YouTube to let users launch pre-recorded videos as live moment
San Francisco, June 22: Google-owned YouTube has announced several new updates to the platform including the new "Premieres" feature that would allow creators to debut pre-recorded videos as a live moment.
Premieres are starting to roll out to creators today and will be available broadly soon, Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Product Officer, said in a blog post on Thursday.
"When creators choose to release a Premiere, we'll automatically create a public landing page to build anticipation and hype up new content," Mohan added.
When all fans show up to watch the premiere, YouTube will enable them to chat with each other and with the creator in real time via live chat.
"It's as if a creator's entire community is in one theatre together watching their latest upload," Mohan said.
"Premieres" would roll out over the next two weeks, reaching select YouTubers who were beta test partners first, The Verge reported.
YouTube also announced a new "Merchandise Integration" option with which creators could make products like shirts and mugs and have their items advertised on a shelf below their video, the report added.
To help businesses grow, the video-sharing app additionally notified that as part of the new updates, YouTubers could get an opportunity to be hired by brands for branded content curation with "Famebit Integration" feature.
This feature does not have a set roll out date as yet.
YouTube made all these announcements at VidCon US 2018 that commenced on June 20 in Anaheim, California and will continue till June 23.
"With more than 1.9 billion logged-in users who come to YouTube every month and localised versions stretching across 90 countries and 80 languages, we're opening up the world to anyone with a cell phone and an Internet connection," Mohan said.
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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar takes oath as Rajya Sabha member
New Delhi (PTI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha, marking the end of his two-decade rule in the eastern state and paving the way for a new chief minister.
The oath was administered by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan in his chamber at a brief ceremony. The Chairman later welcomed him as a member of the Upper House and also on his return in Parliament.
Kumar took the oath in Hindi in the presence of Union Minister J P Nadda, who is also leader of the house, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur and Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Chaudhary was also present at the oath-taking.
JDU leader and party's working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh, besides BJP MP and former union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy and BJP chief whip in Lok Sabha Sanjay Jaiswal, were among those present during the oath-taking.
"Vice President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, administered the oath to Shri Nitish Kumar as an elected Member of Rajya Sabha, from Bihar, at Parliament House today," the Vice President's office said on X, while sharing pictures of the oath-taking.
After the oath-taking, Kumar came out of the new Parliament building and spoke about the time he was a member of the Lok Sabha and sat in the old Parliament building.
As Kumar assumes the Rajya Sabha role, it marks the end of his long two-decade rule in Bihar. Kumar will soon resign as chief minister and the NDA is likely to elect a new chief minister of Bihar on April 14.
He has already resigned as a member of the State Legislative Council on March 30 after he was elected to Rajya Sabha.
The JD(U) supremo was elected to the Upper House of Parliament on March 16, and he had to quit as an MLC in the 14-day period after his election.
