Following a lawsuit from Viacom in 2007 over the distribution of copyright material that was being uploaded by users, Youtube has increasingly shifted its focus from television and film to independent content producers. This was a smart move for YouTube who soon found that it was unable to compete with the likes of Hulu, but the launch of their partnership program has also meant the beginning of a new kind of entrepreneur.

A legion of profesional YouTubers, who vary in content from comedy sketches to news and vlogs, are now being paid hundreds of thousands for the views they receive on their videos. Though no one has yet reached an income of a million for YouTube, a viewership of over a million subscribers is no longer an uncome milestone. Content producers are now expanding to create their own production studios that focus specifically on the YouTube demographic as the site continues to grow.

It is unclear whether the ever growing activity on the internet will peak, or whether the shift between conventional television and online video consumption will ever be complete. However, what is clear is that the internet is leading to new ways to make money as a new population focuses their attention online.

(A prominent YouTuber, Philip DeFranco, vlogging about money on YouTube)