If there’s one thing Google prides itself on, it’s
keeping things simple. Back in 2008, then-employee Marissa Mayer wrote a
blog post explaining how the company received short, cryptic emails if the
number of words on the Google homepage was creeping up. Although YouTube is a
more complicated beast, it’s still pretty self-explanatory. You look for videos;
you watch the videos. Simple, right?
Well, it doesn’t have to be. Here are nine YouTube
apps neat tools, sites and extensions which will change the way you use
YouTube… for better or worse.
1. Find
videos that literally nobody else has seen
Yes, everyone has seen the video of the dog with
the GoPro camera now, but with 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube per
minute, not every piece of film will be a hit. How do you find videos with
nobody to promote them? That’s what PetitTube is for.
Visit the site, and you’ll be presented with a
random video from YouTube. I can’t vouch for its quality, or that you’ll not
instantly regret the time spent on it, but I can guarantee you’re the first
person to see it. And who knows, maybe you’ll uncover the next viral sensation…
2. Switch
out the comments
It’s pretty much objective fact that YouTube
comments are just the worst, but I for one have spent more time confirming this
than I’d like to admit. There are two options here, both excellent in their own
way.
The first is AlienTube. If the video has featured
on Reddit - which there’s a good chance it has if you’re watching it - then the
comments can be instantly replaced with the slightly higher class of discussion
you get from the self-proclaimed ‘Front Page of the Internet.’
Or, to remind yourself of the futility of comment
culture, Herp Derp for YouTube - another Chrome extension - changes every
comment to ‘HerpDerp’. I promise you, you won’t be missing out on much.
3. Ping
you when new videos appear
Picture the scene: you really want to rewatch an
old cereal advert from the 90s, but a YouTube search comes up empty. Don’t
waste your time checking back daily - sign up to Video Alerts, and get a
notification as soon as another 30-something breakfast enthusiast uploads it.
Free version gives you up to ten searches, which
should be enough for most people, I reckon.
4. Make
YouTube social… with people you want to talk to
Google would claim YouTube is already a social
site, but as I hinted at before, it’s not filled with the type of people you
necessarily want to hang out with, and in any case, discussion isn’t in real
time.
Together Tube fixes this. Make private rooms where
you can watch videos with friends synchronised in real time. There’s even
voting tools to show your disapproval at getting Rickrolled. Again.
5. Cut the music when YouTube plays Video of
mute.fm mutes your music when watching videos.
Is there anything worse than the cacophony of
blending YouTube video sounds with your own perfectly honed browsing
soundtrack? Of course there is, but for the purposes of this, let’s assume
there isn’t and welcome mute.fm into our lives.
No button pushing necessary: mute.fm fades out your
music when the video starts, and fades it back in when it ends. No awkward
silences, and a seamless browsing experience.
6. Get
chords and lyrics from YouTube music
You want to learn that song you heard on YouTube,
but nobody has published the chords? Chordify to the rescue: search for music
via the site, and it’ll play the YouTube video with its attempt at the chords,
so you can play along in tune, if not in style.
7. Make a
GIF of anything on YouTube
Nobody bothered making a GIF of your favourite TV
moment? Paste the YouTube link, isolate the moment, and let Giphy take care of
the rest.
8. Search
YouTube by the year
If you’re stuck for search inspiration, YTTM offers
a novel way of approaching YouTube: just pick a year, and the site will grab a
video shot in those 365 days. If nothing else, it’s a great way to get a feel
for the era, though it’s limited by how thoroughly people have tagged their
uploads.
9. And
finally… give any video the Benny Hill treatment
Because every YouTube video is just better sped up,
with a Yakety Sax soundtrack.
