As Hulu adds Disney to its video fold, some seem to be calling this a loss for YouTube. But YouTube and Hulu are very different video sites and hopefully will continue to evolve so as to co-exist peacefully for the benefit of all web video kind.

YouTube is the video site for the masses. Anyone can upload anything for any reason. It makes the site excellent for finding something, whatever that may be. And that makes it an excellent service for many people, from content creators trying to get noticed to guys filming their dog do funny things.  Hulu is the standard for premium, professional content from the legendary gatekeepers of entertainment.  Even as the two imitate each other, there is more than enough space on the World Wide Web for both.

Yes, YouTube is adding premium content and using much of Hulu’s interface. That’s good for everyone – Hulu has a great interface. But Hulu will never add the breadth and freedom of YouTube. Similarly, much of Hulu’s content providers refuse to give up the control a closed system provides (including, still bizarrely, blocking out most of the world from viewing the page).  Much of the apparent concern for YouTube comes from the higher ad rates Hulu gets for its premium content, but of course, this puts mistaken value on the content itself rather than the experience and the community.

Hulu is an excellent experience, when they aren’t blocking access, but it lacks the community that makes YouTube thrive.  While Google has yet to figure out how to monetize the community, there are still millions of loyal video makers and watchers devoting hours of their time to the making the site more enjoyable and valuable.  Already we’ve seen unique ways YouTube can be a tool for increasing wealth and marketing, from the recent Susan Boyle excitement (which increased sales of Les Miserable CDs) to the amazing Wario Land: Shake It video game ad (you must click the link to experience it fully). Plus, YouTube videos now allow links, allowing for some interesting new opportunities.

Obviously, I like YouTube, and I have some problems with Hulu. Basically, web video, like most aspects of the web, is not a zero-sum game. Just because Hulu gets something does not mean YouTube loses. YouTube finds its own market and its own success because of Hulu, not in spite of, and vice versa.  That’s called competition. And it’s a good thing.