YouTube turns 20 this week, a long road from the first shaky zoo clip uploaded in 2005. The site now feeds newsrooms, classrooms and living room chats every hour of the day.
Data from YouTube shows users now add more than 20 million videos every day, matching the birthday number with uploads. The count spans music, Shorts and full-length shows, and shows the relentless pace at which the library grows.
Interaction runs hot on every upload. In 2024 viewers posted around 100 million comments each day, and creators tapped the heart button for 10 million of those thoughts. The like button saw even heavier traffic, clocking 3.5 billion taps every 24 hours.
What New Tools Are Available For Viewers?
Birthday gifts land first for music fans. Ask Music lets Premium listeners describe a mood and spin up a personal radio station on Android or iOS, turning a short prompt into hours of tracks.
Speed-watchers get a treat as well. Phones now show extra playback steps above 2×, topping out at 4× for those racing through playlists or lectures.
Living room viewers sit next in line. This summer the TV app will gain tidier menus, quicker quality tweaks and instant links to comments and channel pages.
The mobile app hides bonuses too, such as long-press to double the speed, lock the screen to stop accidental taps, or hum a tune to Song Search and pin down that earworm in seconds.
How Will Creators Join The Party?
YouTube TV members in the United States can soon build their own multiview, pairing favourite channels in one window instead of waiting for a preset sports feed.
Short-form makers will steer audiences further, as a new option links Shorts to long videos, live streams or other Shorts, guiding viewers deeper into a channel without leaving the feed.
Later this year many more creators will answer viewers with voice replies to comments, a tool that tested well with a smaller group in 2024 and turns text threads into lively call-and-response moments.
Live streamers can hand out party hats and cake icons through limited-time gifts that brighten chat during the birthday week and help channels stand out in a crowded feed.
Even the familiar red play button dresses up for the occasion. A special Yoodle logo, a festive scrubber and the hidden “bday” Easter egg salute twenty years of uploads while hinting that the next chapter has already started.
How Have Startups Used YouTube Through The Years?
Experts share how they have been using the YouTube platform since 2005…
Our Experts:
- Chad Walding, Chief Culture Officer and Co-Founder, NativePath
- Ziad Mabsout CFA, Co-Founder and CEO, Vennre
- Adam Stott, Founder, Big Business Events
- Cathy Yoder, CEO, Empowered Cooks
- Kyle Sobko, CEO, SonderCare
- Daniel Roberts, CEO, Lava Roofing
Chad Walding, Chief Culture Officer and Co-Founder, NativePath
“We use YouTube to share amazing content for years, mostly wellness tips that are in alignment with our brand. In recent years, we have seen that YouTube has helped create a great community around our brand. For example, we run a “wellness Wednesday” video series, in which we show simple exercises and nutrition hacks, that receive positive feedback every week with thousands of views. This has created an opportunity for us to create educational resources and build trust in our customers while growing their audience.
“As we expanded, we began to try different formats to see how the audience would react. Live streams are something that we completely underestimated; the ability to communicate with the audience in real-time is a dramatic shift in connection. Live Q&A’s, where I address commonly asked questions about fitness or nutrition, are not only interactive but continue to allow us to build credibility. These live streams have increased engagement by 40% to a regular video post! The metrics are suggesting that not only is human connection important to developing a customer base with YouTube, continued engagement with the immediate needs of the audience is equally important for future growth.”
Ziad Mabsout CFA, co-founder and CEO, Vennre
“YouTube has become far more than a video-sharing site, it’s a content and community hub. For a startup like Vennre, it’s our go-to platform to connect with our audience, share knowledge, and answer real questions in real time. When you’re working with people’s money and investment, trust is everything. YouTube gives us a chance to put a face to the name and build that credibility in a way few platforms can.”
Adam Stott, Founder, Big Business Events
“Over the years, YouTube has been nothing short of transformative for me as a business coach and entrepreneur. It’s been my platform to empower startups with practical strategies, authentic success stories, and actionable insights that drive growth. My channel – YouTube.com/adamstottcoach – began as a way to guide and inspire others, and it has evolved into a commanding space where I champion ambitious entrepreneurs to step up, take charge, and create their own success stories.
“Whether I’m dissecting business strategies, showcasing client breakthroughs, or offering no-nonsense advice, my mission remains clear: to help others rise, make an impact, and take their ventures to the next level. For those with the courage to lead and the drive to grow, YouTube is where your journey truly begins.”
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Cathy Yoder, CEO, Empowered Cooks
“Businesses built on paid advertising are stressful. Profit margins go down when ad rates go up. Businesses built on AdSense and Affiliate Marketing are stressful too. You stop making money if you stop making videos. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
“In 2020, I launched my first YouTube channel and flipped the script on traditional advertising. Instead of paying to reach my audience, YouTube pays me and actively finds new subscribers for my channel. When those fans asked for products, I responded and sold over 20K cookbooks in just over a year!
“When I integrated YouTube into my business (@EmpoweredCooks), the entire game changed. Along with my business partner, BJ Wright, we figured out how to combine the power of YouTube with the effectiveness of ClickFunnels.
“Very few YouTubers and even fewer Funnel Hackers are doing both!
“This is the secret to making both platforms work for you!
“Like other YouTubers, we make money from affiliate marketing and sponsorships. Like other Funnel Hackers, we sell digital products (courses and memberships), and physical products.
“But we don’t rely on paid advertising. Paid Advertising has its place. But imagine making money instead of spending to get the same amount of reach! Our loyal YouTube viewers tell us what products and services they need. When they do, we crank up the business machine running behind the camera, and a couple of days, weeks, or months later–the exact right product gets into our audience’s outstretched hands as though we knew exactly what our customers wanted to buy–because we do.
“I actually have a masterclass teaching this proven framework to other entrepreneurs who want to use the power of YouTube to drive the right customers to their funnels organically.”
Kyle Sobko, CEO, SonderCare
“Over the years, I’ve watched how YouTube has evolved into an essential tool for all startups. YouTube allows businesses to connect with customers, teach those customers, and build relationships and trust in ways that have never even been thought of in the last 10 years.
“For startups, YouTube is a unique opportunity for businesses to connect directly with potential customers. At SonderCare we use YouTube to showcase the products we sell, as well as to create educational content that we felt resonate with our audience. Throughout the years we have learned that video tutorials, product demos and especially customer stories allow our customers to validate our credibility as a business while engaging our audience more than any other marketing forms.
“Additionally, YouTube allows us to monetise that content as search and share ability allow us to tap into markets worldwide. We have even been able to advertise via YouTube ads targeting those specific audiences and ensuring we maximise our marketing spend. Startups can use YouTube to humanise a brand, provide value, and cultivate long-lasting relationships with potential customers. Video has become an obvious path towards growth when combined with the appropriate strategy.”
Daniel Roberts, CEO, Lava Roofing
“Our organisation found YouTube essential to operate from our start as a business. Our first use of YouTube involved making educational videos that explained roofing maintenance basics to homeowners. Our series of informative videos accumulated credibility which later drew prospective clients to us without needing extra advertising expenses.
“The demonstration of expertise through YouTube stands as its most valuable strength because video provides information better than text ever could. The video we made which displayed roof replacement steps got distributed across online platforms which generated a 15% boost in consultation requests during that year. Visual presentation of service value combined with question answering and trust building enables this content to establish effectiveness.
“The ability to search YouTube content effectively functions as a major benefit. The video content we uploaded in previous years continues to draw potential clients years after initial upload despite the passing years. As our audience expanded we began to use videos featuring clients and showing our workplace activities to demonstrate our workplace culture thereby strengthening existing customer relationships and acquiring new clients.
“For any startup, I recommend leveraging YouTube to demonstrate what makes you unique. It’s a great tool for building trust, establishing authority, and giving your audience insight into your product or service in a way that few other platforms allow.”
