YouTube Space coming to Toronto

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at becoming a YouTube sensation, things are about to become a little easier.

CEO Susan Wojcicki announced last week that the company will be opening a YouTube Space in Toronto.

There are already six other YouTube Space locations across the planet, including Tokyo, Berlin and New York.

Although officials wouldn’t get into details about what this local space would offer, the other locations are designed for creators to produce video content, learn new skills through classes and workshops, and collaborate with the YouTube creative community.

Local YouTube celebrity Lauren Riihimaki, better known as LaurDIY, was thrilled when she heard the news.

“I’m so excited! There’d been rumours that they were going to open one in Toronto so everyone had their fingers crossed,” she said. “I feel like all the major cities have one, so it’s so amazing that Canada finally has one now, too.”

Riihimaki, who has over two million subscribers to her do-it-yourself and lifestyle YouTube channel, has been creating online content for over four years and says this new space would help the small-but-powerful local community thrive.

“I think it’ll be a really great collaboration space,” she explained. “I know L.A. has some crazy equipment so hopefully Toronto will have some cool stuff to offer, too, for creators that are looking to up their production quality.”

According to officials, as of March 2015, creators filming in YouTube Spaces have produced over 10,000 videos which have generated over 1 billion views and more than 70 million hours of watch-time.

Riihimaki is hoping this space encourages local personalities to stay north of the border, as well as bring new talent into the city.

“I’m not going to lie, it is appealing to move out to L.A. where the hub is so it would be really nice if we could grow our own little YouTube hub here in Canada,” she said.

There has been no word on what users will need to qualify for space at YouTube Space Toronto but here are the qualifications to use YouTube Space L.A.:

To produce at YouTube Space LA, you must:

  • have a YouTube channel with at least 10,000 subscribers (Other locations require only 5,000 subscribers)
  • have no current copyright or Terms of Service strikes on your qualifying channel(s)
  • attend an “Unlock the Space” orientation
  • be at least 18 years old

 

Just where and when YouTube Space Toronto will open has not yet been announced.

Want to see inside the YouTube Space in Los Angeles? Check out this video below:

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