With platforms like Skillshare and Masterclass gaining a strong footing, there’s a market for online video training. It’s on the back of this that YouTube has decided to move into the paid training market.
Of course, tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of instructional videos are already available on the platform. But they’re for free and only make money for the creator when the channel is monetised. In this case, qualified creators will be able to market paid courses within the YouTube platform:
Next year, qualified creators can begin offering free or paid Courses to provide in-depth, structured learning experiences for viewers. Viewers who choose to buy a Course can watch the video ad-free and play it in the background. Courses will arrive first in the United States and South Korea in beta before expanding to more countries.
An important point of note here is that it’s intended to be detailed learning, not a “how to pair your Bluetooth headphones” type of instruction. There won’t be ads in the courses because they’re paid, and YouTube will take a little cream off the top for platform provision.
It’s part of the growing YouTube experience. and while it will impact other platforms, it seems a smart business move by the YouTube team.
