Have you made a video for the web?

YouTube is a free website that allows users to upload, view and share video clips. The clips may have been produced by the users themselves or be the work of professionals.

Although YouTube was only launched in 2005, it now has more than 30 million visitors a month, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. More than 100 million clips are viewed daily with an additional 65,000 new videos uploaded each day.

With traffic like that, it’s no wonder that other major internet players are looking for a slice of the action. Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and MySpace have all launched, or plan to launch, their own video-sharing services.

However, YouTube has run into problems regarding copyright infringement as many of the clips uploaded to the site have been captured from television or ripped from DVD. The site has a system of self-policing whereby users are expected to report cases of copyright material being uploaded to the site.

YouTube has also faced criticism over some of the content on the site. In September 2006 the site was forced to take down a video filmed in a UK school of two girls fighting. Anti-bullying charities condemned the site for allowing users to upload films showing violent attacks made by school children on each other.

Despite these problems YouTube and other video-sharing sites seem likely to continue to grow, and the traditional media is beginning to sit up and take notice. Media giant, Warner Music, has signed a deal with YouTube allowing videos and interviews with its artists, which include Madonna and Green Day, to be used legally.

The BBC is also jumping on the bandwagon and will launch the BBC iplayer in 2007. The iplayer will allow users to download television programmes directly onto their computer at a time that is convenient for them.