Many video cameras are being marketed to consumers as "YouTube-Friendly" devices that are ready to work with the video-sharing Website right out of the box.
That these cameras are being sold specifically for making videos to post on YouTube highlights the popularity of user-generated videos and the rising number of US amateur videographers overall. An ABI Research study found that 16.2% of US Internet households have a digital camcorder.
"With the dramatic rise of YouTube as a distribution vehicle for homemade videos, it makes perfect sense for consumer electronics manufacturers to incorporate YouTube functionality into their digital video cameras and market them accordingly," said eMarketer senior analyst Paul Verna.
By saving a few conversion steps, camera makers have eliminated an important hurdle between users' footage and their computers, Mr. Verna said.
"It's a case of giving people what they want, and the likely result will be an increase in both the penetration rate of video cameras and the rate at which Internet users post videos on YouTube," he said.
User-generated video viewers far outnumber creators.
The number of content creators is likely to grow, judging by a Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates study commissioned by Hill & Knowlton. PSB found that 41% of adult consumers would like to use a personal computer for creating or editing video or audio.
Learn why professional marketers are paying attention to amateur video. Please read eMarketer's Online Video: Making Content Pay
report.