Rooster Teeth just made it easier for its fans to watch both widely-available and exclusive content. The Austin-based production company has launched a new app for smartphones and tablets, which lets sponsors (fans who pay a subscription fee to get early access to content, among other things) watch programming created only for their entertainment.

Rooster Teeth previously debuted a mobile-friendly app in November 2014. At the time, the app hosted most of the production company’s content from its owned shows and brands like Achievement Hunter and The Slow Mo Guys. However, Rooster Teeth’s initial app came without the ability for sponsors to log in and see exclusive programming, which was still restricted to Rooster Teeth’s site.

The recently-released version of Rooster Teeth’s app is an update to its predecessor. The mobile video platform now allows sponsors to view both classic Rooster Teeth programming and premium content saved for their eyes only. Users can sign in to their sponsorship accounts via the app, or sign up to be a sponsor if they aren’t already. Fans who wish to watch Rooster Teeth content free of charge can still view non-exclusive content on the company’s site or YouTube channels.

Rooster Teeth will continue to roll out more sponsors-only content on the company’s site and new app. Upcoming exclusive content includes the previously-announced Let’s Play Live documentary, set for release on September 14, 2015. Rooster Teeth will also debut the brand-new Rooster Teeth Entertainment System (RT-ES), a comedy skit series set for release later in September 2015 and hosted by actor Colton Dunn (who stars in Rooster Teeth’s upcoming film Lazer Team).

“With the release of our new app and the recent re-launch of our mobile-optimized website RoosterTeeth.com, our fans really have more freedom as to how they want to watch their favorite Rooster Teeth shows,” said Matt Hullum, Rooster Teeth CEO and Co-Founder, in a release. “We’ve had amazing support for years from our loyal Sponsor community, and easier access to content and the rollout of exclusive new shows gives them even more value.”

Users of Rooster Teeth’s old mobile app may want to uninstall the old app and update to the new one, though. A company rep said the new app’s features aren’t available on the old version, which will not be updated or maintained by Rooster Teeth’s tech staff.

You can download the updated Rooster Teeth mobile app for free via the iTunes App Store or Google Play. You can also register through the app or on roosterteeth.com/sponsorship to sign up for a free 30-day trial; after that, sponsorships start at $4.99 per month.

Filed under: Articles, News, Rooster Teeth by Bree Brouwer
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Musician Tyler Ward has released a prolific amount of music over the last few years; now, he’s adding to his collection. He has announced Yellow Boxes, an EP that will become available on October 1st. In support of his new album, Ward will also head out on a tour–also titled Yellow Boxes–that will begin in Phoenix on September 17th.

Yellow Boxes will include six original songs written and performed by Ward. The title track is already available in lyric video form on Ward’s YouTube channel. Like the rest of his music, “Yellow Boxes” makes use of his powerful singing voice.

When it arrives across digital platforms on the 1st, Yellow Boxes will join Ward’s other musical releases. He’s put out a prolific amount of music since he first appeared on the YouTube scene in the late 2000s. On iTunes, dozens of his releases are available, including several compilations of his cover songs. His most significant album to date is Honestly, an LP he released in 2013.

In a press release, Ward discussed his inspiration for the new album:

“This is a snapshot of my life this past year. For the first time I felt secure enough to write what I was really feeling and experiencing. Not with the the thought of, ‘that’s what they’ll want to hear.’  I’ll admit, I’ve done that in the past, worried about what people want to hear and how they will perceive me. So…Yellow Boxes was created. It’s a project that I wrote, produced, and recorded by myself, with no extra input. It had to be wholly from me, or it wasn’t going to capture the details of my world. The truth is, l love pop music, I love country music and I love honesty. The Yellow Boxes EP is a collection of pop songs with some country flare that represent me more than any other previous release.  The trials of self discovery, addiction, failure, success, heartbreak, and the realization that life kinda sucks when you push people away. It has been an amazing experience and one I can’t wait to share.”

Fans who wish to experience Ward’s new music beyond his EP can catch him on his tour. He’ll hit 26 American cities before heading overseas to play shows in Holland, Germany, and Switzerland. Additional stops in Asia and Australia will be announced at a later date. If you don’t see your city on Ward’s schedule, don’t fret; he has left open the possibility of “secret shows” in unlisted locations.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Move over, Bethany Mota: There’s another teenage online video star who will show off his moves on Dancing With The Stars. Hayes Grier, a Vine star with more than four million followers on his account, has been added to the cast for the show’s upcoming 21st season.

Grier, the brother of fellow Vine superstar Nash Grier, announced his participation in DWTS through a Vine video he shot at the program’s rehearsal studio. By joining the cast, he will compete against the other celebrities who have already thrown their hats into the DWTS ring, including actor Gary Busey and celebrity chef Paula Deen.

This will be the second straight year in which a digital media content creator has participated on DWTS. Last year, Mota, a YouTube beauty star, teamed up with dancer Derek Hough to reach the second-to-last episode. ABC was no doubt encouraged by her popularity in the show, and decided to give Grier the chance to move it like Mota. He’ll show off his skills starting on September 14th at 8 PM EST.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.

When six videomakers converge on one office, you can bet there are going to be some shenanigans, and sure enough, that’s exactly the case at The Creature Hub. The channel, run by a YouTube collective that collectively refers to itself as The Creatures, is a home for games, challenges, pranks, vlogs, and all sorts of assorted entertainment. The Creature Hub is now one of the newest additions to the one million subscribers club, so we spoke the channel’s stars to get their feelings on their collaborative triumph.

Tubefilter: How does it feel to have 1 million subscribers? What do you want to say to your fans?

The Creatures: It feels amazing and we honestly cannot thank our fans enough for the support. They have stuck with us and watched us grow into what we are today. Nothing could have been accomplished without all of them, so once again, thank you fans!

TF: Why did you all decide to team up and combine your individual channels into one group?

CH: We all knew that we could make cool content on our own, but decided that with our talents and crazy personalities combined, we could make incredible videos. So we combined and formed this group, and with it has come so many more opportunities than if we had all stayed separate. Instead of just making it an online group, we did it in person to maximize our potential. Initially we moved into a house together, but eventually we got moved into the office where we find ourselves today!

TF: When was the moment you all realized The Creatures was going to take off and be your full-time gig?

CH: We were all working full time on our individual channels initially, so when we formed the group it turned into something so much more that made us realize we could bring more people in to turn it into their full time gigs too. It truly is a dream job that we hope to build into something amazing for many people. Someday we hope to have our own building that has a massive fountain and a tree in the atrium where wild lemurs can play. Well, maybe that’s just my dream.

TF: How do you deal with internal conflicts when they arise? What is your team dynamic like?

CH: Being such a big group, conflicts do arise, but our team has worked together a long time and we are able to work things out quickly. Communication and being open to things are the keys to making sure nothing goes beyond what it needs to be. Luckily, we yell at each other for regular conversations throughout the office, so the sound level of our arguments are in no way different! Being able to resolve things and how well we get along are the key reasons we have stayed together this long.

TF: What’s the best part of working with a group as opposed to on your own?

CH: Being able to bring multiple ideas and creative minds into making videos is a benefit. When an idea comes together, it can always evolve into something more that is ten times better. Being in a group also lets us be in more than one place at once so that we can be anywhere people need us. Taking into account longevity in the YouTube space, a group will also prove to have more longevity than any of us could ever generate on our own.

TF: Your most popular video is about taking a bath with 50 bath bombs from Lush. What gave you the idea for this “experiment?”

CH: James (Nova) had the idea come to him randomly during our podcast one day and sure enough, he executed on it. I came back to the office after lunch one afternoon to a swimming pool in the lobby, as well as a mountain of Lush bath bombs sitting on a table. I was super nervous about the idea, seeing as 200 gallons of water on the second floor of an office building could lead to catastrophic events, but it turned out great, and luckily, nothing bad happened. To our surprise, the video ended up doing very well and it has definitely sprouted a few more crazy ideas/experiments in James’ head.

TF: If your team could move anywhere in the world but keep your same job, where would it be and why?

CH: The moon would be pretty cool, especially if they opened up a Bucca Di Beppo there, then the whole team would be happy!

TF: What’s next for your channel? Anything fun?

CH: Lots of stuff of course! We have started doing a lot of experience vlogs and crazy shenanigans that the fans are loving. I guess something about us being idiots in our office or in public is really appealing to our audience. Who would’ve known? During all of this, we will also be working on creative/high production projects that we hope people will also enjoy.

On Deck (channels that will soon reach one million subscribers): Machine Gun Kelly, TheEngineeringFamily, SnoopDoggVEVO

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Millionaires, News, The Creature Hub by Sam Gutelle
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Tumblr is renowned for being one of the internet’s central locations for all things fandom. As such, the Yahoo-owned micro-blogging site started compiling data in the summer of 2015 on the platform’s top trending topics across various categories and released the statistics on a blog called Fandometrics, updated on the regular every single week.

Tumblr defines its Fandometrics blog as “the pleasingly scientific ratings of fandoms on Tumblr.” The idea behind the project is simple: figure out which pop culture topics Tumblr users are referencing the most each week by tracking things like original posts, searches, and reblogs. Fandometrics breaks down a variety of categories (including Web Celebrities, Musical Acts, TV, Movies, Celebrities, and Video Games) into the top ten trending individuals from the previous week. Fandometrics also determines if these top ten topics moved up or down in ranking.

For the week ending in September 7, 2015, for example, Tumblr found that under the Web Celebrities category, YouTube star Dan Howell (aka danisnotonfire) was mentioned the most often. Howell was followed by fellow vlogger Phil Lester (known as AmazingPhil) in the #2 spot. Video game YouTuber Markiplier gained one spot by September 7 to claim third place, and the Kotex-sponsored vampire web series Carmilla was bumped down to #4. The Homestuck web comic claimed the fifth rank after gaining one spot over the previous week.

You can view all categories and related data Tumblr gathers each week by checking out the brand’s Fandometrics blog.

Filed under: Articles, News, Tumblr by Bree Brouwer
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At the Emmy Awards, Bernie Su’s digital adaptations of Jane Austen are two for two. Emma Approved, Su’s web series version of the novel Emma, has won an Emmy Award for Original Interactive Program.

The Original Interactive Program category celebrates series that successfully link together multiple platforms, and no one accomplishes that goal better than Su. His previous Austen adaptation, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, won an Emmy in 2013 thanks to its own transmedia touches. For Emma Approved, Su and his team took interactivity to another level by linking together video, social media, images, text, and music in a manner that invited fans to engage with their favorite characters. It’s an approach that impressed us, and it comes as no surprise that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences took a shine to it as well.

Emma Approved’s Emmy win was announced as part of a press release that revealed the victors in multiple interactive media categories. AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience, a branded event that produced Swift’s hugely popular “Blank Space” music video, also took home a statuette, as did digital-conscous TV shows Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and @midnight.

Aside from Emma Approved and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, other winners of the Emmys’ Interactive Program award have included Dirty Work and Just A Reflektor. With his most recent win, Su is the first person to earn two triumphs in the category, and based on his deep digital media and his current status (he recently launched a production company called Canvas Media Studios), we won’t be surprised if he eventually goes three for three.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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The Streamy Awards are only a week away on September 17, 2015, and final details about performers, presenters, and audience choice awards are starting to fall into place. The 5th annual online video awards show, presented by Tubefilter and dick clark productions, will feature musical performances from hip-hop master Sir Mix-A-Lot and actress-singer Hailee Steinfeld.

Hailing from Seattle, Sir Mix-A-Lot is a self-made hip-hop sensation, most widely known for his popular song “Baby Got Back” from 1992. Sir Mix-A-Lot is a platinum-selling artist with both Grammy and American Music Awards to his name. In addition to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s performance, Steinfeld will also entertain the Streamy Awards audience and viewers. Steinfeld, who starred in films such as Ender’s Game and Pitch Perfect 2, released her debut single “Love Myself” in the summer of 2015 and is currently working on her debut album.

Broadcast for the first time ever on linear TV via VH1, the Streamys will also feature a musical performance from pop star OMI, who released Billboard’s official #1 song of summer 2015 “Cheerleader.” Grammy Award-winning duo Ian Axel and Chad King (aka A Great Big World), who released the hit track “Say Something” with Christina Aguilera, will also perform.

The Streamy Awards also recently released the official nominees for the Audience Choice awards. Fans can pick their favorite Entertainer of the Year and Show of the Year by voting online via the Streamy Awards website or via VH1’s site. Alternatively, fans can submit their vote through Twitter by including the nominee’s hashtag, the word vote, and the hashtag #Streamys in their tweet (an example would be “I’m voting for #Name for Entertainer of the Year at the #Streamys”).

Here’s a complete list of the Audience Choice award nominees for both categories:

Entertainer of the Year

• Cameron Dallas / #CameronDallas
• Connor Franta / #ConnorFranta
• Grace Helbig / #GraceHelbig
• Jack & Jack / #JackAndJack
• Jenna Marbles / #JennaMarbles
• Kandee Johnson / #KandeeJohnson
• King Bach / #KingBach
• Miranda Sings / #MirandaSings
• IISuperwomanII / #Superwoman
• Tyler Oakley / #TylerOakley

 Show of the Year

• EnchufeTV / #EnchufeTV
• fouseyTUBE / #fouseyTUBE
• Good Mythical Morning / #GoodMythicalMorning
• The Philip DeFranco Show / #ThePhilipDeFrancoShow
• PrankvsPrank / #PrankvsPrank
• Rooster Teeth / #RoosterTeeth
• Smosh / #Smosh
• SourceFed / #SourceFed
• Teens React / #TeensReact
• Video Game High School / #VideoGameHighSchool

This year’s Streamy Awards will be hosted by YouTube stars Grace Helbig and Tyler Oakley, with presenters including names such as Jenna Marbles, Miranda Sings, and Ricky Dillon. You can view an entire list of Streamy Awards nominees and award presenters on the event’s official website. And be sure to tune into VH1 (or any of the channel’s digital outlets) at 10 PM EST on September 17 to catch the event live.

Full disclosure: The Streamy Awards were founded and are co-produced by Tubefilter, so as you can imagine, we’re quite busy right now.

Filed under: Articles, News, The Streamy Awards by Bree Brouwer
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The annual New York Fashion Week returned to Manhattan on September 10th, and YouTube has stepped up to the runway in a big way. The world’s top video site has launched a large-scale collaboration that will bring fashion publication Vogue and supermodel Karlie Kloss to YouTube Space New York.

During Fashion Week, Conde Nast brands Vogue and Teen Vogue will take over YouTube Space NY, which sports a Chelsea location close to many of the featured events. As part of the collaboration, Kloss will join forces with a number of YouTube’s top beauty stars, including Amanda Steele, Fleur De Force, Chloe Morello, Ann Le and Rachel Levin. Kloss will challenge these hip influencers to recreate Fashion Week looks and show them off at the Teen Vogue Studio located within YouTube Space NY.

In order to promote the partnership, Kloss appeared in a video on the Vogue YouTube channel. On Anna Wintour’s orders, she moves the style publication into its new digs at the YouTube Space, with some help from guest stars like Casey Neistat and Michael Kors.

“I am so thrilled to work with such a creative group of YouTube stars for the Vogue Beauty Challenge,” said Kloss, who recently launched her own YouTube channel, in a release. “The YouTube community and the team at Condé Nast are incredible storytellers — collaborating together is an exciting opportunity to merge fashion with tech and bring the energy, excitement and cool stories from New York Fashion Week to life.”

New York Fashion Week runs through September 17th. Videos resulting from YouTube’s partnership with Conde Nast will be available on the Vogue and Teen Vogue channels.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Production Companies, YouTube Spaces by Sam Gutelle
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Just days after it gave word of an upcoming production facility in Paris, YouTube has announced another addition to its worldwide array of creator-focused Spaces. It will open a new hub in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian city that will host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The Rio facility is the tenth YouTube Space to be announced and the second one in Brazil. Last year, YouTube announced a partnership with local organization Instituto Criar through which it opened a production space in the Bom Retiro district of São Paulo. At that meeting place, creators have since gained access to the same amenities available at YouTube Spaces around the world, including production rooms, editing bays, educational workshops, and themed sets.

A second Space in Brazil makes sense, as the South American country has a large, active YouTube community of its own. Several Brazilian channels have accrued millions of loyal subscribers. One, sketch comedy channel Porta Dos Fundos, has even passed the rare ten million subscriber mark.

A move into Rio also makes sense from the city’s point of view. Rio is looking to improve its image and renew its urban spaces before the start of next year’s Olympics, and one area undergoing significant change is the city’s port region, where the new YouTube Space will be located. A report from Reuters cites Rio mayor Eduardo Paes, who sees the YouTube Space as a part of the port’s transformation.

The Reuters report also reveals the planned size of the Rio Space–about 22,000 square feet–but many other details about it, including its opening date, have not yet been revealed.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube by Sam Gutelle
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Mondo Media and Blue Ant Media have some original animation coming to linear television. The two digital media companies teamed with YouTube and Corus Entertainment to debut the animated comedy series Night Sweats on Adult Swim’s Canadian linear TV channel on September 4, 2015.

Hosted by comedians Chris Nielsen and Bart Batchelor, Night Sweats features a compilation of comedy shorts, created by independent Canadian animation artists and pulled from the Bite on Mondo content incubator initiative. Mondo and Blue Ant launched in this program in 2013, asking Canadian artists to submit their work for inclusion in the program and potential future TV deals. Bite on Mondo received 750 pitches overall.

Mondo and Blue Ant closed the Bite on Mondo program in late 2014 and started selecting sketches for linear distribution. The companies put animation pilots on YouTube to test the viewership and popularity of various sketches. Mondo and Blue Ant then greenlit 30 pilots and ordered 15 multiple-episode shows, some of which will appear in Night Sweats.

Blue Ant Media Supervising Producer Josh Bowen, manager of the Bite on Mondo project, explained in an email why Mondo and Blue Ant settled on the title Night Sweats. “The show airs late at night has and has almost feverish rhythm to it,” Bowen wrote. “Therefore, we thought Night Sweats was a fun name that captured the tonal quality of the show.”

Bowen also noted how Corus Entertainment, which runs Adult Swim in Canada, decided to air Night Sweats on that linear channel as opposed to the earlier choice of Teletoon. “Given the irreverent nature of the Night Sweats content, Adult Swim in Canada is a natural fit to live within this programming block,” Bowen said.

If you’re a north-of-the-border citizen, you can watch Night Sweats every Friday night at 10 PM EST on Canada’s Adult Swim TV channel.

Filed under: Articles, News, Production Companies, Studios by Bree Brouwer
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Each month, YouTube reveals the ten branded videos released with the past 30 days that received the most views (both paid and unpaid) on the site. In August 2015, with major sporting events like the US Open and NFL season opener right around the corner, that list was dominated by athletes. Seven of the top ten videos on the newest YouTube Ad Leaderboard focus on sports, with an innovate extreme sports campaign claiming the number one position.

DC Shoes, the company best known online for its stunning Gymkhana videos, cranked up the wow factor once again to claim the top spot. This time, it sent stunt biker Robbie Maddison to Tahiti, where he streaked across the surface of the ocean on a tricked-out motorbike. The unbelievable video has become a viral hit to the tune of 18.5 million views.

Of the three non-sports videos on YouTube’s latest Ad Leaderboard, two came from well-established campaigns. One, the latest installment of BuzzFeed and Purina’s Dear Kitten series, reached the number nine spot. The other, an Old Spice ad that pitted the deodorant brand’s two most famous characters against one another, made it up to sixth place. Both “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” and Terry Crews are Ad Leaderboard regulars; I don’t think we’ve seen the last of their ridiculous Old Spice adventures.

Here, courtesy of YouTube, is the full top ten:

1. DC SHOES: ROBBIE MADDISON’S “PIPE DREAM”, 18M views

2. ROC by Monster: CRISTIANO RONALDO IN DISGUISE – ROC, 10.8M views

3. The Lexus Hoverboard: It’s here, 9.8M views

4. Jordan: The Dunk to End All Dunks, 9M views

5. Quaker – “The Recital”, 7.2M views

6. Old Spice | And So It Begins, 6.9M views

7. Gatorade Sweat It to Get It | Tip Ft. JJ Watt, 3.2M views

8. Gatorade Sweat It to Get It | High Knees Ft. Peyton and Eli Manning, 3.1M views

9. BuzzFeed + Purina Friskies – Dear Kitten: Regarding Friendship, 2.5M views

10. Rafael Nadal for Tommy Hilfiger: it all comes off, 2.5M views

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube Ad Leaderboard by Sam Gutelle
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If you stop by a newsstand over the next two weeks, you’ll find two well-known YouTube stars staring back at you. Tyler Oakley and Zoe “Zoella” Sugg, who both have millions of subscribers on their respective channels, appear on the cover of the latest issue of Seventeen Magazine.

Oakley and Sugg’s cover status is accompanied by an in-magazine profile that features photos of the two YouTube stars and interviews with them. “A lot of young people look at me and think, She has the perfect life: She’s got the boyfriend, the house, the dog, the book, the successful YouTube channel,” said Sugg in her chat with Seventeen. “Not everything is perfect…Sometimes I have days where I don’t want to leave my bed, or I’ll have multiple panic attacks.”​

Seventeen is one of several periodical publications with an eye on the YouTube community. Through its own multi-channel network, it has partnered with some of the site’s biggest stars, particularly within the fashion and beauty categories. It published a “YouTube Issue” in 2014; Sugg was one of several creators who appeared within the pages of that installment.

Beyond their shared cover appearance, Oakley and Sugg have both added several off-YouTube feathers to their respective caps. They’ve both landed book deals (though Sugg later copped to hiring a ghostwriter to help pen her novel), and Oakley was recently announced as both the co-host of the Streamy Awards and the subject of an upcoming advertising campaign from YouTube. Not bad for a pair of people who started off making videos in their bedrooms.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Seventeen by Sam Gutelle
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