YouTube

YouTube is the world's second-most-visited website and leading online video sharing platform founded on February 14, 2005, by former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim in San Mateo, California. Initially conceived as a video dating service with the slogan 'Tune In, Hook Up,' it pivoted to general video sharing after uploading the first video 'Me at the zoo' on April 23, 2005. Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in October 2006, and it's now headquartered in San Bruno, California, serving over 2.7 billion monthly active users who watch more than one billion hours daily. While primarily a video platform, YouTube has become crucial to the audio industry as the world's largest music streaming service, hosting official music videos, artist channels, and audio content that significantly impacts music discovery and consumption. The platform generates substantial revenue for record labels, independent artists, and audio content creators, making it an essential distribution channel for the global audio and music industry despite not manufacturing physical audio equipment.