By Joshua S Hill Oct 8, 2008, 18:40 GMT
Google is trying to bring a measure of revenue sustainability to YouTube with a new “click-to-buy” scheme. The internet giant has begun to place e-commerce links on various videos that will allow users to buy music and video games from the site.
Google is trying to bring a measure of revenue sustainability to YouTube with a new “click-to-buy” scheme. The internet giant has begun to place e-commerce links on various videos that will allow users to buy music and video games from the site. EPA/STR
“Just as YouTube users can share, favorite, comment on, and respond to videos quickly and easily, now users can click-to-buy products -- like songs, books, and movies -- related to the content they're watching on the site,” YouTube said in a blog post.
The “click-to-buy” links will appear on pages housing music videos from companies like EMI Music and on videos from Electronic Arts. Users will be able to purchase items from iTunes and Amazon.com by clicking on the respective links.
Since Google acquired the video website in 2006 they have tried to implement a number of revenue schemes. Including advertising prior to a video had come under strong resistance from users.
“This is just the beginning of building a broad, viable eCommerce platform for users and partners on YouTube,” said the YouTube team on their blog. “Our vision is to help partners across all industries -- from music, to film, to print, to TV -- offer useful and relevant products to a large, yet targeted audience, and generate additional revenue from their content on YouTube beyond the advertising we serve against their videos.”
Offerings will only be available to users living within the United States. However, the long term goal is to provide these buy links to users internationally.
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