dubai next year, testament to the growth of YouTube in the UAE and Mena region, where there are already more than 50 channels with more than one million subscribers.
"We see those markets as some of the leading markets worldwide for YouTube," says Matt Brittin, Google’s president for EMEA business and operations, over a breakfast of gluten-free brownies and avocado and chilli bruschetta at Google’s London staff restaurant upstairs, a stylish space with impressive views over the central city skyline. "YouTube is hugely popular with both audiences and creators, it’s an exciting market for us to work in. I expect to see lots of innovation there, just because of the size of the audience and the opportunity."
YouTube is booming in the Mena region. It comes second only to the United States in terms of total time spent watching videos – watch time in the region is growing by 60 per cent year on year, according to YouTube. Mena has one of the highest smartphone and internet penetration in the world and more and more people are watching videos on their phones. YouTube says mobile watch time grew at 90 per cent in Mena last year alone. The platform is also growing with advertisers in the region. According to YouTube, the top 20 brands in the Mena region advertise on YouTube, and the average spend per advertiser grew by 65 per cent year on year.
The platform is now capitalising on all of this success by increasing local original content. Having more local content creates new and attractive digital advertising opportunities, by offering not just new media spaces but new ways to partner with content creators.
"The Mena region has one of the world’s most vibrant YouTube communities," says Diana Baddar, the head of YouTube partnerships in Mena. "There’s a ton of excitement around YouTube because talented creators are producing content for passionate audiences. It’s a great opportunity for brands because on YouTube people choose what they want to watch and engage more, which is far more interesting for brands. More and more creators are collaborating with brands. From Dubai-based Hayla Ghazal, who is the most watched female creator on the platform, to TheSaudiReporters in Jeddah."
