Technologically speaking, what things would break? Right now, I think of two services that would be impacted: ∙ Google TV/YouTube Movies & TV libraries ∙ YouTube Music's catalog
Sorry for not exactly understanding how both work, this is just more of what I asked in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41946885
I've always assumed that Google ads subsidises everything else at Google. So my concern with a split would be YouTube increasing price or less investment in the service.
Search of youtube is absolutely horrendous so I don't see any additional harm to from splitting them.
And of course the benefits are so large as to be difficult to enumerate.
Google SSO, for some reason it redirects through YouTube
YouTube would die.
Although it generates a large amount of revenue, YouTube's costs are substantially higher. It provides Google with engagement and a prime source of user data, so subsidising it has been an acceptable trade-off for Alphabet. Recent attempts to increase revenue, although partially successful, have shown that the platform is unlikely to pay its own way because universal accessibility is fundamental to YouTube's success; removal of the free level is not a viable option.
The most interesting implications may be social, not technological. Historically, there is nothing new about the ultrawealthy running their own publishing platforms to push their own political agendas. The internet has broadened the potential reach of those efforts to new heights though. Splitting YouTube off from Google might be enough to put it in reach of going private similar to what happened with Twitter.
First hit on google says: $31.5 billion in ad revenue in 2023.
That figure does not include 100 million subscribers (2024).
I am outside my comfort zone but I would bet youtube would thrive without google if those numbers are correct. And it is for sure large enough to not need google for bulk deals etc.
a split setup could still allow login to youtube with a google ID; just like you can login to some sites using google/facebook/etc - so that might stop that breaking.
(I did notice today that Google video search was dominated by Tiktok results rather than youtube for the first time)
Not exactly technical but...
Personally, I might start paying a subscription for YouTube. I wouldn't be forced to use a Google account for YouTube, and I would actually invest in my YouTube account.
Most importantly I would start trusting YouTube if it parts its way with Google.
How much work would it take to sever youtube from the google infrastructure? I'm imagining the entire organization working on it for multiple years to make it happen.
I think there will be two companies instead of just one.
The question is whether YouTube would still be allowed to sell Google ads. If the ad service is still Google, a breakup is pointless.
Youtube would no doubt improve. Google is only good at search, and even then nowadays it is really annoying.
Good things
Why are you worried about this? Have you read something related?
They’d both be in the top10 Internet advertising juggernauts.
Both Youtube and Google might get more competitors.
YouTube would become more like TikTok.
Google would lose the bleeder called YouTube that on its own would tank in 6 months
It wouldn't be the work of a couple of hours and changing DNS records. Youtube runs on Google hardware in Google datacenters running proprietary Google software that integrates throughout the Google proprietary ecosystem. Everything will break.
Realistically, once the division is somehow negotiated through, Youtube will have to find a way to make enough money to support its operations, and would find itself in the same bind that every other video site has hit in terms of balancing adoption with income.
The only barrier they will not have to face is competing against Youtube, the big free elephant in the room.