Making Money With Google Video

Up until now, anybody that made a video and uploaded it to Google Video had two choices -- either sell it or give it away. Now Google's introducing a third option -- advertiser-subsidized videos. In other words, instead of paying for the video, a person can watch it for free, along with a 15- or 30-second ad at the end. Obviously Google gets a cut of the ad revenue, but so does the video producer. They're trialing the system now, but once they get everything worked out, Google plans to do it the same way they have with other forms of advertising -- by letting advertisers bid for the opportunity to get their ad connected with a particular video.

Will this mean there are opportunities for those among us who aren't likely to be the next Tarantino, Wachowski or even these two Chinese guys? Maybe. It's worth thinking about anyway. It's definitely got a few gears turning in the back of my brain.