WebP versus JPEG. Click the image to see the full size examples on Google’s WebP comparison page. Image: Google

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Chrome’s malware warning page. Image: Google.

In our monthly On The Rise program, we identify four partners whose channels are seeing significant growth but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 subscriber mark. Your suggestions helped us identify four dedicated partners who are well over halfway to that milestone, and you get the opportunity to help them grow even further! This March, our On The Rise nominees have established themselves and built loyal fan bases who support their music, video effects, comedy, vlogs, and group sketches!

Here’s where you come in – you actually have the chance to help push these partners even further on YouTube. Review their videos below, vote for your favorite here, and one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured across YouTube later this month. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner we’ll feature.

In past months, featured On The Rise partners like devinanderica and MyCupcakeAddiction have gained many subscribers and seen their careers take off, in large part due to your support. This month’s poll will be open until March 19, 5pm PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see which channel will be featured on March 27.

thefumusic
Jacob and Josh Fu have been playing together since birth, and as adults have taken their music to YouTube. In their videos, the brothers combine musical talent (including covers and “furiginals”) with a passion for creativity and special effects.

psychosoprano
Colleen is the woman behind the YouTube character, Miranda Sings. Her psychosoprano channel features a combination of vlogs and comedy sketches made with her friends and family. She has also performed in a couple theatres around the world, but you can check out some of her work on her channel!

Trickniks
Nikki Limo is an actress and comedienne by profession, and you might catch her stand-up if you go to a Los Angeles comedy club. On YouTube, Nikki creates comic vlogs, collaborations, and answers her fans’ questions in her Q&As.

petergilroy
Peter formed a sketch comedy group with his friends Tyler, Jacob, Scott, Kurt, Brock, Josh, Roger and Alex and have named themselves “The Bath Boys.” The channel hosts everything from short films to music videos so go take a look!

If you’re interested in participating or have suggestions for partners you think should be featured, you can nominate a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. You can also check out some of our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the Partner Support channel.

Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “MinuteEarth: The Story of Our Planet.”

We’re happy to announce that YouTube One Channel is open for everyone.

You may have noticed that some YouTube channels have a new look. We’ve been running a limited beta test, and after collecting and implementing lots of feedback from creators, we’re ready for all channels on YouTube to upgrade to the new design.

The main focus of this update is to make your new channel look great on browsers across all screens and devices. It will also help you convert more visitors into subscribers with a slot for a channel trailer, and you can customize how you organize your videos and playlists so it fits your programming strategy.

Try these three activities to get the most out of your new channel:

1. Create a trailer, which will play for any visitor who isn’t yet subscribed to your channel. This is your chance to hook them and win a new fan. Treat this trailer as if it were an ad. Keep it short and engaging and have a compelling call to action at the end.
2. Create and upload a big, beautiful piece of Channel Art. This will act as your channel’s visual identity. And unlike the branding on the old channels, it will look good across all screens and devices, no matter how big or small.
3. Organize your channel’s videos and playlists so they work best for your audience and programming. With the new channel home and customizable sections, you’re in control of what subscribers see when they click on your channel from the guide.

Check out www.youtube.com/onechannel and click the button at the bottom to get started. We’ll migrate your channel to the new design, and walk you through it. For a limited time, you’ll be able to switch back to the previous design if you like. For more tips and strategies for how to optimize your YouTube One Channel, check out Channel Optimization in the YouTube Creator Playbook.

Jeb Havens, Product Manager, recently subscribed to SORTED Food.

Congratulations to Devin and Erica, whose YouTube channel DevinandErica is our featured “On The Rise” partner this February. These loving parents have documented their family’s development, creativity, and silliness on YouTube for over three years, and today they’re featured in the spotlight on the YouTube home channel, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter.

This channel was born when Erica was pregnant with the couple’s eldest daughter, whom they affectionately refer to as ‘Baby Bug.’ Their ‘reality show’ on YouTube has grown to include a variety of content ranging from vlogs to homemade skits to original songs, and this fun-loving family has developed a dedicated following. In fact, support from their viewers helped them with the expense of a second IVF cycle, and Devin, Erica, and Bug welcomed baby ‘DudeL’ about six months ago. After more than three years and 300 videos on YouTube, Devin and Erica have amassed a library of heartwarming moments – get to know their family with channels classics like the ABCs ‘Baby Jam’ and Devin’s baby proposal, and then check out some of the other fun videos in the playlist linked below.

Here are a few words directly from Devin:

We would like to thank our subscribers first and foremost. Without you, we would not have come so far within this community. For that our utmost appreciation will now and always play the biggest role. Our subscribers have helped us grow as a YouTube Partner, as well as a family by helping give us a son just by watching and following our crazy family. For those who have not seen us before, our channel is packed full of family fun! We do vlogs, skits, and original songs about our crazy life and family in Charlotte, NC. We like to have fun and would love to have you with us! Thank you for watching and we look forward to you joining our journey. 

If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series, and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our Google Hangouts with past featured partners on the YouTube Creators channel.

You can participate and help us surface YouTube talent by nominating a YouTube partner to be considered for the “On The Rise” program. Feel free to submit nominations for your own channel, or for channels you follow that you think deserve more attention or could be the next YouTube sensation. We’ll continue to feature promising partners who have fewer than 100,000 subscribers and produce engaging content on a regular basis. See you next month!

Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Evolution Of Mom Dancing (w/ Jimmy Fallon & Michelle Obama).”

We’re always working to bring to you the latest tips and updates so you can make the most of your YouTube experience. One of the benefits of being a YouTube partner is your ability to monetize your uploaded content, and we have a few best practices and guidelines to help you understand the monetization process. Read on to review some of the commonly-asked questions and our suggestions for how you can maximize your YouTube earnings!

Keep in mind these monetization basics:

• Create an AdSense account. You can enable video monetization and display ads without associating an AdSense account with YouTube, but in order to be paid you’ll need to create – and associate – an AdSense account.
• Enable relevant ad formats. Set your monetization ad defaults, and allow all ad types that are relevant for your videos.
• Look at the monetization symbol next to your video.
• Videos with a grey “$” button are not yet monetized.
• Videos with a green “$” button have been enabled for monetization
• Videos with an orange “!” symbol next to them indicate that YouTube might need more information to approve your video for monetization. In that case, check your Video Manager and your e-mail.
• Make sure you own commercial use rights before you monetize.
• Whenever possible, take the opportunity to be creative – create your own unique audio and visuals!
• If you want to monetize a video that contains audio or visuals you didn’t personally create, you’ll need the content creator to provide express written permission for commercial use. If you have written permission to use third-party material, be sure to mention/include it when you publish a video or when asked to provide information for monetization.
• Check the licenses for any audio you include, and where possible, use royalty-free music that’s licensed for commercial use. 
• Remember that fair use is a tricky subject. Don’t assume you can monetize third-party content because you’ve claimed it as fair use.

Going forward, don’t forget to:

• Keep your AdSense account in good standing. Encouraging viewers to click on your ads, or clicking on them yourself, is strictly prohibited. Learn more here.
• Do your homework to understand whether you actually own commercial use rights. Purchasing a song, game, or program may not mean you own the rights to monetize, and there could be consequences for claiming content you don’t own.
• Create family-friendly content that advertisers want to sponsor. Keep in mind some advertisers have a family audience and may not want their ads appearing next to content containing profanity, offensive, or derogatory language/images.
• Review our policies. Make sure you’re familiar with our spam policies and avoid spamming your viewers.
• Follow our audience development best practices outlined in the Creator Playbook to build your fan base and increase views and watch time. Using misleading tags, thumbnails, and metadata may give your fans a negative viewing experience, reduce your watch time, and could affect your monetization status.

Thanks again for helping make the YouTube partner community so vibrant. We hope you find these tips useful, and if you have any additional questions, don’t forget about the resources YouTube makes available: monetization tips and audience development best practices abound in the YouTube Help Center, the Playbook, the Partner Forum, the Creator Hub, the YouTube Creators channel and here on the YouTube Creator Blog.

Vasiliki Kanistra & Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Kittens On The Beat.”