Audio-Visual Genres and Polymediation in Successful Spanish YouTubers

Torres Hortelano, Lorenzo J.

doi:10.3390/fi11020040

Volume 11, Issue 2

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Audio-Visual Genres and Polymediation in Successful Spanish YouTubers^†

Lorenzo J. Torres Hortelano

Department of Sciences of Communication, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28943 Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain

^†

This paper is dedicated to our colleague in INFOCENT, Javier López Villanueva, who died on 31 December 2018 during the finalization of this article, RIP. A short version of this article was presented as “Populism, Media, Politics, and Immigration in a Globalized World”, in Proceedings of the 13th Global Communication Association Conference Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain, 17–19 May 2018.

Future Internet 2019, 11(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi11020040

Received: 8 January 2019 / Revised: 1 February 2019 / Accepted: 2 February 2019 / Published: 11 February 2019

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Intelligent Systems and Networks 2019)

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Abstract

This paper is part of broader research entitled “Analysis of the YouTuber Phenomenon in Spain: An Exploration to Identify the Vectors of Change in the Audio-Visual Market”. My main objective was to determine the predominant audio-visual genres among the 10 most influential Spanish YouTubers in 2018. Using a quantitative extrapolation method, I extracted these data from SocialBlade, an independent website, whose main objective is to track YouTube statistics. Other secondary objectives in this research were to analyze: (1) Gender visualization, (2) the originality of these YouTube audio-visual genres with respect to others, and (3) to answer the question as to whether YouTube channels form a new audio-visual genre. I quantitatively analyzed these data to determine how these genres are influenced by the presence of polymediation as an integrated communicative environment working in relational terms with other media. My conclusion is that we can talk about a new audio-visual genre. When connected with polymediation, this may present an opportunity that has not yet been fully exploited by successful Spanish YouTubers. View Full-Text

Keywords: polymediation; YouTube; YouTubers; audio-visual genre; SocialBlade; elRubius

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