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Releasing API’s seems to be a HUGE trend these days. Google released open social and facebook released their api and the wave continues with the introduction of the Youtube API. The YouTube Blog had this to say:

“We try really hard to make YouTube as open as possible. Anyone can upload and view videos, which can be embedded anywhere and viewed on all kinds of different devices. And, of course, anyone can participate in our community by commenting on videos, rating them, and sharing them with friends.

Nevertheless, we worried that we weren’t open enough. So, we pulled some all-nighters and added some powerful new ways to integrate YouTube content and community into other websites, desktop applications, video games, mobile devices, televisions, cameras, and lots more.”

The new API services will make it much easier for developers to and partners to:

• Upload videos and video responses to YouTube
• Add/Edit user and video metadata (titles, descriptions, ratings, comments, favorites, contacts, etc)
• Fetch localized standard feeds (most viewed, top rated, etc.) for 18 international locales
• Perform custom queries optimized for 18 international locales
• Customize player UI and control video playback (pause, play, stop, etc.) through software

There are some major teams putting this into use already. Tivo just released a press release on implementing the youtube api which should bring more online video OFF line and help a better synergy between the two. The Electronic Arts and UC Berkeley has started implementing it as well. Also Animoto which allows you to create your own music videos is now using the API. I wouldn’t be suprised if orkut released an API soon because it looks like a lot of Google properties are starting to follow this trend.

To investigate the innovative ways partners are using YouTube’s API’s, visit the Case Studies page.

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